of Silver It is no curiosity in Ministers to be inquisitive into their peoples courses It is the Objection of ill-minded ones say they What need Ministers busie themselves they must have their tell-tales we can doe nothing but they must heare of it O beloved we can never preach fruitfully if we stop our eares with wax and will not listen what our hearers do 7ly Ministers should agree in ordering their own conversations aright it is but a folly else to be a Minister we doe but make repentance dearer and at a higher price A Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God not self-willed not soon angry not given to wine nor to silthy lucre Tit. 1. 7. It is a double wickednesse for a Minister to be wicked to be a company-keeper to be a pot-companion as God said to Aaron Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generation that hath any blemish let him not approach to offer the bread of his God Levit. 21. 17. We can never doe good if we blemish our selves with vice True it is the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments doe not depend upon the quality of the Minister the seed sown in good ground may grow though the sower had a dirty hand Gold is gold though it be in the hand of a thiefe yet such is our weaknesse that they are weak to us People are apt to respect the Word and Sacraments the lesse when they see the Minister is not holy as we see in Elies wicked sonnes for men abhor'd the offerings of the Lord 1 Sam. 2. 17. Their eyes must be taught as well as their eares Those things sayes Paul which ye have heard and seen in me do Phil. 4. 9. Except with Thomas in another case they see they will not beleeve Let a Minister be never so godly he shal doe good little enough The Prophet Esay though a holy man yet he complains he laboured in vain Now if a godly man can doe but little good upon the most much lesse can a wicked Minister A true Minister must be able to say as Gideon Look on me and doe likewise as I doe so shall yee doe Judg. 7. 17. Ministers must be examples unto the Flock 1 Pet. 5. 3. First cast the beam out of thine own eye then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the moat out of thy brothers eye As it is said of Ezra Ezra had prepared his own heart to seek the law of the Lord and to doe it and to teach in Israel Ezra 7. 10. Our Saviour Christ did taught as Luke speakes This is the course of a Minister indeed to doe his own Sermons When a Minister does not do what he teaches this makes him a vile person nay this makes him ridiculous Like Lâ—â—ians Apothecary who had medicines in his shop to cure the cough and told others that he had them and yet was troubled with it himself With what a forehead canst thou stand in a Pulpit and publish the lawes of God and to undertake the charge of souls that when thine own naked nesse appeares when thy tongue is of a larger size then thy hands thy ministery is divided against it selfe thy courses gives thy doctrine the lie thou sayest that men must be holy and thy deeds doe declare thy mouthes hypocrisie thou dost more mischiefe then an hundred others as ` Peter sayes of wicked Ministers Many will follow their pernicious wayes 2 Peter 2. 2. one Minister shal have many followers A good Minister shall hardly get two or three to follow him But when a Minister is wicked he shall have many that will follow him From the Prophets of Jerusalem prophanenesse is gone forth into all the Land Jerem. 23. 15. If the springs bee tainted that taint runnes forth into all the streames People think themselves safe on an Ale-bench when they have gotten the Parson with them this hardens their hearts a thousand times more But a true Minister is a godly man Now when Ministers agree in godlinesse this is another branch of this unity Eighthly and lastly Ministers should agree in concord and in amity even as all deare fellow-servants as Paul sayes of Epaphras the Minister of the Colossians As yee also learned of Epaphras our deare fellow-servant who is for you a faithfull Minister of Christ Coloss 1. 7. Being to write to the Colossians yee see what a tender care hee hath of Epaphras he labours to commend him to his people that they may regard him the more It is an horrible sin when one Minister will gird at another that is faithfull and that in the presence of some of his people This helpeth the Devill to harden peoples hearts against him that hee cannot doe the good that otherwise hee might doe when other Ministers will revile him and traduce him and speak filthy words such as their malice doth prompt them with Paul did not thus When he knew Timothy was to goe to Philippi he does most dearly commend him unto them O sayes he I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your estate Philip. 2. 20. So our Saviour Christ how much did hee countenance and back John the Baptists Ministery to the encouraging of all that heard him Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater then John Baptist Matth. 11. 11. O it is an excellent thing when Ministers doe not envie one another when they love one another and will live together in blessed Harmony Thus yee see what this unity should be The Reasons of this point why Ministers should all agree thus and be all as one are First because this makes Ministers amiable in their peoples eyes it commendeth their Ministeries unto the consciences of their hearers as the Prophet Isaiah sayes How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth glad tidings the publishers of peace c. Isa 52. 7. You will say How is that How comes his feet to bee beautifull It followes in the eighth verse Thy watchmen shall lift up their voyce with a voyce together shall they sing Mark that was it that made his feet beautifull because all the watchmen were of one note they sung with one voice together look as one preach'd so preach'd another one did not pull down what another built up one did not preach more pleasing doctrine to the flesh then another but they all sung in one Tune they all were of one heart Secondly as it makes the Ministery more beautifull and comely so it makes it the more powerfull when the Ministers are all of one mind in the Lord when they all draw one way all walk by the same Rule all set themselves to doe good and to promote one anothers good I say this makes the Ministery the more powerfull and profitable The Apostle speaking of an ignorant man coming into the Church to heare the Minister preach hee shewes how powerfull the Word may bee unto him 1 Cor. 14. 25. O sayes he
life of Eloqution so I may say of preaching affections are the life of preaching now by affections I doe not meane feigned and forced affections they are no affections indeed but when a man preaches so for the matter and manner indeed affectionate matter and with a true affected heart that he may move the hearts of men as one says the world is now full of knowledge as a drunkard is full of wine that his stomack is not able to digest so I say people have more knowledge then they can well digest the stomack wants heat to concoct it for their good as Rodolphus Agricola speakes any man that hath learning may teach but to move the heart and affections it requires more a great deale This is lively preaching when a Minister sets himself to be in mens bosoms what alively preacher was the Apostle Paul you may see by his dealing with Agrippa he made the Kings heart even yearne againe with his speaking the King confest how his speaking worked within his bosom almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian Act. 26. 28. so you may see by the Galatians his preaching did not onely convert many of them but those whom he did not convert he did wonderfully work upon their hearts that they could have be contented to have pluckt out their eyes have given them to him Gal. 4. 15. such a lively preacher was he in the second of Judges that when he preacht he set all the people a melting a weeping like little children that had been beaten Judg. 2. 4. 5. I grant it may be the best and liveliest Ministers under heaven cannot do so now peoples hearts are more hardned But yet though we cannot undertake to move any one mans heart that 's the worke of God yet our Ministry may be lively First by labouring to make the things that we preach as it were lively before peoples eyes as the Apostle preached Christ crucified even as if he were crucified before his peoples eyes Gal. 3. 1. so Moses had a very lively Ministry the Text sayes he set before them life and death he laboured to preach with that evidence as if he had set before their eyes life death heaven and hell good and evill when a Minister preaches in the evidence and the demonstration of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. when he labours to bring the Gospell plainly to mens hearts a man may teach the Gospell but it is not preaching except he set it lively forth and labour to make people see it this is the truth and this is your sinne against that truth this is the doctrine and thus you faile in the doctrine this is the threatning of God and thus you lye under the threatning otherwise they heare a Sermon as if it did not concern them Secondly coming to particulars generals are but dead we see they leave people dead people have a hundred tricks to put them off but when a preacher comes to particulars he either quickens or slayes he convinces either to life or to death when a Minister layes the truth at every mans doore he presses it upon every mans heart he meets with many a put off he makes every conscience say I am the man except they be asleep or their minds are a wooll-gathering he darts into his hearers faces a view of their particular estates he toucheth their copy-hold he confutes their false pleas and knocks off the fingers that would be applying of a promise when it does not concern them puts it onely upon the soule to whom it does belong This is lively preaching that gives to every soule his due terror to whom teror comfort to whom comfort belongs milk to the Babe strong meat to the grown oyle to the bruised and a sword into the hard heart a whip for the Horse and a Bridle for the Asse and a rod for the fooles back Prov. 26. 3. application is the life of preaching this serves to condemne such a one this serves to confute such a one this serves to comfort such a one when a Minister does as Paul sayes divide the word aright 2 Tim. 2. 15. Thirdly by worrying of people out of their sinnes when a Minister will not let people be quiet in any of their sinfull courses when he labours daily to vex their guilty consciences and to turne them from day to day as the two witnesses did Rev. 11. 10. that they may say we cannot be quiet for this man he makes me sit upon thornes when a Minister labours to make hell to have every vile wretch and heaven and the promises to have every honest heart c. Fourthly by being pittious and affectionate towards the poore people to let them see how we pity their condition as we should doe what we can to make them feele their damned estate as also with bowels and compassion labour that they may see we doe pity them therefore preaching sometimes is called lamentation in Scripture Ezek. 19. 1. it may be people then may say what a beast am I how does our Minister pity us he mourns over us and bewayles us what a wretch am I that I doe not bewayle mine own case O beloved what a wofull thing is it that any of us should perish to be damned for ever in hell to lye in eternall paines what a pity is this is it not much better ye should embrace the good word of God and beleeve and take Jesus Christ and be willing to doe any thing he would have you to doe then to lye by it for ever in the paines of hell for the pleasures of sinne for a season alas it is for want of bowels that we doe no more good Fifthly by being deeply affected with the word of God laying nothing on peoples backs but what we lift up upon our owne shoulders speaking the truth from the bottom of our hearts uttering the word of God with feeling and with a contrite spirit O if we could drop our Sermons as dew down from heaven on our people this would be lively preaching indeed as the Prophet Ezekiel did he dropt the word of God upon Ierusalem Ezek. 21. 2. so if our Sermons did come droping downe from us as if they dropt downe from heaven O how coldly doe our Sermons come from our mouthes we doe not preach as if the word came downe from heaven as if our hearts were no higher then our pulpits Lastly by getting the Lord to goe along with our Ministry for it is not our preaching it self that hath any life no it is but a dead letter as Micha sayes I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord Mich. 3. 8. REVEL 3. 2. And art Dead THese words as ye heard have a twofold relation one to the Angell of the Church in Sardis thou art dead thy Ministry is dead there 's no life nor heat at all in thy Ministry it is no stirring Ministry thou art dead another to the Church it self thou art
a dead people a dead congregation For the first thence we had this point of Doctrine that a dead Ministry is little better then no Ministry at all By a dead Ministry I meane though the matter preached be never so sound orthodox yet when the preaching of it is dead this is a dead Ministry as a Prayer may be dead though the things prayed for be never so honest and godly now such a Ministry is little better then no Ministry there 's no warmth hardly to be had by it at all like the Ministry of the Scribes that had no power nor authority in it at all Matth. 7. 29. as Luther said when he heard one preach very cold cold cold sayes he this is cold preaching here 's no heat at all to be gotten First this is nothing like a true Ministry indeed a true Ministry indeed is lively it is a Ministry that warmes and heats it is a very earnest Ministery as when the Lord let the Jewes have a true Ministry he sayes they had a lively Ministry I earnestly protested to your Fathers Jer 11. 7. he speakes of the Ministry of Moses and the Prophets it was a very lively Ministry they preacht in good earnest to the people so Paul was earnest in his Ministry I have striven to preach the Gospell Rom. 15. 20. he belaboured him hard in the pulpit he laid about him soundly so that a dead Ministery is nothing like a true Ministery Secondly the Lord counts a dead Ministry even as if it were no Ministry at all The Scribes and the Pharisees were very morall men most of them as ye may see by Paul's Testimony of himself and they were orthodoxe Ministers for the maine as our Saviour sayes of them for he bids people heare them yet he counted their Ministry even as no Ministry at all he cals the people that sate under their Ministry people having no Shepheard Matt. 9. 36. true they had Shepheards but as the Prophet sayes of the Shepheards of Judah they were Jdoll Shepheards Zach. 11. 17. they were very Idols ye know Idols are dead Images Thirdly a dead Ministry does little or no good it is very unfruitfull it does not awaken any of the auditory it does not stir any of the hearers it does not rouze up mens hearts it does not grapple with the obstinate nor pull down the proud neither does it carry life at all with it as Ieremy sayes of many of the Priests and the Prophets of Israel they did not convert any God tels them if they had stood in his counsell they should have turned many Jer. 23. 22. But as the matter went they turned none they converted none a lively Ministry doth a great deale of good but a dead Ministry is a flat thing Fourthly a dead Ministry God seldome goes along with it nay that 's the life of ones Ministry when the Minister seekes God to goe along with him now a dead Ministry God goes not along with it a lively Ministry God gos along with that as Christ sayes Lo I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. such a Ministry God blesses it gathers up Gods Jewels it builds up Gods Church it helps to perfect the Saints But a dead Ministry the Lord does not goe with it he does not worke with it Fifthly a dead Ministry prophanes the word it makes it seeme nothing worth it makes people thinke there is no great matter in it a lively Ministry glorisies the word it lets out God into the conscience it givs people to understand they come upon life and death it makes people looke about them it makes people heare over all that ever they have done it flashes the word of God into their hearts as a light to discover all their wayes it gives them a view of their eternall estate either one way or other it is the savour either of life unto life or of death unto death as it is said of Pauls Ministry the word of the Lord was glorified by it Act. 13. 48. But a dead Ministry prophanes hides the glory of it it lets people set quietly under it it diseases no sinner The use of this was first here we saw a reason why a dead Ministry is not houted at but applauded in the world Why it is as good as no Ministry at all it does not make the devill roar it lets people sleep in their sins such Ministers are dawbers they are the divels upholsters they doe not pluck away mens pillowes from under their arme-holes people may doe what they list for all them The world will let such alone they may sleep long enough whereas a livelie Minister can heardly come into the pulpit but presently he is halfe a Martyr as the Lord said to Ezekiel Briers and thornes are with thee Ezek. 2. 6. The world fought against Ieremy they played the wolves against the Apostles of Jesus Christ Lively Ministers cannot give the world any good content there 's an antpathy between the world and such they cannot more agree then light and darknesse such a Minister stands in the worlds light he makes the world see their works are evill he detects shams and opposes the sins that the world wallows in such a Ministry is a dissering Ministry it makes a division among men There cannot be a lively Ministery any where but the world hath a sting at it But a dead Ministry may goe Scot-free it does not torment them that dwell upon the earth Secondly this may serve to reprove our selves that are no more lively in our Ministry That our Ministry hath no more edge upon it to enter into this horny thick-skin age we complaine of much deadnesse now a dayes alas how if we be found guilty of it in that we preach no more quickeningly if the Apostles of Christ complained of dull hearers Heb. 5. 11. O how many dull hearers have we The Lord awaken our hearts The deader people be we had need to be the quicker in our Ministry or else we cannot say we are pure from their blood Don't we see the damned estate that our people are in by nature the carelesnesse of getting to be delivered out the necessity of faith of repetance of holinesse the danger of sinne the multitudes of them that perish and the fewnesse of them that strive to enter in at the straight gate the deceitfulnesse of the heart how the world and the cares of this life carry almost all eleane away the badnesse of the times the shortnesse of this life the irrecoverable estate after death the immortalitie of the soule the paines of hell the joyes of heaven O how should we bestirre our selves to beat these truthes into mens hearts that they may bethink them and flye from the wrath come The cold preaching of such weighty things quite cozens the world we give them such faint warnings that it 's no wonder that so few doe take any warning we sound the Trumpet
CHRISTS ALARM TO DROWSIE SAINTS OR Christs Epistle to his Churches By WILLIAM FENNER B. D. sometimes fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and Minister of Rochford in ESSEX REVEL 2. 7. Hee that hath an eare to hear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches LONDON Printed by J. D. R. I. for John Rothwell at the Sun and Fountain in Pauls Church-yard M DC XLVI Insigni Eruditione Pietate V THOMAE HILL S. T. D. Acad Cantabrigienss Dignissimo Procancellario Coll Trin in eadem Acad Magistro Posthumum hoc GUILLIEL FENNERI Opusculum In Debitae observantiae Testimonium D. D. D. J. R. Bibliopola TO THE READER THE Author of these ensuing Sermons was a Minister of God famous in his Generation a burning and shining light one to whom if ever to any God had given the Art of winning of Soules whom I have often heard Preaching and alwaies in the demonstration of the Spirit and power and not in the inticing words of mans wisedome He was as Nazienzen saith of John Baptist Tota Vox all Voice A voice in his habite in his gestare and in his life and conversation as well as his Doctrine and being now dead he is still a voice by his Works which he hath left behinde him And in particular by these Sermons Printed according to a Copy written with his own hand which handle a Subject very necessary for these times wherein there are many that have a name to live but are indeed dead and many that are spiritually alive but yet full of deadnesse and unactivenesse to that that is good Now this Treatise will be usefull if God give a blessing to it to make the dead Christian living and the living Christian more active and lively in all godlinesse which that it may effect is the prayer of Thy soules friend in Jesus Christ ALAMY The Contents THE Coherence Page 1 The Division Page 2 1 Observ That Ministers are to be Angels Page 7 1 Vse The Ministery no base office Page 10 2 Vse If Angels they must be holy Page 11 3 Vse If Angels they must be ready to preach and labor in the word Page 13 4 Vse If Angels they are mainely for Gods Elect. Page 17 5 Vse If Angels with what reverence ought wee to hear them Page 19 2 Observ All true Ministers as one ibid. How Page 21 What unity Page 24 Ministers ought to preach often Page 32 The reasons of their unity Page 39 1 Vse Ministers not to envy one another for the faithfull discharge of their duty Page 41 2 Vse Ministers must labour to be of one minde Page 42 3 Vse Good for Ministers that they preach one for another Page 44 Ministers may be in fault the people are no better Page 46 People a cause of the Ministers deadnesse Page 48 Particular Preaching does good Page 51 Generall preaching hartfull seven Reason ibid. Morall preaching does no good Page 57 Not enough to professe onely the name of Christ Page 61 The more the word â—onvinces the more subtleties the heart aeviseth Page 63 Cold preaching of the word is unsutable to the nature of the word Page 64 It is cold two wayes Page 66 Evill life causeth thâ— Preacher seem vile Page 67 1 Vse A Minister may be the cause why the people are dead Page 68 2. Ministers of all mâ—n should care to be most quickned ibid. 3. People should pray for their Ministers Page 69 4. Ministers should take hâ—ed of their charge â—â—â—irable Royalties of Jesus Christ ibid. 1 That he hath the Seven Spirits of God Page 72 Gives the spirit to whom he pleases Page 75 The Reasons why Page 77 Vse 1. If Christ have the spirits what hath he not Page 80 2. We are without excuse if we want the spirit when Christ hath him to give Page 81 How we may obtain it Page 86 3. Those that want the spirit may have supplies from Jesus Christ Page 89 Signes of it Page 93 Second Royalty of Jesus Christ he hath the seven Stars Page 96 Ministers why Stars Page 97 Every Parish should have one Page 98 Vse 1. A Miserable thing when a Land is darkned Page 100 2. We are to blesse God when the Starres shine ibid. 3. Take heed those few Stars we have set upon us Page 101 Six fignes when they are about to vanish ibid. Why God will take away his Stars Page 105 Christ hath seven Stars in five respects Page 107 Vse 1. They have their Mission from him therefore t is comfort to true Ministers ibid 2. They must doe his Message Page 108 3. They must give him account Page 109 4. A great mercy Christ should send unto them ibid. The heads of their Commission their Authority Page 120 Vse 1. If their Commission be from Christ they are the greatest Embassadors that are or can be Page 121 2. They must take heed how they discharge their Function Page 122 3. To condemn them that obey not the Ministery Page 124 4. God takes it not well at our hands that Ministers should be vilipended Page 126 5. They must preach no mercy at all to them that stand out wilfully Page 129 6. They that fear God must obey the voyce of his Servants Page 131 Ministers had need of many rare gifts Page 133 1. To open the Scriptures ibid. 2. To deduce from them Page 134 3. To Convince Page 135 4. To move affections ibid. 5. To speak Pro Re Nata Page 136 6. To chuse speciall Texts for speciall occasions Page 137 Vse 1. A Minister had not need to be a foole Page 139 2. They are not Christs Ministers that are not gifted ibid. 3. They must goe to Christ for gifts Page 140 4. Stir up those he gives them Page 141 5. They must rely on Christ ibid. 6. People should pray for their Minister Page 142 Meanes to enlarge the Ministers hearts and gifts to the people ibid. Christ hath the prospering of his Ministers Page 149 The Reasons 1. Because Ministers are nothing in the World Page 151 2. Conversion is supernaturall Page 152 Vse 1. The Ministers can onely make try all whether they can convert the people or no. Page 153 2. They must waite though they have not successe presently Page 154 3. It may condemn the World that lets not Ministers have successe ibid A Minister hath all good successe from Christ Page 156 Vse 1. Why some Ministers now adayes have so little successe Page 157 Carnall Ministers may sometimes convert Page 159 2. Christ doth blesse true Ministers Page 161 3. If they have not successe they ought not to be discouraged Page 162 4. The greatest hurt to Ministers is to deprive them of the joy of their labors ibid. Christ disposeth continueth or removeth them Page 163 Reason 1. Because no man is a Pastour that entereth not at the doore Page 164 2. None can be placed in a Parish but by this Bishop Christ the Archbishop of our Soules Page 165 3. He payes them
be holy Let thy Urim and thy Thummim be with thy holy one Deut. 33. 8. so that our very calling will testifie against us if we be not holy We of all men should labour to be holy What a Minister and yet a drunkard a Minister and yet a whoremonger a Minister and yet without the feare of God a Minister and yet have a dead heart O consider what God sayes What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldst take my covenant within thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and hast cast my words behind thee Psal 50. 16 17. With what face can we here stand in a Pulpit and preach against sin and teach our hearers to make conscience of all their wayes and denounce the judgements of God against them that doe evill if we that condemne another do the same things or as bad How inexcusable are we if we can preach the straitnesse of heavens gate and the narrownesse of the way and the strictnesse of the account the people shall be forced to give at the last day and lay heavie burdens on other mens shoulders and we our selves not touch them with one of our fingers Teach precisely and live loosely teach graciously and walke broadly This is grosse hypocrisie act zeal and goodnes in the Pulpit and be heartlesse and luke-warm in our private duties unto God Again we can never look to doe good if we be not holy as Jet will not draw if it be not clean For how can we hope our people will follow our exhortations if they see we doe not follow them our selves When S. Luke had shewed how Barnabas exhorted the Christians to cleave close unto God Acts 11. 23. presently he gives a reason why he might well exhort them to do so For he was a good man full of the holy Ghost and of Faith v. 24. When our hearers are met with for any of their sinnes when wee rub their consciences with our Sermons presently their eye is at us and if they see us to be vain and worldly this heals them again though the word wounded them yet this is an ease to them O think they he is as bad himselfe and we see no such holinesse in him and we are as faire for heaven as he he loves his peny as well as we he is as ready to quarrell as we he is as proud and ambitious and fearfull and idle as we he loves to sleep in a whole skin what wil not hee doe rather then lose his living hee 'l break the Sabbath and teach others to doe so Now my brethren how should we abhorre this O it should prick and spur us up to study holinesse of life that so our Ministery may be powerful Thirdly are Ministers Angels Then they should be apt to teach ready to preach and to labour in Word and Doctrine It is said of the Angels that they have wings One of the Seraphims came flying unto me Isa 6. 6. They are ready prest to doe any thing that the Lord gives them in charge so should we be or else how should we beare the name of Angels We must labour that we may be fruitful in our labour among our people You know the Angels are called Reapers and so are Gods Ministers I sent you to reap John 4. 38. When a man reaps he gathers nay Christ chuseth good Ministers for this end that they should bring forth fruit in their places I have ordained you that yee should goe and bring forth much fruit John 15. 16. Nay our Saviour Christ supposes that all his true Ministers are fruitfull upon some Every sower though he have some high-way ground to sow in and some thorny ground and some stony ground yet he hath some good ground or other For first a good Minister it is the desire of his soul to see the fruits of his labours As a Hen many a Hen will hardly ever off from her egges till she see a young chickens bill peep nay she will sit stil till she die before she will off What made Paul so desirous to come to the Romans Was it onely to see them and to be among them or to take his tythes or his maintenance No it was that he might have some fruit Rom. 1. 13. And certainly this is the study of every true Minister that he may see his preaching fruitfull in the conversion and salvation of some that some are awakened by his means that some are quickned some are made to leave their sinnes and to become new creatures unto God Secondly does not every man count it a misery to be unprofitable The Lord names it as a brand upon wicked men that they are unprofitable Rom. 3. 12. What a wofull brand is this when we can live two three seven ten twenty yeares in a place and our services are unprofitable no man delivered out of ignorance no man purged from his filthinesse by our means when our Ministery is a dead letter we preach without life and no man is translated from death unto life by it I say this is to bee unprofitable like salt that hath lost his savour I confesse the best Ministers may have little takings as the best tradesman may have little vent for his wares when his trading growes dead Nay thirdly this is the end of our gifts that wee may profit with them as the Apostle sayes The manifestation of the Spirit is given unto every man to profit withall 1 Cor. 12. 7. Hath he given us knowledge He hath given it us that we should profit others with it Hath hee given us skill in the opening and applying of the Scriptures He hath given it unto us that we may doe good with the same And therefore O how earnest should we be that our Ministery may profit that our pains may be profitable and successfull that we may say with the Prophet Esay Lord behold I and the Children whom thou hast given me Fourthly this is the best argument that God hath of a certain called us to bee Ministers in his Church If we have called our selves and run without sending then no marvell if we be fruitlesse and doe little or no good But if we find that God blesseth our labours this is the best seal of our ministery as if the arrow hit it 's a good sign it was sent out of the bow it may fall out of the bow of it own accord but then it never hits but when it is sent out of the bow ye know he that sends it will aim and therefore now when it hits that 's a signe it was sent indeed so when a Minister converts peoples soules this is a good signe that God sent him when a Minister can say to his people as Paul to the Corinthians The seale of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord 1 Cor. 9. 2. though I be not an Apostle unto others yet doubtlesse I am unto you For the seale of my Apostleship are ye in the
company dare talk of their roguery before them as Amnon before Jonadab Jonadab ask't him what he ailed he was so sad O sayes he I would fain lie with my sister Tamar 2 Sam. 13. 4. He knew before whom he was if Jonadab had been a godly man he durst as well have eaten his own tongue as have told him his base lust A godly man the very presence of him would have made him ashamed and to have bitten in his lips When a minister is unsent of God no body does respect him out of conscience they care not for his words whereas when a minister is sent this makes him as an Angel of God when others call him all to naught the conscience of many will plead for him as we see there of Jeremy O this man is not worthy to die for hee hath spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord Jer. 26. 16. There 's never a sent minister but if he come in trouble except peoples consciences be seared with a hot Iron they wil speak for him in their bosomes Alas why is he put down Why is he imprisoned Why is he opposed He hath spoken to us in the name of the Lord. So that this is the second wherein all ministers should agree they should be all sent of God not contenting themselves with the calling of man without being also called of God Thirdly they must all agree in the matter that they preach the same word is delivered unto all ministers to preach Preach the word 2 Tim. 4. The same Gospel the same Truths the same Duties the same Commandments the same Promises the same threatnings Ye know there is one God and one Faith and one Baptisme one Lord Jesus Christ there is but one way of life one gate to heaven one salvation one Bible Now every minister must agree in this You know all men are by Nature the children of wrath in a damned estate now all Pulpits should agree in this every minister labouring to bring their people to a sight of their misery by sinne every minister should shew his people what cursed creatures they are untill they be converted and renewed every Minister should presse the evill of sin and open the wiles of Satan the guilt of the conscience the spiritualnesse of the Law the necessity of humiliation and repentance and amendment of life that there is no mercy but in Christ no salvation but by Christ except people take him to live in their hearts by faith All ministers should let their people know the terror of the Lord the strictnesse of Gods judgements the inseparable connexion of mercy and a godly life that no profane person can enter into Gods Kingdome no hypocrite no meer civill man that a form of godlinesse will not serve turn that none but Saints shall stand at Christs right hand at the last day All ministers should preach what a narrow path there is to Paradise how few there bee that find it that saving grace cannot stand with the reign of the least lust that people must be pure and holy what ever the world think of purenesse and precisenesse and strictnesse yet without this no flesh shall be saved If all pulpits sounded with these truths and all ministers cried those aloud would lift up their voyces like a trumpet and not spare what a land should we have The want of unity in this matter is the cause that wickednesse does so much abound a drunkard a whoremaster a muckworm may come to a Sermon and goe away with hope that he shall have peace When ministers make the pulpit a scaffold in which like Masters of Defence they play their prizes blazon their own wits descant upon their text as though the Scripture were a Rattle for children and fools to sport with tossing it to and fro hither and thither as boyes at a Tennis when they go about to amaze their hearers to mount aloft to be in their high phrases and coyned words more like Mimicks and Comedians then Ministers when they search into moath-eaten Friers affect allegories would fain be thought Linguists and interlace a many of allegations of Latin and Greek sentences which a School-boy might doe with a Polyanthea or if they speak plain they skim the truth of the Scriptures and never dive deep to the edifying of the soule May be they will preach good morall matter But a man may goe to hell though he doe as they teach people may heare them a thousand times and no man made to cry out What have I done They preach of repentance but then they open it so slightly that a man may repent as they say and be damned they preach of faith in Christ but they make it so broad that thousands have it and sink into the bottomlesse pit with it they preach that sin must be forsaken and a good life must be led but they handle it in that wise that their hearers may doe as they say and yet have no more grace then a reprobate nor so much neither Now beloved the unity among brethren should be this to agree in the right matter of preaching that the word may be carved to all as their need is that they may see their own cases that they may understand the wiles of the Devil the fallacies of their own evill hearts the counterfets of faith and repentance and new obedience and that they may not be cousened with them This is the third thing Fourthly they should all agree in the true manner of preaching That which our Saviour sayes of hearing Take heed how yee heare Luke 8. 18. he means of preaching too let your Ministers take heed how they preach Beloved we that are the Ministers of God we are to labour to turn Lions into Lambs and to transform the heart of man to breed new creatures unto God and therefore it is not every kind of preaching will serve the turn 1. Then Ministers should agree in preaching with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power as Paul sayes not with the wisdome of words lest the crosse of Christ be made of no effect 1 Cor. 1. 17. q. d. If we should preach wit and learning eloquence then the death of Christ would be of no effect that is no man would be converted Christ would be offered to none therefore we must preach nakedly to flash the naked word into mens consciences that they may see Thus saith the Lord against their sinful courses thus saith the Lord of their estates this reproofe is from the Lord this threat is from the Lord thus saith the Lord you are a wretch this is thy sin and this is thy cursed condition and it is the Lord and not I that does affirm it It is said of Christ that he preacht with authority and not as the Scribes Matth. 7. 29. What is it to come with authority When a man speakes from God to the consciences of men as when a Constable comes in the name of a King I
Churches in Asia to Ephesus to Smyrna to Pergamus to Thyatira to Sardis to Philadelphia and Laodicea The third is the conclusion of every Epistle Where it is said thus Hee that hath an eare let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Rev. 3. 6. and so it is at the closure of every Letter to all the rest of the Churches and therefore the Holy Ghost there accuses the Church of Sardis of deadnesse I know thy works that thou art dead and yet hee directs it to the Minister of the Church as a thing that concernes him and that may bee laid to his charge and that hee is faulty in To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead That is thou hast a dead-hearted people and thou art the cause of it Thou dost not doe thy duty thou dost not doe what lies in thee for to quicken them But thou art too remisse in thy Ministery and therefore their deadnesse may bee imputed unto thee Thus you see the Doctrine is very plain from the words The good or bad estate of a people dependeth much upon the Minister Commonly wee see it so fall out as the Prophet Hosea said Like people like Priest Hos 4. 9. Like sheepherd like sheep Such as the builder is such is the building as is the Husbandman so is the husbandry This wee may finde throughout all these Epistles where the Minister is commended the people are commended Where the Minister is taxed the people are taxed And therefore they stand and fall together they swim and sink together a wicked Minister a wicked people an ignorant Minister an ignorant people and so a good Minister the people either are a good people or else they are Monsters nay if the Minister bee good though the world in his Parish bee never so wretched yet hee hath a good people the Church of God in his Parish is very good commonly Well then wee have gotten our point out The Minister may bee in fault that the people are dead I doe not say it is alwaies thus For first the Minister may bee lively and yet the people dead The Lord tells us that Ezekiel had a stiffe-hearted people Ezek. 2. 4. and yet hee was not to bee blamed themselves were in all the fault So Isaiah had a dull-hearted people All the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying people Rom. 10. 21. and therefore I doe not say it was alwaies thus Nay Secondly sometimes the people are the cause of the Ministers deadnesse The Jewes hardnesse of heart under the Ministery of Jonas was the cause why Jonas had no heart to goe unto Niniveh O thought hee if Israel will not heare mee much lesse will Niniveh heare mee Thus the people deaded Jeremiah at one time that hee had little or no heart to preach for a fit Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name Jer. 20. 9. Thus Ezekiel was deaded a while by his people too I came to them of the Captivity at Telabib and I sate where they sate and remained there astonisht among them seven daies Ezek. 3. 15. The Lord was fain to rowze his heart up and to tell him hee would require their blood of him before hee could pluck up a good heart to Preach livelily among them The people deaded him Nay more Thirdly sometimes the Lord locks up his good Ministers and suffers them to bee straitned in their utterance and other gifts May bee the people are ready to lay all the blame upon their Ministers O how tongue-tyed are they and it is their negligence and torpor Whereas it is for the peoples sinnes thus the Lord lockt up Ezekiel for the peoples sinnes I will make thy tongue cleave to the roofe of thy mouth and thou shalt bee dumb and shalt not bee to them areprover for they are a rebellious house Ezek. 3. 26. Nay Fourthly Sometimes peoples sinnes are the cause why their Ministers are quite dead and have no life at all in them the Lord sends foolish Ministers among them meerely because of their sinnes So it was in Hosea's time The Prophet is a foole the spirituall man is mad for the multitudes of thy iniquity Hos 9. 7. Mark they had fooles for their Ministers fooles besotted Ministers giddy Ministers Ministers that were wilde and like mad men you will say these were the causes of much sin to the people No saith the Text the peoples sinnes were the cause of such Ministers The Prephet is a foole the spirituall man mad for the multitude of thine iniquity These foure exceptions then there been of the point Otherwise the point is too too true that the Minister may bee in fault that the people are dead You see here the Church of Sardis was grown dead and the Lord faults the Angel of the Church for it I know thy works that thou art dead The like is said of Laodicea Loadicea was grown horrible lukewarme no zeale of God they were neither hot nor cold and the Lord imputes it to the Angel of Laodicea I know thy works that thou art neither hot nor cold and therefore I will spue thee out of my mouth Revel 3. 14 15 16. The same is said of the Church of Ephesus that they had left their first love and yet the Lord hits the Angell in the teeth with it I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Rev. 2. 4. Beloved the last day I spake of the Ministers concord and unity to the Angel of the Church all the Ministers should bee as one man as if they made up one and the same Angel And therefore our Saviour Christ made choyce of Brethren and Kinksfolkes Simon and Andrew his Brother James and John his Brother St. Peters bark is a fisher-boat not a man of Warre it is not furnisht with mortall Engines but onely with nets to catch fish If Peter were reproved for drawing upon Malchus what reproofe had hee been worthy of if hee had drawn upon any of his fellows this was the Theme that wee spake of the last day Now then let us speak of the influence that a Minister hath in his people hee may bee the cause of his peoples deadnesse if hee doe not take heed And this hee may bee three waies first by his not preaching secondly by his dead manner of preaching thirdly by his dead manner of Life and Conversation First I say by his not preaching yee know the Word of God is the word of life Phil. 2. 16. The Word is that which quickeneth the heart as David saith Thy Word hath quickned mee Psal 119. 50. Now when Ministers doe not preach it this deads peoples hearts Wee see this in those places where the due preaching of the Word is wanting people are dead to all goodnesse nay they that had some quicknesse in them before doe lose them
O be quickned the Lord will not endure a dead people get life if yee be wise it is but a folly to have a name to live except yee be alive indeed Now the way for us to quicken our people is First If we be good our selves When Jehosaphat would encourage the Levites to quicken up the people Sayes he The Lord shall be with the good 2 Chron. 19. 11. Hee will blesse your labours hee will strengthen your Sermons to doe good though not to all for the greatest part are not of God yet unto his people Nay if we were good indeed wee might have hope do too much good as it is said of Barnabas he was a good man and much people were added to the Lord. Act. 11. 24. Againe Secondly wee should bee earnest with God to quicken all our hearts that so we may the better quicken our Brethren as Christ sayes to Peter when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren so we should desire God to quicken us that we may quicken our Brethren that wee may wash our hands of our people What an excellent comfort was that unto Paul When hee could take his people to record that hee was pure from the bloud of all men Act. 20. 26. Thirdly We should marke which of our people are dead Ezek. 8. 6. And then thinke what are not we guiltie of his deadnesse Fourthly Let us lay about us soundly that we not may be guilty of their sinnes in any kinde Fifthly Another Use is to let us see What a great danger Ministers are in they may be guilty of all the evill in their Parish if they doe not their duty which is a great thing to doe they have all the sinnes of their Parish lying at their doore This should keepe us from security and from pride many grow proud that are Ministers but alas they know not what an Office they have that doe so Our very Calling should make our hearts tremble and quake to think what a charge is imposed upon us This made Moses and Aaron and many a good man more so fearfull to enter upon this function No man takes this honour unto himself saith the Apostle meaning no godly man no man in his right wits no man that is well-advised what hee does but hee that is called Heb. 5. 4. as our Saviour Christ saith Pray yee the Lord of the Harvest that hee would send forth labourers into his Harvest Matth. 9. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the Originall that hee would thrust forth labourers into his Harvest q. d. God will have no good labourers otherwise those that are good are not over-forward to enter into the Ministery as a Father sayes it is a burden that the very Angels shoulders would tremble under as the Apostle said Who is sufficient for these things If there were no other Argument but this in the Text it might sway all Ministers hearts in the world lest wee bee guilty of our own deadnesse and of others too Another Use should bee to the people that they would bee forward and willing to hear and greedy to drink in the word of life The want of this is the deading of many a Ministers heart I was in much bitternesse saith Ezekiel but the hand of the Lord was strong upon mee Ezek. 3. 14. that is I had had no heart at all to preach but that the hand of the Lord was exceedingly assistant unto mee whereas the forwardnesse of people is a great meanes to quicken up their Ministers When the whole City flocked in to heare Paul though the wicked were mad at it The Text saith Hee grew bold Act. 13. 44 45. When the people crowded in upon our Saviour that hee had not so much as time to eat bread Mark 3. 20. the Text shews that he so be-stirred himselfe there that his own Kinssolk thought hee had been mad Vers 21. Revel 3. 1. And unto the Angell of the Church in Sardis write these things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God c. WEE have done with the Inscription And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write Wee come now to the Subscription and that is in these words These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres Which words contain a description of the Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent unto the Church and hee is described very gloriously to the intent that what hee saies may bee the more reverently and seriously regarded The Description sets forth two admirable properties and royalties of our Lord Jesus Christ First That hee hath the seven Spirits of God that is hee hath the Holy Ghost to give to whomsoever hee please Secondly That he hath the seven Starres that is the Pastours and Ministers of the Church Christ hath them all in his hand to send them to gift them to assist them to preserve them to vouchsafe them to a people or to take them away as hee lists and the Ministers are called Stars because they are to shine in the firmament of the Church First then the first royalty of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is that hee hath the seven Spirits of God by the seven Spirits of God hee meanes the Holy Ghost you will say the Holy Ghost is but one Spirit By one Spirit wee are all baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. There is one Body and one Spirit Ephes 4. 4. Through him wee both have an accesse by one Spirit unto the Father Ephes 2. 18. The Spirit of God is but one Yee know there is but one God in three persons one Father one Sonne one holy Spirit There bee three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 1 Joh. 5. 7. there is but one Father and one Sonne whom the Apostle there calls the Word for so hee is often called in the Scripture The Word was made flesh that is the Son of God was made flesh so there is but one Holy Ghost one Holy Spirit Why then does the Text here say of Christ that hee hath the seven Spirits of God I Answer yee may know that the Revelation uses peculiar phrases august and mysticall Now the reason why John speaks thus in the plurall number is First because hee alludes to the manner of his Visions now in his Visions the holy Ghost was thus represented unto him as yee may see Rev. 4. 5. where he saw seven Lamps of fire burning before the Throne which are the seven Spirits of God So again Rev. 5. 6. where hee saw a Lamb as it had been slain having seven hornes and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth So that this is one reason why hee calls the Holy Ghost the seven Spirits of God because hee speaks after this manner of the Vision that hee saw Secondly another reason is because hee was to write to the seven Churches of
is upon mee saith hee Esa 61. 1. that is hee is powred upon mee that hee may run down upon all them that come to be my members If Christ indeed had not come if God had not made him Vehiculum Spiritus if God had not put his spirit upon Christ like water in a Fountain to run out upon all that will hold their hearts under him then wee might have some excuse Lord â— wee know not where to have the Spirit But the Lord hath told us where wee may have him Wee may have him in his Son Jesus Christ Thirdly Wee cannot plead wee cannot tell how to have him For as yee know where to have him so yee may know how to have him too and yee all doe know if wee had a heart wee may have him foure waies First By the hearing of the Word you will say yee have heard the Word many times yet yee never received the holy Spirit yet I answer that 's certain but it is because yee doe not come to it with a greedy yerning heart with an open eare and a willing minde to bee guided by it For if ye came thus with this minde yee would quickly have the spirit Lord tell mee any thing I doe unfeignedly desire for to doe it reprove any thing in mee I doe sincerely desire to leave it Come thus to the Word I dare say thou shalt not bee one quarter of an houre without the spirit as Christ saith Turn yee at my reproof behold I will powre out my spirit un to you Prov. 1. 23. You will say this is strange and have I heard so many Sermons and never got the spirit yet I you never heard Sermons with an honest heart You shall see Cornelius and his company got the spirit at the first Sermon that they heard when Peter Preached the Holy Ghost fell on all those that heard the Word Act. 10. 44. How so yee may read there in the Context O saies Cornelius Wee are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God Ver. 33. Now if wee have the Word daily preached and wee get not the holy spirit of God wee are without excuse Secondly By Prayer if wee did pray faithfully unto God wee should have the holy spirit as Christ saies If ye that are evill can give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. You will say yee have prayed many a time and often and yet yee finde no such thing and no marvaile when a mans heart prayes onely by the by but if yee made it your businesse from day to day if yee would seek for him as for life and look upon it as more necessary then life it self then yee should quickly speed But when yee will give God the blinde and the lame and your hearts run a whoring after other things Heaven is not the main of all your care and study the Lord knows a hollow heart and can tell how to deny it none shall have his spirit that doe not desire him above all things and labour after him above all things and use all manner of meanes for him The Spirit of God is a great gift and wee must know its an infinite mercy to obtain him and therefore wee must seek him accordingly They that get him doe not goe dreamingly to work Thirdly By repentance this is another means to obtain the Holy Ghost as the Lord saith Rent your hearts and not your garments and turn to the Lord your God c. Joel 2. 13. what followes And after that I will powre my Spirit upon you saith hee ver 28. Never think to have Gods holy Spirit and live after the flesh or goe on in a forme or a carelesse way not onely drunkennesse and whoredome and capitall sins keep him out but any other lusts and corruptions that the heart clings unto Rent your hearts then let your drowzie doings pain you at the heart let all your security and unbeleef and luke warmnesse whereby yee part stakes with God let all these bee a burden unto you and you heavy laden with them this is the way-making for the Spirit of Gods comming in Fourthly Take no deniall let not ill-successe beat you off this is that which thrusteth back thousands They find little successe at the first and so they give over But Beloved this is it howsoever wee finde cold successe in our holy labours at the first yet wee must goe on though wee doe not finde our lusts die though wee doe not finde that speeding in Prayer that wee could wish that prevailing in our endevours that wee doe desire yet still wee are to goe on and still wait upon God in abounding in our care untill the Lord grant us better successe The hard successe that we have must not hinder us as the Apostle saith Let us not bee weary in well-doing for in due time wee shall reap if wee faint not Gal. 6. 9. That is let us not bee discouraged with hard successes or any other such like thing certainly if wee goe on wee shall speed When the Wisemen came seeking for Christ at Jerusalem they had no good successe there they did not finde him there yet they would not return back without him But they went down to Bethlehem and sought for him there When the Church had sought Christ in her bed shee had no successe for that time I sought him sayes shee but I found him not Cant. 3. 1. What would shee give over because of her bad successe at the first No shee trudged out into the Lanes and the streets she enquired of the watchmen and still shee had little or no successe But the Text saith shee would never give over till she litt upon him Beloved wee must take heed of this It is the impatience of mens hearts if they cannot finde a blessing at first dash they will seek no further then they strike into a former or a worse condition In the first of Haggai yee may read that when the Jews had been hindered by Cambyses from building of the Temple for a fit they gave over Because they had no successe they would build no more but fell a building their own houses ver 4. yee know it was their sin and the Lord plagued them for it Therefore Brethren it must bee our care although wee doe not speed at the first not to slacken or give in As Isaac would still bee building Wells hee built one and that had no successe hee built another and that had as bad still there fell out strife what then did he give over so No hee never would have done till the Lord gave him a Rehoboth a Well that there was no striving about Gen. 26. 22. so wee should never bee quiet untill the Lord give us his holy Spirit though wee doe not feele his workings in us at the first no bad successes though never so many should make
to you wretch that devise evill the Lord knowes your devilish intentions ye are thinking to be revenged but God will be revenged on you ye are minding to go by-and-by to such a piece of villany but the Lord will find you out This is preaching in season So when a soule cannot be cast downe but when he comes to a Sermon there he meets with his owne case his temptations are treated of wine and oyle is powred into his wounds this is to preach in due season O what gifts had a Minister need to have He had need of daily inflvence from God Daily instincts that God should guide his tongue and his heart Now Beloved it is Christ alone that gifts all his true Ministers I will be with thy mouth saies he to Moses The use of this is First here we see that a Minister had not need be a foole no no he that winneth soules is wise Pro. 11. 30. he must be a wise man that would be a Minister it requires more then humaine wisedome to catch soules when the heart hath so many put-offs so many deceits so many strongholds so loth to obey the word so subtill to invent excuses so crafty to thrust away the truth There is some wisdome required to catch fishes and birdes and vermine how much more to catch men who is sufficient for these things The best of us all may blush to thinke how unfit we are to be Ministers O how should we blesse God if he fit any of us in any suitable measure and when we have done our best we had need to goe home and downe on our knees and cry shame on our selves for not doing better Secondly Then they are none of Christs Ministers that are not gifted for this mighty worke Will he send a foole on such a waighty Message as this is He that sendeth a Message by the hand of a foole cutteth off the feet and drinketh dammage Pro. 26. 6. That is if a man have a businesse of any great importance He had not need to imploy a foole in it lest he suffer great dammage It is all one as if one should chop off ones feet then bid him go on our errand O Beloved preaching of the Gospell is a worke of infinit importance the humbling of mens hearts the convincing of consciences the converting of mens Soules these are great businesses doubtlesse they are no Fooles that Christ sends on such errands True all Christs Ministers are not alike gifted some have meaner gifts then othersome have but he that hath least he is fitted in some measure to dispence divine mysteries to call home Gods elect to build up the called to judge all his hearers to stop the mouthes of gainsayers to hew down the obstinate to shew unto men the things belonging to their peace to give the Saints their due and the wicked their due That a good man cannot come but he shall have heavenly meat to feed on Nor a wretch neither but his Ministery wil single him out give him his bit to chew upon He that cannot doe this in any measure he is none of Christs Ministers Surely he will not send such a Message by a fooles hand but either he makes him a wise able man or else he runs without his sending Thirdly then my Brethren hence we learn whether to go for gifts if we would be enabled to our calling let us goe to Jesus Christ that hath the seven stars in his hands he can make our inflvences strong and our light heate mighty he can give us a gift of boldnesse to feare no mens faces He can unty our stammering tongues that we shall have liberty in speaking He can make our tongues a sharpe sword He can make us sons of consolation unto some of thunder unto others If we want knowledge in the mysterie of Christ let us make our wants knowne unto him he will instill into us If we want words he can make them flow in unto us If we want affections he can purge away our iniquities fire our hearts lips While the Apostles were together at prayer Act. 1. 14. suddenly the Lord Jesus sent them the gift of the holy Ghost in fiery cloven tongues Act. 2. While Paul and Silas were praying in the prison the Lord backt them from Heaven made them instruments of turning the heart of the Goaler Let us pray then not only in our Pulpits before our Sermons but also in secret God giveth the greatest gifts in secret and like man revealeth himself apart as secret meales make a fat body so does secret prayer it makes a well-liking soule Again this should teach us to stirre up the gifts that hee gives us Wee should labour to put them forth a man may lose the benefit of Christs gifts for want of rouzing up himself and putting of them forth as Paul sayes to Timothy I put thee in remembrance that thou stirre up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of hands 2 Tim. 1. 6. wee must stir up the gift in us When Father Isaac would prophecy to his Sons hee stirred up his spirit with savoury meat When Elisha would Prophecy before the three Kings hee called for a Minstrell to stirre up the spirit of Prophecy in him Deborah cryes awake awake Deborah Awake O my soule sayes David When Christ would pray to his Father the Text shews how hee stirred up himself These things spake Jesus and lift up his eyes unto heaven Joh. 17. 1. He lift up his soule and his spirit as Sampson went and shook himself if his spirit had been in him it had been well but like a foole he had driven him away But it should seem when hee had the spirit in him this was his wont hee shooke himself as at other times hee used to stirre up the Spirit in him so wee should stirre up the Spirit in us wee should rouze up our gifts like sparks out of the ashes and bestirre our selves soundly remisse using of them lets them warpe and wane Again wee should labour to relye more upon Christ we trust too much to our notes but O if wee could trust more to Christ that 's warmest matter that comes down from heaven in the speaking not that wee should leave all without study till wee come into our Pulpits No prepare as much as wee can But then if we would trust in Christ for his present assistance and yearn up to him for prompting it would make our Ministery more lively When a Sermon is an effect of Faith that 's it that does most good then Christs Spirit Preaches and not wee as the Prophet David sayes The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee 2 Sam. 23. 2. Again this should teach the people of God if they would have their Ministers inabled indeed to doe their soules good that they should pray for them that Christ would mor furnish them How often does the Apostle tell the people that
Ministers might have greater gifts if they had a heart O sayes hee Pray for mee that I may have utterance and that I may speak boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel Ephes 6. 19. q. d. if yee have a heart to pray I doe verily think that I shall bee the more assisted a great deale Our Chariot drives the more heavily because it wants the wheels of your Prayers and the truth is God uses to punish people thus that because they are dead and dull and have no heart and are weary of the Word therefore hee with-holds from the Minister on purpose to plague them back again as God told Ezekiel Son of man thou shalt bee dumb and when thou wouldst reprove thou shalt be tongue-tyed thy tongue shall cleave to the roof of thy mouth now mark the reason why for they are a rebellious house Ezek. 3. 26. Mark it was long of Judahs sinnes that the Prophet Ezekiel was tongue-tyed and locked up An excellent Minister and yet straitned for the peoples sinnes O Beloved I will tell you what would enlarge our hearts and our gifts towards you First if you would more flock to the Word and attend It is said in Matth. 5. 1 2. That Christ seeing the multitude Hee opened his mouth that is he was the more inlarged to Preach upon the sight of such a great auditory Who would not cast his net amidst multitudes of sishes The Text sayes When Christ saw the multitude hee had compassion on them So if Ministers could see all their Parish come in all that might hear the sight of such a multitude would stirre up pity O would wee think O what a goodly company is here O it is pity but they should have somewhat O if I could win some of you There may bee a lust in this thing and wee must take heed of it too lest we be tickled with flockings or discouraged with thin Pewes This is pride but yet there is a truth in this What a shame is it that there should bee fewer of our own Parish every Lecture-day than of strangers is it not just with God to make the brests dry when the Children care not for sucking Secondly if God had more among you to bee saved as God said to Paul concerning Corinth Bee not afraid speak hold not thy peace I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee I have much people in this City Act. 18. 10. this opened Pauls mouth this made him finde abundance of assistance from Christ because God had much people there Thirdly if you would hear with alacrity and with a ready and a greedy minde When Cornelius and his company were all listening and earnest to hear and to hearken O say they Speak Peter wee are all here before God to hear every thing thou speakest Then Peter opened his mouth Act. 10. 33 34. But when people look dully and blockishly and sit sleepily and drowsily as though they were weary of hearing and cared not whether they heard or no Nay this is the reason why the Devils instruments are so bold to oppose the Ministery of God they see they are not much cared for none but here one and there one a sort of precise fooles whereas if people would bee eager to hear over all the land they durst not meddle with them as it is said of our Saviour the Chiefe Priests and the Scribes sought to destroy him but they could not finde what they might doe For all the people were very attentive to hear him Luc. 19. 48. Fourthly if yee would bee fruitfull in obedience and in learning this would put life into our Prayers at home this would quicken our labours and paines in the Pulpit The very hope of having fruite made Paul very eager to come to Rome Rom. 1. 13. The very thought that the people are gracious and godly and fruitfull carries the Preacher beyond himself Nay it s strange to consider how when the Minister knows hee hath but one understanding judicious hearer one gracious Soule in his Parish it provokes him very much it makes him look about him the more a great deale How much more when there be many such But when a Parish is senselesse and heavy and froward it is unspeakable to consider how it straitens a Minister Let a man be to pray in a meeting where they bee gracelesse and dull and hardly any almost godly hee cannot tell what to say almost hee is not himself Whereas if he were to pray among them that hee knows can savour gracious things there hee hath more liberty to let out himself Revel 3. 1. These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres And the seven Starres THe Doctrine we continue yet in is That Christ hath the seven Stars he hath all the Ministers of the Church I told you he is said to have them five wayes First hee hath the sending of them they have their Mission from him Secondly hee hath the delegating of them they have their Commission from him Thirdly hee hath the gifting of them they have their abilities from him Fourthly hee hath the prospering of them they have the successe of their labours from him Fifthly he hath the disposing of them either for placing or removing for freedome or restraint The first three I have handled already the last whereof was this That Hee hath the gifting of his Ministers As Paul sayes Hee hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament 2 Cor. 3. 6. This was one of the ends of his Ascension Hee ascended up on high hee led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men Ephes 4. 8. Thus the Text sayes of the Apostles they preached every where the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signes following Mark 16. 20. So Paul had great gifts and abilities which he calls the signes of an Apostle Truely the signes of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience with signes and wonders and mighty deeds 2 Cor. 12. 12. they that are not competently at the least gifted for the Ministery they shew no signe that they are the Ministers of Jesus Christ Christ gives all his Ministers a gift of utterance a gift of speaking to the Conscience a gift of dividing of the Word aright mighty deeds They may all say to the people Truely the signes of a Minister of Jesus Christ hath been wrought among you These gifts are the witnesses whereby he gives witnesse to a man that hee comes from God to a people as Paul sayes God also bearing them witnesse both with signes and wonders and with divers Miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will Heb. 2. 4. I confesse such wonders and Miracles are now ceased I but the gifts of the Holy Ghost are powred out still upon all the true Ministers of Christ and these are Gods witnesses that people may know they are sent of Jesus Christ I shewed you how Ministers have
gifts by meanes but then if we would trust Christ for his present assistance and â—erne up to him for prompting it would make our Ministery more lively When a Sermon is an act of Faith that 's it that does most good then Christs Spirit Preaches and not wee then then God speaks and not our notes as the Prophet David sayes The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee 2 Sam. 23. 2. Sixthly this should teach the people of God if they would have their Ministers inabled indeed to doe their soules good to pray for them that Christ would more furnish them How often does the Apostle tell the people that Ministers might have greater gifts if they had a heart O sayes hee Pray for mee that I may have utterance and that I may speak boldly c. Ephes 6. 19. q. d. if yee have a heart to pray I doe verily think that I shall bee the more assisted a great deale The truth is God uses to punish people thus because they are dead and dull and have no heart and are weary of the Word therefore hee with-holds from his Minister on purpose to plague them as God told Ezekiel Son of man thou shalt bee dumb and when thou wouldst reprove thou shalt be tongue-tyed thy tongue shall cleave to the roof of thy mouth now mark the reason why for they are a rebellious house Ezek. 3. 26. But I will recapitulate no more of what I have delivered Thus ye have heard the third thing how Christ hath the gifting of his Ministers They have their gifts and abilities from him Now I proceed on to the fourth That he hath the prospering of them They have the successe of their labours from Iesus Christ Christ bids us preach Repent repent but it is he that must give the Repentance So Paul preached to Lydia and had good successe for the text shews how she was converted by his Ministery But it was God that opened her heart As Rebeccah cookt the Venison but Isaac gave the blessing So we may cooke the Word for you but the blessing is in Christs hands as the Apostle sayes We are Ministers by whom ye Beleeved even as the Lord gave to every man 1 Cor. 3. 5. that is when wee preached among you we had good successe you beleeved What as we would our selves No Alas we would faine have had you all to Beleeve but even as the Lord gave to every man the successe was as he would soto some he gave only conviction by the word to some onely knowledge to some good reformations to some a true faith It was as he was pleased to give to every man So when he preached unto other Gentiles he confesses looke what good successe he had he had from Jesus Christ I will not dare to speake of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by Word and deed Rom. 15. 18. that is as who should say that the Gentiles did heare me that they were brought to obedience in word and deed that I had so good successe in my labours God forbid I should say or thinke it was my doing I dare not say so for a world No no It was Christ and hee alone that did worke by me as his poore Instrument I have all my good successe from him The successe is meerly as he will If he will be pleased to give so good successe Peter shall convert 3000 at one Sermon But if he be pleased to deny a good successe the Prophet Esay shall preach in the reigne of 4 Kings about fourescore yeares and convert hardly one as he sayes to Israel as the Apostle quotes him All the day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and a gainsaying people Rom. 10. 21. All successes are of God and therefore much more successe here Let it be in any calling As for example fishing that when a man goes a fishing he sindes good successe this is of God Simon and his company toyled all night and tooke nothing But when Christ came and gave them good successe then they inclosed a great multitude of fishes two shipfull of fishes at one draught Luk. 5. 5. So when a man runnes who shall get the Goale the man may runne but whether he shall get the Goale that he cannot tell When a man fights the man may fight and be the better man of the two but whether shall overcome that is uncertain unto them the successe is of God as Solomon sayes The race is not to the swift nor the battaile to the strong nor riches to the wise time and chance happens to them all Eccle. 9. 11. that is not as though the swift doe not sometimes get the race and the strong the Victory and wise men riches yet they doe many times namely when God gives successe otherwise they doe not How many times doe men goe about businesses and in all likelihood they might hit well yet how often doe they not the Lord will have us see that successe is from him Now if it be so in outward things how much more here in other things the work is more in the mans hands and the thing is traceable to him but it is not so here VVee may labour to convert Soules but this work is not in our hands the using of the meanes the Lord Jesus Christ puts that into our hands but the doing of the deed the successe is onely from him First Because we are nothing in this worke We may be something at other workes we may study and in an ordinary providence we may make a Sermon But when we come to preach it is not an ordinary providence that will make us to convert soules no here we are nothing Paul may plant and Apollos may water Now marke what followes he does not onely say it is God that gives the increase Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God gives the increase 1 Cor. 3. 6. that is all their successe and all the fruit of their labour is from God That is not all he sayes But in the seventh verse sayes he Neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth any thing but God that giveth the increase As if he should say as excellent gifts as these men had they did nothing in this worke the whole successe is of God Beloved we can but set before you life and death we can but tell you thus ye will be damned and thus and thus ye may be saved But it is God that must blesse this unto you Otherwise we can doe nothing We may preach our hearts out and yet you 'l to hell doe we what we can except the Lord break your careere Elisha's man could lay his Masters staffe upon the child but the child stirred not till Elisha came himselfe and then the child was raised So we can but lay our Masters staffe upon your dead soules But except our Master come himself ne're a dead soule will stand up what
Gospell good usage the Lord would continue it like a Guest that is the willinger to stay when he sees he is among Friends Thirdly Let us bring forth the fruits of it The Husbandman will ever continue ploughing of his ground as long as hee sees it will give him a good crop But when hee perceives it will not quit charges then hee layes it Fallow So Christ would have stayed his word still in Judah and Jerusalem if they would have brought forth competent fruite But when once they grew barren hee said hee would take his Kingdome away The Kingdom of God shall be taken away from you and given to a Nation that will bring forth the fruites thereof Matth. 21. 43. Fourthly Let us bee earnest with God to have his Gospell continue Importunity may doe much Importunity held Christ a night longer with the Disciples Luk. 24. 29. Importunity held the Levite three or foure dayes longer then otherwise hee would Judg. 19. 4 5 6 7. O If wee would bee importunate with Christ to stay his Gospel still as Jacob did the Angell Thou shalt not goe till thou blesse mee Lord thy Gospell shall not goe till it convert me and it shall not goe till it convert mee and it shall convert mee first if every one would hang upon Christ to stay his Gospell still and thou shalt not let it goe till it hath done my soule good till it hath illightned mine eyes and quickned my heart this would obtaine much may bee some doe doe thus as Jeremiah did O thou hope of Israel Why shouldest thou bee as a stranger in the Land and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to stay for a night Jer. 14. 8. Alas that would not doe if there had been many Jeremiah's to doe thus then they might have gotten him to stay longer So may bee some doe cry importunately thus O thou hope of Jerusalem c. And so I fall upon the third thing ye have heard first how Christ hath the placing of his Ministers secondly he hath the continuing of them Thirdly Now it followes hee hath the removing of them too People are prone to look upon second causes But Christ is the supreame hee is the principall cause of this judgement upon men to take away his Ministers as the Prophet Isaiah speaks The Lord of Hoasts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the mighty man and the Judge and the Prophet Esa 3. 1 2. Whether it bee by death or removeall or imprisonment or suspending or any other way It is he that deprives a people of his faithfull Ministers whosoever be the instrument First He can take them away by death out of the world Thus the Lord took away the Prophet Enoch Genesis 5. 24. Secondly He can take them away by removeall thus he took away Jonas from Israel and sent him to Niniveh Jon. 3. 1. Ye know he was a Prophet in Israel and the Lord removed him thence to the Land of Assyria Thirdly He can take them away by letting them bee imprisoned thus he took away John the Baptist by letting Herod put him into prison for telling him of his sins Mark 16. 17. So Ahab imprisoned Michaiah for telling him the truth Fourthly Hee can take them away by letting them be suspended and inhibited from Preaching by letting wicked men have their wills That say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not Speak to us smooth things prophesie deceits Esa 30. 10. Thus King Amaziah silenced the Prophet that reproved him 2 Chron. 25. 16. Fifthly He can take them away by silencing them himselfe this is as bad as taking them away for the time thus himself stopt Ezikels mouth and made him dumb Now the Reason why Christ does doe thus is first because of the wicked they will not receive their Doctrine Thus the Lord Jesus took away Paul out of Jerusalem Make haste get thee quickly out of Jerusalem for they will not receive thy testimony concerning mee Acts 22. 18. Secondly The Lord does it in regard of his own people because they begin to forsake their first love This was the reason why the Lord threatned to take away the Ministery of the Word out of Ephesus I will remove thy Candlestick out of its place except thou repent Revelations 2. 5. Thirdly The Lord does this sometimes in regard of the Ministery it self that it may be more precious afterwards as it is said there in Samuel when the Lord had deprived Israel of his Prophets for a matter of fourescore yeares together O sayes the Text The Word of God was precious in those dayes because there was no open Vision 1 Sam. 3. 1. The Use of this is first Is it so that it is Christ that removes Ministers then this should teach us to mourn before him if ever any of our Ministers bee taken away by any meanes wee should see whose hand is upon us the hand of the Lord is gone out against us it is hee that inflicteth this judgement and therefore wee should mourn unto him as the Church did When all their Prophets were gone and all Religion went to wrack and the enemies had burnt up their Synagogues and broken up all their godly Assemblies O how they mourned unto God for it O God why hast thou cast us off Why does thine anger smoak against the sheepe of thy pasture Remember thy Congregation which thou hast purchased of old Remember mount Zion wherein thou hast dwelt Psal 74. 1 2. this was a heavy judgement indeed they felt the Lords anger smoake against them then Why What was the matter Wee see not our signes there is no more any Prophet Ver. 9. Secondly Another Use is Let us look into the meritorious cause which is nothing but our sins If Gods Ministers be put down at any time it is our sins that put them down For if Christ be the inflicting cause certainly our sins are the deserving cause wee can blame none but our own sins if any thing stop any good Ministers mouth it is they it is peoples drunkennesse and disorder you are the cause your unfruitfulnesse and security and hypocrisie and formality you doe not learn goodnesse and godlinesse under the Word yee remaine vaine and blinde and hardned in your hearts under the same What Parishes more disorderly than those where most preaching is where is more hatred of word and vertue and piety then there where is more railing at a good life and holy walking and such as desire to doe well the more preaching people hear for the most part the worse they grow People come to Church it may bee but they make it a cloake for their villanies they will give us the hearing but no obedience no practise no Reformation no signe of amendment no love no truth no faithfulnesse no communion at all welaneare where most Preaching is if any thing stop our mouthes this will doe it And indeed what may men think of us but that wee are a
perish more justly may our people say so to us O sirs doe not ye care that we perish they may even come and awaken us Sirs Care ye not that we perish doe not you see how dead we are how heardned how Ignorant of God how empty of grace how backward to that which is good how prone to loose our soules and doe not you care that we perish why doe not you labour more to quicken us and move us and to drive us out of our by wayes that we may come into the right way and live when Archippus was somewhat dead in his Ministry Saint Paul bids the people of Colosse to goe and awaken him say to Archippus Take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it Col. 4. 17. well then Thirdly another use is an use of exhortation that we labour for a quickning Ministry that our Ministry be a reviving ordinance of God that we may as Esay say though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious Isa 49. 5. so though our people be not quick end yet shall we be glorious we have done what in us lyes for to quicken them Consider first this is the end of all true Ministers preaching that they may bring life into the hearers hearts as the Prophet sayes Heare and your soules shall live Isa 55. 3. wherefore else doe we preach but that the dead may heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and live people are alive to that which they should be dead unto and they are dead to that which they should be alive unto they are alive to the world and the things of the world and dead to God and all goodnesse dead to the humbling of their soules dead to the seeking of God dead to Prayer dead to the holy communion of the Saints dead to holy comfort and meditation and what ever else may doe their soules good now wherefore doe we preach if not to quicken up your hearts that your soules may live for ever they have knowledge already more knowledge then they are quickened up to our maine intention then should be to quicken them up to doe what they know are we not sowers of seed why then we should most labour so to plow and harrow and till the ground that our seed may quicken this is the very end of preaching that our hearers may heare and live Secondly as it is the end of all true Ministers preaching so it is the nature of all true and right preaching either to quicken or to be a fitted instrument of quickening when David heard the word it quickened his heart thy word hath quicken me Psal 119. 50. and indeed it is never heard nor preacht aright unlesse it be in a quickning way therefore let us not think it is only the taking of a Text and the speaking of good and wholsome truths but let us ever remember what right preaching is that our Ministry be quickning that God may affect our soules and accompany our words and teach us how to go beyond the policy of mens hearts and direct us how to drive the truth home to the quick to answer the evasions of flesh and blood and so put his live coale into our speeches that our Sermons may be warming Thirdly let us consider this is onely profitable preaching we may preach all the dayes of our life and our people stird no more then a mill-post unlesse our Ministry be quickening they may heare what we say but unlesse we could quicken their hearts they will forget all again it may be they may remember the doctrin but I meane they will forget to doe what they heare it is the quickening that makes any remember to practise as David says I will never forget thy precepts for with them theu hast quichened me Psal 119. 93. we can never forget that friend whom our hearts doe most dearely affect so when our Ministry doth quicken and affect peoples hearts they will never forget what they have heard The quickening of the come in the earth makes it the faster in the earth it twists about the earth it gets a rooting if it quicken so it is with our Sermons if they be quickening they get about peoples soules and will not out againe otherwise they are never the nearer Fourthly let us consider this kinde of preaching onely will yeeld us true comfort when our Ministry is lively in our parish as Paul was at Ephesus when we can say to our people You hath God quickened by us as he sayes you hath he quickened who were dead Eph. 2. 1. I dare say it was a great comfort to his soule to see that his Ministry was quickening nay if our Ministry be quickening though none be quickened by it but two or three nay though none at all yet we shall have comfort whereas when we have preacht 1000 times in a dead hearted manner never labouring to creep into mens consciences nor to be Ministers of life we shall have no comfort on our death-beds nay our owne hearts will tell us we have preached often indeed but we never preached Christ Jesus we never flung our hearts among our people as one said of the good Bishop Eâ—ltâ—n he flung his heart among his people But when our consciences can say we are not hearty for God we are not earnest to save our peoples soules we did not goe the way to doe them good this will lye as lead upon our bosomes when we dye Fifthly a dead Ministry is but the bare name of a Ministry it is little better then meer voyce as the Lacedemonian in Plutarch said when he heard how sweetly the Nightingall sang O thought he surely that Bird is good meat if I had it and so when he took it and eat it and found but little meat in it he said voxes praeterea nihil now I see thou art meere voyce and nothing else so a dead Ministry it may have a great name of a good Ministry and a man may desire to live under it O let me live under such a Ministry but when he comes to it and thinks to receive much benefit by it he finds it to be little better then a name Sixthly a dead Ministry is not a signe to our people Ministers should be signes to the people thus Ezechiel is unto you a signe according as he hath done so shall ye doe A voyce Ezek 24. 24. true Iohn the Baptist was a voyce Isa 40. 3. I but he was more then a voyce he was a burning and a shining light there was life and heat in his Ministry he was not a meere voyce But when ones Ministry is but a meere voyce little good comes of such a Ministry Fourthly another use is for direction to shew what a lively Ministry is and how we may have a true lively Ministry that is in one word to preach with affection as Quintilian says of Eloquution affections are the soule and
how apt are people to forget any thing that is good to put off any thing that should pull them downe before God and therefore we should labour to help our poore people that if it be possible we may stop them from going downe into the pit Fifthly we should labour to make the things that we preach as if it were lively before peoples eyes as the Apostle preacht Christ crucified to the Galatians even as if he were crucified before their very eyes Gal. 3. 1. so Moses had a very lively Ministry the text sayes he set his points before their very eyes I call heaven and earth to record against you this day that I have set before you life and death blessing and crusing Deut. 30. 19. marke he set before their eyes life and death heaven and hell he preached so evidently that the people might see as it were with their eyes the things that he preached this is lively teaching as the Orator sayes Hypotyposis is an excellent meanes to perswade when the speaker does as it were point before the hearers eyes when he represents the things he speakes of this is preaching in the evidence and the demonstration of the spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when a Minister demonstrates his points and this it is this is the sinne and this is the case and this is the misery and thus it stands with you when he labours to make people see it and they must needs see it unlesse they be wilfull and shut their eyes otherwise people heare a Sermon as if it did not concerne them there 's a man in the pulpit and they heare what he says but they never consider how deeply it concernes them Sixthly we should be truly affected with the word of God our selves laying nothing on our peoples shoulders but what we lift upon our owne we should speake the truth from the bottom of our hearts uttering the word of God with feeling and with a contrite heart we should be heavenly as the word is that lip and heart and word may be all a like O if we did drop downe our Sermons as dew downe from heaven on our people this would be a lively preaching indeed as the Prophet Ezekiel did He dropt the word of God on Ierusalem Ezek. 21. 2. if our Sermons did come dropping downe from us as if they dropt downe from heaven O how homely doe our Sermons come from our mouthes as though they never were higher then the pulpit we doe not preach as if the word came dropping down from heaven and therefore people doe not look up to heaven while they heare their mindes are no higher then our pulpits whereas if we had heavenlier hearts and lippes it would more quicken a thousand times or at least be a sitter instrument to quicken Seventhly and lastly we should get the Lord to goe along with our Ministry for it is not our preaching it selfe that hath any life nay it is but a dead letter as it issues from us if we were such men that had the Lord going along with us throughout all our Ministry what a deale of profit would there be in our Ministry as Micha sayes I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord Micha 3. 8. But I let this point passe thus ye have heard the words as they have relation to the Ministry of the Church in Sardis Thou art dead that is thy Ministry is dead Now I come to the words as they have relation to the Church it selfe Thou art dead Thou art a dead people though thou hast a name to live yet thou art dead that is thou art outwardly reformed thou hast goodly order'd congregations good sober civill and faire carriaged people all professing the true religion and frequenting the good Ordinances of God yet thou art dead that is thou art even as good as nothing the doctrine hence is a dead Christian is as no Christian at all Ye know we are all dead by nature in trespasses and in sins that is we are alive to the workes of the flesh and to the world but dead towards God And a true Christian is he that is made dead unto sinne and the world but alive unto God as the Apostle Paul sayes Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 11. this is a true Christian that so leaves his sinnes and so takes up the worship and service of God that he is dead to his sinnes and alive towards God now when a man it may be leaves his sinnes after a manner and takes up the profession of Gods Service and yet he is alive still unto the flesh and dead towards God this is just nothing By dead I meane things first deadnesse of guilt when a man is guilty of any offence that is death by the Law he is said to be a dead man therefore every man hath sinned against God which is death by Gods Law so that every man is dead by nature when a man is pardoned of God then he is alive again and therefore it is called justification of life Ro. 5. 18. now when a man is not pardoned of God he is dead though he have never so many hopes and conceits of forgivenesse thought to apprehend himselfe to be pardoned yet as long as God hath not pardoned him indeed he is a dead man Secondly deadnesse of minde when the minde is Ignorant of God in regard of saving knowledge when a mans minde is without saving understanding then his minde is said to be dead true saving understanding is the life of so many mindes as David sayes give me understanding and I shall live Psal 119. 144. then my minde shall be alive sayes he then I shall know thee aright now let a man have never so much knowledge and learning yet in divine things is otherwise and have nothing his minde is still dead he is a dead man to all the things of God he cannot see God in all his wayes no more then a dead man he cannot minde God he may minde earthly things but he cannot minde God nay though he can mind learning divinity learning learning about God yet he cannot minde God his minde is dead to such savoury knowledge even as dead as a dead man he knowes not how to pray to God as a childe to his Father he knowes not how to doe any duty in a godly gratious manner his minde is as dead to these things as a simple Country-mans is to Latin or Greeke or Hebrew Thirdly deadnesse of heart when the heart is not inclined towards God then we say it is dead towards God and all goodnesse though he goe to good duties every day yet as long as the heart is not inclined to them it goes about them in a dead manner when a mans heart is once inclined towards God now it begins to be alive towards him as David sayes the heart
and therefore it awakens the soule to be earnest to please him in all things for the time to come the soule was dead and carelesse and drowzie and neglectfull of obedience goodnesse holinesse humility purenesse strictnesse precisenesse of walking it cared not for these things afore but when true repentance comes in it wheeles about the life of the soule towards God now the cares shall be to him now the endeavours make after him paines labours cautious watchfulnesse considerativenesse studious striveings and all 's active that way now so that if a man be still dead his repentance is false Againe to goe over all the duties of religion they all must be done with life to doe them with a dead heart is as good as not to doe them at all First prayer suppose we pray at Church and pray in our families and pray in our closets is this all to pray with a dead heart as if we cared not whether we sped or no no pullings of our heart downe before God no wrastlings with God for what we aske no liftings of our soules up no fastnings of our minds upon his presence no cryes no mournings no importunity but the heart as lumpish and unweldy as a stone is this praying no sayes David quicken us O Lord that we may call upon thy name Psal 80. 18. Secondly for hearing of the word It is not thy hearing of it so many times a weeke though thou must heare it as often as ever thou canst and those that will not no hearing as frequently as they may are high despisers of God his Ordinances but yet if thou hearest the word with a dead heart thy hearing is made as no hearing it is said of those primitive converts that they were pricked in their hearts as they were hearing Act. 2. 37. they onely got good by their hearing they heard the word with life so it is said of many of Christs hearers they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they laye upon him they preased upon him Luk. 5. 1. in another place it is said that they hung upon him they were attentive and eager to him our Saviour Christ says it is a very great judgement to be dull of hearing Matth. 13. 15. when people set as if the word did not concerne them when they heare without any motion or affection the word hardly joggeth their hearts it hardly shaketh their conscience at all the word does neither delight them nor wound them nor pierce them it heales none of their sinnes it cannot get betweene them and their lusts when they have heard a Sermon they goe away just as they came they sinde nothing now to doe it does not dragge them one jot more out of the world nor an inch neerer heaven their carriage is much at one as it was when they come home it cannot be perceived that ever they were at the word as earthly as ever as carnall as ever as backward to all goodnesse as ever this is no hearing at all Thirdly for sanctifying of the Lords day it is said of the Sabboth that we should call it our delight Isa 58. 13. that is we should keep it with life it should even quicken up our hearts to think it is coming we should be revived to consider Gods goodnesse that he would give us such a day seeing we have so much need of it when we have been six dayes about our owne businesse in the world that we should have a seventh given us of God lest we should be over head and ears in the world to take off our hearts now when this is no delight to us our hearts are dead to it we doe not sanctifie it indeed but prophane it as though it were not honorable and the house of the Lord. Fourthly for taking hold of an opportunity to doe good this is a duty too to be done with all life how glad should we be if there be any opportunity for us to shew our love to God or our hatred to sin we should be willing to ride or goe or be at charges nay we should deny our selves and lay downe our gaines and credits and goods and friends and all that we have at Christs Foot and blesse God that gives us such a price in our hands but now we have a dead heart to this what a horrible thing is this though we doe take the opportunity yet to goe about it as though we were sorry that God hath given it unto us this is meere folly as Solomon sayes Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a Foole to get wisedome seeing he hath no heart to it Proverbs 17. 16. Fifthly In one word for all the wayes of God there 's neere a one of them all that can be walkt in aright without a live heart as the Prophet sayes Lord turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in thy way Psal 119. 37. now when we goe dreamingly on as though we could not doe withall though the way be God's yet our going in it is stark naught and little better then not going in it at all and therefore the Lord accepts not of it when we humble our selves before God to hang downe our â—eads â—ike a bull-rush it 's naught it 's naugh the Lord cannot away with it when we conferre about the word or any gracious and Godly theme to speake as if we had no saveur of it no pleasure in it when our hearts would rather be on another subject and never lin till they have wound all good talke out if we speake one word to edification there shall be twenty to that one that shall serve to no other end but to the hardening of one another when Christ and the two disciples were communing together their hearts burned in them did not our hearts burne within us while he talked with us by the way Luk. 24. 32. that was talking with life But when our hearts are as cold as a flint this we may call talking but holy conference it cannot be termed Thus ye see a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all no grace is without life no duty can be done without life the reasons of this are First because this is all one as to have no grace at all though a man be a member of the congregation of the Lord though he have the seales of the covenant and professe the faith of Jesus and be as morall in his life as ever any of the heathen and as full of good duties as ever any hypocrite was and more too yet if he have not life yet he is but a tinckling cymball he hath no grace at all I meane no saving grace at all saving grace the Apostle cals it the grace of life 1 Pet. 3. 7. It is the grace of life it breeds life in him that hath it it makes him alive towards God it lets out the life of his heart in every good word and worke it makes him pray with life
it I Matth. 26. 21. they all did apply it you see how his speech stirred their mindes they fell presently to apply so when a man cannot heare any sinne ripped up but presently he cryes out Lord it is I Is it I that am guilty of this sinne O if it be I let me see it that I may leave it if he heare of any threatning he sayes Lord is it I O teach me that I may be humbled when he heares of any grace Lord is it I that have this grace O if it be not I O let it be I a quickened minde is an applying minde now if the minde be yet dead it cares not for applying though it know never so much yet it lets the word still be a stranger unto it it does not take it home to it selfe like the hearers there in Hosea as God sayes I writ to them the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing Hos 8. 12. they would not take them home now a quickened minde takes them home this reproofe is to me this Commandement is to me this reproof is to me nay when a reproof to ones thinking of all other should seeme least to concerne him as when our Saviour Christ spake against rich men O how hardly shall a rich man enter into the Kingdome of God! yet the Apostles took it to themselves they were amazed sayes the Text Matth. 19. 25. one would have thought the doctrine should little concerne them alas they were not so rich but they applyed it though fearing least that little that they had should draw their hearts away from God this then is the first Secondly the meditating of the minde this is another stirring act of the minde a naturall man may think of his eternall good now and then but this is nothing his minde is dead for all that But when a mans minde runnes on such things now it is alive look what your mindes doe run on that your mindes are alive to Because it is most certane that that is it which you respect most as David sayes I will meditate on thy precepts and have respect unto thy wayes Psal 119. 15. A dead mind may light on good thoughts but when a man meditates of them when his minde runneth upon such themes this mans minde is alive to them he gives his minde to them as Paul sayes to Timothy meditate on these things give thy selfe wholly to them that thy profitting may appeare 1 Tim. 4. 15. you may see this in ungodly men they doe not onely thinke of the world for so a godly man may doe and must doe but their mindes runne on the world they give their mindes to it it is the Apostles saying they minde earthly things Phil. 4. 19. it may be they know gracious things I but they minde earthly they cannot finde in their heart to give their mindes to Gods word and will so that would you prove your selves and your mindes to be alive towards God labour that your mindes may bend their meditations that way let your mindes runne on him and how ye may have his favour and how ye may keep it how ye take heed of offending of him a man is yet dead that does not give his minde to these things whose minde does not runne on them daily And therefore beloved as ever ye do desire to have a proofe of your life towards God let your mindes runne on these things give diligent heed that they may not slip out of your mindes as the Apostle sayes ye ought to give so much the more diligent heed to the things which ye have heard least at any time ye let them slip Heb. 2. 1. if they doe slip away ye know not how as the flesh will let them goe if ye doe not take heed call for them againe as God sayes Bring it againe to minde O ye transgressors Isa 46. 8. Thirdly the considering of the minde when the minde lookes cursorily on things what is this but the remissenesse and loosenesse of the minde now when the minde comes to consider seriously of them now it quickens up it selfe now it lookes wishly and intentively on them indeed alas all our knowledge of the truth all our approving of good courses all is nothing without consideration our knowledge and approbation are dead things without this even as good as if we had no knowledge at all for all the good it will doe us if we doe not consider as God sayes Israel doth not know my people doe not consider Isa 1. 3. looke what our mindes doe consider from day to day that our minds are lively on consideration is the eagernesse of the minde when the minde cares not for an object it will not trouble it selfe to consider of a lesse act will serve such a thing well enough but looke what the minde is inclined unto there it will not goe slightly and lightly to worke there 't will take paines nay it counts it no paines to perpend and to weigh things as in a Ballance as it is said of Mary looke what she heard from Christ she kept it and pondered it in her heart Luk. 2. 19. she pondered it and weighed it in a ballance O it was matter of great weight with her minde where the minde is alive there it will consider and ponder and weigh nay there is not a circumstance but the minde will take it to consideration Take a man that is alive to the things here below how considerative is that man in all matters of that nature As for example now for his gaine he takes every thing into consideration that may make for his gaine He will have his wits about him when he buyes or sels when he sowes or reaps he considers with himselfe that he will not sow too soon or too late in the year or a grain that the ground will not beare he considers how long it was since it was fallow how long it will beare till it be laid fallow againe he considers when he may sell dearest when he may buy cheapest when is the best time to put off a commodity This is the livelynesse of his minde in these things Take this man now for his soule his minde is starke heavy any loose thoughts shall serve turne for that he does not consider here But when a man is a live unto God now his considerations runne out this way now he is considerative this way for his soule for his spirituall and eternall good Beloved consideration is a lively act of the minde as you may see there in Moses Know therefore this day and consider it in thy heart that the Lord he is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath Deut. 4. 39. that is doe not onely know it but quicken up thy minde to consider it this will doe thee good indeed this is a very perfect Act of the minde as we see in David when I consider the Heavens the worke of thy hands the Moone
is deep in the heart so if thou beest alive towards God God is in the deep of thy heart the word is deepe in thy heart nor like the salt water in the Sea onely on the Top. Ye know what became of the Seed that wanted depth of the earth Matth. 13. 5. so it is with the heart when the word does not get into the depth of it it never quickens in it The heart may be so farre towards goodnesse as to bring a man to good duties a dayes it may bring one to Sermon or to Prayer to others of the Ordinances of God and other good courses but what 's all this as long as it is dead the life lies in the bottome of the heart look what the bottome of the heart stands unto that 's a man alive unto then thou art alive towards God when the bottom of thy heart is unto him when thou labourest to obey him from the bottome of thy heart when thou callest upon him from the bottome of thy heart like Sugar at the bottome of the Cup stirre up the bottome the best is at bottome so thou must stirre up the bottome of thy heart the heart is a deep thing Psal 64. 6. though religion be on the top yet if the world be in the deepe thy heart is dead towards God as it is with a puddle it may be cleare at the top faire water at the top but there 's nothing but mudde at the bottome Secondly there be flitting Acts of the heart be they never so deep in the heart yet if they doe not stay there the heart is dead still Solomon sayes of his Father he said unto me let thy heart retaine my words keep my Commandements and live Prov. 4. 4. though the word does stirre neere so much for the present this is not life except thou retaine it and hold it fast a man may have many flashes of life in him but as long as the heart does not keep them it remaines dead they that seeke the Lord the heart shall live Psal 22. 26. that is when it is not a flash but it is an Act that abides by a man the heart is stedfastly set towards God now his heart lives now when people are moved onely by fits they are humbled by fits and startled by fits their righteousnesse is like a morning dew ye know there the dew is every morning but all the day it is gone may be when morning comes there it is againe but all the day it is gone It is true there may be horrible offs and on s in the Children of God to the confounding of their faces before God But I doe not speake to discourage them But let us take heed we may have admirable flashes of life fits of humblings fits of enlargements fits of selfe-denyall sits of great eagernesse after God the heart may be towards God for a sit a false heart as the Land of Israel their heart was firmely towards him for a sit they remembred that God was their rock and that the high God was their redeemer but their heart was not right with him they were not stedfast in his Covenant Psal 78. 37. mark it was but a fit like Esays crying for a fit This is a poore argument of life then no no the flitting acts of the heart may be no acts of life Thirdly there be wouldings and wishings in the heart and these cozen the world more then any other these they thinke verily are effects of true life First because these are not in the outside of the heart but lye or at least seeme to lye very deepe in the heart it is very certaine that many naturall men would give the whole world if they had it as they doe verily conceive that they had true grace that they were Saints that they could leave their sinnes that they were in a childe of Gods case they deeply wish it it is a profound would in their hearts and therefore now when they see such yearnings in their hearts they doe verily apprehend this is life certainly Hence it is that they will say they would from the bottome of their hearts serve God they have nere a lust but they would full faine have God deliver them from that indeed they confesse in their consciences if they might have a 1000 worlds they cannot give it over I but they would faine they could and thus they deceive themselves because this act seemes to be from the depth of their heart this fancy you may see to be in mens hearts out of Mich. 6. 6. 7. where ye see though they could not finde in their hearts to walke humbly before God to live justly and righteously yet they would give thousands they could O say they what would not we give for the sin of our soules no question but they thought they were alive but God told them they were not Secondly another reason why they thinke this is a token of life is because this is no flitting act neither But they have these wouldings every day nay you can never come to them but still they have these they would doe well nay they would doe as well as the best thus they hope they have a fountaine of living water in them that springeth up daily thus it was with them in the Prophets they seeke me daily sayes God Isa 58. 2. they thought it was their every dayes work to serve God and where they did faile they thought they could say they would doe better they sought the Lord daily Thirdly because they finde that this is attributed to the Saints as the Apostle sayes ye cannot doe the things that ye would Gal. 5. 17. nay the Apostle Paul himselfe speakes it of himselfe the good that I would doe that doe I not and the evill which I would not doe that doe I Rom. 7. 19. So that thus they argue now when they finde this same woulding in their hearts and cannot doe as they would O say they I may say with the Apostle the good which I would doe that doe I not I cannot doe as I would Thus they hoodwinke their owne soules It is very true these be the Saints groanes and a part of their sighing towards God that they cannot doe as they would this makes them a burthen to themselves and so againe when they finde themselves disturbed and limited and straightened by their flesh this is a comfort to their soules and an argument of Gods infinite goodnesse unto them that they can unfeignedly say they would doe better they doe please him in some measure through his grace and they would please him better they doe some good by his heavenly spirit and they would doe more they doe resist every sinne and they would resist it more This is very true But yet how many a thousands lul themselves asleep in security by the fancy of this thing The heart may put forth daily wouldings and be as dead as a carcasse to all the workes of
honesty civill honesty between man and man is a sweet thing the Apostle himself brings it among other things as a testimony of his sincerity Wee trust wee have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13. 18. O it is an excellent beauty to a servant of Jesus Christ when his Moralls are sound and exemplary and there cannot bee any thing that will make the profession of Religion odious in the eies of the world then want of Morality when Christians faile palpably in their Moralls May bee such a one thou wilt think comes farre short of thee in grace in the knowledge of good in the beleife of the Truth in a spirituall in-sight into the mystery of Christ O then count it a shame that hee should goe before thee in the keeping of his Word There cannot be a greater dis-honour unto God than when a naturall man shall bee able to accuse thee of any dis-honesty in any kinde The Spirit of God sets it down as a great shame upon Sarah that Abimelech a Heathen man should be able to reprove her Thus was shee reproved saith the Text Gen. 20. 16. When Jacob perceived that his sonnes had sinned against morall honesty there in the matter of Shechem O saith hee yee have made mee to stink among the Inhabitants of the land Gen. 34. 30. Yee have troubled mee saith hee it was a great griefe of heart to the good man hee knew this would bee a great dis-honour to God as well as a shame unto himselfe and therefore God forbid I should speak against a Ministers speaking for morality Yet Beloved this know that this is not enough a man may professe the name of Christ and thinke verily that hee Beleeves in Iesus Christ and be a very admirable morall man and yet never quickned up to the grace of life Saint Paul shewes this plainly in himself I might have confidence in the flesh if any other man might trust to that I might be circumcised the eighth day of the stocke of Jesse of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the Law a Pharisee Phil. 3. 4 5 6 9. if any fine-carriaged man under heaven could hope he is right I could before my conversion I was admitted into the Congregation of Christ by the Sacrament of Circumcision I was borne in the true Church of God I had godly Parents I was of the Common-wealth of Israel Nay I was a Pharisee which was so admirable a strict order that after his conversion he was not ashamed to be still called a Pharisee I am a Pharisee and the sonne of a Pharisee sayes he Act. 23. 6. He cals himself a Pharisee still Nay he was zealous and concerning the righteousnesse of the Law he was a very blamelesse man so that if any faire cariaged man under Heaven were right hee was right But the truth is S. Paul Confesses that when God came to opon his eyes he finde that he was a dead man a vile wretch he shews he had gone sheere to hell for all this if God had not converted him So that morality is a poore thing And yet people makes it their Idoll and trust to it and thinke certainely they are the children of God certainly they shall have mercy certainly they shall to heaven And how many Ministers make this to be true Religion and preach nothing but this This then is another way whereby Ministers doe leave a dead Congregation by morall preaching Thirdly A flat preaching is when there is no keennesse in our Sermons when we do not strive to stagger mens consciences that are to be staggered When a man goes on in a track Preaches true doctrine though it were to be wished that more Ministers would do thus This does not hunt the heart out of its owne starting holes this Ministery leaves people dead It is said of our Saviour Christ that the people were astonisht at his Doctrine Matt. 7. 28. he stun'd their consciences he set them at a stand so if a Minister would quicken hee should labour to set the wicked at a stun Yee know every wicked one gets somewhat or other to hang on to hope they shall not be damned for all they are no better Now when a Minister sets himselfe to put his hearers to a stun still to startle truth in an astonishing manner that may flash the bare truth into the soule and to make them see their bad estates this is quickning preaching But when a mans Ministery is cold there is nothing to stun the heart their heart may have its starting holes for all it his Ministery does not labour to meet with them this leaves people dead a Minister that still goes on in a track can never looke to quicken First Because a good Minister must make Conscience to bring out new things as our Saviour Christ speakes The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto an Housholder that bringeth out of his treasure things new and old Mat. 13. 52. that is though he bring none but the old things that were brought before Yet still he brings them forth as new He labours to keepe the Word stil new unto the heart the reason is this when people have once been convinced of the truth presently it growes stale to them and so they are subject not to be quickned by it at all O this we knew before and so the heart makes little or nothing of it I knew this before Now when the Ministery of the Word darts it in a-new and makes it looke still with a fresh looke upon the Conscience this is a quickning Ministery Like a man that keeps his Barrell still fresh when a man gives the drinker still fresh from the Barrell so when a Minister preaches still fresh from the Word But when a Minister does not do thus he is like a man that gives one liquor that hath stood a great while in the Cup it growes dead Secondly Because a good Minister must goe further and further or else he cannot quicken My meaning is this the more people are convinced by the Word the more subtleties still the heart does devise the more word is in the Conscience the more wiles the heart mints the Devill also prompting thereunto so that if a Minister doe not follow mens hearts still further and further this will leave the people dead The reason is this Because when the heart hath once invented a wile to maintaine its owne hopes for all the same truth we may preach the truth all the dayes of our life it will never quicken that mans heart because still when he heares that truth he hath a wile lying by him that still defends himself from it so that there is a necessity for a Minister to go further and further The Word of God is a deepe mine there is no Bottome a man may still dig deeper and deeper Thy judgements are a great deepe Psal 36. 6. When the Minister besieges the heart he is to dig round
about it and dig deeper and deeper Still as the heart beares it selfe he is to come with more and more supplies out of the Word against it It is a strange thing to see how deepe Ministers have gone and yet people arme themselves against the Word of God and are not converted by it Tell them they must be new Creatures they confesse it and though they be none yet they have many faire colours to hope they are Tell them of Communion with God and fellowship with his sonne Iesus Christ and Heavenly-mindednesse and hatred of all sin love to universall obedience plucking out their right eyes looking at the Glory of God not to trust in their performances to go out of themselves People make a shift to have something to answer all All these things they hope they have done in some measure Now when Ministers goe on and on and do not goe further and further this leaves such people dead It is said of a Preacher that is wise that he still teaches the people knowledge Because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people knowledge Eccles 12. 9. That is people could never come to him but still hee made them know more and more You will say how can a Preacher doe thus I Answer if a Preacher bee well studied in his own heart and in the Book of God this will help him to doe it For still as hee sees further into his own heart still hee will see further into the Word of God and let out more and more light It is said of Christs Ministery That in it the light did spring up Matth. 4. 16. So this is a true Ministery indeed when the light springs up in it Yee know in a Spring the water springeth up more and more now when a Minister goes on in a track and does not doe thus this is a deading Ministery This is the third thing Flat Preaching leaves people dead Fourthly Cold Preaching too when a Minister preaches coldly when the Word floweth coldly from his mouth When a man hides the affectionatenesse of the Word from the people by the coldnesse of his uttering of it Beloved the Word is full of affections what a deale of affection is there in all the Truthes of the Gospel they are all steept in the warm blood of the Son of God there is affection in the promises they proceed from the tender bowels of God Affection in the threatnings they all issue from the infinite wrath of God against sin The Word of God is as fire Jer. 23. 29. Now when a Minister shall preach the Word coldly hee preaches the Word otherwise then it is Hee does as much as in him lies to hide the affectionatenesse of the Word from the peoples hearts Suppose the Town were all on fire would yee not count the man a ridiculous man that should come to us and tell us a cold story Sirs let mee tell you a thing there is a great fire in the Town and I verily think it may burn all the Town and you should doe well to goe and quench it This man tells us so indeed but would not you count him a fool for telling us such a thing in a cold carelesse manner as if it were a small matter Nature teacheth us another course in such a case Fire fire help O help for the Lords sake water water in all haste Alas alas wee are undone quickly quickly run for ladders run for buckets run for wet cloathes ah you lazie villaine run apace for iron hooks and the like Thus nature teaches to deliver such a truth that does so neerly concern us affectionately So it is here Brethren what weighty things does the Word contain Truths that our very bowels should yern and wee should powre out our affections in the Pulpit that wee may shew by our delivery what they are Now when this is not done this deads peoples hearts They fit as quiet at a Sermon though they heare of matters of life and death eternall life salvation and damnation Yet they sit like blocks in their seats as though it were no great matter Why they hear one standing in the Pulpit as though hee were saying his lesson wicked people will not beleeve they are going to hell though wee tell them they will not beleeve the waies of Jesus Christ are so good as they are though wee tell them It is a pretty story of Demosthenes when one told him that hee was beaten and mis-used by such a man it seemes hee told it very dreamingly and coldly shewing no affection at all Why saith Demosthenes hath hee beaten thee I doe not beleeve it No saith the man and so the man was as it were in a great passion I am sure thus and thus hee did to mee and doe not you call this beating Nay saith Demosthenes now I beleeve hee hath beaten thee indeed Now you speak as yee had been beaten as yee say So when a Minister preaches unto people in a dreaming manner though the things bee never so weighty yet they will not beleeve them He saith in a cold manner that Drunkards are in a bad case and such and such persons are in a sad condition and saith yee must repent or you will all perish But people heare him speak so frigidly of these things that they will not enter into their hearts If these things were preached as they should bee it would make people quake It is said of our Saviour That when hee was teaching the Disciples hearts burned within them Luk. 24. 32. Did not our hearts burn within us when c. Keckerman makes that to bee the meaning of St. Matthew where hee saith that our Saviour Taught with Authority and not as the Scribes that is saith hee hee did not preach coldly but with life and zeale and this went with Authority Now the manner of Preaching is cold two waies and so dead First When it flowes not from the heart for then it is unlikely that ever it will goe unto the heart Pectus facit esse disertos The heart is the best Oratory as Paul saith What doe you weeping and breaking my heart Act. 21. 13. they spake so heartily and affectionately and meltingly to him this burst his very heart In the 17 of Acts the 16 verse it is said Pauls spirit was stirred in him to see all Athens given to Idolatry Hee was inwardly moved in his own heart in his preaching unto them Now if you look into the 34 verse of that Chapter how this quickned some there Dionysius and Damaris and some others cleaved unto him that is hee preached so movingly that he made their very soules cleave unto him Why hee spake from his heart There bee many clamorous Preachers saith Galvin who declame against the sinnes of the people and thunder against them make as though they had a great deale of zeale and yet never move a jot because themselves have a dead heart and a secure heart the people see through their actings that they
are not moved themselves and therefore this does not move them neither when people can see through a Minister that hee does not preach out of his owne heart this deadeth their hearts God bade Ezekiel eate the Book c. Secondly The manner of preaching is cold when the Sermon is not delivered in a lively manner when hee preaches dully and bluntly The Apostle shews in the first of the Colossians that Epaphras did a great deale of good in his Ministery at Colosse Now in the fourth of the Colossians and the 13 verse the Apostle saith hee was a zealous Preacher I bear him record saith hee that hee hath a great zeale for you But when a Minister hath a cold delivery this is a great hinderance to the Word You will say how can this bee Is it not the same word whether preached coldly or with heat Yes it is But the Word hath two things in it first the bare naked truth secondly the fatherly affectionatenesse of God in the same Now a zealous Minister le ts the people in some measure see both But a dull Ministery holds out the one and hideth the other Again though the Word onely convert it is not the Minister that works but the Word yet the Minister is appointed of God to bee a meanes to draw peoples attentions to the word Now when hee does it in a cold manner the people are the more apt to let fall their intentions and not mark it Thus you see how a Minister may bee guilty of the deadnesse of his people two waies first by his not preaching at all Secondly by his dead manner of preaching There is one more yet remaines and that is Thirdly by his dead life and conversation an evill life in the Minister makes preaching seem vile When hee makes it appear by his course that hee makes no conscience of framing his life according to his own teaching Is strict in the Pulpit and dissolute in the street I confesse many are ready to quarrell with the lives of their Teachers without cause as the false Apostles with Paul as though hee were carnall 2 Cor. 10. 2. But when a man will bee a Minister and yet walk like men hating to bee reformed and running into the same excesse of riot with others how doth this harden peoples hearts and deadeth the Doctrine it self it makes preaching seem but a â—oy When a man will seem to perswade to that which hee neglects himself and to cry out against that of which himself doth make a common practise Let no man despise thee sayes Paul unto Timothy You will say how shall that be Be you an example unto them that Beleeve 1 Tim. 4. 12. But I am prevented of time There is nothing that more deads a mans Ministery then this when the people know in their Consciences that the Minister is as vile as one of them Let him preach never so excellent things they will say alas alas wee know hee loves his penny hee loves the pot hee is not right no more then one of us But I am forced to give over The use of this is First Is it so that a Minister may be the cause why the people are dead Then here we see the reason why the Devill is so busie to poyson Ministers He knowes if he can poyson Them he can quickly poyson all the Parish well-neare Simon Simon Satan hath desired to sift thee Luc. 22. 31. when Joshua was exercising the office of the High-Priest Satan stood at his right hand Zach. 3. 1. The Devill is like the Syrians O sayes he fight neither against small nor great save only against the King of Israel If they could slay him they knew they should quickly take his Armie so if the Devill can take the Minister he cares not If he can make him a worldling or a drunkard or a Drone or a Pluralist that is it he desires The deading of one Minister deads a 100. others if he can be a lying spirit in a Ministers mouth he is able to deceive 200. at once Secondly Here we see that Ministers of all men should have a care to be quickned For if we be not quickned Brethren our guiltinesse is very great we shall involve many others in our sinne It will go hard with every private person that is dead to all goodnesse He cannot be saved he cannot escape the second death How then can a dead Minister escape that hath not onely his owne deadnesse to answer for but also the deadnesse of all his people What sayes the Lord to the Ministers of the dead Churches of Sardis Repent Repent sayes he lest I come against thee as a theefe in an hower before thou art aware Rev. 3. 3. And therefore let vs be awakened that wee may be quickned Beloved the times now are very dead and it is wee that are the Ministers of the Church have let this deadnes in our not being watchfull our not being lively and stirring in our places our not being quickened O what wrath hangs upon us if we doe not labour for life that we may communicate it unto our people The common deadnesse up and downe should be an argument unto us to excite us When Elisha saw the badnesse of the Church in his dayes he was very earnest to have the spirit of Elias doubled upon him 2 King 2. 9. We have need of a double spirit of the good Ministers of God that were before us the dayes doe require it never was there more deadnesse then now is There are not many that professe holinesse at all but of them that doe O how many are dead and without life now who should bee a meanes to quicken people but wee Thirdly This should teach good people to pray for their Ministers the more quickned the Ministers be it is the better for them But if they be dead the infection will descend downe into you When Paul and Silas went out to preach the Text sayes They were Commended by the Brethren to the grace of God Act. 15. 40. Fourthly This should be an exhortation to us of the Ministery that wee would take heed unto our selves and to all the Church of God that is committed unto our charge that we would rouze up our selves and specially now when there was never more need When the children of Israel were about to goe backe againe into Egypt the Text sayes how Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the Congregation of Israel to beseech them to forbeare Num. 14. 5. They were so mightily affected with the peoples sinne that they fell upon their faces before them q. d For the Lords sake and for your own soules sake Take heed of this sin What! will you pull all Heaven about your eares Will you provoke the living God against you O my Brethren take heed what yee doe so wee should doe we should labour to be affected with our own and our peoples deadnesse Wee should call upon them to be quickned
but now the Lord hath put a vaile of flesh upon himselfe by incarnating his owne Son now we may make bold The use of this is First Is it so that Christ hath the seven Spirits of God Then what hath he not He is an all sufficient Saviour He is Gods Steward God hath put all his goods into his hands No man can be assured of any thing that is good but by comming unto him All things are delivered to me of my Father Mat. 11. 27. That is I have all my fathers goods in my hand Favour Pardon Mercy Grace Comfort Heaven it selfe yea and his holy Spirit and all I have the distributing of them all He is the store-house whither all needy soules are to goe He is full of all manner of good things as John saies Of his fulnesse have we al received Joh. 1. 1â— Looke what grace any of the Saints have they have it all of him he is Gods Conduit-pipe the Lord opens himselfe only in him he is the tap he lets out Gods Blessings and Graces and Spirit like a sluce Hee is the Lord Treasurer of Heaven and Earth As Joseph in Egypt if any one would have Corne they must goe to Joseph for it if they came to Pharaoh but for a pecke or a gallon presently he sent them to Joseph so the Lord sends all that will have any drop of mercy to his Sonne if yee will not goe to my Sonne yee shall not have one drop yee shall dye in your sinnes This is my welbeloved Sonne sayes hee looke yee heare him hearken to him obey him be ruled by him bow down unto him doe as he bids you if ye anger him and will not stoop unto him if your hearts will not burst if your minds will not off from the world and other things and be wholly intent unto him if yee slight him and suffer vain things to draw away your affections and thoughts and meditations from him there is no redemption for you No Salvation but onely by beleeving in his name he hath all the seven Spirits of God no Spirit of Grace at all can be had but onely of him he was the Rocke that Moses must stand on that the glory of Gods goodnesse might passe before him Secondly Another use is hath Christ the seven Spirits of God then wee are without excuse if wee be without the Holy Spirit of God Christ hath him to give and yet how few will seeke him of Jesus Christ as Christ sayes Yee will not come unto me that yee might have life Joh. 5. 40. That is if yee would come unto me I would make your dead hearts to live I would quicken you to all goodnesse I would powre my Holy Spirit upon you But you will not come unto me for it This makes us without excuse That Christ hath the Spirit in him for all that have a minde to him and wee have no minde How few among you to this very day have gotten yet Gods Holy Spirit Yee pray but yee have not the spirit of supplieation to pray by to lift up your hearts to enliven your desires to be able to wrestle with God to any purpose no Spirit of grace stirring in you When ye come to the house of God ye heare Sermons but the Holy Ghost does not fall upon you to make them effectuall and mightie in operation to convert you to God to knocke off your base lusts yee are dead in all holy duties voide of all Heavenly graces dull to every good thing even as the Body without the spirit is dead Nay the Spirit of the world dwelleth in most men tying and glving them to the things here below and will not let them savor and rellish the things of Heaven Whereby they cannot cease from sinne nor work the works of God Rare is that man now-a-dayes that hath the Holy Spirit of God remaining in him in any measure nay if people were asked whether they have the Spirit of God yea or no their owne Conscience could answer No they have not they never felt any such Divine ghuest their earthlinesse and lumpishnesse of heart in all the ordinances of God their unaquaintednesse with God their unsettlednesse and nakednesse and blindnesse in all the wayes of peace plainely does declare it and yet they will not come unto Christ that they might have life he hath the seven Spirits of God and yet they cannot finde in their hearts to be instant and earnest with him when Pharaoh appointed Joseph to distribute corne to all comers Goe to Joseph sayes he Gen. 41. 55. the Text sayes all Countries came to Joseph for Corne because the famine was sore in all lands But God hath appointed his own Sonne to be a dispencer of the Spirit and there is a sore want of the spirit every where in all Townes and Parishes and yet hardly any will come in Certainely this is the condemnation that men intend their pleasure and their profits and every outward thing and never seeke to Jesus to have the Holy Spirit of God For First many of us have hard hearts that cannot melt at our owne sinnes nor the publike provocations whereby God is provoked nor the generall calamities of the Church our hearts are like a stone and wee are not affected nor can be affected no relenting at the Word no bleeding in any other good dutie nothing moves us the spirit could soften yea and take the stone away and Christ saies hee would give him unto us if we did desire him I will put a new Spirit within you and take the stony heart out of the flesh Ezek. 11. 19. Hee hath spirit enough in him to doe it and yet we will not sue to him but in a feigned manner and so a hard heart possesseth us still which marres all our familie-duties and all that wee doe in the publike assemblies nothing comes of all that wee doe If our foolish hearts would come downe to be fervent after Christ this might be be remedied He hath the seven Spirits of God for the nonce But a spirit of slumber bewitches us and and nothing can awaken us to this very day Never was there a more hard-hearted time never more hard-hearted Christians nummed and past feeling wishing indeed the things mought be mended but never putting forth our hand to have them mended Secondly scarce any of us can pray but in a blunt-hearted-wise our prayers never stirre Heaven never give so much as a lift to any of our lusts neither are they any whit answerable to the miseries that are on us whether Personall or Nationall the spirit could helpe us and enlarge us as Paul saies of the good Romans Yee have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby yee cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. and Christ hath this Spirit in his hand to give But we would rather sit woulding and yawning then be downe on our knees before God Every one almost hath heavy things that he is consciencious of terrible guiltines horrible
digest it neither have they any minde to concoct it therefore mark there what follows Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord ver 11. that is you are more afraid of a famine of bread yee would bee more troubled if you had no Bread to eate nor liquour to drink you care not so it bee not that famine But think what you will I will send you a worse famine than that a famine of hearing of Gods Word Yee shall have Preaching little enough Little enough food for your soules seeing yee will bee filthy yee shall be filthy seeing ye will be heartlesse towards heavenly things ye shall bee heartlesse yee shall be hardned yee shall be let alone and the blinde shall lead the blinde and both shall fall into the ditch the wicked shall lead the wicked wicked Ministers the wicked people and both shall perish together and then though yee would never so fain have a Sermon that may come to the Conscience yee shall be long enough before yee shall hear it Yee shall starve for want of spirituall knowledge starved to death for want of life Seared in your sins yee shall have no Sermons to dispossesse you of Satan no teaching to purge your hearts to humble your soules before God or to minister the Spirit unto you yee are weary of the sound Ministery of the Word therefore ye shall not bee troubled with it This then is another sign that God will take away those few Stars that are yet remaining And then woe bee to you Fourthly when there are hardly any sonnes of peace that the Ministers peace may light upon then the Lord bids them pack away Like the Market folkes when they see their Commodities lie upon their hands they take up their Commodities lie upon their hands they take up their Commodities and goe home O say they people will give nothing they will not give our price wee and our children will have them for our own selves rather then wee will part with them for nothing So they goe away so Gods Ministers goe away when the Market is dead no Customer will come to their stalls So Paul and Barnabas went away from the Jews Yee put off the word from you and therefore lo wee turn unto the Gentiles Act. 13. 46. q. d. yee will have none of it wee have offered it to you and we were bid to doe so but ye put it off from you therefore fare yee well Die in your sins So people now put off the word of God our Doctrine sinks no where almost one puts it off from him another puts it off from him Like as the Cities of the Philistims did with the Ark. The men of Ekron they cryed out and doe you bring it to us and so the men of Ashdod said and it shall not abide with us 1 Sam. 5. 7. Every one put it off they would have none of it Fifthly when people oppose they are so farre from repenting at the preaching of the Word that they fall to oppose and to mis-use the bringers of it as the Jews did Saint Paul The Text sayes Hee shook his rayment at them and told them your blood bee upon your own heads and away hee went Act. 18. 6. when people lay their heads together how they may heave out the Minister many times God gives them leave for to doe it that they may bring evill on their own heads the Lord lets them have their cursed wills to their own utter destruction and condemnation Sixthly when God hath sent all his Ministers that ever hee means to send Hee sent one Minister and they would not hear him hee sent another after him and they would not hearken to him neither a man would wonder surely God will send no more well may be God in his great goodnesse sends another good man and he does what he can but the people will doe wickedly still Yea but when God hath sent all that Hee means to send now he will send no more as God did with Judah I have sent unto you all my servants the Prophets rising up early and sending them saying return from your evill wayes but yee have not inclined your eare unto me Jer. 35. 15. when God had sent all then hee would send no more You will say how can this bee a signe when God hath sent all that he means to send who can tell that I Answer Beloved God may shew it plainly that God hath sent even all that he means to send when he blocks up the way that more cannot bee suffered to come to us then those that are come when such courses are laid that ne're a faithfull one more is permitted to enter when Gods faithfull ones are forbidden to Preach as Paul sayes They forbid us to Preach When people will have Pashur's and not Jeremiah's When there be Laws made Look yee speak no more in his name When they say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie it When the good Levites are made to goe away and to leave their own places as it was in Jeroboams time 2 Chron. 11. 14. Again when the shadows wax long it is a signe that the Sun is going down The reason why God will take away all his Starres when matters are come to this passe is First because it is but lost labour and Cost cast away to administer phisick to such patients whose diseases are desperate my Brethren God is a wise phisician and he knows whom hee hath to deale with when hee sees men rend in pieces his Prescripts and pull off his plaisters and vomit up his wholesome potions that he gives them for their good he gives them up for gone hee will bee their Physician no longer This was the reason why God did leave Judah Thy disease is incurable Jer. 30. 12. Secondly because it is not only lost labour but it is worse then lost to let such people have the Ministery of the word it makes them much worse Why should yee bee smitten any more yee will revolt more and more Esa 1. 5. why should yee bee preacht to any more yee will c. Thirdly Because if men will needs goe on in their sins God would rather they should doe so without his word then with it as a husbandman if the ground bee stark barren he would rather never plough it and sow it with seed then to have it barren after the seed sown when people will needs bee wicked God would rather have them doe all their wickednesse out of his sight then in it I will cast you out of my sight Jer. 7. 15. God cannot abide to look upon a people that will have their own wayes they anger him more when they commit all their wickednesse under his Word God looks towards a people when hee sends them his holy Word hee looks upon them to doe them good
off the Son of God and everlasting life Still when the Prophets would speak unto the people this was their preface The Lord sent mee so sayes Isaiah the Lord sent mee Esa 48. 16. so sayes Jeremiah the Lord sent mee When they refused to hear what he said O sayes hee Truely the Lord sent mee of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words unto you Jer. 26. 15. One would think it wore enough to strike terrour into the hearts of men to put off any Sermon any rebuke any exhortation of Christs Ministers when they know the Lord sends them Of a truth the Lord hath sent mee to speak all these words unto you May bee the Minister is as poore a creature in himself as one of you O but remember who sends him as Christ sayes hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee and hee that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent me Luk. 10. 16. So much shall suffice to have been spoken of the first way whereby Christ is said to have the seven Starres that is the Ministers of the Church namely he hath the sending of them Secondly Hee hath them that is hee hath the giving of them their Commission as they have their Mission from him so they have their Commission from him too They are not onely messengers but Embassadors This Commission hath two things first the heads of their Embassage that Christ sends them to treat of Secondly the authority of their Embassage that Christ invests them with For the first the heads of their commission Christ hath the appointing of them what they shall treat of and they are five First they shall preach the Word Goe and preach the Gospel to every creature Mark 16. 15. Secondly to remit the sin of all them that doe embrace the Gospel Joh. 20. 23. that is to pronounce all the promises of the Covenant of Grace and in particular forgivenesse of sins to all true penitent and beleeving Soules Thirdly to administer the Sacraments of the New Testament to all the said persons to whom the promises of eternall life doe belong for the assuring of their hearts concerning all the things of the Kingdome of God to them in particular Matth. 28. 19. Fourthly To build up the Church of God for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of the body of Christ untill they all come c. Ephes 4. 12. Fifthly to shut the Kingdome of Heaven upon all that have an evill heart of unbelief to goe on in their sins and not to stoop to the Scepter of Jesus Christ Mark 16. 16. and in divers other places These are the heads of their commission that Christ will have them treat of in their Embassage unto men Secondly now for the Authority that hee invests them with it is not any carnall or earthly authority to jet and to vaunt or to domineere as though they were Lords and Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5. 3. no sayes Christ it shall not be so with you But hee that is greatest among you hee shall bee as the least Luk. 22. 26. and therefore I doe not here speak of any earthly authority No the Authority that Christs Ministers have and they have it from him is a spirituall Authority uamely not onely to preach and to declare forgivenesse of sin and to administer the seales of the covenant and to build up the Saints and to denounce wrath and damnation to all that continue in their unregenerate estate through impenitence unbelief but to do all these things with a heavenly Power and Authority to have an Office under Christ for the doing of them so as to be the very mouth of Christ and that which they doe according to their commission from him to stand firme and good for ever and ever I will give power to my two witnesses Rev. 11. 3. The Lord hath given me power and authority sayes the Apostle 2 Cor. 10. 8. You will say this is great power indeed all the Kings Potentates of the earth have not so great power as this this is a power of life and death not naturall nor temporary but Spirituall and eternall this is a power not oven mens Bodies but over their soules not in small matters but either for salvation ordamnation This is a great Commission how come they by such a great one as this is O sayes Christ I am able to invest them with as much as this comes to For all power is given unto me in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28. 18. q. d. I am able to furnish you with all authority and power goe you in my name and preach you in my name in my name bid people repent and beleeve in my name open heaven to all that doe obey and shut it upon all that doe disobey and I will make it good The use of this is First have the Ministers of Christ such a Commission from Christ then they are the greatest Embassadors that ever were or can be Embassadors of earthly Kings have a great Commission they represent the Kings person from whom they come Alas what are they to these they come about petty things about civill peace or warre and yet they are Lord Embassadors they are Lords by their places they are much respected among men O then what great Embassadors are the Ministers of Jesus Christ that represent the King of Kings person that represent the person of the Lord of Lords that came to Treat of peace betweene God and Man or of open Hostility between the Creator and the Creature as Paul sayes now then wee are Embassadours for Christ As though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stead be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 15. 20. that is we have a very great commission we represent the person of our Lord Jesus Christ we come to treat with you about eternity according as you heare us or heare us not so it will be with you unto all eternity O consider what we have to do you are enemies unto God from the womb as long as your sins doe remain ye are enemies still we come to set you at one again Yee know the condition yee know what the heads of our commission bee if yee will not hearken unto them and submit yee are damned for ever if ye doe blessed and happy are yee for evermore was there ever such a great Embassage as this as the Apostle sayes To make known the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an Embassadour in bonds Ephes 6. 19 20. q. d. though the wicked and blinde world look upon me as a Schismatique and a malefactour and cast me into the prison and here I am in bonds they see no such thing in me as an Embassadour of the great God yet the truth is though I bee in bonds they shall know it one day to their cost who I was and what a commission I had and what it is to slight it and put it off I
am an Embassadour of the mystery of the Gospel though I be in bonds Secondly Have some Ministers such a commission from Christ then let them learn how to behave themselves in their function My Brethren Christ hath committed unto us the custody of his own power and authority and therefore we are to exercise it in his name our commission is to charge the great men of the world Charge them that are rich in this world that they bee not high-minded 1 Tim. 6. 17. True we are your servants for Jesus his sake and wee are to be humbled and to wait upon men of lowest degree and to condefcend unto men of meanest capacity and there is a time when wee should for loves-sake intreat but the truth is too wee have power to charge and command These things command and teach 1 Tim. 4. 11. These things speak and exhort and rebuke withall authority Tit. 2. 15. We must not betray the power and majesticall simplicity of the Gospell of Jesus Christ We have Christs owne power and authority in our ministery and therefore wee are to command you in his stead as ever you will answer Christ before his Tribunall at last day neglect not those things which we preach to you from him Now we command you Brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that yee withdraw your selves from every brother that walkes disorderly and not after the Tradition which hee received of us 2. Thes 3. 6. True we are inferiors to Kings and Princes and Magistrates and the Nobility and Gentry of the land There be thousands and thousands that are our Betters in all civill respects but our Embassage is above all The Lords own Power and Authority goes through the ministery as a Trunk As the King may send a Command to the greatest Nobleman of the Kingdome by the hand of a meane man and he is to hearken to it though the messenger in himselfe be his underling yet his message is above him and he looses his head if he despise it So beloved we are over you in the Lord that is in regard of our message Though we be your inferiors and some of you be our betters and wee are to stand with Cap in hand to you yet ye loose your soules if ye will not heare us and obey our Embassage We must not bow to your humors nor make the Spirit of Christ in the Gospell to bend and comply with human lusts If Princes and Potentates were by we must not spare their sins Nathan deales roundly with King David Thou art the man Jehu with King Jehosaphat wrath is upon thee from the Lord because thou hast helpt the ungodly We must let all the world know that Christ whom wee preach is above them all wee must not prostitute Christs Scepter no not at a Monarchs foot If we be men-pleasers we are not the servants of Christ We must not suffer Christs word to be bound whosoeuer is our hearer whether high or low We defie popish Divinity that exalt their Antichristan Clergy above the civill Magistrate Belarmines Martin is but a foysted story But yet in this sense we are above all the Kingdomes of men as God sayes Behold I have put my words in thy mouth and loe I have set thee this day over Nations and Kingdomes to plant and to root up to build and to throw downe Jer. 1. 9. 10. Let no man thinke we are saucy though we reprove the greatest of you all as long as we doe it in Christ and from Christ we are the mouth of the Judge of quick and dead and he will make our words good The meanest Sergeant in the Kings name dares arrest the greatest Duke So my Brethren we come in the Kings name in Christ his name and therefore we must not be afraid of your faces As Paul told Philemon I have great authority in Christ to command thee that which is convenient Philem. 8. We have great authority to command every one of you to doe your Duties towards God and man We have Christ for our Author and therefore he will be a wall of Brasse to us We are his Embassadors and therefore our Message is with great power Thirdly Have we this Commission from Jesus Christ then this may serve to condemne all such as doe not obey our Ministery Though wee have all this authority the very power of Christ himself in our mouthes that equally binds King and Begger Yet who obeys our commands who stirres who repents who submits himself unto our commission we have called for humiliation but no man will humble himself We have cryed for reformation and amendment of life but no man relents wee have read our commission every week unto people we shew them our Letters Patents from the Lord Jesus Christ and they are counted as idle tales by the most O what an indignity is this unto our Lord Jesus Christ we are his Embassadors and your standing out against us is not against us but against him and he will repay it O sayes the Apostle if any man obey not our word By this Epistle note that man 2 Thess 3. 14. q. d. note him with a brand of infamy note him as a Rebell against Jesus Christ look upon him as a wretched miserable creature take heed of him avoid him withdraw your self from him point at him yonder goes a wretch that will not obey the voyce of his teacher excommunicate him from your company have as little to doe with him as you can Be ye shie of such a man certainly there is great wrath hangeth over him So Beloved if any obey not our word note such persons note such parishes note all such families the wrath of heaven hangeth over them their stubbornnesse and hardnesse of heart is not against us but against the Lord. These are notorious Townes notorious people that have Christs Embassadors among them and yet will not be obedient and yet how is our Embassage made nothing of if Kings onely and Princes and Lords and great men should make nothing of it we should not so much wonder because they are greater men then those that God sends his Embassage by and yet if they were wise and knew what they did they durst not doe as they do but every base fellow stops his eare and hardens his heart against the God of Heaven and earth and will not obey our word nay men can hear their sins ripped up and the Anathema's of Christ spread before their faces and not blush They can heare that those very sinnes they live in doe separate from God do adjudge them to hell and shew them to be under the blacknes of darknesse and the sentence of damnation they can see it showne them out of the word which they cannot deny for their hearts though they would never so faine and yet they will not repent nor returne that they may have mercy Not one drunkard will leave nor one Mocker leave nor one Covetous person nor one gracelesse
of Sardis containing a description of Christ from whom the Letter is sent Now Christ is here described according to the matter in hand from two royalties of his first That he hath the seven Spirits of God that is he hath the giving of the Holy Ghost and all his gifts and graces to whomsoever he pleaseth Secondly that He hath the seven Starres that is hee hath the disposing of the Ministers of the Church And this I told you is to bee meant divers wayes Christ is said to have the Ministers of the Church five wayes First hee hath the sending of them they have their Mission from him Secondly hee hath the delegating of them they have their Commission from him Thirdly bee hath the gifting of them they have their abilities from him Fourthly hee hath the prospering of them they have the successe of their labours from him Fifthly he hath the keeping of them they are put into a place continued or removed they have their liberty from him and when they are put downe or silenced it is he that does doe it The two first I have handled already first that he hath the sending of them Secondly that he hath the delegating of them I come now to the third Hee hath the gifting of them look what good gifts and abilities they have they have them all of him As Paul sayes Hee hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. and this was one of the ends of his Ascension as the Apostle sayes Hee ascended up on high and led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men Ephes 4. 8. that is this was one end of his ascending up to Heaven that hee might send down gifts unto his Church Now what gifts does hee mean True hee sends gifts to all his true Members but he meanes the gifting of his Ministers as it follows And hee gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery and so forth ver 11 12. And the truth is it is not without cause for of all men wee that are the Ministers of Jesus Christ have need of singular and rare gifts and abilities First To open the Scriptures the Scriptures are a great deep and they have under the Letter much admirable spirituall matter encouched and many things are hard in them as Peter sayes And a Minister is to open them and to give out the sense as it is said of the Priests They read the Law distinctly and gave out the sense and made the people to understand the Reading Nehem. 8. 8. Now if a Minister have not gifts from Jesus Christ what madde work will hee make the Scripture will bee a clasped book unto him and a Fountain sealed up Like the Philistines that in three daies could not expound Sampsons Riddle It is said of Christ that he opened the Scriptures Luk. 24. 32. The Scriptures are shut and contain Mysteries folded and lapped up now the Minister had need of abilities to open them Secondly To Teach as a Minister is to open the Scriptures which requireth great gifts so he is to teach the people out of them to draw Doctrines out of the same and this requireth great gifts too to informe the judgement to let out the light of the Word to scatter the beames of the Sun of righteousnesse abroad to dispel the darknesse of mens minds to shine round about them in spirituall knowledge This is a work of much ability as the Apostle speaks to Timothy the things which thou hast heard of mee the same commit thou to faithfull men who shall bee able to teach others 2 Tim. 2. 2. and therefore it is called Prophecying Despise not Prophecying that is despise not Teaching a man had need of a speciall gift to be able to Prophesie so if a man would be a Teacher when Nicodemus would expresse what an able Teacher Christ was sayes hee Thou art a teacher come from God A man had need to be one that hath been with God that would teach aright There is a gift of fitnesse and aptnesse without which a man cannot doe it The servant of the Lord must bee apt to teach 2 Tim. 2. 24. the Apostle tells us there bee heapes of naughty teachers in the world a good teacher is a rare man it cannot bee without all wisdome as hee sayes Teaching every man in all wisdome Col. 1. 28. we are to teach people the learning of the holy how to know God how to fear him and love him Wee are to teach people how to pray how to walk in all holines and righteousnes of living the great things of Gods Law the deep things of the Spirit the mysteries of eternall life to open the wiles of Satan the mistakes of the hearts of men the many by-wayes of the soule ye know sin is covered over with pleasures and profits and carnall reasons and evasions and we are to lay it out naked as indeed it is Gracious and godly courses seem grievous and irksome and uncouth and vile and needlesse and we are to discover the inward pleasure and commodity and necessity and glory of them and therfore wee have need of abilities Thirdly to Convince yee know how the heart does use to put off the Word and if it meet with a doctrine or a reproof or a precept that it does not like it will deny it it will cavill and carp O it is false as Johanan and others said to Jeremiah it is false you doe not say true wee will never beleeve it When wee paint out a drunkards damned estate he is ready to gainsay it or an adulterers he is ready to except people contradict such passages of the Word as are against their lusts and they give us very little better then the lye many times therefore a Minister should bee able to convince that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gain-sayers Tit. 1. 9. when people are subject to condemn us for harshnesse and hard sayings and that we doe not preach placentia enough we must be able to use some speech that cannot be condemned Tit. 2. 8. when a Minister preaches weakly Sermons like wide nets or rotten threads that the Birds may get through or break this is not able preaching as Zwinglius said of Carolostadius when he heard him disputing weakly against consubstantiation O sayes he I am sorry that so good a cause should have such a weak defendant It is said of Apollos that hee mightily convinced the Jewes Stephen the University-men there that came huddling about him they were not able to withstand the Spirit and the wisdome by which hee spake Act. 6. 10. it is the promise of our Saviour I will give you a mouth and wisdome which all your adversaries shall not bee able to gainsay or resist Luk. 21. 15. Fourthly to move the affections Ministers have need
long he will continue us It s a dolefull signe when Christ takes away his Ministers from a place it s a signe he hath no more soules to save if he had he would let his Ambassadours lye beseeching still so that this is one great reason because Ministers are His Ambassadours Secondly Because Christ hath all power in Heaven and in Earth as he told his Apostles when he sent them out to preach All power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth Math. 28. 18 q. d. I have power to send you and I have power to continue your Ministery as long as I thinke fitting and I have power to take you away I have power to ordaine you either for salvation or the damnation of men Whom I will I can convert by your Sermons and whom I will I can deliver up to the counsell of their own hearts that they shall not be converted by you Now if Christ have all power in Heaven and in Earth then he hath power to continue his Ministers as long as his will is I need not stand to prove this it is too evident he hath power to lengthen his Ministers lives to prolong their liberties when he takes away one he hath power to put in another as good when he meant to take away Elias he anoynted Elisha in his roome If their enemies be never so many he can tye up their hands he deliverd Paul from the mouth of the Lyon though fortie men had vowed to take him away by death he diverted their plot and continued him still nay when he was in Bonds yet he was able to get him liberty to go abroad with his keeper and to preach the Kingdom of God to as many as came Suppose the world be never so mad against Christs Ministers yet as long as he hath any more worke for them to doe he can hold off their singers from meddling with them till they have finished the Taske that hee hath given them to doe The Use of this is first That Ministers should not fear to bee deprived of their liberty so long as they doe well indeed if they doe ill if they bee wicked or idle or unworthy such Ministers should fear they doe deserve to be put down But if wee bee godly Ministers it is our basenesse to feare any such thing Christ hath the continuing of us our times are not in mens hands but in his What a horrible thing is it that wee should goe against our conscience in any thing or bee afraid to speak what God bids us to bee mealemouthed to bee discouraged with rumours or dangers wee should keep nothing back of the whole counsell of God wee are starres in his hands and hee hath the continuing of us though men fight against us they cannot prevaile against us till our businesse is all done As the Lord told the Prophet Jeremiah They shall fight against thee but they shall not prevaile against thee for I am with thee Jer. 1. 19. Let us then be afraid of nothing but sinne Let us bee afraid to doe any evill either towards God or towards man let us be harmlesse in the midst of a crooked and a perverse generation Let us deale faithfully with our people let us undauntedly Preach Rebuke Exhort with all long suffering and Doctrine make our faces hard against the wickeds faces no matter for their railings their threatning speeches their malicious accusations and not feare the Lord Jesus hath the continuing of us Secondly Here we may see the reason why the Gospel continues in any place a man would wonder it should continue any where because the world cannot abide it Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted saves Stephen Act. 7. 52. They that doe evill hate the light it cuts them to the heart Every one hates mee sayes the Prophet hee was reproached for the Words sake Report say they and wee will report it One time they put him into a dungeon Another time they would have killed him Shemaiah writ Letters to the high Priest against him Jer. 29. 25. And yet hee continued his Ministery untill the day of the Captivity Nay hee had liberty when others had their liberty taken away Yee know Christ himself Preached dayly in the Temple and they took him not though they gnasht their teeth at his Doctrine and sometimes were in the minde to throw him down headlong and break his neck sometimes to stone him yet till his houre was come he had his liberty And the truth is a man would wonder how any of Gods Ministers have their Liberties continued when there bee so many Drunkards so many Enemies of all goodnesse so many that follow their own ungodly lusts and the Gospel is an eye-sore unto them and yet in many places it stands still This is Gods doing You see here Christ hath the continuing of his Ministers they shall have their liberty as long as God hath any use for them Thirdly Is it so that Christ hath the continuing of his Ministers then this is of use also unto you Now you heare whence to have your good Ministers continued even by seeking to Jesus Christ hee can lay a charge upon all the world where they are to let them alone He can say Doe my Prophets no harme Psal 105. 15. you will say why what shall we doe I Answer first let us repent of our sinnes it is our sins that removes the Ministers of God if we would repent us of our sins and turn from our wicked wayes and let the Word work upon our hearts this would continue the ministery of the Word as God told Judah when they should repent of their sins O sayes hee I will bee your God and you shall be my people and my Sanctuary shall be among you for evermore Ezek. 27. 27 28. that is by Sanctuary he meanes his publique Worship the preaching of his Word and other of the meanes of grace when they repented of their sins then these should be continued So Beloved if yee would repent of your sins I do not mean one or two or a few or so But if there might be a generall Reformation among us this would fasten the Word among us as in a sure place Secondly Let us prize the Gospell the Gospell loves to stay there where it is welcome it will never goe away if it might have good entertainment if wee would honour it and glorifie it and pluck up our affections in the dearest manner to it this would preserve it among us for ever The Church of Philadelphia that used the Word best had it longest c. Our Saviour Christ hath a saying Into what soever Towne or City yee enter enquire who is worthy there abide Matth. 10. 11. And as hee sayes Luk. 10. 7. Goe not from house to house The Gospell does not love to change houses till it be urged so it does not love to change Townes if it may have good usage So Beloved if wee would give the
know that already and no body will deny it we are Christians I answer this is the hypocrisy of men hearts their hearts will confesse it to be a truth but in their workes they do deny it The Prophet David speakes of men that were in the visible Church of God aswell as we and that would confesse this truth aswell as we and yet he sayes of many an one of them He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hath hid his face he will never see it Psal 10. 11. And the truth is this is the cause of all the boldnesse of people to goe on in their sinnes or to yeeld to sinne at any time they put this out of their bosomes that God sees them As Ezekiel speakes the land is full of blood the City is full of perversnesse for they say the Lord hath forsaken the Earth and the Lord seeth not Ezek. 9. they say so in effect they put God afar of and they doe not consider that hee sees them Beloved there 's none of us all but hath need that this truth shoud be urged upon us that God beholds all iniquity and evill we can never doe amisse but he takes notice of it Thirdly another use is is it so that God sees all mens sins Then this is a terror to all that goe on with a selfe condemning heart O consider what the Apostle sayes if our heart condemne us God is greater then our heart and he knowes all things 1 Joh. 3. 20. q. d. if we have a selfe condemning heart how much more shall we find a selfe condemning God If our own heart can find us out if that can find out our worldlines or our irreverence or our carelesnesse of God how much more wlll God find us out He knowes all our sins better then we our selves and therefore O let us quake all of us to goe on with a selfe-condemning heart it is a bad badge it is a prodigious token of the fearefull judgement of God if wee doe not get our sins done away by the blood of Jesus Christ and by his sanctifying Spirit God will finde us out for hee knowes what we are and what wee doe daily and how we live every day and howre Againe this is a terror to them that are Hypocrites If God could not see a rotten heart he should speed as well as the best O but sayes God I the Lord search the heart J try the reynes even to give every man according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings Jer. 17. 10. and therefore wo be to such as are otherwise within then they seeme to be without without they are painted sepulchers but within they are full of rottennesse they professe godlinesse but they suffer within a Worldly spirit a guilty conscience a vaine minde an unbelieving heart no love of God no zeale to his glory no feeling of the Churches misery no compassion with the Saints no delight in them that feare God indeed and yet they will goe for Christians forsooth God sees all their workes and will unmask them in his due time either in this world or in the world to come and will poure everlasting contempt on them Fourthly this is comfort to good people for if God see all mens sins then he sees all mens goodnesse much rather what a comfort is this in prayer to consider that he that searcheth the heart knowes what is the minde of the spirit Rom. 8. 17. Hee knowes all thy groanes Hee knowes all thy desires what a comfort is this when ever an honest soule is put to it soundly in temptation when the soule is accused by Satan hardly thought on by men and God lets bitter temptations to come on I say what a comfort is this that God knowes all the good things that are in man all ones affections all ones endeavours ail ones combats against sinne all ones griefes for corruption as Peter sayd Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Joh. 21. 17. Peter was put to it soundly at that time But yet this was his comfort that God did know all things Hee had many tokens of Gods gracious goodnesse about him hee had love to Jesus Christ hee had deepe desires to doe all that hee bade him O sayes hee and thou knowest it Againe this is an excellent comfort in time of affliction When Iob was in affliction and his friends scorned him then did hee goe and poure out his Teares unto God and this was his comfort Behold my witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high Job 16. 19 20. Againe this an excellent encouragement to serve God in these bad and sinnefull times people generally never looke after God nor holinesse the World lookes after their pleasures and their profits and preferments and friends and the like but Religion and Devoutnesse and Godlinesse of living few people looke after that as though God did not regard what people doe Now beloved when wee heare that God sees all that men doe and markes it and will call all men to accompt what an encouragement is this to serve God as David sayd to Solomon Know thou the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart for the Lord searcheth all Hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts 1 Chron. 28. 9. Againe what a comfort is this against false accusations Hee knowes all our innocency when our Neighbours say all manner of evill of us Hee knowes wee doe that in simplicity which others thinke wee doe out of a sinister respect or out of pride or popularity or for applause What a comfort is this when wee can appeale to God as Paul sayes the Lord knowes that J lye not as David sayes I have not refrained my lips from Preaching thy Righteousnesse O Lord thou knowest Psal 40. 9. Hee knowes the uttermost endeavours and desires of our hearts is to be as good as wee seeme though the World take us for Hypocrites Hee knowes wee be true men that reverence every power that is of God though the World esteeme us factious and humorous Little does the World thinke what the Saints doe every day what wrastlings with God what conflicts in their mindes they indure this is sufficient the Lord knowes Againe what a comfort is this if wee desire to know our sinnes God is able to shew them unto us Hee can open our eyes to behold them for our humiliation that wee may say with the Prophet I know mine owne iniquities and my sinne is ever before me if we want a right sight of our sinnes at any time it is but going to God Hee knowes them all hee can helpe us to see them aright Fifthly does God know all mens sinnes then this should make us afraid to doe evill at any time or in any place yea in the secretest wee can never do any evill but God will spy us out wee cannot have a thought in our heart but hee does discerne it nor
omit any duty but hee does perceive it nor slubber over any good duty but hee stands by and lookes on may be when yee are among your selves yee can shoot out your Arrowes even bitter and malicious words may bee no body can tell what yee said tush it shall never come to such a ones Eare Who can tell that you did say so Who why God can Thus yee sayd and thus yee said sayes the Lord That have you sayd O house of Israel for I knew the things that came into your minde every one of them Ezek. 11. 5. Hee knowes thy adultery and with whom and in what Bed neither Curtaines nor Doores nor Lock and Key can hide from him Hee knowes how thy heart hath risen up against the Word Hee knowes how many times thou hast smothered thine owne conscience and gone against it and outwrestled it He knowes how thou lettest thy minde rove in Prayer how many times thou hast come to the Lords Table unworthily omitted Family duties or hudled them over without due regard Hee knowes what trickes thou hast to put off conviction what a base esteeme thou hast of the strictnesse that Gods Word doth require when thou hearest it layd open O I say this should make thee to feare God this should make thee to feare everywhere as the Psalmist sayes Thou compassest my paths and my lying downe and art acquainted with all my wayes Psal 139. 3. Thou hast beset mee behind and before within and without thou possessest all my reines O what an awe should this breede in us But I let this Use passe This Use will better come in the next Doctrine Well then the next Doctrine is this The knowing that God knowes all our workes is the powerfull meanes to all Gods elect to do them good and to quicken them and to make them take heede of all manner of sinne when the Lord would quicken his people here in Sardis hee uses this as his first meanes to doe it by I know thy workes wee may see this in David I have kept thy Precepts and thy Testimonies for all my wayes are before thee Psa 119. 168. when Solomon would confute a whorish heart hee uses this for his argument Why wilt thou my Son bee ravisht with a strange Woman and embrace the bosome of a stranger for the wayes of man are before the eyes of the Lord and hee ponders all his goings Prov. 5. 20. 21. why wilt thou doth us q. d. thou art madde thou art desperate if this argument will not prevale with thee The reasons of this point are First because the Lords knowing of our workes is not onely a meere knowing of them but also a marking and a pondering of them too Hee diligently observes what wee doe hee ponders and considers whence it proceeds and whether it tends as the Prophet sayes The Lords Throne is in Heaven his Eyes well consider his Eye-lides try the Children of men Psal 11. 4. And therefore when the Scripture would tell us that God knowes mens hearts it sometimes expresses it thus The Lord pondereth mens hearts Prov. 24. 12. if God did onely see what we doe it were another matter but when the soule shall heare that hee markes and that hee ponders and considers mens sinnes and weighes them how haynous they are what punishment they deserve and how horrible it is that they do how much it is against his glory it s a signe of a desperate heart when this will not work Secondly because when God sees all our sinnes it is with a most holy and pure Eye and such an Eye as cannot abide such an object before him as the Prophet Habakuk speakes Thou art of purer Eyes then to behold evill thou canst not looke on iniquity Hab. 1. 13. if God saw our sinnes with such an Eye as men see them now and then it were no such great thing for wee know that most men can endure to see our sinnes well enough and like us little the worse but they are infinitely offensive unto God he sees them with such an eye that if ever the conscience be a wake but to perceive how he lookes it will burst the very heart of a man Thirdly because when God sees our sinnes he records them he notes them in a booke that he may never forget them as he told the people of the Jewes behold it is written before me I will recompence and render it into your bosome Isay 65. 6. if God did see our sinnes and ther 's an end then indeed this doctrine of Gods seeing would doe little may be God would forget them againe yea but when he sees he registers too nay he layes it up in record to be in store by him against another day nay he seales them up in his treasure is not this laidup in store by me and sealed among my Treasures Deut. 32. 34. now when the Soule shall come to marke this this will wound it to the quicke this must needs doe a man good and strike an awe into him of God Fourthly because when Gods sees our sinnes it is even all one as if all the world should see them too as Origen notes for let our sinnes be never so secret our inward unsoundnesse never so unknowne yet if God know it it is as bad and worse then if all the world knew it for all the world shall know it one day God will lighten all things that are hid in darknesse and will make manifest the secret counsailes of mens hearts then shall every man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4. 5. that is whosoever have been godly God will bring all their godlinesse forth and every one of them shall have praise of God this shall be an honour to them before all the world so if a man have been evill then God will produce all his naughty courses forth then shall he have shame from God God will shame him before all the World There is nothing now covered that shall not then be revealed nothing hid that shall not then be laid open what a shame then will this be for thee that thou which hast gone so many yeares for an honest man and may be hast been some body here in this world when all the Saints shall see thee standing as a wretch as a hell-hound as a limme of the Divell on Christs left hand what a shame will it be if we that are now earnest Preachers if any of us shall then be found among the goats what a shame to any of you that would count it a sore disgrace to be called a wicked man to be led forth with evill doers and sholed among the damned well then if Gods seeing of mens sinnes be such a kind of seeing as this is no marvell it worke so effectually on them that are of God Fifthly an other argument may be taken from our disposition our disposition is such that we cannot abide that our wickednesses should be seen of any body
is thus they jear these things but beloved t is certain for it is not enough to beleive except we do it with life he that liveth and beleeveth in me Joh. 11. 26. faith without life is but equivocally termed faith so it is not enough to hope in God except we doe it with life he hath begetten us againe to a lively hope says Peter So it is not enough to be a member in Gods Church a Stone in Gods building except we be lively Stones Ye also as lively Stones sayes he 1 Pet. 2. 5. The like I may say of all the duties of Religion it is not enough to doe them but we must doe them with life as to pray to pray with a dead heart is nothing no sayes David Lord quicken us and we will call upon thy name Psal 80. 18. In a word not to heape particulars we cannot walk in any of Gods wayes aright as long as we walke in them with a dead heart as the psalmist sayes Lord quicken thou me in thy way Psal 119. 37. it is a poore thing to walk in Gods wayes onely for the matter of them That indeed a dead heart may doe there 's no duty that God bids a man doe unlesse it be them that consignifie life but flesh and blood may doe it for the matter of it if there be matter and forme in it True some duties are simple that flesh and blood cannot doe as to love God to delight in God to have communion with God himself to take God for ones Portion and Lot and inheritance to be all in all to him these are simple acts they are not compounded of matter and forme But when a duty is compounded of matter and forme flesh and blood may doe the matter of it whatsoever it be now then as the essentiall forme is the life of the matter so the matter without it is a dead matter and the doing of it dead Well then now we see what is meant by dead the next is what is the meaning of Thou Thou art dead the word hath a double relation the one to the Minister of the Church in Sardis thou art dead thy Ministry is dead the other to the Church in Sardis it selfe thou art dead thou art a dead people First it hath relation to the Ministry thou art dead thy Ministry is dead there 's no life in it at all hence the Doctrine is this that a dead Ministry is as good as no Ministry at all for this our Saviour meanes in regard of the Angell of the Church in Sardis q. d. thy Ministry is little better then no Ministry it is stark dead well neare it is not lively at all there is little or no warmth to be had by it Like the Ministry of the Scribes that had no authority nor power at all in it Mat. 7. 29. As Luther said when he heard a cold Sermon cold cold cold sayes he this is cold Preaching here is no heat at all to be gotten as God sayes of the Ministry of Laodicia Thou art luke-warme Rom. 3. 16. that is as there was no heat in his people so there was no heat in his Ministry this is little better then no Preaching at all it is even as good as nothing First because true preaching is lively preaching when the Minister is a stirring Minister as Peter speakes I think it meet to stirre you up a Pet. 1. 13. when the Minister is earnest to save the peoples soules as the Lord sayes I earnestly protested to your Fathers Jer. 11. 7. He speakes of the Ministry of Moses and the prophets down along untill the Prophet Jeremies time they did not onely witnesse the word of God unto the people but they did it in a lively and earnest manner as Paul did I have striven to Preach the Gospell Rom. 15. 20. marke he belaboured him in the Pulpit he lay about him soundly that his Ministry might have life in it Saint Luke shewes that he had sweaty Handker-chiefes Act. 19. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hugo sayes upon the place it seemes he swet much in preaching and so Christ compares Ministers to Harvest men that labour in Gods Harvest ye know Harvest men are hot at their worke so Ministers should be Harvest men they should be hot at their worke Thus ye see dry and dull Preaching is little better then no preaching at all it is contrary to the manner of preaching contrary to the practice of all true and right preachers Secondly a dead Ministry is called no Ministry the Scripture calls it no Ministry in effect The Scripture is the best Judge what is a true Ministry and what is not now the Scripture makes a dead Ministry and no Ministry all one the Scribes and the Pharisees ye know were partly morall men most of them as we may see by Pauls Testimony of himself and they were orthodox Ministers as our Saviour witnesses of them in the maine for our Saviour bids people heare them yet their Ministry was little better then no Ministry as the Text shewes the people that sate under their Ministry are said to be as sheep having no Shepheard Mat. 9. 36. they preacht as if they did not preach people might come to their Sermons and be neere a jot moved nay such as came with a desire to be quickned could get no quickning at all under them Matthew sayes they sate under darknesse yet for all them These are Idoll Sheepheards wo to the Idoll Shepheards Zach. 11. 17. Thirdly a dead Ministry does doe little or no good though it be never so true yet it is very unfruitfull it does not awaken any of the auditory it does not startle any of the hearers it does not rowze up mens hearts it does not grapple with the obstinate it does not pull down the proud neither does it carry life at all with it neither is it sitted to work upon the conscience you may see an example of this in the Angell of the Church of Sardic a dead Minister a dead people as he was dead himselfe so his people were dead too a lively Ministry does a great deale of good it even is the saveur of life unto life unto those that be of God or else the savour of death unto death unto those that be not of God 2 Cor. 2. 16. it ever workes one way either it makes people rage or it fats people up or else it drives people home unto God which way so ever it works it is a sweet savour unto God it glorifies God but a dead Ministry does neither it is a flat weapon and cuts not it is a blunt Sword and wounds not may be it hath the true words of God but they are not in a wise work mans hands to make them as Goads and sharp Nayles partly good points but not pointed to prick any bodies heart it is said when Paul Preacht some went away converted others went away blaspheming Act. 13. 45. 48. Fourthly a
dead Ministry God seldom goes along with it nay that 's the life of a Ministry when the Minister seekes God to goe along with him now a dead Ministry God goes not along with it a lively Ministery Christ goes along with it So I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. if there be any of Christs sheep in the parish a lively Ministery does assuredly one time or other finde them out those that are not Christ his sheep a lively Ministry hewes them all downe slayes all their Souls ripens them apace for hell and for the pit But a dead Ministry the Lord does not goe along with that the Lord does not Crowne it Fifthly a dead Ministry prophanes the word of God it makes it seeme nothing worth it does not hold forth the glory of the Lord nay it hides it keeps it from being seen either by dwelling upon Generals and what 's that but hiding for people will confesse the word in generall they see it the generall all their blindnesse is in particulars there they slip away like Fish out of a broad Net or else by delivering it so coldly that people think it no great matter a lively Ministry holds forth it lets out God into the conscience it gives people to understand they come upon life and death it makes people looke about them it makes people consider all that ever they have done it slashes the word of God into their hearts as a light to discover all their wayes it gives them a view of their Christian estate either one way or other as it is said of Pauls Ministry The word of the Lord was glorified by it Act. 13. 48. But a dead Ministry prophanes it it vailes the glory of it it lets people sit quiet under it it diseases no sinner where as if it glorified Gods word it would either trouble them or turne them The use of this is first here we see the reason why a dead Ministry is not houted at but applauded in the world why it is as good as no Ministry at all it does not make the devill roar it lets people sleep in their sins whereas a lively Ministry can hardly come into a pulpit but presently he is halfe a martyr Briers and Thornes were with Ezechiel Ezek. 2. 6. lively Ministers cannot give the world any good content they fought against Jeremy they played the wolves against the Apostles of Jesus Iohn the Baptist was counted too sterne and austere and Luther sayes it is impossible for a man to be a true lively preacher of Gods word and not be persecuted there 's an utter antipathy between the world and such a one the world and such a Minister can no better agree together then light and darknesse such a Ministry stands in the worlds light it makes the world see their works are evill it detects it shames it opposes their sinnes that the world tumbles in as Christ sayes I have given them thy word and the world hates them because they are not of the world Joh. 17. 14 therefore there cannot be a lively Ministry any where but the world hath a sling at it but now let a man have a dead Ministry that 's let alone that may stand long enough that never comes home to men to shew them their ill estates the devils dawbers the devils upholsters that doe not pluck mens pillowes away from under their arme-holes that deale gently with men and they may do what they list for all them these are the worlds minions and applauded at all hands what a thing is this whereas a dead Ministry is the undoing of mens soules it lets men perish and never drawes them back Secondly this may serve to reprove us that are the Ministers of Jesus Christ I desire to speak to my self especially that we are no more lively in our Ministry that our Ministry hath no more edge upon it to enter into this horny thick skin age we complaine of much deadnesse now a dayes alack how if we be found guilty of it that we preach no more quickningly I confesse blessed be God we have so much lively preaching left yet among us that woe be to them that are dead and have to grace of life But O that our Ministry had more lively-hood in it that it were more exciting and provoking Is the Apostles of Christ complained of dull hearers Heb. 5. 11. how many dull hearers have we why then shall we make our soules guilty of their dulnesse the deader people be we had need to be the quicker in our Ministry or else we cannot say we are pure from their blood don't we see how many people are very neer the Children of wrath how they cannot be saved except they be justified and sanctified in Jesus Christ how few are so how hard a thing it is to awaken mens hearts nay the world and the cares of this life carry their minds quite and cleane away how scarce any almost seriously consider their latter end don 't we see how the devill tempts how the flesh and the world reigne in most and how little religion we have up and down the Saints scarce the wicked many times very bad the shortnesse of life the irrecoverable estate after death the immortality of the soule the paines of hell and the joyes of heaven and how that without holinesse no man shall see God how should we bestirre our selves to beat these truths into mens minds that they may be bethinke themselves and flee from the wrath to come The cold preaching of such weighty things cleane cozens the world so that they hardly conceive any great matter in the businesse live and dye perish for ever in their sinnes and we give them such faint warnings that no wonder so few do take any warning we found the trumpet too too low that scarce any almost prepare themselves we come into the pulpit but we doe little or no thing there may be we preach good doctrine but we doe not presse it to the quick that the conscience may feele we doe not bleed for our peoples security and though they do not heare how little does our soul weep in secret or melt in publik Bucolcerus that admirable lively preacher was wont to say that a Minister should preach flebiliter obsecratorie anxie humiliter expectore cum gemitu that is a Minister should preach mournfully over peoples soules beseechingly anxiously humbly heartily groningly as it is said of our Saviour Christ he groned for the peoples unbeliefe now when our Ministry is deadish as though we cared not much whether people doe our doctrine or no whether they be damned or no this is a lamentable thing The poore soules of our hearers may say to us as the disciples of Christ said to Christ and more justly they said it unjustly to him Master carest thou not that we perish Mark 4. 38. he was asleep and they awakened him Master carest thou not that we
heare with life use the ordinances in publike and private with life the naturall life that is in the soule it turnes it to God it turnes the man about as a ship is turned on the Sea that sayled before towards North now it sayles towards South So when grace comes into the soule ye know the man had life afore but it sayled towards the world and the things of the world but when grace does come in it makes it row and sayle and steere towards God so that when a Christian is dead he is as no Christian at all Secondly a dead Christian hath not Christ dwelling in his heart by faith he is no Christian indeed that hath not Jesus Christ dwelling in him by a truly and a lively faith It is the indwelling of Christ that makes one a true Christian now when Christ does dwell in any man Christ is a quickening spirit as the Apostle speakes the second Adam was made a quickening spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. that is Christ he is the second Adam he is a quickening spirit where ever he dwels he quickens all the soule He makes it dead to that which by nature it was alive to and alive to that which by nature it was dead to he inclines the soule unto God he infuses a principle into it to shine with life towards God he does more and more hale the strength of the soule towards him though he doe not doe it at all once yet he does it more and more now when a man is still dead to God and all goodnesse he hath not Christ dwelling in him by a lively faith for if he were in once though the soule may complaine still of deadnesse as commonly those that are alive complain most of deadnesse yet it hath a supernaturall quickening and it shall have more and more Thirdly a dead Christian was never yet soundly wrought upon by the word the word of Christ is a word of life and it quickens where it doe effectually work and therefore though such a one have heard a 1000 thousand Sermons he never fed upon them in all his life as Christ sayes If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever Joh. 6. 51. it is better then ordinary bread ordinary bread indeed if a man have a naturall life it will feed it and preserve it But if a man be dead it will not revive him But the word of God is such a bread that as it feeds a spirituall life in them that have it so it is able through the eternall spirit to quicken the dead it is able through God to put life into men that never had any and it does so to all that are of God sooner or latter now when a man is dead it 's a plaine signe that the word hath not yet wrought upon that man it may be it hath shaken him many a time yea but if he be yet dead it never wrought upon him soundly the oracles of God are lively oracles as Steven cals them Acts. 7. 38. they make their hearts lively that they come to worke soundly on though they were never so dead to God and good things afore yet now they waxe lively they make their hearts to receive a divine strength that now they waxe able in some measure to live towards God to hunger and thirst after God to delight in the seeking of him be their lusts never so mighty now they can compose themselves to oppose them and to swimme against the streame now they can pray and they cannot abide to have blockish hearts in that nor in any other duty they have a life that resists that same deadnesse that dwelleth in them So then this is another reason that a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all the word hath never wrought soundly on that Man The use of this is first if the dead Christians in Sardis be as good as nothing what are the riff-raffe in the Towne that are not so much as Christians in name if a dead Christian be rejected of God what 's a dead drunkard a dead whormonger a dead prophanling if one that walkes in good courses be refused because he is dead in them then what shall become of them that will not follow good courses at all if such that are Saints to them cannot be saved where shall they appeare it is said that Christ loved the goodly fine carriaged young man Mark 10. 17. Christ is never said to love a drunkard a prophane wretch no he regards one that carries himself in a sayre civill honest way more then all the world besides except onely his own children and therefore if he counts meer civill men stark naught how much more does he thee that art a very beast compared with them thou art so vile that we that are men doe know thou art in a fearefull estate nay the Lord pronounes a woe upon them that dare speake well of thee these sinnes are to be punished by the Iudges if thou hast lived in Israel thou shouldst have been put to death a drunken Son should have been stoned an adulterer a fornicator should be burnt a blasphemer should be brained to death Thy sinnes are so palpable that pillaries and stockes and prisons and gallowes should be thy fare if thou wert well served Thou art not onely dead for the manner of thy life but for the matter too not onely the Saints doe abhorre thee but all that have any civility in them doe loath thy filthy doings and would not doe as thou doest no no for a world as Solomon sayes such as thou art are not onely dead but in the depth of hell Pro. 9. 18. There be many though they be not right yet they are so much reformed that the Saints of God cannot say but that they may be good Christians But thou art so foule that he that hath but one eye may see the devill leads thee there be some that a man may be to blame for judging them wicked but he that judges thee other wise hates his own soule poor creature does thy foolish heart promise thee hopes to finde mercy alas the devill does but lead thee in a string he knowes well enough though he will not let thee see it there is no mercy for them that goe on still in their wickednesse Thou hast not so much as a name that thou livest how dead then art thou Thou art dead and rotten and stinkest not onely in the nostrils of God but of all that have any common grace in them Others may be in a damned condition for all their profession but to be sure thou art in a damned condition there 's nothing between thee and hell but onely the poore thread of thy life How canst thou keep out of hell that canst hardly keep out of the Ale-house O heare this ye that have not so much as any face of Religion See the word of the Lord and thinke upon it for your good if ye have any
dead conscience there 's no life in it at all when the conscience hath life in it once then it hath power over a man as the Church sayes my soule made me like the Chariots of Aminadab Cant. 6 12. that is my conscience was very forcible and powerfull in me it made me goe after Jesus Christ nay it carried me freely like the Chariots of Aminadab But when the conscience can whisper and onely finde fault and hath no power at all with it to make one obey from day to day this is a dead conscience Fifthly deadnesse of affection when the affections are clumbzie and will not move towards God and all supernaturall things when a mans affections are lively enough in other things and too lively But hee 's like a block in good duties he hath no affections to them nor in them These are affections out of order mortifie your inordinate affections sayes the Apostle Colos 3. 5. that is your affections must not be out of order if they be alive to the things here below ye must turne the life of them another way ye must kill them that way and let the life of them run out towards God and his service and worship now when the affections will not move this way at all then they are dead Thus ye see what I meane by a dead Christian Now that such a one is as good as no Christian at all is very plaine goe through all Christianity and you shall finde this to be true in every passage First for conversion conversion is not onely the turning of a man from wicked wayes unto good but so as to be quickened up in them Conversion puts another life into a man when we were dead in sinnes he hath quickened us together with Christ Eph. 2 5. that is conversion is the quickening of a man not onely the turning of a man from not praying to praying from not hearing of the word to hearing of the word from not sober to be sober from not chaste to be chaste from not professing Christian religion to be a professor of it but also it is the quickening of a man up in it it is the putting of a new life into a man and therefore to be converted meerely from the one to the other is just nothing as long as a man is dead-hearted to the same Secondly for beleeving should a man leane himself upon God should a man apply all the promises of the Gospell to his soule and credit all that 's contained in the Covenant of grace alas what of all this if this man be dead still True faith produces life as Christ sayes he that liveth and beleeveth in me Joh. 11. 26. True faith carries life with it wheresoever it is and therefore if a man have such a faith as lets him be dead still it is as good as nothing faith it may be Put true faith it cannot be if thou wouldst be able to say thou beleevest in Jesus Christ thou must be able to say that thou livest in him too it is impossible that a man should rightly beleeve in Christ and be dead Thirdly for hoping in God it may be thou hast hope that thou art a good Christian that thou hast a part in the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ thou hast a hope of the heavenly inheritance that thou shalt be saved in that day now if thy hope be a dead hope if it doe not quicken thee up to beat downe thy worldly lusts to serue thee up towards God more and more to carry thee on through thick and thin thy hope is not worth a rush True hope is lively he hath begotten us again to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. it is not a dead hope that lies sluggishly and blockishly in him that hath it not stirring him up every day but it lies like a carcase in the heart to little or no purpose no no this is as good as no hope at all True hope is a lively hope it revives a man up to the Kingdome of God it beares a man aloft in good duties it fortisies a man against daily temptations Fourthly for repenting what ever thou hast to say for repenting canst thou plead never so many teares for thy sinnes a thousand changes and reformings yet if thou hast not gotten out of a dead temper thou art yet under an impenitent heart true repentance is to life Act. 11. 18. True repentance rends the heart it shewes sin to be the greatest evill and so it rowzes a man daily up to take heed of it it makes us see what a God we have dishonour'd and therefore it awakes the soule to be earnest to please him in all things for the time to come The soule heretofore was dead to all holinesse and purenesse and precisnesse and humblenesse and mortifiednesse of walking it was dead to such things heretofore but when true repentance comes in it turnes about the life of the soule towards God now the cares shall be to him now the endeavours make after him paines labours cauâ—eloâ—snesse watchfulnesse circumspection consideration all are active now towards him so that if a man be still dead his repentance is false Fifthly for praying suppose we pray at Church and pray in our Families and pray in our Closets is this all alas if we pray with a dead heart no pullings of our heart downe before God no wrastlings with God for what we aske no heaving of our soules up no fastnings of our mindes on his presence no favouring of Jesus Christ no yearnings to the throne of grace this is as good as no praying at all no sayes David quicken us O Lord and we will call upon thy name Psal 80. 18. Sixthly for hearing of the word Though thou heare it never so often and duly yet that is not it if thou hearest it with a dead heart thy hearing is little better then no hearing our Saviour Christ sayes it 's a great Iudgement to be dull of hearing Matth. 13. 15. when the people sit as if the word did not concerne them when they heare without any motion or affection the word hardly joggeth their hearts the word does neither delight them nor warme them nor pierce them nor touch them it heales none of their sinnes it cannot get between them and their lusts when they have heard a Sermon they goe away just as they came it does not drag them one jot more out of the world nor an inch nearer heaven the carriage is much at one as it was when they come home it can hardly be perceived that ever they were at the word as earthly as ever as carnall as ever as backward to all goodnesse as ever This is as good as no hearing at all Seventhly for taking hold of opportunities to doe good This is a duty too to be done with all life How glad should we be if there be any opportunity for us to shew our love unto God or our hatred
to sinne we should be willing to ride or goe or be at charges nay we should be willing to deny our selves to lay downe our names and goods and friends and respects and all that we have at Christs foot and blesse God that gives us such a price in our hands But now to have a dead heart to this what a horrible thing is it though we doe take the opportunity yet to goe about it as though we were sorry that God hath given it unto us This is meere folly as Solomon sayes wherefore is there a price in the hand of a foole to get wisdome seeing he hath no heart to it Prov. 17. 16. But I will not repeat any more you see now that a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all I shewed you the reasons of this point but I will let them passe I come now to the uses And first this is for the reproof of the deadnesse that is now among us the Lord may say to us as he did unto Sardis I know thy workes thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead for notwithstanding the great means of life that the Lord hath placed among us O how does deadnesse of heart reigne we are like them the Prophets speakes of that drew nigh to God with their mouth and honoured him with their lips but their heart was far from him Matth. 15. 8. they had no heart to his holy worship So it is with most of us we draw nigh to God with our outward man but our heart is farre from him no heart to prayer no heart to the word we heare it peradventure but no heart to it at all how ordinarily doe we come to Gods house but heartlesnes hath dominion over the most of us the doctrine of the Gospell does not quicken up our hearts we deale with it as Phinehas his wife did with her Sonne when the women about her told her she had a Sonne the text sayes she did not regard it So what little regard have we of the Gospell of God! I stretched out my hands and no man would regard Prov. 1. tell us of our damned estate by nature how cursed we are from the wombe what infinite need we have to be sensible of it we know it but how dead is our knowledge of it it does not stirre up our hearts to consider of it neither does it prick us so much as the pricking of a pin tell us of the the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ his precious bloud his passion and merits whose heart is enlivened and quickened up by them nay our soules are hardly moved at all at the hearing of them Tell us of the Kingdome of heaven the marriage Supper of the lamb his Oxen and his fatlings O they are all ready come Sirs come to the marriage we are even as they in the parable they made light of it Matth. 22. 5. these things are made as if they were of no moment as if they were light matters they finde poore entertainement at our hands what little irk somnesse do we feele in sinne what little dejectednesse of heart what little remorse of conscience nay few know by experience what humiliation meanes we can confesse in our prayers how vile we are and how unworthy and how wretched and sinnefull but as though these were words of course our hearts are so dead that there is little or no relenting at it we can say we are undone if God doe not heare us our prayers are all nothing except they be with faith and life and yet who strives to awaken and rowze up himselfe we can say O how are we beholding to God for life for health for his daily good providence for his patience his bounty and we can say it is not the bare naming of his Blessings before him that is counted thanksgiving without being affected with his infinite goodnesse and yet who does unseignedly labour to be affected with them from day to day no body of us dares deny but that we should set the Lord alwayes before us tthat he may be at our right hand and yet who hath the heart to provoke this hereunto The devill may be of their right hand not God for all the pains that they take to have him there So that dead-heartednes is a common evill now a dayes as Christ saies of the last times Because iniquity shall abound The love of many shall waxe Cold Matth 24. 12. so it is now because iniquity abounds the most are prophane and dissolute and licentious and loose therefore many that profession love to Jesus Christ their love does grow cold and dead no life heardly at all no signe that they are alive from the dead if they doe beleeve after a manner there 's all they doe not live in Jesus Christ if they have any hope of mercy or heaven that 's all they have it is not a lively hope that may quicken them up in Gods holy wayes if they doe see their sinnes there 's the utmost it is a dead sight that does not excite them up unto strictnesse and precisenesse of living if they doe follow good and godly duties alas there be few that doe so but if they doe goe so farre it is cleane without heart and life as though any thing would serve Gods turne well enough what a horrible thing i' st when a dead Christian is as good as no Christian all No matter how many Christians we have alas none of us are true but such as are alive from the dead Secondly is it so that a dead Christian is even as good as no Christian at all then learne hence my Brethren what a dangerous thing it is to be a dead hearted Christian First all that we doe with a dead heart 't is as good as nothing as Paul sayes of love had we all faith and all knowledge yet if we have not love we are nothing 1 Cor. 13. 2. Whatsoever we doe if we doe not doe it out of love all 's nothing so I may say of life whatsoever good duty we doe if we doe not doe it with life it is but a dead worke and therefore it is no more then nothing when the prophet David would doe good duties so as to doe them to good purpose indeed you shall see how he labours against a dead heart Quicken me after thy loving kindnesse so shall I keepe the Testimony of thy mouth Psal 119. 88. so we may say too Lord quicken me after thy loving kindnesse so shall I preach so shall I heare so shall I doe thy holy will so shall I goe up and downe doing good now as long as a man does it with a dead heart it is even all one as if a man had not done it at all a dead man is no man as the Apostle sayes God quickens the dead and calls things that are not marke dead things are no things so dead workes are no workes as Solomon sayes There is
to doe good nay does he not shrinke and winch and draw back we see thus in the Jewes how irksome the Sabbath was to them when they were held from buying and selling O that the Sabbath were over Am. 8. 5. it may be men doe not finde the Sabbath so tedious now because they help themselves by talking of the world by taking liberty that way but if they were held to it as they ought to be would they not wish it to be over The like we may see in the young man what an irksome thing was it to him to heare that he must fell away all the Text sayes he was sad at that saying Mark 10. 22. now is not this too a very hideous thing to be dead-hearted when it makes all the wayes of God tedious nothing should be more delightfull unto us then they they are perfect freedome there is great reward in them they are the best wayes in the world all his wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all his pathes are peace and if we were quickened in our hearts we would say so too as the Apostle speakes when he had said that none of Gods Commandements are grievous 1 Joh. 5. 3. in the next words he gives a reason of it O sayes he He that is borne of God overcometh the world that is he that hath the life in him that cometh from above he hath gotten above the world he hath past all the irksomnesse of them The irksomenesse of any commandement does not lie in the commandement that is sweet and pleasant but it lyes in the deadnesse of the heart a dead heart will ever count them grievous Seventhly as religion is an irksome thing to a dead heart so a dead heart if it should take it up it will in the end be weary of it as we see in the example of Israel when they grew to be dead-hearted towards God at last they were weary of his worship they went and devised othergets worships an easier kinde of religion they were weary of his Thou hast beene weary of me O Israel Isa 43. 22. we see this in Judah too Behold what a wearinesse is it Mal. 1. 13. this is too plaine and palpable how are we growne weary of God and of his pure service we have had the Gospell so long till we are even weary of it weary of sanctity weary of spirituall truth whence are all innovations but because people are weary of the old way many that have been very forward in preaching and in hearing and very zealous of good courses they begin to abate to side with the times to remit of their former strictnesse whence is all this whence is it that we see so many apostates that once loved good people now doe not once were very zelous against disorders now are not once were against humane devises now are not now they can brook any thing well enough they are weary of their first pitch they were wound up too high now they let themselves downe againe all this is because men have no life in them they are dead to what they did professe you shall see many a man smitten at the word and there he is knockt downe and sees what wretched courses he hath taken that will lead him to hell well he goes and reformes and growes very precise and now there shall not be a Sermon but hee 'l heare it There shall not be any good Christian duty but he will take it up hee 'l leave his old acquaintance hee 'le joyne himselfe to good people hee 'le have very good orders in his Family all this is well if 't would hold I but if this man doe not goe on to get the grace of life in the end hee 'le be weary a dead heart be it never so forward it will end in wearinesse It is meerely for want of quickening that any man growes weary of well-doing as the Apostle sayes Be not weary of well-doing for in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not Gal. 6. 9. take heed ye doe not let quickening goe if ye let your quickening goe directly you 'le grow weary if ye suffer your selves to faint if ye doe not get aqua-vitae to cure your fainting sits you 'le be weary of well-doing now beloved what a pitifull thing is this that we should be weary of well-doing if any of us have begun to doe well O how should we labour that we may never grow weary how ever things goe though persecution arise what ever dealings we meet with at the hands of the wicked world yet never to give in what ever flesh and bloud say what ever discouragements we meet with from without or from within we should earnestly labour that we may never be weary of wel-doing never weary of preaching to their conscience never weary of attending on the word or of preaching of our hearts or of resisting of sinne or of redeeming our time or of keeping our garments never weary of washing our hands in innocency and keeping of our selves that the wicked one touch us not and therefore what a dangerous thing is it to be dead-hearted for that 's the high way to be weary of well-doing at the last This then is the second use that we are to make of this point to see what a dangerous thing it is to be a dead Christian REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead I Come now to the fourth thing and that is this what it is to be aliving Christian First I will describe it by the efficient cause Secondly by the Instrumentall cause Thirdly by the parts of it For the first the efficient cause that makes one a liveing Christian is God as the Psalmist sayes he is the fountaine of life Psal 36. 9. He is the fountaine of al life it is he that makes one a living man He giveth life and breath to all Act. 17. 25. if he should take away our naturall life we dye and turne againe unto our earth as long as he breatheth on us we live as Elihu speakes the breath of the Almighty gives me life Job 33. 4. yea all the world would be a dead Chaos if he did not quicken it there 's a kinde of life in every thing that hath being But it would be a dead Masse if he did not concurre with it what is money and meat and clothes and friends and life and health it selfe men thinke they are well to live when they have them all True if he blesse them and quicken them unto us but if he be wanting to them they are dead things and can doe us no good nay the word of life it self it is but a dead letter without him all the ordinances of God we see they Minister life to some because God puts life into them but if he doe not put life into them they are sappelesse and cadaverous things so that God is the author even of our naturall life as John sayes in him is life and his life is the life of men
and the Starres which thou hast ordained then I say Lord what is man Psal 83 4. you see how stirring his minde was when he considered the heavens and the earth it wrought mightily on him it made him the more humble Others see the Heavens every day and it does not move them one whit to Humiliation before God But when the minde comes once to consider then it shakes off its dulnesse and remissnesse then it growes busie such a man will not goe to Prayer but he considers what he goes about what a great God he is to speake to what a vile creature himselfe is that is to pray to him he will consider how he may pray with faith and hope and feeling of his wants how he may rise up from his knees not without profit Now he will not goe to the word but he will consider what it is he repaires to now all his mind is how he may get good now he is busie in every duty when he is tempted to doe as others doe he considers what the issue will be and this makes him forbeare Beloved this is the life of our mindes when they consider things when we consider our latter end when we consider Gods promises when we consider his threatenings when we take his commandements into our deep consideration when we consider the danger of sinne we doe not onely know all these things but we consider them Though we know neere so much yet except we consider what we know our mindes are lumpish and dead consideration is the activity of the minde and therefore if we would prove our selves to be alive towards God let us put on consideration a dayes Fourthly the remembring of the minde when the minde forgets it selfe every day this is nothing but the deadnesse of the minde for if it be alive to a thing it will be sure to remember it selfe of that if it oan Can a maide forget her ornaments or a Bride her attire yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number Jer. 2. 32. that is my people are dead-minded to me if they regarded me they would remember themselves every day to serve me looke what a man is alive to the minde will be sure to remember us of that we can have no journey to take but our mindes remember us of it no businesse to doe to feed our Cattell to milke our kine every morning and evening to sheare our sheepe every Lammas if we forget any thing in this kinde presently it 's a 100. to one but we remember our selves now when a man is alive to the best things in some measure he will remember himselfe of them every day so David did I remembred thy name O Lord yea in the night too and so I kept thy Law Psal 119. 55. I remembred my selfe and I would be sure to doe what God bid me do it may be his heart began to arise but presently he remembred himselfe and beat it downe againe it may be some other lust began to be up but by and by he remembred him and checked his owne soule when the minde is alive towards God the knowledge of the word does not lie dead in that man but still he remembers it at every need when the Sabbath is coming then thinkes he I remember what God bade me doe Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy when the Sacrament comes then he remembers himselfe O thinkes he let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that Bread and drinke of that Cup now the minde thinkes I will labour to remember God continually what ever I forget I will not forget him when I rise up when I lie downe still I will set my selfe to remember him when I goe out when I come home what ever the Devill say what ever the flesh whisper I will labour still to remember God if I be tempted to wrath then I desire to remember what God sayes give not place to the Devill when I feel spirituall lazinesse then I will unfeignedly endeavour to remember what God speakes unto me cursed is he that does the worke of the Lord negligently c. Fifthly the inventings or the devisings of the heart where the minde is naturally bent and alive there it is witty if riches if preferment if pleasure if learning be a mans lust that he lives in there he is witty so when a man is a live unto God his wit will have that way it's vent as Christ sayes I finde out witty inventions Prov. 8. 12. he speakes not onely of himselfe But of his grace in every one that is this when the minde is alive set towards Christ it will finde out witty inventions nay it 's a strange thing though men have no parts yet if they be worldly how witty they are for such matters and so for good people whose mindes are turned towards God though they be of very weake parts yet how witty they will be in good things what pretty ways they will have to doe good to shunne offences to break occasions of sinne as a Minister in his preaching as Paul sayes I caught you with guile 2 Cor. 12. 16. so let man have a liberall minde the Prophet sayes he will devise liberall things Isa 32. 8. mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good Prov. 14. 22. whence comes the blockishnesse of our mindes but from this that our mindes are so dead if our mindes were more alive towards God it would make us more graciously witty we should devise good things finde out admirable inventions it would teach us plots against Satan plots against the flesh as the wicked their mindes are full of sinfull devises fetches stratagems policies a man would wonder to see how witty the devill is in them to carry them headlong to hell c. Sixthly and lastly the judging of the minde But I spake of this not long agoe and therefore I will let it alone now thus I have shewed you what a lively Christian is in regard of his minde Now the next is that we shew you what a live Christian is in regard of the heart c. And then in regard of the conscience c. and then in regard of the affections c. REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead THe point we are in is this That a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all First we have opened the meaning of this point and shewed you what is meant by a dead Christian Secondly we have shewed you that this is so by going over all the graces of Gods spirit a man hath near a one of them all that is dead againe by going over all the duties of Christian Religion ye heard a man does neare a one of them all as long as he does them onely in a dead hearted manner Thirdly I shewed you the reasons of this point why a dead Christian is even as no Christian at all there be many reasons of it it stands with good reason that it
runnes on that whether it be God or the creature if thy minde be quickened up towards God then thy minde runnes on him from day to day how thou mayest approve thy selfe unto him how thou mayest pertake of his favour how thou mayest eschew the temptations of Satan how thou mayest follow after Christ be sensible of thy sinnes be affected towards holy duties does thy minde runne on such things this is it Thirdly The considering of the minde when the minde lookes cursorily on things what 's this but the lookes and remissenesse of the minde now when the minde comes to consider seriously of them now it quickens up it selfe as Moses sayes Know and consider that God he is God Deut. 4. 39. that is doe not onely know that 's but a dead thing but stirre up thy selfe and consider wishly of it hath the Lord turned about thy minde that now thou hast begun to have a considering frame in thy minde to ponder thy wayes to weigh the Sermons that thou hearest as it is said of Mary she pondered Christs words in her heart now thou considerest how to pray how to come to Gods ordinances how to carry thy selfe in thy calling now thou doest not goe haire-brainely on his before but thou takest things into consideration Fourthly the remembring of the minde when the mind knowes how to doe well but the man does it not he forgets himselfe every day what 's this but the deadnesse of the minde if the minde be alive to a thing it will be sure to remember it selfe of that Can a maid forget her Ornaments but my people have forgotten me Jer. 2. 32. therefore they are dead-hearted towards me can a man forget to put on his clothes in the Morning Can the worlding forget to plough his fields in time to reape his Corne when it 's ripe to milk his kine at night nay certainely hee 'le be sure to remember such things why his minde is alive to them if he should chance to forget himselfe for a fit by and by he remembers himselfe so if the minde be alive towards God it hath a remembring disposition towards him O sayes David I will not forget thy word Psal 119. 16. Fifthly the inventing and devising and plotting and ploding and contriving of the minde if the minde be alive towards God these Acts goe towards God too as the Prophet sayes A liberall man will be devising liberall things Isa 32. 8. Let a man be of weake parts that 's all one yet when it is alive to the world it 's a strange thing to see how witty some are for the world to gather pelfe they have great reaches in these things so when a man is alive toward God though he be of weak parts yet how witty he will be for good things what pretty devises to do good to understand evill to shunne offences to balke occasions of sinne as Paul sayes I caught you with guile 2 Cor. 12. 16. whence comes the blockishnesse of our mindes towards the best things but meerly of deadnesse if our minds were more alive they would help us to preach help us to pray help us with matters for edifying discourse they would help us from a 1000 snares they would be the more active they would sooner smell a lust spy Satan observe the dealings of God Sixthly The judgement of the mind when the minds lust dictate is for God when a man is judicious this is it that leads men a days their judgements not all their knowledge nay learning you shall have many a learned man will use to play the foole and does every day very foolishly because his Judgement is foolish the reason is a mannever takes any course nor speakes any word nor thinkes any thought but first his judgement tels him it is best to doe so at that time never does the drunkard turne in at the Ale-house but his judgement sayes to his will choose to turne in you will say it may be he knowes he ought not to do so I but it is not mens knowledge that leads men but mens judgements when mens judgement sayes this is not for me this is most pleasant this is most profitable this is most honourable this is most delightfull now when the judgement of the minde is in some measure set towards God now the minde is quickened as David sayes I esteeme all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Psal 119. 128. that is by the mercy of God I have good judgement be the way what it will be though never so pleasing to the flesh still my judgement sayes choose Gods way that 's ever more best Thus farre we proceeded the last day namely to learne or see what is the quickening of the minde that ye may know whether our understanding be dead or alive now what remaines but this that we all labour for such an understanding many of us understand much so much that if it were quickened up to us it would doe us a world of good if we did use to apply it and make it our owne if we would give our mindes to it if we would ponder it and seriously weigh it and remember it for our use in all our wayes if we had a devising minde for good a minde plotting for heaven and continuing how we may best glorifie God and secure our owne soules A judicious minde a practicall minde This is a good understanding indeed as the Prophet sayes a good understanding have they that doe thereafter Psal 111. 10. when what we understand does not lye dead in our heads but our mindes are quickened up to it this is a good understanding my brethren this understanding is not to be had in Books God onely can help us with it as David sayes O Lord give me understanding and I shall live Psal 119. 144 you will say what need he keep such a stirre for understanding had not he the Law before his eyes could not he read there and get understanding O but it will be all dead Lord unlesse thou give me understanding from above if thou wilt give me understanding then I shall live Now I come to the heart to search what the life of the heart is every Act of the heart is not an argument of life First there be outside Acts of the heart people thinke if they doe not dissemble before men then they are no Hypocrites O they are hearty they say as there is an outside of the outward man so there is an outside of the heart Thou mayest be hearty in some sort in good duties and yet be starke dead namely if it be onely the outside of thy heart my Sonne keepe my saying in the midst of thy heart Prov. 4. 21. not in the outside of thy heart no no. I would have the inside of thy heart too a man that is alive to the world the world hath not onely the heart but the very inside of the heart the word
grace as our Saviour Christ sayes Strive to enter in at the straight Gate for many shall seeke to enter in and shall not be able Luke 13. 24. q. d. O stirre up your selves quicken up your hearts doe not onely seek to enter in many seeke to enter in O they would enter in and they would feigne enter in alas alas they are dead they cannot therefore quicken up your hearts and doe ye more then so I acknowledge that woulding is an argument of life in the heart First when a man does beleeve God in some measure and then would beleeve more does oppose every knowne sinne and would oppose it more does follow all manner of goodnesse and would follow it more when a mans would is above the simple will as when a man will reach as high as he can and then streins himself to reach higher he takes all the Stooles and Ladders that he can and stands on tip-toes and would reach higher this is an act of the will with some life and therefore the Apostle when he says that Christians would more then they do Gal. 5. 17. in the verse going before he tels them they must walke in the spirit though q. d. if ye should say ye walke in the spirit and doe not ye deceive your own selves so that the woulding it selfe is not a living act Secondly a woulding is an act of a living heart when it is a laborous woulding so that there is another thing in the will that is the living act and not woulding namely when the heart labours and therefore the woulding is not it I labour sayes the Apostle yea I laboured more abundantly then they all 1 Cor. 15. 10. marke though he said in another place that he would the good which I would doe yet that was not all that had been a dead act if that had been all therefore he laboured together with it Well then let us come to shew you what the life of the will is In a word the life of the heart is when the heart will doe a thing it may be it is hindred a thousand times but in some measure it will do it cost it never so much though flesh and bloud and world and devill and all be against it yet it will doe it now the heart is alive it will beleeve it will repent it will strive against sinne it will set God before its eyes it will love him above all feare him above all regard him above all I say though it meet with never so many hindrances without and within pull-backes rebellions yet it will doe it now it 's alive when the spirit indeed is willing Matth. 26. 41. as Paul sayes To will is present with me Rom. 7. 18. when a man can say it from the bottome of his heart that a will is present with him I will be ruled by God I will deny my selfe though the flesh be never so violent and it may be many times and often beares downe all before it yet there is a will present that will stand it out and that can never be borne downe the act may be borne downe now affections may be borne downe I but this still is present I will be for God he is my best his will is my rule his Law is my line and I will be at his dispose when it is thus in generall through all the wayes of God this is a living heart when to will is present with it as the author to the Hebrewes sayes his will was to live honestly Heb. 13. 18. As soone as ever the prodigall Sonne was come to this passe that he could unfeignedly speake I will arise I will goe to my Father Luk. 15. 18. you see his father presently sayes he was alive this my Sonne was dead but he is alive againe you will say what if one had bound him hand and foot that is all one he will goe he will wrastle he will bite the cord a sunder if he cannot doe that O how he will cry out O how they binde me here I will arise he will strive he will not be quiet he must goe and he will goe his will is absolutely to goe stopt or not stopt his will is simply to goe if he can but get away and leave an arme behinde nay a foot behinde nay both he will crawle but he will to his Father so when a man will leave his sinfull courses and he will have God for his God he will have Christ and there he will hang come death come feares come temptations there he will hang. This is that which God accepts when the hearts will is to God if there be first a willing minde it is accepted 2 Cor. 8. 12. Now that this is the life of the heart I prove it thus First because this is the prefectest operation of the heart when it absolutely willeth a thing There be many operations of the heart but none of them is perfect but this as David said to his Sonne my Sonne know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a wiling minde 1 Chron. 28. 9. q. d. this is a perfect heart when thy will is to serve him how ever things goe thou wilt serve him then thy heart is absolutely set towards God this is the whole heart I eryed with my whole heart heare me O Lord I will keepe thy Statutes Psal 119. 145. what 's all the deadnesse of men but because either they have no heart to Gods wayes or but halfe hearts as it is said of Ephraim their heart is divided and God hath but a peece but when a man hath an absolute will hereunto now he is alive now his heart is perfect towards the Lord his God as it is in sinne when a man does nos onely goe on in sinne but he will doe it his will is absolute that way this man hath a perfect heart towards Satan so it is here Secondly because this is the might and strength of the heart while a mans heart puts forth inferior acts towards God he is dead to every good word and work If he have any heart at all it is but so so as God said of Iudah how weake is they heart Ezek. 16. 30. such a man the devill can easily take him off at any time for a need such a one can never stand it out to the end But he is off and on because the might of his heart is not towards God now when the will is absolutely towards God this man must needs be alive for the might of his heart is towards God as the Lord himselfe sayes Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might Deut. 6. 5. Thirdly because this makes every thing possible naturally a man cannot beleeve he cannot resist his owne flesh he cannot overcome the world he cannot live godly in all his wayes he cannot forgoe his beloved lusts But now
when the heart comes once to be willing towards God now every thing is possible I may say of him as Christ saith of faith All things are possible to him that beleeves Mark 9. 23. so all things are possible to him that willeth as we use to say there is nothing hard to a willing minde And therefore godly men in Christ Jesus the Apostle cals them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2 Tim. 3. 12. Fourthly because this takes in the manner of good duties too as well as the matter it is more a thousand times then the bare doing of them a dead heart will serve to doe them Put when the heart is made willing this is more then the bare naked deed as Paul sayes to the Corinthians about Almes ye have begun not onely to doe but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be willing a yeare agoe 2 Cor. 8. 10. as he sayes of his preaching if I doe it willingly I have a reward but if against my will c. 1 Cor. 9. 17. that is q. d. I may preach indeed I may have so much heart to it as to doe the deed alas that is nothing because if I doe it willingly this is it this is it brethren this is the right manner too Fifthly this is an argument that the heart hath an inward principle what is the life of the heart but an inward principle of acting looke where the heart is alive there it workes from within there needs no compulsion to a covetous heart to have regard of his profit no he regards it most willingly he hath an inward principle to regard it and therefore he is alive to it now when the heart puts forth its will towards God now it hath an inward principle of agency it needs no constraint as Peter sayes to Ministers feed the flock of God not by constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5. 2. that is doe it very lively doe it with an inward principle not because ye see others feed not because ye see the disgrace what will people thinke if I should not preach constantly not because ye dare not doe otherwise conscience will flye in your face alas ye may doe it that 's with a dead heart But doe it willingly where note this is the hearts life this is an inward principle of the heart now the heart will doe it though no body else doe it though he be hated for his labour though he have no thanke for his paines among men Thus ye see this is the life of the heart Now for your better understanding we will open this more particularly this willingnesse of the heart you see in the life of the heart and it containeth seven things First the inclinations of the heart Secondly the intentions of the heart Thirdly the Elections of the heart Fourthly the aversations of the heart Fifthly the appropiating of the heart Sixthly the savourings of the heart Seventhly the carings of the heart Beloved these are the living acts of the heart if these be converted to God in you now your hearts are alive towards him These make up the whole willingnesse of the heart First then the inclinations of the heart it may doe a thousand thousand good things with a dead heart But marke if your hearts be inclined towards God then ye serve God with a live heart if the Lord hath inclined your heart to him I have inclined my heart to performe thy Statutes alwayes even to the end Psal 119. 112. Hath God made you doe thus hath he inclined your heart to his name once ye were without heart but now he hath inclined your heart to doe good now ye finde sweet inclinations to every good duty ye doe not goe to them as a Beare to the Stake but now ye have an inward disposition to them he hath given you a feeling of your sinnes and your wants and that caryes you to Prayer a feeling of your Ignorance and forget fulnesse and that carries you to Sermons that ye may learne more of God that ye may see more into your owne unworthynesse that ye may be stirred up in all his wayes ye doe not onely shunn your owne iniquities in some measure but your heart is inclined unto it inclined to thinke of God inclined to holy talke inclined towards them that are Godly-minded ye had no disposition to the works of God heretofore but now the Lord hath not onely put you upon them but inclined your heart towards them ye â—â—ele inward impressions that bowes you others may be have good talke but you feele an unfeigned desire to be edisied and that bowes you unto it Others may be doe good things but the Lord hath bent your heart to them when you went to good duties heretofore ye went against the hare as a Stone does upwards but now in some measure the Lord hath put in a new nature and ye feele an internall mover This is life now Secondly the intentions of the heart we have a saying in Divinity voluntas sua natura vult finem the heart naturally wils the end now if God were our end if communion with him and sanctifying of God in our hearts and lives were our end our heart could not be dead towards his wayes nay we should be very eager after them all all our deadnesse comes from this that God is onely a matter by the by with us But if he were our end then we would be mainely for him and how to approve our selves to him Would we talke as we doe if edification were our end would we keep such company as we doe if mutuall helpe towards eternall life were our end Looke what the heart does intend from day to day the heart is very earnest after it therefore those that intend to rise if they can in the world they are very earnest in the pursuit after the same flatter fawne please humor they will doe any thing to the attaining of it if it be to rid a 100 miles it 's nothing with them if it cost them never so much O how greedy are they if a man intend to gather an estate if he can or to live in pleasure if he can all the world are eager in their intentions the heart runnes naturally on after it's ends Now when the heart is alive towards God these intentions are towards him now the heart standeth thus so I may obey God so I may take heed of dishonouring God so I may keep my heart close to him this is that I doe desire now I goe to worke so I may keep the world from carying away my heart I shall be glad now I am going to Prayer so I may draw down a blessing and get some farther help to walke before God this is the thing I ayme at now I goe to be in such a company so I may discharge a good conscience carry my selfe well and not bring dishonour to God and the like you may see this in Paul what was the matter he was
so eager to deny himselfe I count all drosse and dung the intentions of his heart were after Christ O sayes he that I might know him Phil. 3. 10. Thirdly the elections and choosings of the heart this is another part of the hearts life no man is dead to that which he chooses rather then any thing else now if we did still choose the wayes of God we could not be dead to them when we are dead to them at any time it is because we could even finde in our heart to make another choyce and therefore if we would know whether our heart is alive unto goodnesse whether doe we choose the way of goodnesse every day before any other way as David sayes I have chosen the way of truth Psal 119. 30. as the Lord sayes of the good eunuches they choose the things that please me Isa 56. 4. Beloved what ever we doe or thinke or speake still there be two wayes propounded to us one that is Gods way another that is our owne way now which doe we choose every day what thoughts doe we choose rather of the two to thinke what words doe we choose what actions what courses when we are together what conference doe we choose when alone what doe we choose there be two kinds of eating and drinking which choose we when we are provoked there be two wayes to take either to be impatient and suffer our passions to arise or to quell them and beat them down which doe we choose doe we say as that good man said Lord let thy han help me for I have choosen thy precepts Psal 119. 173. Fourthly the aversions of the heart ye know the heart it chooses what it likes so there is some thing that it shuns now if thou wouldst know whether thy heart be alive towards God doe but thinke with thy selfe what it uses to shun when thou art angry is it disgrace or sinne it ever shuns some thing or other either what God dislikes or what thou every day and houre something it puts off does it put off things that are offensive to thy flesh or things that are offensive to God Here lies thy hearts life if thy heart be alive towards God it is of this temper to put off those things that are displeasing to God I hate vaine thoughts sayes David Psal 119. 113. marke his heart was of this temper to put of all those things that were contrary to God it may be many of those thoughts his own heart would have rather kept I but when his heart was alive towards God he put them off though I have refrained my feet from every evill way that I may keep thy word Psal 119. 101. now when good things shall be put to a man every day by the word and by conscience and a man hath a refusing heart to them this is a dead heart as God put to Iudah to returne but they refused to returne Jer. 5. 3. God put shame before them for their sinnes but they refused to be ashamed Jer. 3. 3. now my brethren examine your bosonies how stand the refusals of your hearts doe you refuse good or evill every day if thou canst refuse temporall evill and not spirituall thou hase a dead heart Fifthly the savourings of the heart this is another peece of the hearts will something there is that every heart savours most and that it is which it is alive unto now then if thy heart be alive unto God it will savour the things of God most it will not onely doe good duties but savour them too not onely heare the word of God but it will have an admirable savour with the heart as the Apostle sayes it will have the savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2. 16. as the Church sayes to Christ because of the savour of thy good oyntments therefore the Virgins love thee Cant. 1. 3. Oh how it will savour a reproofe how it will relish but if holy things have no sweet savour in thy heart it may be thou canst not for shame of the world not seeme to stand for them thy conscience will not let thee but thou wilt give them a good word and seeme to approve them but there 's no more savour in them then in the white of an egge nay they are irksome and untoothsome they doe not goe merrily down with thee like sweet conserves assure thy selfe thy heart is a dead heart Sixthly the cares of the heart this is another show of the hearts will what the heart is alive to it carketh and careth for it and therefore if thy heart be alive towards God how carefull will it be that it may not offend him yea what care 2 Cor. 7. 11. As the Apostle sayes to Titus I will have thee affirme constantly that they which beleeve in God must be carefull to maintaine good works Tit. 8. 8. therefore if a Minister be alive towards God he will be full of care for his people how he may pull them from their sins how he may draw them to God how he may most doe them good as Paul sayes of Timothy he will naturally care for your Estute Phil. 2. 20. True a man hath many things to doe in the world many cares how to live how to pay rent at quarter day what may become of his poore Children c. I but if the heart be alive towards God it will labour to cast these cares upon God cast all your care upon him 1 Pet. 5. 7. But for heavenly things for the having and keeping of a good conscience it will be full of cares about these things yea it how may get to be more afraid of sinne how may I get a weaned heart from the earth it will be caring how he may be provided for evill times how he may stand in the wofull day Seventhly the appropriating of the heart the esteeming of the heart what 's the hearts jewell that 's the heart most alive to now thinke what does thy heart prize most of all if it be alive towards God he is dearest to thee his will dearer then thine his glory then thy credit his word then thy life as Paul sayes I doe not count my life deare so that I may finish my course with joy Act. 20. 24. this was the Jewell of his heart how he might doe the worke that God set him to doe that he might finish his course so likewise if thy heart be alive love will be like a precious oyntment Psal 133. 2. heavenly wisedome more precious then Rubies Prov. 3. 15. a promise will be precious to the heart 2 Pet. 1. 4. So also faith will be a precious thing 1 Pet. 1. 7. But above all Christ will be precious to the heart to you that beleeve he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. these are heart Jewels these it endeares most it will rather â—art with any thing then these nay it will morgage any thing to redeeme these againe These things are little
esteemed among men in their consciences indeed they say they are better then the whole world I but their heart does not greatly esteeme them nay it slights them and seekes them accordingly this is a dead heart Eighthly thus ye see what is the life of the heart it is the absolute will of the heart when the heart is inclined towards God when it intends God when it maks choice of his wayes and puts off whatsoever is contrary to them when it prizes and endeares every one of them all when it savours them and is full of care for them I might adde another the cleaving of the heart when the heart cleaves to the Lord as it is said of Hezekiah that he clave to the Lord 2 King 18. 6. when the heart closes in with God and will not let him goe no nor let his wayes goe it sticks to a Godly course all the world cannot pull him away not firenor faggot though it be never so much hindred and interrupted by the flesh yet now it hath a sticking quality in it as David sayes I have stuck to thy Testimonies Psal 119. 31. Now because when the heart is made willing on this fashion towards God there is left still an adverse unwillingnesse by reason of the flesh so that the heart can never put forth these acts without horrible clogges therefore now in a live heart towards God there be other acts that are not in a heart that is alive to the world And the reason is this Because when the heart is alive to the world the hearts of it own nature is willing unto that and there is no unwillingnesse mixed together with it never was it heard that the heart should be willing and unwilling to the same thing till saving grace came to divide asunder the will in two ye know the regenerate are two men apeice and they have two wills one towards God and another towards sinne and the world nay it 's the same will that hath both these branches in it and this does much puzzle the hearts when they finde such a deale of unwillingnesse in them towards God Therefore I say there be other acts of life in the heart towards God aud they are five The first is the preparing of the heart whereby the heart prepareth it selfe towards God 2 Chron. 30. 18. 19. 1 Sam. 7. 3. The second is the Combating of the heart Gal. 5. 17. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I beate downe my body 1 Cor. 9. 27. The third is the endeavouring of the heart it reaches forth it selfe Phil. 3. 13. it stirres up it selfe it awakens it selfe why art thou so sad O my soule Psal 42. 5. The fourth is the binding of it selfe by determinations and purposes so Paul bound his owne heart with a determination before he came unto Corinth 1 Cor. 2. 2. Daniel knowing how unwilling his heart would be to abstaine from the Kings meat though by grace he was willing therefore his heart bound it selfe with a purpose he purposed not to defile himselfe with the Kings meat Dan. 1. 8. So Act. 11. 23. The fifth is the groaning and sighing of the heart as David though he were willing yet feeling the unwillingnes of the flesh therewithall fetch a groane O that my wayes were so direct that I might keepe thy Statutes Psal 119. 5. So Paul groaned earnestly to be dissolved 2 Cor. 5. 2. This is the putting of the heart more forward These I have named you may name more it may be But thus if the heart be alive towards God it will doe because it feeles a great deale of unwillingnesse it gets what advantage it can of it selfe to make it selfe willing as the Church ere ever was aware my soule made me like the Chariots of Aminadab Cant. 6. 12. it sets it selfe right as the soule when it 's dead it neglecteth this act quite and cleane from day to day as the Psalmist sayes of dull Israel he calls them a generation that set not their heart aright Psal 78. 8. REVEL 3. 2. And art Dead WE are come to declare what it is to be a live Christian quickened up towards God and all his holy wayes and after sundry passages we came to enquire what is the life of the soul here I propounded five things First what is the life of the minde Secondly what is the life of the heart Thirdly what is the life of the conscience Fourthly what is the life of the memory And Fifthly what is the life of the affections We have spoken of the first what is the life of the mind ye know by nature the minde is alive to the things of the world and dead towards God and therefore we enquired what the life of the minde is it cannot be the bare knowing of things it may be dead to what it knowes it cannot be the bare thinking of things nor the bare approving of things nor the bare studying of things the minde may performe all these acts to a thing that it is dead to no no the life of the minde is First the applying of the minde Secondly the meditating and minding of the minde Thirdly the considering and weighing of the mind Fourthly the remembring of the minde Fifthly the devising and plotting and projecting and contriving of the minde Sixthly the Judgement of the minde The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the minde looke where the minde is alive there it puts forth these dispositions and therefore when the minde is alive towards God it lets out these towards him Then in the second place we came to enquire what is the life of the heart and this we spake of the last day we shewed you the heart may be somewhat towards a thing and yet be dead towards it for all that First there be shallow acts of the heart the outside acts of the heart there may be so much heart as to bring a man to good duties to constant preaching and hearing and praying and the like and civill carriage and the like and yet the heart dead to them all This is not the life of the heart The life of the heart lies at the bottome of the heart not in the outside no it lies deep within as Salomon sayes my Sonne keepe my sayings in the midst of thy heart Prov. 4. 21. Secondly there be flitting acts of the heart Though they be never so deep in the heart yet if they be such as doe not stay there the heart is dead still for if it were alive it would keep them Let thy heart retaine my words keepe my Commandements and live Prov. 4. 4. Though the word doe stirre one never so much for the present This is no life except thou retaine it and hold it fast a man may have many flashes of life in him but as long as the heart does not keep them it remaines dead when people are moved onely by sits humbled by fits startled by sits their righteousnesse is onely as a morning dew
will not let you doe otherwise alas ye may doe it thus with a dead heart but doe it willingly doe it out of an inward principle no obedience is good without it be done with an inward principle if ye be willing and obedient Isa 1. 19. that is if ye obedient with an inward principle of obedience I this is it indeed Thus you see an absolute will is the life of the heart Now least any should be deceived I shewed you what this absolute will of the heart is I shewed you first it is the inclination of the heart ye know the heart that is alive to the world all its inclinations are that way and therefore the will runnes mainely out that way but its averse from God backward to all heavenly things now when the will is absolutely set towards God God inclines it towards him and makes it incline it selfe as David sayes I have inclined my heart to performe thy statutes alwayes even to the end Psal 119. 112. it may be the world may wonder that any man should be so strict as some are to forgo the pleasures of the flesh as some doe be so precise and so taken up with God as some are the reason is this their wills are absolutely set that way the Lord hath inclined them Secondly the intention of the heart we have a saying in Divinity voluntas ut natura vult finem the heart naturally wills it own ends looke what men aime at looke what they would have what they beat at what they drive at that they will naturally that they will eagerly now when the hearts intentions are towards God then the will is absolutely towards him Beloved what is it ye would have what doe ye drive at a dayes what is the souls scop if that be God if that be to commune with him if that be to please him doubtlesse ye are alive towards God for then the wills are absolutely to him This is a rare worke and therefore true grace of life is a rare thing for how few doe attaine this you come to Church if God were your aime certainly ye would heare otherwise then ye doe many would ye set in your pewes so as ye doe if your aime were to please God or that the word should direct you if this were your aime ye would heare in another gats manner so when ye discourse if your meaning and aime were O now I will discourse to be edisied would ye talke so loosely as ye do nay ye would speake more to the purpose a great deale you may see this in Paul what made him so eager to deny himselfe I count all things drosse and dung sayes he O sayes he the intention of my heart is to Christ that I may know him c. Phil. 3. 10. But I must hasten Thirdly the election of the heart ye know all our life is in Bivio There be two wayes in everything there be two wayes of thinking two wayes of speaking two wayes of doing the one godly the other not There be two wayes in eating and drinking in sleeping and waking in studying in praying and in all our cariages one gracious and the other not now which doe your hearts choose if your hearts have such a disposition to choose the gracious way then your wills are set absolutely that way there ye are alive as David sayes I have chosen the way of truth Psal. 119. 30. marke he had this disposition in him to choose the true way Fourthly the conversation of the heart the heart ever shunnes something or other every day and houre the heart puts off something or other now what does thy heart shun every day does it shun things offensive to thee or things offensive to God if thy will be set absolutely towards God then thy hearts shunnings will run there in things displeasing to him as the Prophet sayes I have refrained my feet from every evillway that I may keep thy word Psal 119. 101. Fifthly the appreciatings of the heart or the estimations of the heart what 's the hearts Jewell that the hearts will is absolutely to now doe but thinke what does thy heart prize most of all what 's dearest to thee O sayes Paul I doe not count my life deare so that I may finish my course Act. 20. 24. this was his hearts Jewell how he might doe the worke that God set him to doe how he might finish his course Gods commandements were dearest to him not his owne credit but Gods glory Sixthly the savouring of the heart this is another piece of the hearts will something there is that the heart savours most Now doth thy heart savour the things of God most thou savourest a businesse where there is profit I but doest thou savour Gods word most canst thou finde the best relish of all in holy duties canst thou savour life in them as Paul sayes there 's the savour of life in these things 2 Cor. 2. 16. Seventhly the cares of the heart This is another signe of the hearts absolute will worldly minded men are full of cares above the things of the world but art thou full of cares about heaven does heaven fill thy head full of cares about it how thou mayst get it c. Thus ye heard what an absolute will is Now because when the will is made absolutely to be for God yet there is an unwillingnesle in the same will in regard of the unregenerate part therefore I shewed you there be other acts of life in the heart towards God opposing that unwillingnesse in the flesh But I must of necessity breake off so much for the heart The next thing to be inquired about is the conscience what is the life of the conscience and here the world is deceived too for the conscience may be awakened very much and yet never quickened indeed First à conscience awakened may like all good things Secondly a conscience somewhat awakened may oblige a man to all manner of good things Thirdly a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled about his sinnes Fourthly a conscience somewhat awakened may urge one exceedingly to good things Fifthly a conscience somewhat awakened may be very eager in this urging Sixthly a conscience somewhat awakened may prevaile very farre with it's eagernesse Seventhly a conscience somewhat awakened may make one looke at God so farre as it prevailes all this may be in conscience and yet the conscience never quickened indeed so that you see what need there is to enquire what the life of conscience is First I say the conscience somewhat awakened may like of God and all his wayes it may like of Gods judgements be they never so terrible as we see there in Pharaoh when God plagued Aegypt his conscience liked of Gods dealings he thought in his conscience the Lord dealt very righteously with him The Lord is righteous sayes he and I and my people are wicked Exod. 9. 27. So when Rehoboam was horribly beset with Enemies
let his Baalisme alone or if the conscience be against all manner of sinnes it is but in a fume cito redibit in gratiam they are but like new Wine in old Bottels at last the Bottels break and the Wine is all spilt so all these workes in an awakened conscience are onely then while the conscience cannot sleep But when it can fall asleep againe then the man can be quiet againe the conscience is an old conscience and not renewed and therefore it is not able to hold them well then ye see these are not consciences life What then is the consciences life for this ye must know First the conscience hath a Testimoniall life a life whereof it lives as the soul lives for it is the reflexion of the soule the soules privity to it selfe betweene God and it selfe And therefore if the soule be alive towards God then the conscience is alive too as the Apostle sayes How much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himself without spoâ— to God purge your conscience from dead workes is to serves the living God Heb. 9. 14. marke when a mans dead workes are purged away the conscience is alive when a mans selfe is alive and his workes are alive the conscience is alive as we say of the goodnesse of conscience though the conscience be never so good in it selfe yet as long as the man is not good his conscience can never be good conscience is said to be good as a Messenger is said to be good namely when he bringeth good tydings though he be never so good a man yet if he doe not bring good tydings we say he is an ill Messenger he sent evill Angels among them Psal 78. 49. Calvin thinkes it may be meant of good Angels yet said to be ill Angels because they brought evill Plagues upon Aegypt so stands a good conscience that can bring good tydings of a man that he is a good man true a wicked mans conscience may report well of him as Absolon did of the people O your matters are good sayes he when they were stark naught so thy conscience may flatter thee and say thy matters are good But when conscience can say truly thy matters are good The conscience is like a Register or a Bill now then it is a Bill of good Items when all thy sinnes are blotted out ye know we call it a fowle bill that hath fowle crimes written in it Item this man stole a horse Item he brake into such a mans house Item he murdered such a man when such a Bill as this comes in at the Assizes against a poore Prisoner this is a black Bill this is a fowle Bill so as long as thy conscience is a fowle Bill Item I was born in sinne Item I have lived very loosely Item I have heard so many Sermons and gotten litte good Item I was at such a Sacrament and was nere the better thy conscience is a fowle Bill this is a fowle conscience as the Apostle sayes a defiled conscience Tit. 1. 15. This is a bad conscience now when the conscience is cleane then it is a good conscience so I may say of a lively conscience the conscience is alive when the man is alive towards God then it beares witnesse but that is not all the conscience hath other acts Secondly the conscience hath another life of it's own namely the conscience is said to be quickened up to its duty when it quickens up the whole man to doe his As the conscience of the good people that offer'd to the Tabernacle was a quick conscience their conscience was quick to doe its duty because it quickened them up to doe theirs their heart made them willing Exod. 35. 29. that is their conscience made them willing though the conscience be never so eager that is not it it never does its duty with life till it make thee doe thy duty with life The conscience of the godly may be is not so eager neither does it keep such a doe as many a wicked mans conscience The eagerer conscience is faine to be it 's a signe the man is the more dead when a man is alive the conscience stirres him up with more ease like a man that is willing to pay his debts the creditor need no more then aske whereas when the debter is a slye fellow there needs the more Bawling so that if thou would'st know whether thy conscience be quick the question is not whether it be eager or no But whether does it quicken thee up to doe thy duty or no. This then is the life of conscience when it makes a man doe his duty towards God and man when it makes a man beleeve with all his heart when it makes him love God with all his soule and mind to serve him in truth to doe his holy will to humble himselfe soundly before God for all his sinnes to make his peace with God daily to please him and to walke before him in newnesse of life This is a living conscience this conscience hath the grace of life in it whether it doe it by eagernesse or not that is not it whether with much a doe or little that is all one First When the conscience does not onely check but it checkes to some purpose as when David had numbred the people his heart smote him 2 Sam. 24. 10. such checks there may be in a wicked heart when a man is made to doe the Lords will for conscience sake Secondly When it does not onely accuse for sinne so a naturall conscience may doe but it pulls a man downe before God and cites himselfe effectually before God The just man first accuseth himselfe as the Greek and the Latin read it Prov. 18. 17. Thirdly when it does not onely condemne one for sinne for so the wicked have condemning consciences as the Apostle sayes if our heart condemneth 1 Joh. 3. 20. that is if we be wicked as Paul sayes knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned ef himselfe Tit. 3. 11. that is he is a wicked wretch so that a wicked mans conscience may and will and shall condemne himselfe But I meane when the conscience does not onely condemne one for sinne but it tramples upon ones self as a damned wretch in himselfe to save God a labour as the Apostle speakes if we would judge our selves we should not be Iudged 1 Cor. 11. 31. Fourthly when it does not onely pull a man a dayes so it may doe the wicked and the ungodly they feele many puls every day and may be their conscience makes them leave many particular sinnes But when the conscience puls a man out of every known sinne withall the detestation and loathing out of unbeleife out of inpenitency and heardnesse of heart out of formality and all this is a lively conscience as Iob sayes my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live Job 27. 6. These are the
lively acts of conscience about sinne The lively effects whereof are three The first is penitent shame that ever he hath done it conscience makes him flye from it as a horrible shame and confusion of face before God as the Apostle sayes what fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6. 21. Secondly another is penitent griefe and compunction of heart so ye may see this effect in the new converts They were pricked in their hearts Act. 2. 37. Thirdly another effect is penitentiall feare whereby he is afraid to sinne against God againe 2 Cor. 7. 11. Fourthly another is humbling despaire in himselfe that he sees nothing in him but death and damnation and so he lies at Gods Gate as a man utterly undone in himselfe having no hope but onely in Christ for as God dealt with Paul in regard of his recovery out of his sicknesse he brought him to despaire of life in himselfe 2 Cor. 1. 8. so does a lively conscience in regard of misery Thus ye see for sinne Secondly now for the lively acts of conscience in regard of good when the conscience hath life it does not onely excuse in part for so it may doe in a wicked heart nay a wicked man hath such an excusing conscience when he does good for the matter of it as we read in the Heathens Rom. 2. 15. But it does sweetly excuse him and tels him he hath done it unfeignedly in the truth of his heart that he does beleeve that he does truly repent that he does in some measure walke in new obedience from day to day and that he stands guiltlesse before God through Jesus Christ When the conscience does not urge a man onely to that which is good As it urged Agrippa almost thou perswadest me c. 26. 28. Thirdly approbation when the conscience either may or does pronounce a man to please God The lively effects of these acts are 1 Ioy. 2 Cor. 1. 12. The second is boldnesse freedome from slavish feare The righteous is bold as a Lyon Prov. 28. 1. Againe a lively conscience is a sudden conscience Secondly a tender conscience REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead THe point we are in is when is the conscience alive when is that quickened up in a man ye have heard First what is the quickening of the minde Secondly what is the quickening of the heart now I say it followes what is the quickening of the conscience I shewed you how thousands are deceived here for the conscience may be awakened very much and yet never quickened indeed First the conscience somewhat awakened may like of good things Secondly the conscience somewhat awakened may oblige a man to all manner of good things Thirdly a conscience somwhat awakened may be much troubled about sinnes Fourthly a conscience somewhat awakened may urge one to good things Fifthly it may be very eager in this urging Sixthly it may prevaile very farre with its eagernesse Seventhly it may make one looke at God in some sence so farre as it prevailes All this may be in conscience and yet the conscience never quickened indeed and we have shewed you all these and cleared them unto you so that you see what need there is to enquire what the life of conscience is After the handling of these seven particulars we gave you five reasons to prove that these are not arguments that the conscience is truly alive that the conscience may doe all this and yet not have the grace of life in it First because all these workes of conscience may be in a naturall man 2. Because the conscience notwithstanding all these may be deader then ever it was Thirdly because such a conscience as this may be foolish and childish and soone pleased if the conscience were alive indeed nothing would content it but the favour of God and the Image of God and true faith ' and true peace c. But this conscience may be soone pleased if it have but any colour of grace and goodnes that 's able to still it quiet it Fourthly because the conscience though it be thus stirring as ye heard it is so far from being alive that it uses to be a help furtherance unto ones lusts Fifthly because this conscience is not universall it culs out onely some particular sinnes to be violent against and lets alone others it picks out some particular duties and good courses to be very eager for and is carelesse of others You will say then what is consciences life when is the conscience said truly to be quickened For the opening of this ye must know there be two lives of conscience in a godly man The first is a relative life whereby it 's alive when the man is alive The second is a simple life The first I say is a relative life whereby it is said to be alive when the man whose it is is alive for conscience is the reflection of the soule the soules privity to it selfe between God and it selfe And therefore if the soule be alive towards God then the conscience is alive too as the Apostle sayes How much more shall the blood of Jesus Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. Marke when a mans dead workes are purged away the conscience is alive when a mans selfe is alive and his workes are alive the conscience is alive also as we say of the goodnesse of conscience so it is the life of conscience though the conscience be never so good in it selfe yet as long as the man is not good his conscience can never be good conscience is said to be good as a Messenger is said to be good namely when he bringeth good tidings as David said of Ahimaaz he is a good man and he bringeth good tidings 1 Sam. 18. 27. Though a Messenger be nere so good a man yet if he doe not bring good tideings we say he 'es an ill Messenger He sent evill Angels among them Psal 78. 49. Calvin thinkes it may be meant of good Angels yet said to be evill Angels because they brought evill upon Aegypt so that 's a good conscience that bringeth good tidings to a man that he does beleeve that he is in Christ that he is a good man True a wicked mans conscience may report well of him as Absolon did of the people O your matters are good sayes he when they were stark naught so thy conscience may flatter thee and say thy matters are good but when conscience can say truly thy matters are good The conscience is like a Register or a Bill now when it is a Bill of good Items when all thy sinnes are blotted out and good things are written in now it 's a good conscience ye know we call it a fowle Bill that hath fowle crimes written in it though the Bill be never so faire written yet if it have fowle
crimes written in it it 's a fowle Bill Item this man stole a Horse Item he broke into such a mans house Item he murdered such a man when such a Bill as this comes in at the Assizes against a poore prisoner this is a black Bill this is a fowle Bill so as long as thy conscience is a fowle Bill Item I was borne in sinne Item I have lived very loosely Item I have heard so many Sermons and yet I have beene nere the better Item I have beene at so many Sacraments and yet I have gone on in my vile courses thy conscience is a fowle Bill this is a fowle conscience as the Apostle sayes a defiled conscience Tit. 1. 15. now when the conscience is cleane then it 's a good conscience so I may say of a lively conscience the conscience is alive when the man is alive when his mind is quickened up towards God his heart which before was dead in trespasses and sinnes now it 's alive towards God this mans conscience is alive The reason is because now his conscience may say I am alive for conscience is the reflection of the soule on it selfe and therefore if thou beest alive thy selfe thy conscience is alive too This is the first life the relative life of conscience Now that this is one life of conscience is plaine because if a mans selfe be dead conscience will say I am dead as Paul sayes speaking of himselfe and the Ephesians before their conversion O sayes he ye were dead in sinnes Eph. 2. 5. looke what a man is if the conscience be inlightened it takes it on it selfe when David had sinned I have sinned sayes his conscience so let a man be holy the conscience presently takes it upon it selfe as we see there in David when he was holy I am holy sayes his conscience Lord preserve my soule for I am holy Psal 86. 2. So that if thou beest dead thy conscience is dead if thou beest alive thy conscience is alive But I let this passe I come now to the second life of conscience and that is it 's simple life conscience hath another life of its owne for as when the man is alive the conscience is alive so the conscience is quickened up to doe its duty when it quickens up the whole man to doe his as the conscience of the good people that offered to the Tabernacle was a quick conscience their conscience was quick to doe its duty because it quickened them up to doe theirs their heart made them willing Exod. 35. 29. that is their conscience made them willing Though the conscience be never so eager that is not it it never does its duty with life till it make thee to doe thy duty with life The conscience of the godly may be is not so eager neither does it keep such a doe as many a wicked mans conscience The eager conscience is feigne to be it 's a signe the man is the more dead when the man is alive his conscience stirres him with more ease like a man that is willing to pay his debts the creditor need no more then aske whereas if the debtor be a very slye fellow there needs the more bawling so that if thou wouldest know whether thy conscience be quick the question is not whether it be eager or no but whether does it quicken thee up to thy duty or no This then is the life of conscience when it makes a man doe his duty sincerely both towards God and man when it makes a man beleeve with all his heart when it makes him love God with all his soule and minde to serve him in truth to doe his holy will to humble himselfe soundly before God for all his sinnes to make his peace with God daily to please him and to walke before him in newnesse of life This is a living conscience This conscience hath the grace of life in it whether it doe it by eagernesse or not whether with a horrible stirre or a great pudder or no that is not it if it make a man doe his duty aright then conscience does its duty this is Consciences life First when the Conscience does not onely check but it checks to some purpose when it smites so that all the soule feeles it and lies downe under it when the Conscience does not onely doe duty in this thing but it makes a man to doe his it makes him smite himselfe as the Publican did he smote upon his breast Luke 18. 13. as Ephraim did I smote upon my thigh Jer. 31. 10. when a man is made to Check himselfe what have I done Jer. 8. 6. when David numbred the people the Text shewes how his conscience was quick his heart smote him 2 Sam. 24. 10. Dull checks there may be in a wicked heart yea mighty checks and mighty smitings yea greater for quantity then in any Childe of God but all to little or no purpose Davids Conscience smote him to purpose you see there it made him doe his duty indeed it was a Divine Check it was a Check that put him into a right way againe so except thy Conscience thus Check thee a dayes may be thou forgetest thy selfe now and then and then thy Conscience gives thee a Check O what a beast am I and so sets thee to rights againe sometimes thou art over taken in passion but then comes Conscience and tels thee what God sayes O why doe I give place to the Devill and then thy passions goe downe againe This is Gods Bit that he guides his people by as the Rider does his beast with a Bridle The wicked are like your sturdy horses that get their Bridle in their Teeth God may pull hard at them give them fiercer twitches then he does his owne Children but they get the Bridle in their Teeth and so they are unrulier But when it is Gods Bridle to lead a man by now his Conscience is alive when it Checks to purpose Secondly when it does not onely accuse for sinne so a naturall Conscience may doe but it puls a man downe before God and Cites himselfe effectually before his Tribunall I make this a different work for the accusation of Conscience differs from its Checking the Check is a spirituall lash the Conscience gives the soule now the accusation gives the reason of its lashing O thou hast sinned against God ye know this is a duty of Conscience too in regard of sinne to accuse And then Conscience is alive when it does this duty to purpose to make a man to doe his namely to goe and Confesse his sinne in a penitent manner True a wicked mans Conscience does accuse but that drives a man from God as it 's said of the Scribes and the Pharisees when their Consciences accused them they went cut Joh. 8. 9. But when Conscience is alive it accuses before God it Cites a man soundly before God and what a vile wretch am I it so does its duty in accusing
that it makes a man to doe his freely to accuse himselfe The just man first accuseth himselfe Prov. 18. 17. So it is in the Greek and the Latin Hast thou such a Conscience as this this is a lively Conscience when thy Conscience does not onely doe its duty to accuse thee for every sinne that thou dost but it makes thee to doe thine freely to accuse thy selfe before God a wicked Conscience may accuse I but it does not mak the man to do his duty he does not freely accuse himselfe it is onely forced in him it is with Coaction and Compulsion But it s free in Gods Children when Daniel went to confesse his sinnes before God the Text says he set himself to do it I set my face unto the Lord God Dan. 9. 3. that is his Conscience did not onely doe its duty in this thing but it made him to doe his Thirdly when it does not onely Condemne one for sinne for so the wicked have condemning Consciences as the Apostles says if our heart condemne us 1 John 3 20. that is if we be wicked as Paul sayes Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himselfe Tit. 3. 11. that is he is a very wicked Creature so that a wicked mans Conscience does Condemne But I meane when the Conscience does not onely condemne one for sinne it does not onely doe its owne duty in this thing but it makes the man to doe his it makes him trample upon himselfe as a damned wretch in himselfe to save God a labour as the Apostles speakes if we would judge our selves we should not be judged 1 Cor. 11. 31. when Conscience makes a man freely to accept of damnation thou shalt accept of thy punishment then I will remember my Covenant Levit 26. 41. 42. when it makes thee lay thy Neck on the block Lord the worst place in hell is too good for me I have often told you a story in the acts and monuments of the Church when Edward the first one of the Kings of England was a hunting and one of the standers by had displeased him the King rid after him with a drawne sword for to stab him the man runne away for his life the King rid over hedge and ditch to overtake him and when the man saw he had no way to escape he fell downe and held up his throat to the King if it please your Majesty here is my throat The King melting towards him shewed him mercy So when Conscience makes thee say Lord here is my throat here is my soule if it please thee thou maist send Satan to take it and carry it to hell with him Thou hast no way to escape therefore offer thy selfe unto God may be thy Conscience does Condemne thee alas that is not it thy Conscience does not its duty with any life till it make thee doe thine doest thou freely Condemne thy selfe accept of thy punishment lay thy head on the block does thy soule lye groveling before God this is a live Conscience Fourthly when it does not onely pull a man a dayes from sinne and Iniquity so it may doe with the wicked and the ungodly they feele many pulles every day and may be their Conscience makes them leave many particular sinnes though that 's very rare as the times now be but when the Conscience pulles a man forth of every knowne sinne when it so does its duty in this kinde that it makes thee to doe thine when thou pullest thy selfe withall detestation and loathing out of pride out of security out of unbelief out of heardnesse of heart out of formality and all this is a lively Conscience as Iob sayes my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Job 27. 6. that is as my heart does its duty towards me so it shall make me doe mine I will yeeld to mine owne Conscience in every thing whatsoever sinne it tels me off I will be sure to set my selfe against it it shall not lie heaving at me and I never stirre then it would reproach me but it shall never reproach me so long as I live These are the lively acts of Conscience about sinne The lively effects whereof are foure The first is a penitent shame that ever a man should sin against God when Conscience does thus as ye have heard then it produces this effect that the man is ashamed before God as the Apostle sayes what fruit have you of those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6. 21. people are apt to be ashamed before men Diodorus Cronus when Stilpo askt him a ridiculous question and he could not answer him he was so ashamed that he fell downe starke dead he thought it was such a disgrace to be nonplust But if Conscience were alive and did doe its duty indeed it would make us ashamed for our sinnes before God Ezra was ashamed before God for the sinnes of the people I blush sayes he to lift up mine eyes unto thee when a man is Ignorant of God in Jesus Christ this should be a shame I speake this to your shame 1 Cor. 15. 34. that is if there be any grace in your hearts certainely ye will be ashamed that ye should have no more knowledge of God I say when the Conscience is alive against sinne it makes a man ashamed before God It shewes him his nakednesse before heaven it propounds God before his eyes seeing all his uncleanenesse and so it makes him ashamed before him doest thou Count it a disgrace to doe evill a disgrace to offend God a confusion of face to doe iniquity though it be never so secret Canst thou not looke upon thy unworthy dealings with God but it makes thee ashamed in his sight this is the effect of a living Conscience Secondly another effect is penitent griefe and compunction of heart ye may see this effect in the new converts they were prickt in their hearts Act. 2. 37. when their Conscience began to be alive to smite them for their sinnes to accuse them and Condemne them it grieved them exceedingly it went to the quick it was like a Dagger in their heart it prickt them it made them mourn for all that they had done True a naturall Conscience produces griefe ther 's nere a wretch but if his Conscience be awakened to Check him and accuse him and condemne him it will make him to grieve for his sinnes But this is onely legall and surly Now when the Conscience is alive to doe its duty as to make the man to doe his now it makes him grieve out of love to God out of love to grace and goodnesse now he grieves because he hath broken those Commandements that he loves he loves to obey God O it is the unfeigned desire of his soule to obey him and therefore he grieves that he hath done the Contrary Thirdly another effect is penitent feare It makes a man afraid to sin against God againe as the Apostle
for his conscience he called it up every day he was active about it so that the stirrings that are in wicked men they are none of theirs but Gods meerly to pull them out of the bottomlesse pit if it might be in the meane time his conscience is as dead as himselfe Thus ye see what the life of the conscience is First there is a relative life of conscience the conscience is alive when the man is alive Secondly the conscience is alive when it makes duty so that it makes the man do his duty too when it does not onely check for evill and accuse for evill and condemne for evill and prompt a man that he should take heed of evill but it make a man doe his duty in all these so also when it does not onely urge a man to that which is good and excuse him and approve him but in all these it makes him doe his duty too so likewise when it counsels it does not onely counsell and dictate what is to be done and what not but it so does all these particulars that it makes the man to doe his duty in sincerity from day to day This is alive conscience Now that this is the live conscience I prove it unto you by five Arguments 1. Because conscience was made not onely to doe all these acts but to make a man to doe his so that when conscience does its own acts never so much that 's nothing to the life of conscience does thy conscience check thee and smite thee does it whisper never so much in thee this is no Argument it 's alive except it make thee to be obedient unto God Conscience was given man for this purpose and therefore then onely is it alive when it is for this purpose in thy Bosome when David would get up out of his temptations you may see how he got up by conscience I communed with my owne heart and my spirit sayes he made diligent search Psal 77. 6. that is he communed with his conscience what he knew about God and so got himselfe up this is thy consciences office to tell thee what thou hast heard out of the word and that is not all but to lead thee guide thee as the helme does the Ship It is given thee to be thy keeper as he sayes J was upright before him and I kept my selfe from my iniquity Psal 18. 23. that is this is my iniquity this is the sinne that I am most inclined to I must keepe my selfe from that Thus his conscience was his keeper under God Secondly another argument is because this is the way whereby godly people doe their duties their conscience makes them doe their duty it makes them beleeve it makes them feare God it makes them eschew evill and doe good from day to day Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Psal 103. 2. when the Prophet would doe this duty he made his conscience presse it soundly upon him to doe it so when he would waite upon God he set his owne soule and conscience upon him to make him to doe it waite on the Lord be of good courage he will strengthen thy heart waite I say upon the Lord Psal 27. 14. Thirdly another argument is this is the description of those that have a live conscience they are such as make themselves doe their duties continually as the Apostle sayes He that hath this hope in him purisieth himselfe even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3. 3. that is he is a man that makes himselfe doe his duty his owne soule and conscience sayes thus unto him Christ is a pure Christ and I must be like him as ever I hope that he will bring me into his kingdom and this makes him doe his duty he purisieth himselfe even as he is pure I could quote abundance of places to prove this Fourthly another argument is when God speakes to any that are alive from the dead to doe their duties towards him he bids them make themselves to doe their duties on this manner so Saint Paul sayes Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the sight of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. that is goe and aske your owne soule and conscience what have I not these and these promises why then I must labour to be cleansed from all manner of sinne I must perfect holinesse in the feare of God now sayes he let us make our selves doe our duties thus Nay fifthly when God speakes to them which are yet dead and would turne them home unto him he bids them doe thus in regard of the meanes turne your selves and live you Ezek. 18. 32. that is Let your owne soules and consciences consider this is the way to live ye cannot be saved without turning as ever I would live for ever I must be turned from all my sinfull courses make your selves doe your duties in this manner that is use all the meanes that the Lord hath given you to use make your selves goe about it not as though any man hath free will to turne himselfe But he speakes of the use of all meanes that he puts into your hands make your selves to use them nay no soule can ever look to be saved except he doe not onely let his conscience check him and tell him thus and thus his duty is but also let his conscience make him doe his duty too so that this must needs be the life of the conscience when it does not onely doe its owne duty to check and to whisper but also it makes a man to doe his The use of this is first then we see here how few have live consciences for people have consciences that doe onely tell them they should be more carefull they should give over such and such sins they should beleeve and they should be zealous and they should be more setled but O how few have consciences that make them doe their duties Numb 15. 40. that ye may remember and doe all my commandements and be holy unto your God REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead WE are come to speake of this necessary point when is a man quickened up towards God and all his holy wayes We have shewed you three things concerning this already First what the life of the minde is Secondly what the life of the heart is Thirdly what the life of the conscience is Now there remaines two more the one is the life of the memory the other is the life of the affections Fourthly then what is the life of the memory for the memory too may be dead and the memory may be alive First the memory may be dead when a man may be remembers if ye aske him a thing he can tell it aske him of a Sermon he can tell the Text and the points and the particulars that were delivered in the Sermon but here 's all it 's a dead memory he never remembers it to
13. 44. that is he laid it up in his soules storehouse as Solomon sayes my Sonne if thou wilt receive my words and hide my Commandements with thee Prov. 2. 1. I say the memory is a deep vault in the soule where a man hides what he hath a minde to that it may never be taken away from him so that memory is an excellent thing a man may have God alwayes with him and heaven and all heavenly things if so he have a minde to them Fourthly it is a great blessing that if a man chance to goe out of his way he may put himselfe in againe seeing he hath a memory I speake of a Christian that hath once heard the wayes of God he cannot goe out but by memory he may put himselfe in againe memory is the soules Map as David sayes all the ends of the earth shall remember themselves and turne unto the Lord Psal 22. 27. he speakes of all Gods Elect marke how they get into the way againe they shall remember themselves so when are a man steps aside by pride thus he may come in againe by remembring himselfe O God resisteth the proud the Lord sayes he will give grace to none but the humble thus he may come in againe so if he step aside by too much yeelding to the world thus he may set himselfe to rights O woe is me what have I done now I remember the love of the world is enmity with God if he chance to have by-thoughts at the hearing of the word let him remember himselfe O what a beast am I I forgot I was in Gods presence with him I remember my selfe that I am before him and thus he may correct himselfe so the prodigall Sonne did when he had fetcht his wilde vagary at last he remembred himselfe O how many hired Servants of my Fathers have bread enough Luke 15. 17. he remembred what a good Father he had runne away from this fetcht him home againe Fifthly it 's a great blessing to help a man to beleeve though a man do not beleeve for the present he heares the word of God he hears that which might do him good but for the present he does not beleeve yet who knowes but this very word may doe him good another day memory may bring it to minde through the goodnesse of God and then he may beleeve it as the Disciples of Christ ye may read how that Christ spake some words that did them little good for the present But the Text sayes that when he was risen againe then they remembred the words that he had said unto them and beleeved Ioh. 2. 22. many times we are untoward for the present and then the word does us little good I but it 's a blessing that we can remember the same word may be represented by our memories to us and may doe the deed as we see in the second sonne in the Gospell his Father said to him goe worke to day in my Vineyard ye know how distemper'd he was for the present he answered and said I will not Matth. 21. 29. I but afterwards he repented himselfe and went that is he remembred afresh what his Father said to him and that made him doe it Sixthly it 's a great help to better knowledge it may be at the first when we are taught the word does not sink into our hearts we do not understand it But yet remembring what it was we were told afterwards through the mercy of God some thing or other comes in that now we can say blessed be God now I understand such a truth such a promise such a commandement and yet no new teaching but remembring onely what we read or heard as sometime one of the Iewish Doctors not understanding that place in the Prophet where it is said that God would sweep them away with the besom of destruction isa 14. 23. afterwards seeing a maide come with her besome to sweep the house now he saw the meaning of the place so when Christ said to Peter that before the Cock crowed twice he would deny him thrice that Peter had a poore weak heart and that he had a horrible deale of faint-heartednesse in him and that he would deny his own Master Peter understood not his words he saw no such thing in his heart as to thinke those words to be true But when he had been in the High Priests Hall and there had abjured his Master and had heard too the Cock crow twice and his Master look at him now he remembred his words and went out and wept hitterly Matth. 26. 75. that is now he saw the truth of Christs words now he saw what a wretched heart he had and lamented it I say memory is a great help unto knowledge as God sayes O my people remember now what Balak King of Moab consulted and what Baalam the Son of Beor answered him from Shictim to Gilgal that ye may know the righteousnesse of the Lord Mieh 6. 5. How many things have we heard and seene when we were children that then we never knew the meaning of yet afterwards when we come to have more wit then remembring what they were we understand them as Christ said to Peter when he went to wash his feet what I doe thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter John 13. 7. that is when thou remembrest it hereafter then thou shalt know my meaning in it Seventhly memory is as excellent helpe for a man to preach to himselfe Beloved we can but preach to you an houre or so but seeing God hath given you memories ye may preach to your selves all the day long memory may help you to repeate the word every day in your hearts as the Apostle says speaking unto your selvs Ep. 5. 19. so by reason of this blessing of God ye may speake to your selves from day to day Nay eighthly it 's an excellent thing for it may let you have the benefit of things before they be your death is not yet your last sicknesse is not yet your salvation is not yet the day of judgement the Kingdome of glory these are things that are not yet I but you having a memory ye may have much Benefit by them in the meane time ye may represent them to your selves as things present and have a world of good by them and so all the things that are past no act of the soule can make them still present but memory your childe-hood is past all the Sermons that ye heard heretofore are all past O how many sinnes have ye committed in times past and how many dealings have ye had of God in the dayes that are past now having a memory except ye have gracelesse hearts ye may doe your selves good by all these even as if they were now before you if a childe of God be at a losse for the present he may helpe himselfe by memory as David sayes I remembred the dayes of old I call to remembrance my Song that
I have had Psal 77. 5. 6. so if any of you besecure ye may remember some thing or other that is past which may awaken you againe hath God never shewed you your damned estate heretofore were ye never sick heretofore and did you not see that if ye had dyed in that case ye had perisht ye may remember that now and awaken your selves and how if God should take you away in such a case as that It cannot be related what a blessing it is that we have a memory But let us come to the third thing and that is this when may the memory be said to be alive I answer there be two parts of the memories deadnesse towards God The first is an aptnesse to forget God and all his commands Secondly an aptnesse to remember those things that are not so good for us now when those two faults are rectified in some measure then the memory is alive towards God First There 's aptnesse in your memories to forget God and all his commands ye know God commands us to remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy Exod. 20. 8. how apt are we to forget it how commonly is it out of our minds so in the 78. Psalme and the 7. verse God sayes there he would not have us sorget his workes but that we should keepe his commandements now O how apt are we to let them leake out of our hearts we have a hellish art of forgetfulnesse how often doe we forget our selves herein and suffer the remembrance of God to be taken away from us ye have forgotten the exhortation that speakes to you as to Children Heb. 12. 5. how often doe we forget to keep our selves unspotted though we be told of the will of God yet any little thing is enough to put it out of our minds stay them not least my people forget it though we be told of our misery and the infinite danger we are in may be at the first it moves us a little but how soon doe we forget it and other things take us up now when this aptnesse is rectified in some measure when God hath a sound impresse on our minds that we must needs remember him and all the things that concerne our peace when there 's a Law in our mindes that we will not forget God as ye may see there in David Blesse thou the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Psal 103. 2. when our memory is sanctified and is made the good Treasury of our heart when the Lord hath lifted up our memory unto him then it is alive Secondly as by nature there 's an aptnesse in our memory to forget God so there 's an aptnesse to remember other things that either are not good for us or not so good we are apt to remember injuries nay one injury will be thought one more then many good turns so likewise idle tales we are apt to remember them whereas good things goe out in our hearts like sparkes in wet tinder We may see this in the hearing of the word the Apostle tearmes us forget sull hearers James 1. 25. if a tale be told us in a Sermon that we can remember how many are apt to carry that way whereas that which is wholesom and might doe us more good how apt we are we to forget that as a Divine sayes our memories are like strainers all the pure milke runneth through but if there be any drosse that stayes behinde or like a grate that lets the pure water run away and if there be any strawes and stickes and filth and mud and dregs that it holds so it is with our memories by nature trifles and toyes and worldly things them we are apt to remember like the Shepheard in York-shire that could remember all his flock he kept a thousand sheep and if one should but change one Sheep and put in another he could tell which it was But for gratious things our memories does soon forget them like Israel they soon forgot all the workes of God Psal 106. 13. now what is this but the corruption deadnes of our memories towards God may be we are apt to excuse it alas we have weak memories true if we were as weake memoryed in other things it were something but when we can remember our pleasures and profits and tales and any thing when we goe to buy weel 'e be sure to remember our selves there when to sell wee 'le be sure to remember our selves there that we will have to the worth if we can But in matters of God there we forget our selves this cannot be excused Now when this is rectified in some measure then our memory is alive when we will rather forget any thing else then God rather forget our selves in all the world then forget our duty towards God when this study is once set up soundly in the soule in some measure now the memory is alive Thus ye see the third thing Now for the fourth that this must needs be the life of the memory I prove it by arguments First because the memory hath hardly any other quickening then the quickening of the man whose memory it is so that when the mans mind is quickened together with his conscience and heart the memory is quickened too as the Prophet sayes I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me Psal 119. 93. that is my memory is quickened up to thy precepts because with them thou hast quickened me for we see commonly that the faculty of memory is much at one after conversion that it was before conversion if it were a weake memory before so it is after onely this as the strength of it was let out towards the world and sinne and selfe before so now the strength of it is in some measure let out towards the best things And therefore what can the life of the memory be but the aptnesse of a man to remember God Secondly because this is the onely practicall memory ye know a man may have an admirable memory to remember Sermons whole Chapters in the Bible and yet have a dead memory to God a Sanctified memory is a practicall memory as the Lord sayes remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy q. d. ye may remember still when the Sabbath is come I this is the Sabbath day that is not it that 's onely a contemplative memory But I would have you have a practicall memory not onely to remember the duty but remember for to doe it for as the contemplative understanding hath a faculty of conserving its species so the practicall understanding hath a faculty of conserving its species too as long as a man hath not this practicall memory it is nothing Because he remembred not to shew mercy Psal 109. 16. marke the Lord does not sinde fault with a man for not remembring of that duty for may be he did remember that I but he did not remember to doe his duty this is
the secrets of his heart are made manifest and so falling down on his face hee worships God that is the Sermon is made effectuall unto him and turnes his wretched heart But observe now how this comes to passe the Text shewes in the foure and twentieth verse it is by reason of the unity of the Ministers He is convinced of all he is judged of all that is all the Ministers were of one note they all were in one consent one did not preach looser doctrine then another one told him he was a very wretch and another told him hee was a very wretch and a third convinced him hee was a very wretch all had a blow at him O thought he I I I am a very wretch indeed this burst his heart If he could have heard any one of them preach easier doctrine may bee that would have given his conscience some foolish ease and so the man had gone away never the better but when hee was convinced of all and judged of all this strikes him dumb So beloved when a man can goe into no Church but every where hee is met with all the Ministers condemn him all their lives condemn him and all their Sermons condemn him to the pit of hell and he can scramble comfort no where if the man belong to God this is the readiest way to beat him down and subdue his heart On the contrary side when a man is wounded at one Ministers Sermon by and by he drops into another and there hee catches hold of some ease this makes him goe on in his sinnes and to blind his eyes against the truth It is a great stumbling block unto the people this very thing Thirdly as it makes the Ministery more powerfull so it brings more glory unto God As it is said of John the Baptist that when our Saviour did commend him and made the people see that hee was of Johns minde and that he held the same Tenets and that hee would not speak against a tittle that John had delivered but testifyed his unity with him And made it appear what a reverend esteem hee had of him saith hee Hee is a Prophet and more then a Prophet Yee shall see how this brought glory to God The Text saith When the people heard this and the Publicans they justifyed God being baptized with the Baptisme of John Luk. 7. 29. The use of this is first to condemne such as envy their fellow-Ministers and will not bee in the unity of minde and heart and life with them In the most the Proverb is too true Figulus figulo invidet One potter hates another one Tradesman envies anothers custome so one Minister another if there bee a Minister that desires to powre out his soule in the doing of good in the taking of paines in the discharging of his Conscience there are some that will envy such a one their hearts rise up against him nay not onely so but the worst Enemy that Jeremy had was Pashur one of his own Coat Jer. 20. 2. The sorest adversary that Amos had was Amaziah a Priest of Bethel who would never leave heaving at him untill hee had gotten him away Amos 7. 12. and why so because hee would not preach such pleasing Doctrine as hee Forsooth the Land was not able to bear Amos his words hee Preaches as if hee would scare people out of their wits Hee preaches Schismatically and as if hee loved to bee singular The cheif Priests were furious against our Saviour Christ because his Ministery was more blest then theirs was nay they hated him more then Pilate Pilate a very Pagan his Conscience told him hee found no fault in him Why what evill hath hee done Their envy against Christ was so palpable that hee did discover it Hee knew that for envy they had delivered him unto him So when all the Country know in their Consciences that such and such teach the waies of God sincerely set themselves to roote out sin and to save soules nay the very Drunkards you shall hear them say I I hee is a good man Gods blessing on his heart hee tels us our faults wee may doe what wee list for all such and such but hee tells us of our faults and God help us to amend them and when they are sick they would rather have such a Ministers prayers then twenty of other Ministers that will soothe them up and bee haile-fellow with them Whereas there bee many of our own Coat that are implacable against a Minister that labours to bee faithfull How contrary is this unto the Rule The Ministers of God should bee all one and if one bee godly all should bee if one painfull all should bee so if one preach home to the conscience all should doe so they should all live as Brethren What saies our Saviour Christ Yee are the Salt of the Earth but if the Salt hath lost its savour wherewith shall it bee salted it is thenceforth good for nothing but to bee cast out and to bee trodden underfoot of men Matth. 5. 13. That is Salt may season others but if it have lost its savour nothing can salt it A Minister is of an excellent calling appointed to season mens hearts but if hee have lost his savour hee can never truely bee seasoned again nothing can doe him good An evill Minister is a more desperate forlorn man than any else Secondly Another use is that all that are the Ministers of God would bee hence stirred up to be all of one minde all drawing one way all bending our forces to one and the same end the glory of God and the salvation of our people It s a fine comely thing to fee any Brethren in unity Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garments as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountaines of Zion for there the Lord commended his blessing even life for evermore Psal 133. 1 2 3. I say this is a very comely thing to see any brethren to dwell together in unity it is like the perfume of Aaron that made all his garments fragrant-sweet it is like the dews of Hermon and Zion that made all the ground fruitfull this is that which hath the Lords blessing annexed to it it is an excellent meanes unto eternall life As the Apostle saith If there bee any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies Fullfill yee my joy that yee bee like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one minde Philip. 2. 1 2. if it be so necessary for Brethren to bee united how much more for Brethren in the Ministery of all men Ministers have most reason to bee of one minde because wee are to teach union unto others Besides if