chaffe they shal fly away with the winde of Gods iustice Of all these points in order For the first the holy Ghost saith Search your selues The words are commonly reade thus Gather your selues which though it be good for that in repentance a man gathereth himselfe and all his wits together which afore were dispersed wandred vp down in vanity yet I rather allow their translation who read thus Search or fan your selues but either of them may stand because the word in the original doth coÌ„preheÌ„d both significations yet it seemeth that to search or sift fits this place better considring the same manner of speech is atterwards continued in the word Chaffe so that the meaning of the Holy Ghost seemeth to bee this Search try and fanne your selues least you bee found light chaffe and so fly away and be consumed before the iustice of God Concerning this duty of searching let vs obserue first that the holy Ghost vrging the Iewes to repent vseth not the word Repentance but bids them search themselues yet meaning hee would haue them to repent giuing vs to vnderstand that no man can haue true and sound repentance but hee who hath first of all searched and examined himselfe and this stands with good reason for no man can repent who first of all doth not know himselfe and his owne wretchednesse But no man can see into himselfe nor knowe himselfe but hee that doth diligently search himselfe so that the beginning of all grace is for a man to search and try and fanne himselfe that thereby he may knowe what is in himselfe that so vpon the search seeing his fearefull and damnable estate hee may forsake himselfe his owne waies and turne to the Lord. Thus speaketh the holy Ghost in the heartes of holy men Let vs search and try our waies and make what followeth and turne againe to the Lord as though there were no turning againe to the Lord but after a searching of our selues With this testimonie of the holy Ghost agreeth the testimonie of al holy mens consciences who all knowe that the first beginning of their turning to the Lord was a searching of themselues Let any repentant sinner aske his conscience and call to minde his first calling and conuersion and he will remember that the first thing in his repentance was this that he searched into himselfe and looked narrowly into his waies and finding his waies dangerous and his case fearefull did thereupon resolue to take a new course and turne to the Lord for pardon and mercie and for grace to enter into more holy and more comfortable courses The man that passeth vpon ridges of Mountains and sides of hils or that goeth ouer a narrow bridge or some dangerous and steepe Rockes at midnight feareth not because hee seeth no daunger but bring the same man in the morning and let him see the narrowe bridge he went ouer in the night vnder which runnes a violent streame and a bottomlesse gulfe and the daungerous Mountaines and rocks he passed ouer and he will wonder at his owne boldnesse and shrinke for feare to thinke of it and will by no meanes venter the same way againe for now hee seeth the height of the Mountaines the steepnesse of the Hilles the cragginesse of the Rockes the fearsul downfall and the furious violence of the streame vnderneath therby seeth the extreame daunger which afore he saw not therfore he wondreth reioy â—oth that he hath escaped so great a daâ—nger and will by no meanes be drawn to goe that way in the day which hee went most carelesly in the darkenesse of the night but seeketh another way though it should be far about So a sinner in his first estate which is naturall and corrupt as wee are bredde and borne hath a vaile before his face so that hee seeth nothing the wrath of God and the curse due for sinne Hell and damnation seeking to deuoure him he seeth them not although liuing alwaies in sinne hee walketh in the very Iawes of Hell it selfe and because he seeth not this fearefull daunger therefore hee refuseth no sinne at all but rusheth securely into all maner of sinne the night of impenitencie and the myst of ignorance so blinding his eyes that he seeth not the narrow bridge of this life from which if he slide he falles immediatly into the bottomlesse pâ—t of Hell But when as Gods spirit hath by the light of Gods word opened his eyes touched his heart to consider his estate then hee seeth the fraile bridge of this narrow life and how little a sleppe there is between him and damnation then hee seeth Hell open due for his sinnes and himselfe in the high way to it sinne being the craggy rocke and Hell the gaping gulfe vnder it this life being the narrowe bridge and damnation the streame which runneth vnder it Then hee wondreth at his miserable estate admireth the mercie of God in keeping him from falling into the bottome of hell wondreth at the presumptuous boldnesse of his corruption which so securely plodded on towards destruction and being ashamed of himselfe and these his waies he turnes his heart to the God that saued him from these daungers and sets himselfe into more holy wayes and more comfortable courses and confesseth that ignorance made him bold and blindnesse made him so presumptuous but now hee seeth the daunger and will by no meanes goe the same way againe and thus the searching and seeing into the foulnesse of sinne and the daunger thereof is the first beginning of repentance and the first step into grace This doctrine teacheth vs what faith and repentance is generall in the world All men say they beleeue and haue repented long agoe but trie it well and we shall finde in the bodie of our Nation but a lippe faith and a sippe Repentance for euen when they say so they are blinde and ignorant of their owne estate know not themselues but presume of themselues that because they are baptized and liue in the Church therefore they are in Gods fauour and in very good estate when as they neuer yet were recoÌ„ciled to God and are so farre from it that they neuer yet saw any sinnes in themselues wherof they shuld repent as a man trauelling in the night seeth no daunger but plods on without feare So the most part of our common people in the night of their ignorance think and presume they loue and feare God and loue their Neighbour and that they haue euer done so Nay it is the common opinion that a man may do so by nature and that hee is not worthy to liue who doth not loue God with all his heart and beleeue in Iesus Christ But alas poore simple soules they neuer knewe what sinne was neuer searched nor saw into theirown harts with the light of Gods lawe for if they had they should haue seene such a Sea of corruption that then they would confesse it to bee the hardest thing in
the day of triall temptation sicknesse or open persecution the chaffe of natural presumption and outward formalitie in Religion wil flye away and it must be the penitent humbled and beleeuing heart which must then abide it out and endure the fanne of temptations and persecutions And to conclude Let not the Diuell deceiue thee in making thee imagine or hope to please God and yet to let thy corruptions lie vnseene and thy sins vnsearched out least thereby thou marre all for thou vsest not to lay vp-wheat in thy garners vntil it be purged from the Chaffe so thinke not to store vp any sauing knowledge or any other grace of God in thy heart vntill the chaffe of vanitie be first blowne away that so the holy graces of God may be layd vp in the garners of thy soule And therefore questionlesse to speake one word to touch our common professors in the very sore of their soule al knowledge that is stored vp in these impure and vnsearched hearts is euen as Wheat layd vp in the Chaffe which is a thousand to one sure to bee eaten vp by the chaffe so that when the winnowing time of tryall and persecution comes I feare that such men will for al their knowledge shrinke aside and betray the truth there knowledge then prouing no better then chaffe because it was layde vp in an vnholy heart If therefore thou wouldest stand and endure when Poperie or persecution or temptations come if thou wouldest abide the furie of the fanne of temptations now then exercise thy heart with the fanne of GODS law Search and ransacke it purge out the chaffe of corruption and store vp knowledge in an holy heart and a good conscience and that will abide the violence of all temptations yea when God suffers the Diuell to doe with vs as he did with Peter to winnow vs like Wheate to sift and trie vs as he did Iob with the furious winde of all his mallice this knowledge will proue Wheate that will abide the winde and gold that will abide the fire thus glorious will it be in the ende if we follow this holy Prophets councel and Search our hearts And thus much for the first point namely the dutie of Searching heere commanded in which wee haue stayed the longer because it is the foundation of all the rest and this being wel laid the whole building wilt goe vp the faster Now we come to the second general point here laid down that is whom must we Search the Prophet aunswereth your selues not other mē but your selues This search so vrged and inforced by the Prophet must not be of other mens hearts and liues but of our owne our owne are our charge and not other mens and therein is the saying true which else is most false Euery man for himselfe for as euery soule must bee saued by it selfe so must it beleeue Repent and search it selfe The dutie therefore here commanded is for euery man that would haue his soule to be saued to Search it and reforme it and leaue others to bee searched by themselucs Here the holy Ghost meetes with the common corruption of this world and that is that men are Eagle eyed to see into the liues of other men but to looke into their owne hearts and liues they are blinder then Moles they can see moates in other mens liues but discerne not beames in their owne wherby it comes to passe that they stumble and fall fowly for the eies of most men are set vpon others not vpon them selues and thereupon it is that an euil man seeing other men not himselfe thinkes best of himselfe worst of other men but contrariwise a good man seeing himselfe not other men thinkes worst of himselfe and better of other men an euil man lookes outward and iudgeth other men but a good mā lookes homeward iudgeth himselfe and in iudging condemnes himselfe farre aboue other men and that because by searching into his own heart and wayes hee knowes that by himselfe which he knowes not by any man in the world besides So then we must search not other men but our selues our owne hearts and our owne liues are our charge and burthen the liues of other men concerne vs not being priuate mē further thē either to follow them being good or take heede of them being euil but to search or to bee inquisitiue into them is no dutie commaunded vs but rather a foule a base vice forbidden of God Indeede Magistrates in their people Pastours in their congregations and house-holders in their families are to search but they can search onely for criminall causes or open actuall sinnes but this searching must bee of our hearts which no man can search but our selues onely Few men haue a calling to enquire into other mens liues but euery man hath a calling to search into himselfe but alas men doe farre otherwise they suffer themselues to rotte in their owne sinnes and erect an Inquisition ouer other mens liues it is to be seene in dayly experience that those men who are the great Searchers and priers into other men are the neglecters and forgetters of themselues And contrariwise they who doe narrowly search themselues and their owne wayes and looke into the corners of their owne hearts doe finde so much worke to do with themselues that they little busie themselues with other men And thus much may suffice for that point It followeth O Nation not worthy to be beloued The third point Who must search the Iewes who are here termed a Nation not worthy to be beloued yet for al that they are bid to search themselues that so vpon their Repentance they might bee beloued Where wee may see the vnspeakable loue of God and his wonderfull mercie offering grace vnto such men as are altogether vnworthy of it Gods children are by nature like other men and God findes nothing in them why to respect them aboue others but euen of his owne mercie makes them worthy who of themselues are not therefore how worthy is that God to haue all the loue of our hearts who loued vs when wee were not worthy to be beloued But let vs examine more particularly why GOD doth call the Iewes a Nation not worthy to bee beloued I answere God had blessed them aboue other Nations He gaue them his Couenant of grace and thereby made them his people commited to their trust his holy word and Oracles but he delt not so with other Nations neither had the Heathē knowledge of his lawes Besides all this they had a better land then others about them it flowed with Milke and Honie that is with all commodities delights and though their Countrie was but little yet themselues so populous and so powrefull that whilest they pleased GOD no enemie durst set vppon them Thus for soule and bodie they were euery way a Nation blessed of God a people beloued of God aboue all others Now how did this people thus
the world to loue God and to beleeue in Christ and for sake sinne it is therefore manifest that they haue not yet begun to beleeue or repent nor haue entred into the first step of grace which leadeth to repentance for that they haue not learned this lesson which the Prophet teacheth that is to search themselues Furthermore let vs in the second place obserue better the signification of the word it signifieth to Search narrowly as a man would doe for a piece of gold or a pâ—cious Iewell which is lost in a great house Or as a man may search for gold in a Myne of the earth where is much earth and but very little gold Oare Hence wee may learne that in true Repentance and conuersion we must not search so only as to find the grosse and palpable sinnes of our liues but so as we may finde those sinnes which the world accounts lesser sinnes and espie our secret faults priuy corruptions Some corruptions see memore neere a kinne to our nature and therein men hope to be excused when they forsake many other greater sins But a true penitent sinner must search for such so as a good Magistrate searcheth for a lurking 〈…〉 which is 〈◊〉 into some close and secret corner and he must ranfack his heart for such corruptions as wherein his heart takes special delight and must thanke that no sinne can be so small but it is too great to be spared and that euery sinne great or litle must be searched for as being all Tray 〈◊〉 to Gods Maiestie But alas the practise â—â— the world is farre otherwise great sinnes are little sinnes little sinnes are no sinnes Nay after a little custome great sinnes are also little or nothing and so at last men make no bones of grosse and grieuous sins and for the most part men search so superficially that they scarse finde any thing to be sinne such excuses are made such distinctioÌ„s are deuised such mittigations such qualifications such colours are cast vppon all sinnes as now vp and downe the world grosse sins are called into question whether they be sins or no and the great transgressions of the lawe are counted small matters necessarie euils or inconueniences tollerated to auoyd other euils and what is he counted but a curious and a precise foole which stands vpon them Ignorance after fiue and thirtie yeares preaching is counted no sinne blind deuotion in Gods seruice no sin lippe labour in praying vaine and customable swearing mocking of religion and the professors thereof no sin prophaning of the Saboath contemning of preachers abusing of parents no sinnes pride in apparel superfluitie in meates beastly and ordinarie drunkennes fornication no sinnes Nay decites Cosonages oppressing vsury notorious briberie and couetousnes that mother sinne these are counted no sinnes these beames are made but moates by prophane men they are so minced and carued or there is some such necessitie of them or some such other flourish or vernish must be cast vpon theÌ„ as that they are little or none at all Alas alas is not that a simple a silly search where such blockes as these are lye vnspied what are moulehils when such mountaines are not seene Moates will be little regarded where such beames are not discerned but it is cleare that therefore there is no true trial nor diligent search made for a true conuert will search his heart for all and wil spare none He deales in searching his owne heart as a good Iustice of peace in searching for traytors or Seminarie Priests He seekes not superficially but most exactly and leaueth neuer a corner vnsought and he thinkes great sinnes to be infinite and little sinnes great and iudgeth no sinne so small but that it deserueth the anger of God therefore he wonders at the mercy of God which throwes vs not al downe to hel in a moment he crieth out with holy Ieremie It is the Lords mercie that we are not consumed Away then with this superficial hypocritical search where so many sinnes are spared and not found out It is Pharisaical for euen so the Pharisie when hee came into the Temple to recken with God and to tell what Traytours hee had found that is what sinnes vpon good search hee had espied he returnes his precept all is well he hath found neuer a one but beginnes to thanke God that he was so good and so good and not so il and so il nor yet like the Publicane The world is full of Pharisies not onely the popish Church but euen our Church swarms with these superficial searchers who cannot because they will not finde any sinnes to present vnto God Men thinke in the Countrie a Church Officer hazards his Oath if he present all well and findeth no fault in his Parish to present as punishable to the Ordinary for men thinke it vnpossible that there should bee none in a whole parish then how doth that man hazard his own soule who being made ouerseer searcher of his heart findes nothing in it to present to the Lord. For it is not more easie to espie outward actual traÌ„sgessions in a whole parish then it is to finde a heape of corruptions in a mans heart if a man will search into the bottome of it with the light of Gods Law Therefore when the Lord comes and keepes his visitation what shal become of such a man but to vndergoe the strict and seuere search of the Almightie because hee would not search himselfe Our bodyes and liues are free from spanish Inquisition which is one of the last props which Sathan hath lent the Pope wherewith to vphold his declining kingdom and the Lord grant we may be euer free from it But in the meane time that might put vs in mind how to deale with our corrupt hearts and vnmortified affections euen to erect an Inquisition ouer them to lay in waite for them to search them narrowly and to vse them roughly yea to set our hearts vpon the rack of Gods law that so it may confesse the secret wickednesse of it for the Papistes doe not thinke vs Protestants greater enemies to their superstition then the inward corruptions of our hearts are to our saluation therefore it may bee a godly pollicie for euery man curn to erect an Inquisition ouer his owne heart and conscience and not to spare his most secret and dearest sinnes and such as are neerest allyed to his owne nature for that is the true search here commaunded by the Prophet and practised by all Godly and holy men when a man purposeth to finde al that are to espie eueÌ„ al his sins for a godly man is neuer satisfied in his search but still the more he findes he suspects the more are stil behind and therefore hee continueth searching his owne heart all his life long Therefore let euery professor looke to it betwixt God and his conscience that he dally not with himselfe in ths case for if he doe then
when God comes with his priuie search his hypocrisie shall bee discouered and his nakednesse shall be layd open in the view of men and Angels to his eternal confusion Thirdly Search saith the Prophet but not so content he forceth it againe Euen search you In thus repeating and vrging this exhortation the holy Ghost giues them and vs to vnderstand that the true searching of a mans heart and life is a duty of a great moment and special necessitie therefore he leaues it not after once naming it but inforceth it the second time as being no matter of indifferency but of great necessitie thereby shewing that it is a principal dutie in repentance euen the beginning and foundation of all true grace And further it is a meanes also to preuent Gods Iudgements for when men search not themselues then God sendes the fire of afflictions and Crosses to trie and Search them but when they Search themselues then God spareth to Search them by his iudgements Now in that this dutie of searching is both the beginning of all true grace and the meane to stay Gods iudgements and therefore is so pithely and forceably vrged by the holy Ghost it must teach vs all a necessarie lesson namely to make great conscience of searching our selues First because God hath so commanded and we are to make conscience of obedience to euery commandement Secondly because therby we shal reape two so great commodities as first thereby we shal lay a sure foundatiō for the good work of grace in vs and secondly shall stay the hand of God and his iudgements from being executed vpon vs. Let vs therefore hearken to this counsaile of the holy ghost let vs take the fan of the Lawe and therewith search and winnowe our hearts and liues Our hearts for secret and hidden corruptions Our liues for committing of euil and omitting of good Doe with your hearts as men doe with their wheate they will not suffer their corne to lie long in the chaffe least the chaffe hurt it but commits it to the fanne that the winde may separate them So the graces of God in our hearts are pure corne our sinnes and corruptions are Chaffe looke well and thou shalt finde in thy selfe much chaffe and but little corne let not then the chaffe lye too long mingled with the Corne lest it corrupt the corne Let not thy sinnes lye mingled with the grace of God in thee if thou doe they will choake it in the end and so depriue thee of all grace therfore rippe vp thy heart and looke into thy life and when thou hast sinned enter into thy selfe aske thy conscience what thou hast done be not quiet till thou hast found out thy sin and the foulenesse of it and neuer thinke that thou knowest any thing in Religion till thou knowest what is in thine owne heart And what are thy special and priuiest corruptions and looke into thine owne faults not with a partial eye but with a censorious and a strait iudgement spare sin in no man but especially condemne it in thy selfe But alas these times of ours cry out of an other state for euen Ieremies case is ours We may complaine as hee did No man repents him of his wickednesse saying what haue I done the same is the sore of our people and the sicknesse of all Nations that euery man runnes on in his sinnes from sinne to sinne carelesly euen as the barde horse into the battaile But how rare a thing is it to find a man that dayly searcheth himself examines how he liues and how the case standeth betwixt GOD and himselfe and that when hee hath done amisse entereth into the closet of his heart and strikes himselfe vpon the breast and disputes the case with himselfe saying What hane I done O what is this that I haue done against God against his Church and against my owne soule The want of this is that which the Prophet complaines of in that place not as though it were sufficient thus to doe in a mans owne conscience but because it is a good beginning and a step to further grace For if a man did seriously thus deale with his conscience after his sinne his conscience would shape him such an aunswere and would tell him so roundly what hee had done that hee would take heede how hee did the same againe and looke more narrowly and warily to himselfe all the dayes of his life Seeing therefore it is so necessarie a dutie let euery one of vs indeuour the practise of it namely to rippe and ransacke our hearts and to search our wayes vnto the bottome Now for your better instruction and furtherance in the performance hereof you must know that this Search is to be made by the Lawe of God for nothing els but Gods law can helpe vs let vs see that which we must search for for if wee search by any other means we may seek search long enough ere we find any thing that wil be matter of repentance Aske the diuel he will tell thee all is well that thou art in an excellent estate and God loues thee and thou art sure of Heauen this song the diuell alwayes sings for the most part til a man comes to die for then hee appeares in his colours but till then hee laboures to sing and lull all men a sleepe in the cradle of securitie Aske our owne flesh our owne hearts and natures and they will answere and say that all is well and safe and that wee haue beleeued and loued and feared God all our dayes Aske the world and men in the world and they will aunswere all is well and they will say further that thou art a right good fellow and art worth twentie of these curious fooles that sticke vpon points stand vpon circumstances as swearing and drinking and good fellowshippe and gaming and such other nice and circumstanciall points thus will worldly men answere for thy prophane course is acceptable to them because thereby thou approuest the same in them Nay goe further and aske all humane learning in the world and it cannot tell thee what one sinne is nor what it is to offend God so that there remaines onely the law of God the light whereof will disclose the darknesse of our hearts and the iustice whereof will reueale the vnrighteousnesse the peruersnesse of our natures therefore to the lawe of God must we flye to helpe vs in this Search And yet for our better helpe in this dutie and that there may bee nothing wanting to that soule that seeketh God therfore we are further to know that if we will search our selues by the law profitably wee must marke three rules the truth whereof vnlesse wee know acknowledge and feele wee shall neuer see our owne estate nor profite by this Search but plodde on from finne to sinne vntill wee plunge into hell The first Rule is that euery man that came from Adam sinned in the sinne of Adam Thou
must therefore know that his sinne in eating the forbidden fruite was thy sinne and thou sinnedst therein as well as he though thou wast then vnborne and that thou art guiltie of it before God and must answere for it to Gods iustice vnlesse Christ doe it for thee The reason hereof is because we are his seede posteritie we were thē in his loynes he was the father of vs all and was not a priuate mā as we are now but a publike person the pledge of al mankind and bare the person of vs all at that time therefore what he did then hee did it for himself for vs what couenant God made with him was made for himselfe and vs what God promised him and he to God he promised for himselfe for vs what he receiued in his Creation he receiued for himselfe and for vs and what he gained or lost by his fall he gained and lost for vs as for himselfe He lost the fauour of God and originall puritie therefore he lost it for all his posteritie guiltinesse and Gods anger and corruption of nature which he gained he got for vs all as well as for himselfe If we doubt of this point it is proued by the Apostle where the holy Ghost saith Sin entred by one man and death by sinne and that sinne went ouer all and that it went ouer all them which sinned not in the like transgression with Adam that is euen our children who as they are borne are borne not onely tainted with originall corruption but guiltie also of Adams sinne This is a most certaine truth though it seeme strange for fewe men thinke of it that euer they shall answer for Adams sinne and therefore if any obiect what reason is there that I answere for another mans sinne I answere true if it had bene Adams sinne alone but it was his and thine also for hee was thy father and stoode in thy roome and thou also since thou wast borne hast confirmed what hee did Now therefore though not one of many thinkes seriously thereof namely that he should stand guilty of a sin committed more then fiue thousand yeares before he was born yet seeing it is most true both in Scripture and good reason let euery man subscribe in his conscience to this truth And let this be thy first resolution in this Search that thou standest guilty of Adams transgression The second rule to bee knowne is that in euery man are all sinnes more plainly that in euery man by nature are the seedes of all sinnes and that not in the worst but in the best natured men make choyse of the best man and the greatest sinne and that worst sinne is to be found in that best man If any doubt of this let him consider what originall sinne is namely a corruption of the powers of our soules and that not of some or in part but of all and wholy This corruption hath two parts First a want not of some but of all good inclination a want of all goodnesse Secondly a deprauation pronenesse not to some but to all euill and not a pronenesse onely but originall sin infuseth into euery mans heart the seed of all corruption Many men stand much vpon their good meaning and vpright heart and bragge of a good nature but they are foulely deceiued for take the ciuilest man vpon the earth and the seeds of all sins in the world are in him by nature But to explaine this point fully obserue these two clauses First I say not the practise of all sinnes but the seedes for all men practise not all sinne the seedes are in their nature but the practise is restrained sometime by education sometime by good and wholesome lawes sometime the constitution of mens bodies deny the practise of some sinnes sometime the Countrey a man dwels in or calling a man liues in keepes him from the practise of some sinnes and alwayes a generall and limitting grace of God restraines the natures of all men from running into many sinnes which hand of God if God should take away and leaue euery man to his nature wee should see that euerie man would practise any sinne in the world yea euen the greatest sinnes that euer wee heard to bee done in the world All men which knowe themselues knowe this to be true And the more a man knowes his owne heart the more he seeth that his heart is a sea of all wickednesse that it is the mercy and grace of God that hee hath not fallen into the mightiest most monstrous sinnes in the world Secondly I say by nature For I know by good education by grace it is otherwise grace rectifieth nature but that is no thankes to nature for it is as euill and corrupt still being seuered from grace and therefore nature must be fully abolished afore man come to heauen And yet though all this be true I say not that sin breakes out in all natures alike though all natures be alike corrupt for the course of nature is restrained in some more then others by the meanes aforesaid but this is the truth that whereas some are not so angry some not so wanton some not so cruel some not so couetous som not so ambitious c. as others that comes not from any goodnesse of nature in them aboue the other originally but from Gods hand which tempereth restraineth and moderateth euery mans nature as he seeth good And if God did not thus moderate restraine the natures of men but suffer them to breake out to the full there would then be no order but all confusion in the world therefore as especially for his Churches quietnesse so also for the preseruatiō of publike peace and the vpholding of societie in the world betweene man and man the Lord holdes a hand ouer euery mans nature and keepes euery one in a certaine compasse limitted by the wisdom of his power which restraining hand of his if the Lord should take away all societies and common wealths would be turned vpside downe because euery man by the vniuersall corruption of his nature would breake out into euery sinne I ende this point with appealing to the testimonie of the consciences of all men and especially of the best and holiest men of whom I would aske this question whether they find not in their natures an inclination euen to the foulest sinnes in the world if shame or feare or else the grace of God restrained them not so that the best men doe knowe well enough what adoe they haue with their corrupt natures to keepe them within the compasse of Obedience Nay I yet adde further the nature of men and of all men is so corrupt since Adam that euen the seede of the sinne against the holy Ghost and a pronenesse to it is in the nature of euery man though not one man amongst many thousandes doe commit that sinne for seeing in that sinne there is a heape or Sea of all sinnes gathered together
curse vnder which euery man is borne is the second death the death of soule and bodie which is the eternall want of Gods presence and the accomplishment of his wrath and an apprehension and feeling of that wrath seazing on body soule and conscience The first curse was a spirituall death the death of the soule The second a temporarie death the death of the body The third is an eternall death a death both of soule and bodie together and for euer This eternall death is the curse of all curses the miserie of all miseries and torment of all torments and I shewe it thus Often when thy tooth acheth and sometime when thy head acheth or in the paine of the stone or collicke thou wouldest giue all that thou hast in the world to bee eased of that paine Nay in the exstremitie of some fitts many will wish them-selues euen out of the world Now if the paine of one tooth can so farre distemper minde and body that it cannot bee releiued with all the pleasures of this life O then what a torment shall that bee when not one kinde of paine but the whole viole of Gods wrath shall bee powred not on one member but on the whole soule body and conscience and that not for a time vnder hope of better but eternally without hope of release and that not in this world where there are comforts helpes and remedies but in that vgly and darksome place of torments and that not amongst liuing men which might mittigate thy paine or else bemone thee and beway leit with thee but with the Diuels and damned spirits which will now laugh at thy destruction and solace themselues in this thy misery and will reioyce as thou didest serue them in earth so now in hel to be thy tormēters It may be therfore by the way good warning and wisedome to vs all when we feele the extremity of some bodily paine to consider with our selues and say O then what shall be my misery and torment if I repent not when not one member but soule bodie and conscience shall be racked and tormented in the feeling and apprehension of the anger of the Lord of Hostes In these three points stands that curse and wrath of God vnder which euery man is borne And these doe answer to the three degrees of sinne which are in vs for as the two first Rules taught vs there is in euery man by nature till hee repent a three-fold guiltinesse First a guiltinesse of Adams sinne Secondly the taint of originall and vniuersal corruption Thirdly a pollution by many outragious actuall sinnes In the first of these euery man is equally guiltie In the second euery man is equally corrupt But in the third euery one keepes that compasse within which the Lord wil keepe them by his limitting power Now as in our guiltinesse of Adams sinne sin hath his beginning In originall sinne his continuance in actuall sin his perfection So answerable herevnto the wrath of God which alwaies standeth opposite to sinne is begun in leauing vs by nature to the slauerie of Sathan is continued by death and is accomplished in damnation And now these three Rules I commend to the carefull Christian consideration of you all certifying you from God that as you can neuer bee saued vnlesse you repent nor repent vnlesse you Search your selues as here the Prophet bid deth So that you can neuer search your selues aright til you bee perswaded and resolued of these three Rules and of the truth of them all euen in your hearts and consciences namely First that thou art guiltie of Adams sin Secondly that thou art prone by nature to al euil in the world Thirdly that for these thou art subiect to the wrath of God and to all the curses of his wrath but when thou art in heart conscience resolued that these are true then thou art a fit Scholler for this Lesson of the Prophet Search thy selfe For when thou goest thus prepared vnto this Search and esteemest of thy selfe as these three Rules haue described thee then if thou Search into thy selfe thou wilt finde thy selfe and thy estate to be such as will cause thee to repent returne and take a new course therefore what the Prophet sayd to those Iewes I say vnto you also my brethren of this Realme of England who are here now gathered together out of so many countries quarters of this Realme yea in the name of the same God I cry vnto you Search O Search your selues and thinke it not a matter indifferent to do or not to doe it but know it that God commandes you as euer you will come to saluation Search your selues And the rather because by these three Rules you see how much chaffe of corruption is in your nature and what neede therefore it hath to bee searched into and fanned by Repentance Bee well assured thou man whatsoeuer thou art there is so much Chaffe in thee that if thou search not and fanne it not out thou wilt proue nothing but Chaffe at the last day and so be blown away with the winde of Gods iustice into Hell Take hold therefore of this exhortation and deferre it not Thou wilt not suffer thy Wheate to lye too long in the chaffe for feare of hurting it Is it then safe to suffer the chaffe of thy sinnes and corruptions to lie cankering and rotting in thy heart Bee sure that that little portion of grace which thou attainest vnto by liuing in the Church and vnder the Ministrie of the Word of GOD will bee putrifyed and cleane corrupted with the Chaffe of thy sinnes therefore againe and againe I exhort you to make conscience of this dutie Search into your selues fanne out this Chaffe this presumption of ours and high esteeming of our owne nature and conceits of Gods fauour before wee haue it that so this Chaffe being blowne away the Lord may then bestow vpon vs foundnesse of grace the foundation of al goodnes which is a holy humbled heart Salnation is such a building as the foundation thereof had need to be sure and strong Ignorance blindnesse and presumption are not sufficient foundations for such a building therefore as no man wil build a strong house vpon any earth but will first search it least it prooue Sandie so ouerthrow all So a wise Christian will not build his saluation vpon fancies conceits and naturall presumptions but will Search and looke into his heart and finding these to be sandie and rotten and therefore too weake for the foundation of so glorious a building wil refuse them all and labour to furnish his heart with such sound grace as whervpon he may trust so weighty a work as is the Saluation of his soule Againe if thou wilt stand in the day of triall then Search thy heart betime and discerne betwixt Chaffe Wheat thou seest that chaffe flyeth away before the wind but good corne indures the Fan and the furie of the wind so in
are all lodged in the same graue of the earth and death hath like dominion ouer them all 3. But afterwards at the last day at Gods great haruest great winnowing time he then with the winde of his power seuereth them a sunder in soule and body Wheate from the Chaffe sheepe from the Goates separateth them neuer to be mingled againe for euer euer and then with the winde of his wrath he blowes the chaffe into fire vnquenchable and with his louing fauour gathereth his wheate into the euerlasting and glorious garners of heauen So then the first seuereth them in affection The second in soule for a time The third actually in soule and body for euer and euer Now of these three winnowing times the holy Ghost speaketh here properly of the second namely the fan of Gods iudgements so that the meaning of the Metaphor is this search your selues and repent betimes least God come vpon you with some fearefull iudgements because you haue so long contemned the fan of the word and finding you too light to abide the try all doe take you away in the iudgement and cast you into hell for as sure as the fan of the word hath made difference of you which are chaffe and which are wheate so sure shall the fanne of his iudgements blow away the chaffe to hell and damnation Thus much for the meaning Now for the vse for vs in England the case stands thus Our church doubtlesse is Gods corne field we are the corne heape of God and those Brownisles and Sectaries are blinde and besotted who cannot see that the church of England is a godly heape of Gods corne but withall we must cōfesse we are ful of chaffe that is of prophane wicked Hypocrits whose hearts and mindes abound in sinnes and rebellions and many of our best professors are also too full of chaffe that is of corruptions and doe giue themselues too much libertie in many sinnes but alas the pure wheate how thinne is it scattered howe hard to finde a man at least a family which dedicate themselues to the Lord in holy and sincere obedience and labour to make conscience of all sinnes now therefore seeing wee are Gods corne field and we haue some pure wheat amongst much chaffe therefore God will winnow vs to find out the corne if hee haue but one corne of wheat in a handfull of chaffe but one good man of many he will stirre all the heape for those fewe cornes hee will not care to blow all the chaffe to hell to finde out those fewe cornes of wheat to lay them vp in heauen so that out of all question England being so ful of chaffe must look to be winnowed Nowe for the first Fanne of his word it hath beene vsed in this land these fiue and thirtie yeares and that as powerfully and as plentifully as any where in the worlde and yet alas many are more Godlesse more ignorant more prophane then euer they were yea wickednesse groweth and the Chaffe increaseth aboue the Wheate bee sure therefore that God will bring his second Fanne vpon vs because wee will not suffer the first and the milde and gentle fanne of his word to try and search vs therefore hee will bring the fearefull fanne of his iudgements and with it hee will blowe soule body into hell with those our sinnes corruptions which we would not suffer the Fanne of Gods worde to blowe from vs. The first hath so long blowen in vaine that the second must needs come vpon vs it hath already begun to blow three or four blasts haue blown ouer vs famin pestilence earthquakes fire water winde these haue so blowne some of vs that they haue taken away a great number of vs. For vs that remaine this onely remaines that wee strengthen our selues by grace to be able to stand against the next blast for come it wil when it comes no wealth nor worldly thing can inable vs to endure it onely faith repentance the grace of God will stand at that day Now therefore in that so feareful a fanning abideth vs seeing it is so neer as appeareth by the blasts already past ouer vs which are nothing but the forerunners of a greater tēpest what shuld be our care except wee care not to be blown body soule into hel but to labour to efchew this feareful fan of Gods wrath or at least if it come vpō vs that it may not blow vs to hell but hasten vs to heauen It thy heart be touched to aske how this may be I answere thee onely to follow the Prophets aduice in this place by Searching and trying our selues The way to escape Gods triall is to try thy selfe and to escape Gods iudgement to be a iudge to thine owne soule and so the way to escape the fearfull fanne of God is to fanne thine own heart by the law of God For whomsoeuer the first fanne that is the word of God doth worke vpon these men are neuer blowen away with the fanne of Gods iudgements O then entertaine the word of God into thy heart submit thy soule vnto it let it pearce try and ransacke thy heart and lay before thee thy wretched estate by thy sinnes and when thou seest thynakednesse and misery confesse it bewayle it be humbled for it cry call for mercy and forgiuenesse pray against thy speciall sinnes striue to purge them out as the poyson of thy soule craue grace from God against al thy sinnes and if thou seest any sins more welcome to thy nature more deere vnto thee and which more prevaile against thee then others doe pray against these sinnes and striue against them aboue all and endeuour that by the fanne of Gods word they may bee blowen away from thee When thou hast done this then marke what will come of it when thou hast fanned thy selfe God will not fanne thee but when the fanne of his iudgemēt comes and bloweth so strongly vpon the wicked then the Lord finding thee already fanned and clensed by his word will spare thee and his iudgement shall either blow ouer thee and passe by thee vntouched as ouer Lot in the destruction of Sodom or else shall fanne out all thy corruptions and blow thee vp to heauen to be laid vp as pure wheat in the heauenly garners and mansions of glory which Christ ascended to prepare for thee Now then amongst those many businesses with which this world doth comber euery one of vs all which shall perish with the worlde it selfe let vs good brethren spare some time for this great businesse Martha may be combred about many things but this is that one thing which is necessarie therefore whatsoeuer is done let not this bee vndone Once a day put thy selfe and thy life vnder the fanne of Gods lawe try thy selfe what thou art and thy life how thou liuest Once a day keepe a Court in thy conscience call thy thoughts thy wordes and thy deedes to
pouerty contempt basenesse vppon it It were a worke worth the labour of the wisest heads to put downe the true meane betwixt both extreames worth the labour of our Noble King to take order that that meane be kept without rising to the right hand or falling to the left This short Treatse may hap to giue some light directions therein or at least may encourage stir vp their hearts in whose hands it is to doe it Vnder your woorthy names would I haue it see the world not so much for that I am bound to you both in many priuate and particular respects though that be much as for that know you both to be o◠so right and reformed a iudgement in this case as you would haue none Ministers but of sufficient gifts and vnblameable liues nor those Ministers put to their Pensions or vncertaine salailes but to haue certaine sufficient maintenance proportionable to their charge and beseeming the honour of a Christian Church God continue you still in that minde and make many more of the same with you so should we haue as florishing a Church as any Christendome hath seene Goe forward in that and other your religious resolutions it is the true way to honour both heere and in a better world stand firmly for the truth and boldly against the Popish enemies thereof as hitherto you haue done Religion had neuer more cause to thanke you and all that doe so then now it hath for her enemies were neuer so insolent since they were our enemies but if you and others holde on as in your seuerall places you haue wel begun and others take the like course there is hope their insolencies will bee easily if timely repressed and themselues neerest the fall when they imagine they are in the full The Lorde blesse and assist you in your painfull places and make you on earth Instruments of his glorie to the good of his Church so shall you bee vessels of glory in the kingdome of Heauen And thus commending this little treatise to your reading and my selfe to your fauour I take leaue and wil euer rest 1605. Your Worships in the Lord VV. Crashawe A Treatise of the duties and dignitie of the Ministerie Iob. 33. 23. 24. If there bee with him a Messenger An Interpreter one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnesse Then will be haue mercie on him and will say deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation IN this Chapter and the former Elihu a holy learned noble wise young man had conference with Iob in matters of high and excellent Diuinitie the points of his conference are these From the first verse of this chap. to the 7. verse is a Praeface to his speach From thence to the 13. he repeateth certaine propositions of Iob and reproueth them frō thence to these wordes hee instructeth Iob in certaine points touching Gods dealing with sinners and those are two 1 How God preserueth a sinner from falling 2 How God restoreth a sinner being falne 1 The meanes whereby God preserueth a sinner are set downe to bee two principall 1 By Admonitions in dreames and visions 2 By scourges and chastisments when the first will not preuaile And these are layde downe from the thirteene verse vnto these words 2 Then followeth the 2. point namely the restoring of a sinner when both the meanes formerly spoken of haue not preuailed with him but that through his corruption he is fallen and concerning this point he handleth these particulers 1 The remedie and meanes of his restoring 2 The effect that followeth thereupon 1 The remedie is layde downe in these wordes now red vnto vs then followeth the effect which is that when a sinner is restored by repentance then the graces of God are plentifully powred vpon him both for soule body from these words to the end of the Chapter The intent then of this Scripture is that God vseth meanes in his mercie to preserue sinners from falling into sinne but if they doe then hee in much greater mercie afordeth them meanes and helpes to rise againe And this is the summe and substance of the words Now that means and remedie is the matter I purpose to speake of out of these wordes The meanes then to restore a sinner after a fall is to raise him by repentance to a better estate then hee was in before and that is inclusiuely and by implication taught in this Text But the instrument by whom that great worke is to be wrought is here in plaine termes layd downe to bee a Minister of God lawfully called and sent by God appointed by his Church to that great dutie So that these wordes containe a worthy description of a true Minister and he is here described 1 By his titles which are two An Angell An Interpreter 2 By his rarnesse One of a thousand 3 By his office which is to declare vnto man his righteousnes 4 By the blessing that God giueth vpon the labours of this true Minister which is then God will haue mercie vpon the sinner 5 By his Commission and authoritie in the last wordes God will say Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation Let vs speake of them in order as they lie in the text and first of his titles 1 The first title of a Minister of God is he is called a Messenger or an Angel and not here alone but elswhere in the Scripture Malachy 2. 7. He is the Messenger of the Lord of hostes And in the Reuelation the Ministers of the 7. Churches are called the Angels of those Churches So that it is apparant a true Minister is an Angel of God in one place and in the other place the Angel of the Church Hee is an Angell or Messenger sent from God to his Church This consideration affords matter of much vse And first for Ministers themselues The most of vs in this place are eyther Prophets or sonnes of the Prophets If thou be a Prophet thou art Gods Angel If a sonne of the prophets thou intendest to bee then marke thy dutie prophets and Ministers are Angels in the very institution of their calling Therefore thou must preach Gods word as GODS word and deliuer it as thou receiuest it for Angels Embassadors and Messengers carry not their owne message but the message of their Lords and Maisters who sent them and Ministers carry the message of the Lord of Hostes therefore they are bound to deliuer it as the Lords and not their owne In the first Epistle of Peter 4. 11. wee are bid If any man speake let him speake not onely the word of God but as the word of God Gods word must bee spoken and as Gods word then shew thy faithfulnesse to the Lord in discharging thy hands sincerely of that message which he hath honoured thee to
but to be this Interpreter which the holy Ghost heere saith a Minister must bee But to bee able to speake with this tongue is first to bee furnished with humane learning Secondly with Diuine knowledge as farre as it may by outward meanes bee taught from man to man but besides these hee that will speake this tongue aright must be inwardly learned and taught by the spirit of God the two first he must learne from men but the third from God a true Minister must be inwardly taught by the spiritual school-maister the holy Ghost Saint Iohn in the Reuelatiō must take the book that is the Scripture and eate it and when hee hath eaten it then saith the Angell he must goe preach to Nations tongues people and to Kings which was done not that Saint Iohn had not eaten that booke in the comming downe of the holy Ghost the very ende of whose comming was to teach them spiritually but that in him Christ might teach his Church for euer that no Minister is fit to preach to nations and to Kings vntill they haue eaten the booke of God that is till after and besides all the learning that man can teach them they be also taught by the spirit of God himselfe and this teaching is it that makes a man a true interpreter and without this he cannot be for how can a man bee Gods interpreter to his people vnlesse he knowe the mind of God himselfe and how can he knowe the minde of God but by the teaching of the spirit of God For as no man knoweth the thought of a man but the spirit of man that is in him So the things of God knoweth no mā but the spirit of god Indeed we may be mans interpreter by humane teaching and may interpret the Scriptures truly and soundly as a humane booke or storie for the increase of knowledge but the diuine spiritual interpreter which shal pearce the hart and astonish the soule of man must bee taught by the inward teaching of the holy Ghost Let no man thinke I heere giue the least allowance to Anabaptisticall fancies and reuelations which are nothing but eyther dreames of their owne or illusions of the Diuell for they contemne both humane learning and the study of the scripture and trust wholy to reuelations of the spirit but Gods Spirit worketh not but vpon the foundation of the worde onely I teach this that a Minister must bee a diuine Interpreter an Interpreter of Gods meaning And therfore he must not onely reade the books but eate it that is not onely haue the knowledge of Diuine things flowing in his braine but ingrauen in his heart and printed in his soule by the spirituall finger of God and therefore for this end after all his owne study meditation conference Commentaries and after all humane helps hee must pray with Dauid Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy lawe The discerning of those wonders requires a spirituall illumination and the opening of them requires the tongue of the learned Therefore after all the studie which flesh and blood and humane reason can yeelde pray with the Prophet Lord giue me the tongue of the learned that I may be a right interpreter of thy holy will Furthermore inasmuch as ministers are Interpreters they must labour for sanctitie and holinesse of life In Esay the king of Assiria is saide to bee sanctified or set a part to destroy Gods enemies If there be a certaine kind of sanctification necessary for the worke of destruction then how much more is true sanctification necessarie for this great and glorious worke of the edification of Gods Church A Minister is to declare the reconciliation betwixt God and man and is hee himselfe not reconciled Dare he present another man to Gods mercy for pardon and neuer yet presented himselfe Can hee commend the state of Grace to another and neuer felt the sweetenesse thereof in his owne soule Dare hee come to preach sanctification with polluted lips and out of an vnsanctified heart Moses might not stand vpon the Mount in Gods presence till hee had put off his shooes from off his feet Exod. 3. and dare any man presume to come into this most high and holy presence of the Lord vntill he haue mortified his corruptions and cast off the vnrulines of his affections In Exodus the priests are bid to sanctifie the people and in Leuiticus it is saide that God will be sanctified in all that come neere him but who come so neere vnto God as the Ministers do So that it is apparant Ministers doe sanctifie the people and in some construction God himselfe Nowe shall they one way bee sanctifiers of the people another way of God himselfe and no way of themselues Surely if it bee so they are but lame Interpreters And this is the reason doubtlesse why vnsanctified Ministers and such as are of a loose conuersation bestow such fruitlesse labours in the Church many want no learning no ability to interpret yet how fewe soules doe they bring to God Some it may bee are conuerted by their Ministerie that God may shewe the efficacie is not in the person of man but in the ordinance of God but fewe doubtlesse for ought that we can see to teach vs how God hateth him which will take in hand to reconcile others to God himselfe being vnreconciled Seing-then Ministers are Gods Interpreters to the people to declare publish their reconciliation with God and that they cannot be reconciled vnlesse they be sanctified and can so hardly bee sanctified by the ministerie of an vnsanctified man let therefore all true Ministers of God first be Gods Interpreters to their owne consciences and their owne soules Interpreters to God then shall they know more perfectly how to discharge the office of true Interpreters betwixt God and his people And thus we haue the true titles of a true Minister Now it followeth in the Text. One of a thousand Here is the second part of this description which is by the rarenesse or scarcenesse of good Ministers which is layd downe in a very strange phrase namely that a true Minister one that is a right Angel and a true Interpreter is no common or ordinarie man but thin sowne one of many Nay one of a thousand The meaning hereof is to be conceiued either properly or figuratiuely in the figuratiue sence it is spoken in relation to ministers themselues in the proper sense it hath a comparison with all men the figuratiue and hyperbolicall sense is that of all the Ministers in the worlde not one of many is a right Angel and a true Interpreter the plaine proper sense is that amongst the men of this worlde there is not one of a thousand which proues a true Minister For this point let vs examine three points the truth of it the reasons of it and the vse of it The truth hereof is
manifest by the experience of all ages wherein it is strange to obserue how fewe men of any sort especially of the better sort affect the calling of a Minister and which is more strange howe fewe of those that are Ministers in name and title doe deserue these honourable names of an Angel and an Interpreter and the truth is too manifest in common practise to insist much vpon it rather therefore let vs see the reasons of it and they be these principally First the Contempt that lyeth on that calling it being alwayes hated by wicked and prophane men because it discouers their filthines and vnmaskes their hypocrisie and their doctrine oftimes is a fretting corrasiue to their conscience that they cannot welter and wallowe so quietly and secretly in their sinnes as otherwise they would therefore is it that they spurne both against the calling and the men and watch them narrowly and take holde of their least infirmities thereby to disgrace them iudging that to cast contempt on that calling is to remoue shame from their owne shamefull courses nor is it possible but that they should thus hate this calling inasmuch as they hate so deadly both that lawe and Embassage which they bring and that GOD whose Embassadors they are This hatred and disgrace in the wicked world was that that caused Ieremie to cry woe is me made him in the seeming of his natural reason curse the time that euer he was a prophet for saith he I am a man of cōtention euery man is at strife and at enmitie with me The next reason is The difficultie of discharging the duties of his calling to stand in Gods presence to enter into the holy of holiest to goe betwixt God his people to be Gods mouth to the people and the peoples to God to be the Interpreter of the eternall lawe of the olde Testament and the euerlasting Gospell of the New to stand in the roume and to beare the office of Christ himselfe to take the care and charge of soules these considerations are so many amazements to the consciences of such men who doe with reuerence approch not with rashnes rush vnto this sacred seate this made Saint Paul cry out who is sufficient for these things And if Paul said Who is no marnell though many a man say I am not sufficient and doe therefore draw their neckes from this yoke and their hands from this plough vntill God himselfe or his Church doe presse them to it The last reason is more peculiar to this age of the newe Testament namely want of maintenance and preferment for them that labour in this calling men are flesh and blood and in that respect must be allured and wonne to embrace this vocation by some arguments which may perswade flesh and blood the world hath in all ages beene negligent herein and therefore God in his law tooke such strict orders for the maintenance of the Leuites but especially now vnder the Gospel this calling is vnprouided for when it deserues best of all to be rewarded certainly it were a worthy Christian pollicie to propound good preferments to this calling that thereby men of the worthiest giftes might be won vnto it and the want thereof is cause why so many young men of speciall partes and greatest hope turne to other vocations and especially to the Lawe wherein at this day the greatest partes of the finest wits of our kingdome are imployed why But because they haue al the meanes to rise wheras the Ministerie for the most part yeeldeth nothing but a plaine way to beggery this is a great blemish in our Church and surely I wish the Papists those children of this world were not wiser in their kinde in this point then the Church of God the reformation hereof is a worke worth the labour of prince and people speciall care is to bee had in it else it will not be reformed for doubtlesse had not God himselfe in the olde testament taken such straight orders for the liuings of the Leuites they had beene put to no lesse extremities then is the Ministrie of this age And this reason added to the other makes them perfect and all put together make a reason infallible for who will vndergo so vile contempt and vndertake so great a charge for no reward and where there is so great contempt so heauie a burthen and so meane a reward what maruell if a good Minister be one of a thousand Now let vs make vse of this doctrine The vse is manifold and yeelds instructions to many sorts of people First Rulers and Magistrates are heere taught if good Ministers be so scarce therefore to mainetaine and increase and doe all good they can to the schooles of the Prophets to Vniuersities Colledges Schooles of good learning which are the Seminaries of the Ministerie herein the example of Samuel is very worthy to bee followed in whose dayes the schooles of the Prophets florished and euen Saul himselfe though hee did much hurt in Israel yet when he came to the schooles of the Prophets his hard heart relented he could doe them no hurt nay he put off his robes prophecied amongst them So should all Christian princes and magistrates aduaunce their schooles and see them both well maintained and well stored the reason is euident forcible A good Minister is one of 1000. If therfore they would haue the number increased let them maintaine the Seminaries And againe if Antichrist to vphold his kingdome the Kingdome of Sathan bee so carefull herein to erect Colledges and indowe them with liuing to bee Seminaries for his Synagogue and vse so great meanes to sowe his tares in the hearts of young men that so they may sowe them in the hearts of the people abroad shall not Christian princes bee as carefull or rather much more zealous for the increasing of the number of godly Ministers shall Baal haue his 4. hundred prophets and God haue his Elias alone great shame must it bee to Ahab or to any king whose kingdome is in that estate The Iesuites diligence is such in teaching and the readinesse of some of their nouices such in learning the diuell himselfe doubtlesse putting to his helpe withall that in three yeares as some of them say of themselues they proceede in humane learning and in the fourth in Diuinitie which if it be so then it may bee a good Lesson for these our schooles of learning and an inducement to moue all that haue the gouernment thereof to labour to aduance learning by all good meanes and to giue it more speedie passage And it may shame some that spend so many yeares in the Vniuersitie and yet alas for all that proue not one of a 1000. In these our schooles are by Gods mercy many young trees planted by the riuer side of this goodly Orchard which by good ordring and dressing may prooue goodly trees in the
Ministers let this suffice them they are the men that must declare vnto man his righteousnesse euen he that scornes and contemnes the ministerie hee hath no righteousnesse in him vnlesse it bee by the meanes of a poore Minister then doe thou thy duty and bee that mockes thee hath cause to honour thee And let this encourage Students to consecrate themselues to the ministery for what calling hath so high an office as this to declare vnto man his righteousnesse And assuredly how euer in this wicked world thou art little accounted of for if it did not so it were not wicked yet thou art honoured in the harts of all Gods children and euen in the conscience of some whose tongues doe smite thee and the soules of thousands when they dye shal blesse thee who in their liues cared not for thee and the diuell himselfe doth enuy the holy Angels themselues doe wonder at the excellency of thy calling in that thou hast power to declare vnto men his righteousnesse In the next place hearers may heere learne first if their righteousnesse bee thus to bee declared as afore then if they will haue it they must seeke it as it may bee found namely both in the lawe and in the Gospell and not in the Gospell alone and first in the lawe then in the Gospell for he must neuer looke to taste the sweetnes of the Gospell which hath not first swallowed the bitter pilles of the law if therefore thou wouldest be declared righteous by the Gospell bee content first to bee pronounced miserable by the lawe if thou wouldst be declared righteous in Christ then bee content first to bee pronounced sinfull and vnrighteous in thy selfe Secondly all men may heere learne how they are to esteeme of Gods Ministers and what reuerence and obedience is due to their persons and their doctrine these are they which must declare vnto thee thy righteousnesse if thou hast any Art thou beholden to him who when thou hast lost a Iewell which was all thy wealth can tell thee where it is and helpe thee to it againe or to him who when thy cause is in triall at the barre will pleade it for thee or to him who when thy health is lost can tell thee how to get it againe then beholde how thou art beholden to a godly Minister who when Adam had lost both himselfe and thee that Iewell of righteousnesse which was and is the whole wealth of thy soule can truly tell thee where it is and howe it is to bee had againe and who when the diuell haleth thee to the barre of Gods iustice to receiue triall for thy sinnes can drawe thee there such a declaration as the diuell himselfe shall not bee able to answere and who when thy soule is sicke to death and euen to damnation can heale the deadly wounds thereof A good minister therefore is worthy as the Apostle saith of double honour whose dutie wee see is to declare vnto man his righteousnesse And to conclude this point also the consideration of the height of this office of a minister may encourage fathers to dedicate their sonnes to this holy calling for the Physitians care for the body or the Lawyers for thy cause are both inferiour duties to this of the Mininister A good Lawyer may be one of tenne a good Physitian one of 20. a good man one of 100. but a good minister is one of 1000. A good Lawyer may declare the true state of thy cause a good Physitian may declare the true state of thy body No calling no man can declare vnto thee thy righteousnesse but a true Minister And thus we see the office or function of a minister Now followeth the blessing Then will he haue mercy vpon him The fourth generall part of this description is the blessing which God giueth to the labours and function of a true Minister then that is when a man by the preaching of the lawe is brought to true humiliation and repentance and by the preaching of the Gospell to true faith in the Messias then will he that is God haue mercy on him that is on the penitent and beleeuing sinner Behold heere the admirable simpathy and the cooperation of God and the Ministers office Man preacheth and God blesseth Man worketh on the heart and God giues grace a minister declares vnto man his righteousnesse and God saith so be it he shall be righteous a minister pronounceth mercy to a penitent sinner and forthwith God hath mercy on him Heere wee see the great and glorious account which God makes of the worde of his ministers by them truly taught and rightly applyed namely that he as it were tyeth his blessing vnto it for ordinarily till a man knowe his righteousnesse by the meanes of an Interpreter God hath not mercy on him but as soone as he doth knowe it then as we see here God wil haue mercy on him and will say deliuer him c. This is no small honour to ministers and to their Ministerie that God himselfe giues a blessing vnto it worketh when they work and as it were staieth wayting when they declare vnto a man his righteousnesse and then hath he mercy on him so powerfull and so effectuall is the worde spoken by a minister of God This is that which Christ auoucheth Whatsoeuer you loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen Will you knowe the meaning hereof Reade Saint Iohn whose sinnes soeuer you remit they are remitted whose you retaine they are retained will you haue the meaning of both read Esay God destroyeth the tokens of Soothsayers and makes Wisards and Astrologers fooles turneth worldly wisemen backward and makes their knowledge foolishnesse but hee confirmeth the word of his seruants and performeth the counsel of his messengers Thus God bindeth and looseth with them remitteth and retaineth with them by confirming their word and performing their counsell For example A true minister seeth a sinner hardned in his sins still rebelling against the will of God he therfore declareth vnto him his vnrighteousnes his sin denounceth vnto him the misery curses of Gods iustice as due vnto him for the same here he binds on earth here he retains on earth this mans sins are likewise bound retained in heauen On the other side hee seeth a man penitēt belieuing he pronounceth forgiuenes of sins happines vnto him for the same he looseth him from the band of his sins by declaring vnto him his righteousnes this mans sins are likewise loosed remitted in heauen God himselfe doth pronounce him cleare in heauen when the Minister doth on earth Thus God confirmeth the word of his seruants and performeth the counsell of his messengers The vse of this doctrine is first for rulers and great men of this worlde this may teach them to be nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers vnto the Church whose authority they see is so great ouer them
but grieue their christian harts to see the maintenance so miserable This Treatise I first of all send to you vnder your names to the world to you first for as I am sure you loued the Author and honoured those excellent gifts of God in him so you cānot but accept this after birth of his as a fatherles child for the fathers sake And for my self to cōceale al personal priuat respects in the name of many thousands in the Northeren countries I praise God for the good done in those parts by your painful courses religious care not doubting but if your selues or the like bee imployed there to asist our honourable and Religie us Lord President that the multitude of Popish Priestes there lurking will bee dayly lessened the number of preachers augmented Poperie put downe and the Gospell maintained more and more Which blessing GOD graunt to that and all other Counteries of this Kingdome for his mercies sake and giue vnto you all others in your place the spirit of courage and constancie in these declining dayes that being faithfull in your great charges vnto the end you may receiue the Crowne of life for which he hartily prayeth who will euer rest VV. Crashawe The second Treatise of the Duties and Dignities of the Ministerie Esay 6. 5. Then I said woe is me I am vndone for I am a man of polluted lips and dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lips for my eyes haue seene the king and Lord of hostes 6. Then flewe one of the Seraphins vnto me with a hote coale in his hand 7. Which he tooke from the Altar with the tonges and touched my mouth and said Loe this hath touched thy lips and thy iniquitie shall be taken away and thy sin shall be purged 8. Also I heard the voyce of the Lorde saying whom shall I send and who shall goe for vs then said I here am I send me and he said goe IN the fiue former Chapters are cōtained such Sermons as the Prophet had made vnder Vzziah king of Iuda At this Chapter begin such as he preached in the raigne of Iotham and so forward But before hee either preach or prophecie of any thing in King Iothams dayes or his successors the Lord in this Chapter giues a newe commission to the Prophet a newe confirmation to this Calling the olde king in whose dayes Esayah was first called being now dead another succeeding him God with the new king reneweth the calling commission of the Prophet wherein God doth not giue him another calling for one calling to the office of the ministery is sufficient but hee confirmeth the calling formerly giuen by repeating ratifying it And this God did to Esay not as he was an ordinarie but an extraordinary prophet for ordinary Ministers need no renouation of their calling nor any new signes of cōfirmation but extraordinary prophets who come in extraordinary maner to doe many extraordinary workes God in his wisdom wil haue their calling confirmed again againe that by very extraordinary meanes Out of which practise of the Lord we learne how great cause wee haue to doubt these men to bee either fantasticall or worse who pretend extraordinary callings in these dayes and yet scarce can shew vs any good signes of an ordinary much lesse of an extraordinatie motion for if in those dayes when such courses were more cōmon God will haue his extraordinary Prophets calling to be renued cōfirmed again againe then certainly in these dayes we may iustly require more more wonderfull signes of an extraordinary calling afore we belieue it and if God himselfe was so carefull to satisfie his Church in those dayes of the vocation of his prophet surely the church in these daies hath much more cause to doubt in such cases and to require many and extraordinary signes afore it acknowledge any such extraordinary calling These men therefore offer much wrong to the Church deserue both the censure thereof and the sword of the Magistrate who dare so boldly offer and obtrude to the Church their owne fancies and dreames as extraordinary motions of Gods spirit This is the occasion and coherence This Chapter hath two partes first the meanes of his confirmation from the beginning to these words secondly the confirmation it selfe from these words to the end the meanes of his confirmation is a vision he saw from heauen of certaine holy Angels appearing and speaking to him in the first 4. verses In the confirmation which followeth in these words are three points◠1 The effect of the vision which i wrought in the Prophet it caused him feare it astonisht him and cast him downe in the fifth verse 2 His Consolation raising vp again after his feare in the 6. and 7. verses 3 The renuing of his Commission againe from thence to the end The feare and astonishment of the Prophet is described 1 By the signes of which are two 1 A note of exclamation woe is me 2 By a note of extreame deiection in himselfe I am vndone 2 By the causes of it which are also set downe to be two 1 He was a man polluted and dwelt amongst people polluted 2 He had seene the Lord. Then said I woe is me I am vndone The first point in order is the feare extasie into which the Lord droue his holy Prophet which the Lord did not in his anger but in his loue vnto him not for a punishment of sinne but as an euidence of his further loue for the intent and purpose of God in striking this feare into him was to inable him to be a true prophet a fit messenger for himself It may seeme a strange course which God taketh to confirme raise vp his seruant in zeale and courage to strike him into an extreame feare euen to astonish and amaze him and yet we see it is the course which the Lord taketh out of which practise of the Lord we learne this doctrine That all true Ministers especially such as are deputed to the greatest works in his church must be first of all striken into a great feare in consideration of the greatnes of their function yea into an amazement and astonishment in the admiration of Gods glory greatnes whose roome they occupy whose message they bring the more they are afraid and shrinke so it be vnder the contemplation of Gods Maiestie and their owne weaknes the more likelier it is that they are truly cald of God appointed for worthy purposes in his Church but he that steps to this function without feare he may thrust in himselfe but its doubtfull whether hee bee cald of God as here the Prophet was Nor is it so here alone but euery where when God called any of his seruants to any great worke be first droue thē into these feares and a mazements as is euident in Moses in Ieremie in
must touch his lippes that which in all reason would haue made him speake worse by Gods appointment and the power of his word shall make him speake better Out of which practise of God we learn many points First see how GOD magnifieth meanes hee can worke without them and so hee did in the Creation giuing light to the worlde diuers dayes before there was Sunne but since the order of nature was established hee generally vseth meanes not onely in his ordinary but euen in his miraculous actions and though he vse not alwayes the ordinary and direct meanes yet meanes he generally vseth though they seeme contrary as heere in this place and the same wil be found true in almost al the miracles both of the Old and New Testament This therefore commends vnto all men the vse of such good meanes as Gods prouidence hath ordained of any duties or effecting of any thing that doth belong vnto vs to doe and not to depend vpon immediate helpes from Heauen as many fonde and fantasticall men doe who are therfore oftentimes iustly forsaken of God and left destitute of all helpe and so exposed to shame and reproach Secondly see here the mighty power of Gods ordinance how it appeareth in weakenesse such are all his great workes In the Creation hee brought light out of darknesse In our Redemption hee brought vs life out of death In our conuersions he workes vpon vs by his word by it hee drawes vs to him which in al reason would driue vs from him and by it confounds the wisedome of the worlde which is starke foolishnesse to the wisedome of the world And so here hee cleanseth the Prophet by a Coale of fire which would rather defile him and seasoneth his mouth with it which in reason should haue burned him so great so admirable and so powerfull are the ordinances of God though they seeme so contrary or so weake in themselues or in their meanes Let this teach all men not to contemne the Sacraments though the outward Elements Bread Wine and Water be weake and common and dead creatures in themselues nor the Ministerie of the Word though it be exercised by a weake man mortall miserable as others are for that God which can season the Prophets mouth and clense his heart by a coale of fire no maruell though hee worke vppon the consciences of men by his word and Sacraments And againe when we see Grace and Holinesse conueyed into mens hearts by the Word and Sacraments let vs learne not to ascribe it to the dignitie either of the Minister or the Elements but to the supreme power of the mightie God who can purge the Prophet by a coale from the altar Neither is it altogether without Mysterie that God here sanctifieth the prophet by touching his lippes with a fierie coale for it signifieth that the apt sufficient teacher must haue a fierie tongue and to that same purpose the holy Ghost came downe vppon the Apostles in fierie toongs it may be that the one is a tipe of the other Certaine it is that they both teach vs thus much that all true and able Ministers must pray and endeuour to haue a tongue full of power and force euen like fire to eate vp the sinnes and corruptions of the worlde For though it be a worthy gift of God to speake mildly and moderately so that his speech shal fall like deawe vpon the grasse yet it is the firerie tongue that beates downe sinne and workes sound grace in the heart It may be there are some which neede the fierie tongue This shewes apparantly that those Ministers neuer had their lips touched with a coale frō Gods altar that is their soules with a coale from Gods altar that is their consciences neuer touched nor their soules seasoned with the sanctifying grace of Gods spirit which sit still and see great and grieuous staines in a Church and corruptions in a State and can bee content neuer to reproue them as though Ministers were perswaders onely and not reprouers But when this comes to be wayed in the ballance of a good conscience it will bee found that not the pleasing tongue but the fierie tongue is the principall grace of a good Minister But to goe further whence came this Coale Taken from the Altar This coale of fire was taken by the angel from the altar of God where was a fire which neuer went out and this fire was that that came from heauen sent downe by God at the dedication of the Temple by Salomon And this fire kindled by God neuer went out for no man could kindle the like but all other was counted strange fire As Nadab and Abihu tryed in wofull experience when they would needes offer with in Now the Prophet must be cleansed with the fire which came from Heauen teaching vs that the Minister must haue his fierie tongue frō the holy Ghost As the Apostles were said to bee baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire A fierie tongue is a speciall ornament of a Minister but that fire must come from heauen that is his zeale must be a godly and heauenly zeale but hee that hath a rayling lying a slanderous a malicious or a contentious tongue hee hath a fierie tongue indeed But this is kindled of the sire of hell as S. Iames saith The vnbridled tongue is a world of wickednes and defileth the whole body setteth on fire the whole course of nature and is set on fire in hell So then a spitefull and malicious tongue wee see is a fierie tongue but that fire is taken from hell and not from Gods altar And hee that stands vp to preach with this tongue God will neuer suffer any great worke to be done by him in his Church though his tongue be neuer so fierie and his speech neuer so powerfull As therefore Ministers must abhorre the flattering and pleasing tongue and must haue a fierie tongue so on the other side this fire must bee from Gods altar that is the fire of their zeale must bee kindled by Gods spirit and not by the spirit of discord and dissention Ambitious humors turbulent proud humours new opinions priuate quarrels all these nor none of these are for the pulpit These may make a man fierie tongued but this fire was neuer taken from Gods altar as the Prophets was this fierie tongue neuer came from heauen as the Apostles did It followeth And touched my lippes This fifth and last circumstance is the Application of the remedie The coale which is the medicine is applyed by this Angel to his lips that is to that part which was polluted and as he formerly complained of the pollution of his lips so the medicine is applyed to his lippes Here the Angell which in this case is made GODS minister doth teach all Gods Ministers a great point of wisedome in heauenly Diuinitie namely to