Sunday or Holy day without cause approved by the Curate And is it not a shame that an abuse should grow to a custom which every curate may remedy When Demetrius called in question the dishonour of Diana and the despising of her magnificence as hee calls it the multitude made an outcry no lesse then two hours long Great is Diana of the Ephesians Act. 19.27 And shall we see the dishonour of God and the despising of his magnificence and munificence in that Image which is not from Jupiter but of Jehovah grow into a custom and shall we keep silence Enough of this for I know to whom I speak The other abuse which I complain of is to the dishonour of the other Sacrament Namely it is as it seems a custom or fashion in these parts to bring Joy sops as they call them cups of Wire and Sops to the Communion table at the time of Weddings and to fill the same table with pots and cakes immediately after the end of the marriage that the Bridegroom and Bride and their company may eat drink and be merry But what hath carnal eating and drinking to doe with that table which is provided onely for the soules fast Yea the Canon forbids any Feasts banquets or drinkings to be kept in the Church Chappel or Church-yard much more at the Communion table except the Communion feast onely proper thereto Yea in the Common Prayer book the Communion is appointed to be ministred and celebrated in or with the Marriage businesse and the Bridegroom and Bride are then also injoyned to receive the same It is no good fashion then that Christs cup should give place and be forgotten for Joy sops sake and that this should come in use instead of that is a soul mistake These abuses I desire may be reformed yet withall I crave favour that I may not be in this as an informer to bring any one in question at this time for any thing past but that upon this warning there may bee future reformation wherein if I speed then I have not said nothing concerning a Visitation The rest I leave to God and you beseeching the Lord so to enlighten our heads and sanctifie our hearts and strengthen our hands that we may both know and doe our duties effectually to the obtaining of everlasting blessednesse thorough Jesus Christ c. Finis Serm. 3. Trino-uni gloria Three SERMONS here put together in one continued Tract upon Mat. 13.47 48. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Net that that was cast into the Sea and gathered of every kind which when it was full they drew to shore and sate down and gathered the good into vessels but cast the bad away IT is sayd of our Saviour Rev. 3.7 that he hath the key of David and openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth And it seemeth he did this much in his time by Parables For in them he was most frequent and familiar as appeareth here ver 34. All these things spake Iesus unto the multitude in Parables and without a Parable spake he not unto them And the end and reason he sheweth ver 11. namely for opening to his disciples but for shutting to others Therefore his Parables are in this Chapter especially concerning the Kingdom of Heaven Now the Kingdome of Heaven is diversly taken sometimes for the Church Triumphant and state of glory as Mat. 5.20 Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Sometimes for the Church Militant and state of Grace as Mat. 19.14 Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Sometimes for the gathering of the Church the Ministry of the Word the very Kingdom of the Gospel as Mat. 21.43 The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation that shall bring forth the fruits thereof And so it is in this and most of the other Parables of this Chapter Lutz Har. Evang. Regnum coelorum in praesenti non significat vitam faelicitatem beatam sed totum mysterium five negotium Evangelii The Kingdom of Heaven in this place doth not signifie the life of blessednesse but the whole businesse and mystery of the Gospel Theophylact. Sagena est doctrina piscatorum The draw-net doth signifie the Doctrine of Christs Fishermen Here then we have an excellent description and expression of the publishing of the Gospel the very Ministeriall work of Preaching It is expressed by its dignity and honour it is the Kingdome of Heaven 2. By its property or effect it is a draw-net cast into the sea for so the word may be read Sagena a draw-net 3. By its end upshot or issue it hath first its fulnesse which when it was full and then its tryal they drew to shore and sate down and gathered the good into vessels but cast the bad away The first part of this description of the Ministerial work is by its honour or dignity it is the Kingdom of Heaven Behold its honour yea indeed its double honour It is a Kingdom and it is a heavenly Kingdome First it is a Kingdom For it hath been the work of Kings and it is still a work that worketh upon Kings It hath been the work of Kings for Melchisedeck a King was also a Priest and David a King was also a Prophet and Solomon a great King affected and adopted to himself the name of a Preacher And it also worketh upon Kings even to subdue and conquer them and in a sort to depose and put them down not temporally from their seats or thrones according to Popish presumption but spiritually from their sins according to Gods ordination Not peremptorily in pride commanding as if a Priest might beard a King but meekly in reverence exhorting as in the message of the King of Kings And that it hath this force in this nature to subdue Kings witness the many Kings and Kingdoms that have been drawn from heathenish superstition to Evangelicall profession by this silly net of simple Fishermen All which together do cry the truth of that which the Prophet spake concerning the Church Is 49.23 Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queens shall be thy nursing mothers and of that Psal 72.11 All Kings shall fall down before him all nations shall do him service Yea not onely it hath this power in this kind to put down but also in the same nature to set up and make to invest and to ordain Kings I mean spiritually to make spirituall Kings so that by meanes of this our Ministry that also is fulfilled and brought to passe Exod. 19.16 Ye shall be unto me a kingdome of Priests and that Rev. 5.10 Thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the earth This is armour of proof unto the Ministers and touch of proof unto the people It is armour of proof unto the Ministers
to defend them against the piercing of others obloquie and against the pinching of their own industry against outward shame against inward pain For seeing their calling and employment is so high and excellent so great and honourable as not onely themselves to be but also to make others Kings and in this sort to depose the spiritual kingdom of darknes and to set up the kingdom of grace what cloud of shame what storm of pain can be sufficient to dazle the light or to abate the heat of this sun-shining honour or with what difficulty objected or conceited may we be dismayed seeing God hath so honoured us as not only to be his workmen but co-workers with him 2 Cor. 6.1 Yea to stand in his stead and to act his part We are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through us we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled unto God Yea and hath so far imparted himself unto us as to affirm He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10.16 This therefore may well be our sufficit our sufficient satisfaction against all discomforts and discouragements and make us say The lot is fallen to me in a fair ground yea I have a goodly heritage Ps 16.6 Secondly it is touch of proof to the people to tell what metall they are whether currant or counterfeit For if they be as they should be and receive this work of ours effectually then they are informed in knowledge reformed in wickednesse conformed in holinesse they are strengthned to strive with nature and elevated to the strain of grace They are no more slaves to lust and pleasure but even in all tribulation more then conquerors Rom. 8.37 they beat downe their body and bring it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 They crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 they are born of God and doe overcome the world 1 Joh. 5.4 they are made Kings Yea not onely they shall finde this alteration and exaltation in themselves but we shall also find a change of their affection and disposition toward us for it is unpossible that this great work should be wrought in them but they must acknowledge the instruments and workers their contempt will be turned to reverence their neglect to respect their spight to love their grudging and murmuring into freewill offering liberall contributing Esteeming us as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the secrets of God 1 Co. 1.4.1 Even so far forth as not onely inwardly to conceive but even outwardly to expresse that acclamation How beautifull are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Rom. 10.15 And so ye see the honour of this work in respect of what it is A Kingdom Secondly the same also appeareth in regard of its quality considering of what kind it is an heavenly kingdom It is said to be of heaven for its Kings sake and for its kinds sake For its Kings sake who only is Christ the Son of God the heavenly King This kingdome hath no King but that Caesar who onely is semper Augustus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords And for its kind sake also being no naturall rule or temporall regiment but supernaturall and divine This therefore must needs be great addition to that former point of honour It is a kingdom to make men Kings It is an heavenly kingdom to make them good Kings which of all works is the best and greatest Man is called a little world yet the rule of himself is greater then of the great world for he that ruleth his own mind is better then he that winneth a City Prov. 16.23 Alezander having subdued the great world or at least a great part of the world where was his honour when he failed in that little rule of himself Surely he then being in honour had no understanding but might be compared to the beasts that perish It is therefore more honour to have our hearts thus crowned spiritually then to have our heads invested with a temporall crown even as much as it is more to bee a good man then a great man or as the soul is more worth then the body or the body and soul more worth then the world or heaven more worth then the earth And such is the nature of this kingdom so doth it inthrone and crown us spiritually not temporally heavenly not earthly My kingdom is not of this world saith our Saviour Joh. 18.36 And here both sellers and buyers both Ministers and receivers both Priests and people may see what kind of commodity they have in hand and learn how to deal therein It is a heavenly traffique they may not be earthly or carnally minded in it The Minister he may not make merchandise of the Word of God or at least no other then free merchandise as the Prophet Isaiah doth Is 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that have no money come buy and eat He may not begin it with what shall I give for it as if the gift of God might be obtained with money for that was Simons sin who thereby shewed himself to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquttie Act. 8.18 Nor yet with what shall I have with it as if Christ were to be sold at a price for that was Judas his sin who therefore hanged himself and burst asunder in the midst Act. 1.18 Not but that he may rejoyce in his labour and take his portion Eccl. 2.24 5.17 For that in all degrees is the gift of God And in this particular the labourer is worthy of his hire Luk. 10.7 And thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corn 1 Cor. 9.9 but it must be done willingly and of a ready mind not for filthy lucre sake 1 Pet. 5.2 His work is heavenly his aim and end likewise must be heavenly and holy and voyd of earthly respect The people also must take it as it is a spiritual not a carnal commodity and therefore be contented to be discontented and pleased to be displeased and think it their honour to be dishonoured as concerning the flesh and the outward man accounting the faithfull wounds of a lover better then the pleasant kisses of an enemy Prov. 27.6 And Gods precious balms though they break the head Ps 114.5 yet because they heal as soon as break more acceptable more comfortable more estimable then the old serpents apples offered from the forbidden tree because though they delight the eye and please the tast yet in delighting and pleasing at once they also kill and destroy And so much of the first part of the description of the Ministry of the Word namely by its dignity and honour the Kingdom of Heaven The second part or point is its property practise or effect It is a draw-net cast into the sea which gathered of every kind The summe of all
it in this our spirituall Net Here is force for it is the power of the Word that first worketh the wil and then also worketh upon it It is he that worketh both the will and the deed Phil. 2.13 It is Gods power that both beginneth and continueth all our motion in grace for no man can come to me saith Christ except the Father draw him Joh. 6.44 And with this force here is also lenity for this draught is neither violent nor sudden Not violent but mild and gentle My yoke is easie and my burthen is light saith our Saviour Mat. 11. I drew them with the cords of a man even with bands of love Hos 11.4 There is indeed constraint for whatsoever the Lord pleaseth that doth he in heaven and in earth in the sea and in all deep places Ps 135.6 even in the deep of mans heart But yet withall there is liberty even the glorious liberty of the sons of God even as the fishes are drawn but not without their own swimming Neither is this drawing sudden but moderate and by degrees Some indeed are as it were angled up to heaven even by sudden motion effectually called as Paul from a persecutor to a Preacher Act. 9. and the thief from a reviler to a confessor Mat. 27.44 Luk. 23.40 But this is but by ones now and then rare examples But the more ordinary way of Gods calling and taking is by leisurable knocking I stand at the door and knock Rev. 3.10 Gods Word is likened to an hammer that breaketh the stone Jer. 23.29 Yet it alwaies breaketh not the stony heart at the first blow but by degrees Gutta cavat lapidem non vi sed saepe cadendo The drop of rain holloweth the stone not by force but by often falling And so doth Christ usually prevaile by his spirit Hee shall come down like the rain even as the drops that water the earth Ps 72.6 Learn here first to bee humble to deny naturall strength and freedome of will and to acknowledge Gods power in drawing thee The hour cometh and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear it shall live Joh. 5.25 Thou art but a dead thing till this voice doth quicken thee St. Paul saith in another case Boast not thy self and if thou boast thou bearest not the root but the root thee Rom. 11.18 It may be truly also said in this case Boast not thy self and if thou boast thou drawest not the net but the net thee It is Christ that makes this beasting and justly for why we have compelled him even so to stop our presumption to take it wholly off from us Let him bee true therefore and every man a lyar for thus he boasteth I when I am lift up from the earth will draw all men unto me Joh. 12.32 There 's the primus and the ultimus motor the beginner and ender of this draught the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 Secondly learn also here to bee carefull and diligent and think not that the force of this draught doth priviledge thee to be idle Thou art drawn indeed by a superiour force and so as like the fish in the net thou haste thy swimming thine own motion Thou art first dead but Gods voice shall pierce thy deadness and make thee hear and then thou shalt not be dead still but live that is have thy motion God worketh thy will indeed but not to make it idle but to set it on work Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Take therefore the Churches resolution Can. 1.4 Draw me and we will run after thee and that of the Psalmist I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou hast set my heart at liberty Psal 119.32 Thirdly learn here also to be fearfull be not high minded but fear Rom. 11.20 Blessed is the man that feareth alway Prov. 28.14 Thou must not think thy self to be caught at the first pull much lesse mayst thou presume on thy taking when thou hast yet felt no pulling or tugging or drawing at all but with much patience thou must endure and with perseverance expect the accomplishment of Gods work upon thee Giving diligence to make thy calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Proving thy self whether thou art in the faith or no 2 Cor. 13.5 The sprouting blade of corn upon the house top comes to no timely harvest it filleth not the mowers hand nor the binders bosom Psal 129.7 And they that are most rash and sudden in profession commonly prove to have no root and to endure but a season Mat. 7. For as not every calling to the Lord-doth make repentance Not every one that saith to me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven Mat. 7. So neither doth every calling from the Lord make faith Samuel was called the fourth time before he was sped of his errand 1 Sam. 3. Yea Judas after all his illumination proved but a lost child Joh. 17.20 Be sober therefore in the beginning that thou mayst hold out unto the ending and so run that thou mayst obtain 1 Cor. 9.24 for the hasty runner commonly is soonest out of breath St. John did outrun St. Peter and yet went last into the sepulcher Joh. 20.4 The work of the spirit by the Ministry of the Word is no violent or sudden hoysing like to Elijahs whirlwind 2 King 2.11 but a moderate drawing like to a draw-net And so much of the particulars observed in that it is compared to a draw-net 3. In the third place I observed painfulness and danger in that it is said to be cast into the sea First painfulnesse For the word cast implyeth not only the bare casting in but also the drawing and the whole managing of the work of Fishing which is the main matter of the Fishers labour For though it costeth him a great deal of pains to knit his net and to contrive it in its fashion for he is no right Fisherman that cannot knit his own net yet is it much more paines and labour to exercise it in the sea without which all is in vain And this also is the main matter of our calling even this very labour and exercise of spirituall fishing I mean the very exercise of Preaching it is laborious as well in practising as in preparing Yea without this all skill in contriving all art all learning all knowledge is all shall I say nothing yea worse then nothing instead of honouring us it will but condemn us For not to be able to labour is miserable but not to be willing is punishable therefore St. Paul confesseth Necessity is layd upon me and woe is me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 Let no man therefore that undertaketh this Net think that he taketh a cushion or couch to sleep on a soft means of sweet ease but rather a labour of little ease a work that will require the straining of all his strength the striving