Heb. 10.25 Forsake not our assembling together For this cause many difficulties and obscurities mingled in Scriptures many things hard to be understood f 2 Pet. 3.16 perverted by the unlearned and unstable of which we may say as the Eunuch to Philip Acts 8.31 How can I understand without a guide or an Interpreter And secondly For this cause it pleaseth God by little and little to give his graces a little knowledg a little experience Wherefore But that he may continually keep as it were an appetite and edge upon our desires Therefore also many decaies as in buildings Ephes 4. that what we seemed best to know we forget comfort and consolation not stable c. namely by this means to evidence the necessity of using an Interpreter Therefore Beloved Vse they are deceived and do deprive themselves of much comfort that content themselves with their own private meditation and study of the word of God and refuse or neglect publique Ministry That they use private endeavours I blame not but that they neglect the publique Ministry this is their heavy sin and unspeakable discomfort And yet I know a common opinion and practice of many that they are perswaded by private reading they may come to know God in Christ to Salvation Now Beloved I will not say simply but that some man namely such an one as to whom the Lord denies the publique Ministry may come to saving saith by reading no nor but that a man living in the Church may come to a great measure of discoursing knowledg But this I say A man that may heare and will not and contents himself with private duties he shall never come to know God to Salvation The Reason is God usually breaks not his ordinary course when it may be had 2. He hath cursed all private devotions where the publique Ministry is contemned Pro. 28.9 He that turneth his eare from hearing the Law his prayer shall be abominable his study reading all is accursed unto him And therefore mark when you will such men how it pleaseth God to give them up many times to foul and gross errors in judgment and life wherefore I say again Despise not Prophecying He is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts 1. His Office 2. The Author of it See we the message Rom. 10.15 2. Cor. 5.20 From whom sent from the Lord of Hosts Now this teacheth us that are Ministers sundry duties Observ 1. Not to add alter or diminish any thing of that Message the Lord hath put into our mouths this the office of a good Messenger Secondly You that are the people are taught with meekness and reverence to entertaine our Message howsoever distastefull unto you considering we are but Messengers Thirdly seeing Messengers of the Lord of Hosts you are taught reverence to us in respect of our Message The contempt of a Minister in respect of his Message is the contempt of him that sends Mat. 10.40 And that contempt the Lord will never suffer to go unpunished When f 2 Sam. 10. David saw how his Messengers whom he sent to Hanun to entreat of peace betwixt them were used or rather abused by him his wrath is enkindled and justly against him And let all those that despise Ministers lay it to heart Ye have heard of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah and how the Lord made them ensamples of his vengeance believe it for the mouth of truth hath spoken it very Sodomy it self is not a heavier sin nor more severely punished in hell than this of despising a Minister in the saithfull discharge of his Ministry VER 8. But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the Covenant of Levi saith the Lord of Hosts ORdinary Pastors many erre Observ and teach false Doctrine For Explication Pastors of the Church are of two sorts some extraordinarily raised up by the Lord extraordinarily assisted by his Spirit such were Prophets and Apostles of whom Peter saith 2 Pet. 1. ult That they spake not of any private motion but even as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost Ordinary such as by ordinary calling are deputed to the Office of Teaching of these whether alone or collected it is true they may erre First That they have erred See Mat. 23. Scribes and Pharisees sate in Moses Chair had ordinary calling and succession without interruption yet had they Leaven mingled with their Doctrine Mat. 18.8 And lest any should say That Singularly they might erre but not Collected See Mar. 15.64 High Priest and all assembled and yet conclude of Christ He had blasphemed Secondly if not then because they spake infallibly by inspiration of the holy Ghost But this not for then it will follow that their decrees are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so of equall authority with the Scripture Thirdly if not this either in respect of Multitude or Wisdome or Holiness or Promise but first Multitude frees them not as in Achabs g 1. King 22. Prophets and that warning agree not with a Multitude Exod. 23.2 Secondly Not in respect of their Wisdome for they are not alwaies the wisest that are assembled in Councells Thirdly Not in respect of holiness for themselves confessing They may be as lewd as any 4. Nor in respect of promise If any alledge Joh. 16.18 Answer That promise in that measure made to the Apostles and that as well separate as collected Besides all this expetience sheweth it Concilium Laodicenum approves only the books that are now received Trident concludes the Apocryphall one must needs erre Councill of Neocasarea against second marriages and will have Priests put them to penance that admit them yet S. Paul warrants them Rom. 7.3 1 Cor. 7.39 Councill of Nice ordeined rebaptization for all that had followed Paylus Samosetanus Object The high Priest of the New Testament cannot Answer True if understood of Christ But if of the Pope ye shall see experience Liberius subscribed to Arrianisme John the 22 that the souls of the wicked should not at all be punished till the day of Judgment and this he sends Preachers to publish John the 23. That the souls of men are mortall and that there is no Resurrection not Life after this Honorius a Monothelite and this he did dogmatizare deliver by way and as in the nature of a decree What needs more Heare Reasons proving it 1 Ignorance 1 Cor. 13.12 2. Imperfect Sanctification 3. No promise of Infallible and incessant assistance that promise peculiar to Apostles Joh. 16.13 Let it teach us that wisdome that S. Paul prescribes Vse To try all things 1 Thes 5.21 1 Joh. 4.1 and even to fill our selves with knowledg of the Word of God And never so much admire any Minister be his gifts never so reverend as not to bring him to the common tryall and touchstone And if ever this Exhortation needfull now are the Times wherein you shall see a manifest going out of the way and a reviving of
Let light shine by good works See 1 Cor. 9. ult and the mystery of Vrim and Thummim that is light and perfection that ought to be in the Priests Fourth That all this was done in sincerity and uprightness of heart this that Paul challengeth to himself 2 Cor. 1.12 and counts it his chief comfort walking with God that is when a man is not carried away with the streame of the times but keeps on a constant endeavour of approving himself and his heart to God Vse 1 Reproved here all such as in place of Teachers teach not at all and these of two sorts 1. Some for lack of ability as how many amongst our selves in this Church of England 2. All such as having ability yet use not their gifts to the good of Gods people See 1 Cor. 12.7 the gifts of the Spirit are given to profit withall called dispensers 1 Cor. 4.1 and 1 Pet. 4.10 As we have received so we must minister the same gift to edification Secondly Those that teach but teach unsoundly whether gross errours or quirks of their own wit The Apostle dealing against this kind of Teaching thus saith That their labour and reward is all lost 1 Cor. 3.15 They profane the Temple of God and the Lord shall destroy such Thirdly Those that teaching truths and nothing but truths yet walk inordinately to the disgrace of truth hinderance of the Gospell How many such are every where causing Christs ordinances as the Sons of Eli 1 Sam. 2.17 did the Lords sacrifices by their ungracious lives to be loathed Fourthly That are outwardly painfull and honest vet without uprightness of heart in the sight of God Phil 1.15 Some such spoken of that preached Christ indeed but it was out of envy or for filthy Lucre such an one was Judas And would God many such did not discover themselves dayly their sins cannot be hid 1 Tim. 5.24 Vse 2 Now this as it teacheth us in place of Ministry to labour to be such so you that are the people to pray God to give such Pastors unto his people Mat. 9. ult Pray God that he would thrust forth Labourers into his harvest Beloved How our Church groans under the burthen of such idle Idoll or profane shepherds we see and can talk of would God we could heartily bewaile and as becomes us pray heartily for redress no doubt we should see the work of the Lord goe faster forward And did turne many away from iniquity In this clause we have expressed the effect of these Levites thus demeaning themselves They turned many from iniquity Sense How is this said of the Ministry when conversion is made the peculiar work of God Answer As to Instruments because by them the Lord works conversion faith repentance c. Therefore we are said to save others 1 Tim. 4. ult to wit as Instruments because without us God ordinarily saves none and by us and the foolishness of Preaching saves them that believe therefore 1 Cor. 3.9 said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-workers with God and Instruments effectuall Ministers by whom ye have believed so to remit sins as Instruments and Ministers So then here observe That the Ministry of the Word Observ in the mouth of a faithfull Pastor is not ineffectuall but is Gods strong power to Salvation Rom 1.16 See Isa 8.18 Loe me and the children which thou hast given me 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God Heb. 4.12 mighty in operation 1 Cor. 14.25 Prophecy humbles and makes fall down The reason whereof is The promise of God and his good pleasure I will be with you that is not only to protect you and to assist and enable you but to bless your Ministry Object Sometimes ineffectuall Answer A double effect of the Minister 2 Cor. 2.15 16. Isa 55.10 As the show and the raine 2. Fruit may be that is not seen as in Elias his time seven thousand but invisible Rom. 11.4 Act. 18.10 much people in that City 3. Though blessing promised yet times and seasons kept in Gods power as Act. 18.10 The day of visitation is not come Vse 1 This should be our incouragement to whom the Ministry of the word of God is committed if we walk uprightly in the sight of God howsoever perhaps we see not at the first the fruits of our labours yet keeping our selves in the waies of God and waiting on him we expect a blessing It is truly a discomfortable thing to be a Minister to take paines where no fruit appears it made Jeremy resolve to speak no more in the name of the Lord Jer. 20.9 and secondly Paul shakes his raiment Acts 18.6 but is reproved of the Lord. Vse 2 This should teach us not to despise the Ministry of the word of God being ordeined to be so powerfull an Instrument to convert many such speeches there be of profane men they cannot remember that ever they were the better for any Sermon they heard It may well so be for this seed takes not root in all grounds But this I dare say He that with an honest heart hath heard Luk. 8.15 can say He seldome hath heard Sermon but he hath been bettered thereby how powerfull feele we it ripping up corruptions in humbling for sins in furthering with comfort c And let such as have not felt their power suspect their State VER 7. For the Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts GLoss of Papists Hence they deduce That Priests cannot erre how absurdly See ver 8. They had forsaken the way and caused many to fall Know we then That this no promise but a prescription of duty The Lord doth not promise that they shall be free from errour but prescribes what were their duties namely to labour to be even a treasure-house of knowledge for the people of God so also that place 1. Tim. 3. understood of Office not of Fact Hence then may we observe Observ What the Office of a Pastour is He must be such an one as is stored with knowledg of the will of God See Mat. 13.52 The good Scribe c. Those many offices required of us shew it as to be able to resolve all doubts to convince errours c. Tit. 1.9 This knowledg is of two sorts 1 Theoreticall 2 Experimentall both these necessary in a Minister And it should teach us Vse as Paul 1 Tim. 4.13 to give attendance unto reading c. Ignorance and Idleness fit not of all men else a Minister Secondly Pray God for such it is his great blessing when such are given Jer. 3.15 to feed us with knowledg and with understanding The next is the duty of the people in respect of such a Minister to seek the Law at his mouth Hence then we collect That it is Gods ordinance Observ the people shall depend on the Ministry of the Word See 1 Thes 5.28 Despise not Prophecying
imputation by instance In the accusation are two things 1. The fact 2. The mean By this weariness we are to understand two things 1. the Lords long patience even ad defatigationem usque towards the wicked and the abuse thereof by the people 2. His readiness to turn patience into wrath and to execute vengeance upon the transgressours Of the first of these This is that the Lord every where challengeth to himself and in common experience is seen to practise Exod. 34.6 Rom. 2 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea even towards the vessels of wrath Rom. 9.22 So after many long provocations yet he gives to the old world an hundred and twenty years so to the Amorites though their sins were ever crying yet four hundred years given them Gen. 15.13 And this is that that every one of us have had plentiful experience of What a long course of sinning ran we along in before our calling and how bountiful found we the Lord towards us And which even of the desperatest wretches amongst us can say that the Lord hath been hasty to take notice of or punish his rebellions The reason is to lead us to repentance if it were possible Rom. 2.4 or otherwise to leave the impenitent excuseless Now beloved this should teach us amendment of life and lead us on to repentance Vse but to see how this patience of the Lord is abused to wantonness because the Lord bears long therfore continue we in sin and heap up wrath See Eccles 8.11 12 13. Secondly this is propounded to us as a pattern to imitate in our own provocations Col. 3.13 2 Tim. 24.25 that we should bear patiently as good children And it condemns that hasty and rash desire in hastening unto vengeance in our personal injuries see Paul Tit. 3.3 we forward also till God called and many times the latter in calling outstrips the former in obedience God will not alwaies bear our provocations its true Observ that he bears long but at length he comes and puts end to patience that justice may take place So with the old world Ierusalem Egypt see Psal 50.21 22. One reason is that he may shew himself though he be a bearer of evil yet to be not lover of it 2. That we may know it is not an idle name of God but hath in him actual and active justice thereforegives he us continual experiments of his taking notice of mans sins and hatred of them Vse see Isa 1.24 And what may we learn hence but to take heed how we continue to provoke the Lord to wrath by our continued sins surely though the Lord keep long silence yet at length he reproves by his judgmens And as David saith Psal 50.21 22. Consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces like a lion and there be none to deliver The Lord puts upon him the habit of these violent creatures the more to terrifie Sometimes he seems to sleep and David saith The Lord awaked out of sleep but in the day of his wrath he is furious and none can stand before him And would God beloved ye could all lay this to heart swearers drunkards c. Surely the restraint would be much The mean followeth by their words So that words have their weight Observ and are marvellous provoking in the eares of the Lord yea brethren Audacter dicam works sometimes provoke not so much as proud and contemptuous speeches See Mal. 3.13 And would God these men that speak so lightly of their words that are most blasphemous would lay this to heart saying words are but winde And let it teach us all to pray with David to the Lord Vse to keep the door of our lips Sundry reasons there are of it 1. We are countable even for idle words much more for blasphemous Matth. 12.36 2. By them is our righteousness or unrighteousness declared a good man good things an evil man brings forth evil things Amongst all speeches first stoutness in words and desperate speeches 2. Blasphemies that impose upon the Lord any thing unbeseeming his majesty 3. Justifications of such speeches Yet yet say wherein Here is their apology Observ From whence we note how unwilling a wicked man is to acknowledg his sins and how he stands up to justifie himself even against God himself The reasons are 1. Secret hypocrisie in the heart none so wretched but he would fain seem religious 2. Ignorance of the will of God Ob. If any shall say that Gods children do thus sometimes Answ They are to be understood as speaking of particular righteousness in some particular cause wherewith they are burthened by men The distinction is usuall justitia personae justitia causae So David labours to clear himself of those particulars that Doeg and other adversaries imposed on him in respect of Sauls person and his aspiring to the kingdome 2. They thus speak as in respect of men not of God and therefore when they come to deal with the Lord they acknowledg their sins Ob. 2. Iobs example is alledged as justifying himself before God Answ Iob must thus be understood as speaking of his freedome from hypocrisie and that he was in the Lords service upright in the sight of God whereas his freinds condemne him of hypocrisie he challengeth to himself uprightness See Iob 8.20 9. per tot and therefore when he comes to speak of himself in respect of his infirmity he acknowledgeth his sins Iob. 9.2 3 20. And let this teach us to acquaint our selves with our own sins and corruptions to which purpose Vse 1. Know the Law of God and therein diligently view thy self 2. Compare thy self with God not with man Whiles we look on our selves and compare our selves with men we seem semidei as half Gods but look up to God and thy righteousness will appear unclean Iob 9.2 3. Consider there may be many corruptions which we see not I know not mine own soul Iob 9.21 When ye say every one that doth evill is good in the sight of the Lord Here is the instance Let us see their conclusion which is disjunctive either God an approver of the wicked or else no God of judgment that is regards not things done on the earth or else indeed there is no God at all Hear their medium Mal. 3.14 15. Because the Lord punisheth not but prospereth the wicked 2. Afflicts and delivers not his own children The like blasphemous thoughts are in wicked men Observ at this day which also sometimes they utter with their mouths they see not but the Lord blesseth hem in temporall things as well as others that are more nice and precise and stand upon points yea this that wherewith David confesseth himself to be much turmoiled to doubt of Gods providence love of the wicked and seeming hatred of his children Psal 37. 73. So Ieremy chap. 12.1 It shall not be amiss therefore a little to shew a mean to fortifie our selves against this Godless and blasphemous temptation
God gives thee eyes to see the sins of thy parents and to fly from them Ezek. 18. Humble thy self even for thy fathers sins See Dan. 9. Neh. 13.18 But specially learn to fly from them and for this cause inform thy self by the word of God touching thy duty and ever set thy self these bounds to follow thy father no farther then he follows the Lords commandment great is the benefit of such wisdom Prescription in errour is no feasible plea in the Court of the Lord. What if thou couldest say Popery whordom covetousness c. had continued in thy lineage to a thousand descents This may aggravate thy sin but shall not excuse it And therefore observe every where how the Lord adds this as the aggravating circumstance Psal 95.10 Fourty years long was I grieved with this generation and Act. 7.51 Alwayes ye have resisted the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so do ye And therefore Vse vain and hellish is that speech of prophane ones amongst us that because they are able to prescribe in sinning therefore procure themselves immunity from the wrath of the Lord. How often hear we those speeches from our people Thus have I alwayes used and my father before me Now brethren put it in some other case in sins against the second table and see how odious a defence this would be if a man should plead thus in his whordom thus my father hath used before me if in theft c. How should we abhorr him And yet in sins as vain as the excuse is must go for currant Psal 78.8 Be not as your fathers a disobedient and rebellious generation and Psal 95.9 in tempting God and hardness of heart Ezek. 20.18 Walk not in the ordinances of your fathers to defile your selves with Idols and for thâ—s cause see Zech. 1.5 Your fathers where are they and remember what Peter speaks 1 Pet. 4.3 It s enough if any thing were enough that we have spent the former part of our life in vanity ignorance c. To the dishonour of our God Sins never so long continued shut not out from mercy if repentance unfeignedly be performed Observ 3. Luk. 19.42 If thou hadst known in this thy day c. that is if after all this contempt of my word all this innocent blood of my Prophets shed amongst you if in this day thou knewest and wouldest embrace the things that concern thy peace happy wert thou Act. 17.30 The times of this ignorance God regarded not but now he admonisheth every man to repent The reason is nothing but the endless mercy of the Lord that knows no limits of time so be it repentance can be performed If a man turn whensoever he turn he shall live Ezek. 18. c. Now mark the forward use prophane men make of this doctrine Vse sith there is place for pardon after so long continuance in disobedience vain therefore to take thought too soon a little in old age or on the death-bed will serve the turn for Gods mercy never rejects repentance from pardon if at any time heartily performed Well beloved this is true But shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid Rom. 6.1 Know we therefore that that God who hath promised to give pardon whensoever repentance is performed hath not all-wayes given repentance when it 's sought for nay hath threatened to deny repentance to them that contemning it offered in the means respit the day of their conversion unto God How howls Esau for the blessing How fain would he come to heaven How bewailes he the loss of Gods favour with tears Heb. 12.17 and yet obtains it not and what saith wisdom Prov. 1 24 26. I called you heard not you shall call but shall not be heard you shall seek mee early but not finde mee And therefore mark what Esay saith Isa 55.6 Seek the Lord while he may be found Is there any time when the Lord will not be found Answ Yes no doubt not but that his mercy is everlasting but for that men cannot seek it when the time is over-slipt Ezek. 24 13. Hence then let us learn beloved that perhaps have lived long in our sins now at the length to seek God if he may be found of us And mark how lovingly the Lord invites us who have gone astray c. a long time yet return unto mee and I will turn unto you as if he had said yet at the length return there is hope of mercy and forgiveness Beloved the Lord is the same to us as he was to Israel and still saith to us as to them though ye have long gone astray yet if now at length we could return there were hope of mercy and forgiveness Let me thus apply it to every of us and let us all think this spoken to our selves Thou that art ignorant and lived thus all thy life long if now at length thou couldest be admonished to repent God regards not thy past sins upon performance of present repentance so to all other sinners and mark how the Lord protests he delights not in our death why will ye dye saith the Lord See Hos 13.9 And let not Sathan prevail with thee so far as to think as the saying is too late now for the promise of remission is made to repentance without all limitation of time person or number of offences and this be assured out of the word of God that howsoever there is no sin so light but deserves a thousand hells yet none deadly in the event but impenitency yea the very sin against the Holy Ghost were capable of pardon if capable of repentance And Observ 4. if these things move us not what shall we say but as the Lord by his Prophet thy destruction is from thy self salvation of me this only be sure of that thou bring repentance What that is we shall see anon if we shall first observe the state of man during impenitency which is the next thing to be considered in the text The State and condition of impenitency it s nothing else but a continuall straying from God as Ier. 2.27 They have turned unto me the back therefore 1 Pet. 2. ult We are said to go astray like sheep and the Scripture every where calleth it a wandring from God And beloved let this be holden of all men whose hearts are not turned and renewed by the Holy Ghost Let their civill honesty be never so great their zeal and devotion never so fervent till the heart be changed all is but celer cursus extra viam What learn we hence Surely to take notice of our own misery whose hearts the Lord hath not yet turned unto him we are as men in a wilderness fain perhaps we would finde the way to heaven but cannot nay the more we strive the further out of the way and this is the misery of every impenitent sinner Then hence learn all such to pray with Ieremy Chap. 31.18 19 Convert thou us O Lord and we shall be converted