gifts calling authoritie time labour or reward but in that they are seruants of the same God teachers of the same truth builders of the same house workers after the same modell enabled euery one in his measure by the same grace partakers of the same spirit of amity and vnitie Thus if wee were one oh what strength what beauty what blessing would accrew vnto our spirituall building 3 Gods fellow-labourer oh what an honour what a burden what a protection what a caution what an assurance what a curbe to carnall presumption What an honour To communicate with the blessed Angels in office Reuel 1.20 and name for Christs Ministers are Christs Angels to communicate with Christ the Lord of Angels who in the daies of his flesh vouchsafed to be a Minister of the Circumcision and now in Heuen remaineth the Prophet of his Church Heb. 3.1 the Apostle and high Priest of our profession To joyne handes with God the Father of our LORD Iesus Christ in that worke whereby hee principally setteth forth the glory of his wisdome faithfulnesse power and mercie Who now will be ashamed of this honourable office and paines yea though it be his lot which was his Lords lot to feed the sheep of the slaughter Zech. 11.7 the poore of the flock 2 What a burden Honour is not without burden and this honour least of all For had not the seruant need be carefull that workes in his Masters eye by whose diligence or sloth his Masters worke and thrift goes backward or forward So we least when euery priuate mans field lies like a garden and his garden like a Paradise our Lords garden should bee by our default Prou. 24.30 31 like the field of the sluggard It is not sufficient thou hast sowen no weeds thou art culpable of iudgement that thou hast not pulled them vp Thou hast hindred Gods worke in not doing thine owne part Hee would haue no season omitted and thou if thou caredst to set forward his busines wouldest be instant in season and out of season 2. Tim. 4 2 Eccles 11.6 In the morning wouldst thou sow thy seed and in the euening thy hand should not rest because thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that or whether both shall be alike good Thou wouldest learne wisdome of the Husbandman not to wait too long for an opportunitie but considering the necessitie of the worke make vse sometimes of an incommodious season for hee that obserueth the windes shall not sowe Eccles 11.4 and hee that regardeth the cloudes shall not reape 3 What a protection Our Lord and wee haue common friendes and common foes Do my Prophets no harme Psal 105.15 Zech. 3.1.2 saith God If Sathan himselfe stand vp against Iehoshuah to resist him the Lord himselfe is at hand to rebuke Sathan Sinfull men are like vnruly Patients that fall out with their Physitian What then Sint illi ini mici medico tu morbo saith Saint Augustine Be they if they wil needs be enemies to the Physitian but feare not thou to bee an enemie to the disease 4 What a caution God assures vs against others that we might feare before him Feare not their feare Esay 8.12.13 but sanctifie the Lord God of hosts and let him bee your feare c. And he shall be vnto you as a Sanctuarie And the nearer wee are admitted vnto him the greater should be our feare Moses cried in the mount I feare and quake The Lord with a fearefull example and vehement asseueration inculcates this When Nadab Leuit. 10.3 and Abihu were deuoured with fire from heauen for pressing with strange fire into the Lords presence I will bee sanctified saith the Lord in them that come neare me and before all the people I will bee glorified When the Lord presented himselfe to the Prophet Esay to set him a worke about this businesse the Holy Prophet not holy enough to endure his presence before whome the Seraphins hide their faces cried out Esay 6.5 woe is mee I am vndone for I am a man of polluted lips c. No man better knew the mercies of God then blessed Paul the patterne of Gods mercy yet when he thinkes of this worke he cals to minde the terrours of the Lord. Knowing therefore the terrours of the Lord 2. Cor. 5.11 wee perswade men c. Oh! if these terrours of the Lord were well fastned vpon vs wee would neither rashly intrude our selues into this ministration being Saints and Wise men but of one dayes standing saith Nazianz. and as potters vessels thinke to be formed able Ministers in one day nor being entred looke backe from the Plough whereto wee haue put our hands Luke 9.62 but studie to shew our selues approued 2. Tim. 2.15 workemen that need not be ashamed of our worke or afraid of our account 5 What an assurance Assurance of successe assurance of reward Assurance of successe Say the peoples hearts bee stonie as indeed in this sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may well be deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet Is not my word like fire saith the Lord and like the hammer that breaketh the stone yea Ier. 23.29 Mat. 3.9 God is able of these stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham that afterward of these children of Abraham 1. Pet. 2.5 he may make stones for his spirituall Temple But if he do not yet thy labor is not in vaine Curam exigeris nō curationem saith Bernard Erogatorem posui te non exactorem saith Augustine Assurance therefore of reward thou hast Secundum laborem accipies non secundùm prouentum saith Bernard Esay 49.4 I haue spent my strength in vaine saith the Prophet but my iudgement is with the Lord and my worke with my God Dan. 12.3 And what reward To shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and as the starres for euer and euer To sit on twelue thrones Mat. 19.28 and to iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel To be with his Lord as his Lord. With his Lord. Iob. 12.26 For where I am there shall also my seruants bee saith Christ As his Lord. Mat. 24 Vers 46.47 For Blessed is the seruant whome his Master when hee comes shall finde so doing verily I say vnto you he shall make him ruler ouer all his goods 6 What a curbe to carnall presumption Most men euen in this worke well may I say most when the Apostle saith all Phil. 2.21 but that all is almost most men seek themselues their owne things not those that are Christs Christi iacturam patientius ferimus quam nostram The credit of the Gospell is subordinate vnto our credit wee make Christ a stirrop to climbe to promotion the word as a trumpet to blazon our owne commendation the Pulpit as a Stage or as a shop to set so to view and sale our owne good parts This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Cor. 2.17 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
the spirituall husbandrie and building now wee are to come to the worke wrought to the thing owned but that we may not without the mediate consideration of the instruments the Ministers whom God hath set betweene himselfe and the people For so Moses saith Deut. 5.5 At that time I stood betweene the Lord and you to declare vnto you the word of the Lord adding a reason for ye were afraid c. which in the same place verse 25. and chapter 18.15 is more fully expressed viz. How the people fearing to heare GOD speak by himselfe desired that thenceforward hee would speake vnto them by Moses and by a Prophet succeeding Moses sitting in Moses chaire So the Lord established it as a Law in the Church for euer that he would speak to vs by an interpreter an Embassadour God Iob. 33.23 2. Cor. 5.19 was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe and hath committed to vs the word of reconciliation Now are wee Embassadors for Christ c. Agreeable to that here Cor. 5.20 wee are labourers together with God Ministers then are fellow-labourers with God Fellowship with God is to be considered in two respects 1. In regard of paritie and equalitie so God hath no fellow onely the three that beare record in Heauen as they are one in essence so are they equall in attributes Phil. 2.6 Christ himselfe though as God in the forme of God he thought it no robberie to be equall with God yet as man was is and for euer shall bee inferior to his Father Ioh. 14.28 My father is greater then I saith Christ And when all things shall be subdued to the Sonne then shall the Sonne also himselfe be subdued vnto him that did subdue all things vnder him c. 1. Cor. 15.28 1. Cor. 15.28 2 In regard of association wherin are three degrees The first proper to Christ tho Mediator in regard of Hypostaticall vninion of person and incomprehensible communion of power whereby Ioh. 17.22 as hee is one with the Father so his workes Ioh. 5.17 and the Fathers are the same The Father worketh and I worke Zech. 13.7 Hence it is that God calleth him the man my fellow or next neighbour The second commune to all Christians consisting 1 In this life in communion of grace 1. Ioh. 1.3 That our fellowship may be with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ 2 In the life to come in communion of glorie Iohn 17.21 That they all may be one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee c. The third betweene both the former specially appropriate to Gods Ministers of which here and it is the association of labour because wee concurre and conspire with God as subordinate vnto him in the worke of conuersion and edification of his elect God so employeth his Ministers that they also are coworkers with him saith Augustine not that we adde vnto the power of God but that wee obediently apply our selues vnto the working of God 1. Cor. 2.15 saith Aquin. speaking of the thinges of God not in the wordes which mans wisdome teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth saith our Apostle The words of the wise being pungent as goades to pricke forward the slow and firme as nailes to fasten the loose and vnstable soules but such and so farre as they are giuen by that one Pastor God of whom we haue already spoken The Scripture cals the Ministers Gods seruants The seruant of the Lord must not striue The Lord and seruant 2. Tim. 2.24 are Relatiues that is Contraries opposite in the generall yet hauing mutuall and specificall reference each to other Hence it is that the Minister is cōsidered somtimes with opposition as he is the seruant not the Lord the instrument not the hand man not God and so his operation is weake and ineffectuall sometimes againe with reference vnto God to whom he is subordinate and so his cooperation is mightie through God and energeticall able to beget children in Christ Iesus through the Gospell 1. Cor. 4.15 able to saue those that heare him so that Ministers are called Sauiours 1. Tim. 4.16 able to beat downe the strong holds of the imaginations of the proud and rebellious heart Obad. vers 21 2. Cor. 10.3.5 2. Cor. 2.16 able to be the sauour of life vnto life and of death vnto death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle there whereto himselfe answereth Chap. 3.5 not as of our selues but our sufficientie is of God who also hath made vs able Ministers of the New Testament c. In this Relatiue sence wee are here said to be coworkers with God Instruments not laid vp or lying loose but in the hand of the Artificer Embassadors not reporting the message onely but representing the authoritie of our Master 2. Cor. 5.20 as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs stead that ye bee reconciled vnto God Labourers not vpon the building and husbandrie onely of the owner but in the strength and vertue also of the chiefe worker For wee are not onely workers for him but coworkers or labourers together with him And then no maruel if God Act. 20.32 and the word of his grace be able to build men vp farther and to giue them an inheritage among them that are sanctified Rather may wee maruaile that at any time the Word of GOD should faile of his effect or that any of his fellow labourers should say I haue laboured in vaine Esay 49.4 I haue spent my strength in vain for nothing Deut. 32.47 Esay 55.10.10 But indeed it is not a vain word but as the raine that commeth downe from Heauen and returneth not but watereth the earth c. so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto mee voide saith the Lord but shall accomplish that I will and prosper in the thing whereto I sent it Vaine therefore it may bee in regard of the ordinarie reuealed will of God the conuersion of sinners at which the Minister aimeth not in regard of the absolute counsell of GOD which is that they that heare it shall eyther bee saued or condemned by it God therefore Mat. 20.1 hauing a Vineyard to dresse looks out for laborers At the first indeed when there were no labourers he dressed it wholy himselfe as in the dayes of Adam vntill Seth after hee beganne to employ the Patriarkes in their generations and families in whom Christ by his eternall Spirit 1 Pet. 3.9 went and preached In the day of Moses he established a perpetual Law of prophesie and succession of Prophets and Priests with whom Prophets especially hee so conspired that the Prophet Esay for one is bold to say Esay 48.16 The Lord God and his spirit hath sent me In these last dayes hee hath spoken vnto vs by his sonne Ebr. 1.2 Rom. 15.8 Who in the dayes of his flesh
which the heart best loueth there is the heart whether we loue it because we like it or like it because we loue it There indeede is the heart not so much where it Liues if we beleeue either Philosophie or experience as where it Loues Admit a Treasure it is easie to know both the Treasurie the Heart that imbraceth it and the Treasurer or else hee wants his will the Man that affects it And if he affect it for it selfe as here is supposed hee bestowes his reasonable infinite appetite vpon it for whatsoeuer is loued for it self is loued infinitely The Treasure therefore and the Heart are neuer parted whatsoeuer the hand bee neither is the Heart parted vnto this Treasure for it is wholly taken vp with the loue of it Neither can it be imparted or communicated vnto any other thing with it but is onely tied vnto this one Treasure affecting all other things respectiuely as they make with or against this onely best beloued See this in the seuerall sorts of treasure which men affect they are but two we may the better suruey them One man hath his Treasure on earth Where is his Heart In heauen Nay heauen is hell to such an one and heauenly exercises are as hellish torments Oh torment him not before his time If you can shew him any good as he cals good If you can fill his God-belly with som hidden treasure som delicious morsell If you can prophecie to him of Wine and strong drinke If you can helpe him with any of that Godlinesse which hee meanes viz. Gaine then come and wel-come But if you come with your dreames of another world Act. 24.26 of heauen and hell of Righteousnesse Temperance and the iudgement to come you trouble Faelix his felicitie you bring him in danger of a quaking Ague either you shall pardon him for hearing you any farther or you shall giue him leaue to heare as Ezekiels hearers Ezek. 33.31 His mouth making iests at you his heart going all the while after his couetousnes Ier. 22.17 For indeed both Eyes Heart are only for couetousnes that which comes thereof Another man hath laied vp his treasure in heauen where is his heart on earth thinke you nay Psal 73.25 Whom haue I in heauen but thee and I haue desired none in earth with thee Psal 27.4 One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will require that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to visit his holy Temple Phil. 3.7.8 The thinges that were vantage to me the same I counted losse for Christs sake yea doubtlesse I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of CHRIST IESVS my LORD for whom I haue counted all things losse and doe iudge them to be dung that I might winne Christ 2. Cor. 4.18 For we looke not on the things which are seen but on the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporall Psal 4.6 but the things which are not seene are eternal Wherfore though many say who will shew vs any good yet Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs. Let others cōtent themselues with a portion in this life Psal 17.14 15. whose bellies thou fillest with thy hidden treasure but I will behold thy face in righteousnesse and when I awake I shall be satisfied with thine Image Do you not note how the heart goes after the treasure How it is wholy possessed with it How it disdaines to entertaine a riuall In so much that the one of these men will not tast of the others delicates Psal 141.4 What doubt then but where the treasure is there is the heart also If in earth it giueth poise to the soule to sinke with all If in heauen it giueth wings not of a Doue or of an Eagle but of an Angel to ascend withall that where the treasure is there may the heart be also Is there any then among vs Right Honourable and Beloued that would know where his stray hart is or where his treasure is he shall be sure to finde the one by the other but because the heart is most cunning and deceitful aboue all things who can know it Ierem. 17.9 and as Aug. saith Cor omne omni cordi clausū no one heart can vnlock an other let vs a litle extend this line of our Sauiour and by his direction that made and therefore knowes the heart indeauour to finde out this same fugitiue We neede seeke it but in two places For by our Sauiours diuision in the two former verses euery mans treasure is either in earth or in heauen but they are wide you will say True but wee neede but bring conscience to the doore it will easily discerne the Treasure and by the treasure the heart For my part mee thinks I descry in each of these Regions a twofold order of hearts one open and manifest an other close and concealed yet with diligence to be discouered as we will see in the seueralls To begin with the worldling whose hart pointeth to the earth as the loadstone to the Pole we may plainly see this leprosie in most mens foreheads and yet they will denie it too For the worldly man seldome thinks himselfe worldly frugall if ye will but not couetous nay when all men else both see and say it then doth hee shut both his eyes and eares against it better knowne to any man then himselfe But happily euen now hee hath forgot to shut the doore or the Lord may wee know he can break open the Iron gate of his heart that hee may begin to see and to abhorre himselfe In a manifest worldling therefore wee shall see these apparent characters prouing his heart and treasure to be vpon the earth First looking to the earth and earthly treasure Pro. 21.6 which as Solomon saith is vanitie tossed to and fro of them that seeke death wee shall see by the Ball who are the Tennis plaiers or as a man is knowne to trauaile to Fayre or Market by his cariages his company his communication so it will appeare that most men minde and ayme at earthly things if we consider 1. Their course of life and actions all taken vp in buying and selling eating and drinking building and planting and such like this is their businesse while they liue their storie when they are dead like those of the old world and of Sodome Luk. 17.26 c. without any care or prouision for their spirituall and euerlasting estate 2. Their companie birds of the same feather I speake of the cōpanie which they choose and delight in Such as will ioyn with them in excessiue sports and pleasures such as can aduāce their worldly proiects or happily vppon whose ruines they may build their couetous and ambitious designes But if any man refraine from iniquitie Esa 59.15 refuse to