humane Learning but layes down Rules for choice without this expedient 1 Tim. 3. Object 2. But possibly some may say Is it not there said Let not him that is chosen be a Novice and is not that as much as to say unlearned or unskilful in learning To which I Answre 〈◊〉 but our learned Tribe Novices God forbid they should think so or the Lord's Peoples Portion be no better for then none besides the Learned should have been capable of choice but Paul acknowledgeth that the Corinths were wise not only their Ministers but they 1 Cor. 1.4 5. with Epist 2.11.19 But to Answer this more fully Paul intends onely a young unskilful unexperienced Christian and not a young Grammarian or Logician for he may be as proud as any that hath most skill in Arts as many Instances shew and this is the reason laid down by the Apostle why he must not be a Novice lest he be pussed up with pride and surely if the learning here meant be Oxford Cambridge I mean of the Schools Paul it seems knew men were very quick to know what learning he meant since Scripture and himself knew another Learning better which the Scriptures shew as I have offered or else he foresaw men would as at this day idolize and dote upon these painted Feathers wherefore he saith if any thing but very little for this University-breeding cryed up as so absolutely necessary for Preaching although the Scriptures know nothing of it Object 3. But some may say Are not the Schools of the Prophets mentioned in Scripture as in the place 2 Kings 22.14 Is it not said that Huldah the Prophetess dwelt in a Colledge and had not the Prophets peculiar places of residence and habitation wherein as in Vniversities or Nurseries of Learning they studied and improved themselves in order to Preaching or Prophesying as we real 2 Kings 2.3 5. 〈…〉 Acts 19.9 If there were any more of these 〈◊〉 I should have considered them also but so many have onely come to my knowledge To all those Scriptures I Answer they do not in the least oppose the Truth I have asserted that not Humane but Spiritual Wisdom fits for Preaching the Gospel of Christ For grant that these places intended Colledges and Universities and such like places yet it follows not that these were places imployed or improved for Trayning or preparing Persons for Gospel-preaching for it doth not appear that any Gospel-preachers issued forth from thence And secondly The Prophets and Prophetesses we read of were extraordinary Prophets and not such Preachers or Prophets as the Doctrine intends and speaks of but if Schools and Universities will fit us to be such Prophets as can declare things to come from the Lord then let us all that fear the Lord go to these Schools that we may learn thus to Prophesie But this is not a mediate but an immediate Gift either by Dreams Visions or Oracles And thirdly For Tyrannus his School mentioned in the forecited Acts 19. nothing is there declared concerning what he taught nor whom he taught but most probable it was not Gospel-knowledge and infallible it is it was not how men might be qualified for Preaching for this was not permitted or allowed any open Schools in that place at that day as appears by the contradiction Paul there met withal and how needless had it been to a learned Hebrew or Greek since that was their Mother-Tongue many of them being Jews and Greeks as vers 10. declares but Tyrannus was allowed to teach in his School wherefore it is probable he taught nothing of this sort of Knowledge Object 4. Some do Object and say How can a Preacher know that the Scripture is rightly translated that knows not the Original I Answer By the same way and means that the unlearned People of the Lord come to know it and it concerns them and is necessary for them to know though I say not of the same necessity For if they be not assured that the Scriptures as translated are rightly translated what shall they build their Faith on except on their learned Leaders and Translators honesty and ability and this is to pin their Faith in a business of most weight and concernment on the Priests sleeve and this is but to believe as the Church believes and so the blind leading the blind they may both fall into the Ditch Secondly I Answer It is not by knowing Arts and Sciences or Languages Preachers or People can come to be assured that the Scriptures are the Word of God and rightly translated but by the humble sanctified and diligent searching into and studying of the Scriptures 't is by comparing things spiritually together as the Apostle tells us saying Which things also we speak not in the words which Man's wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual 1 Cor. 2.13 I say by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus must we nay may we know the Power and Spirit Truth and Purity of the Scriptures and it is the Godly judicious Spiritual Christian best knows how aptly or corruptly they are translated And thirdly I Answer Grant this were so which I do not grant yet this Learning and Excellency is more requisite and essential to a Translator Examiner or Corrector of translated Copies than to a Gospel-preacher But lastly Since so many thousand Learned as well as Godly have sealed the Truth of the Scriptures Purity and Divine Authority notwithstanding all its humane Imperfections in Translation therefore we need not now or continually University-Learning to do that Work which is already sufficiently done to our hands Object 5. Some do Object and say How can the Scripture be interpreted in dark passages without this help I Answer As a Lanthorn without a Candle will no way help to shew a man his way though a Candle without a Lanthorn may no more can this dark Lanthorn of humane Learning and Languages without the Candle of the Lord as too abundant experience hath witnessed but that Candle singly can and doth Miserable Experience sheweth what Interpreters the School-men and Fathers have been and yet are even the Fathers of well-nigh all the Individual Errors in Judgment and Practice in the European World The Devil and the Learned may be admired for them if for any thing but take some Scriptures for proof of so weighty a Point when our Lord comes to shew how Ministers and Interpreters of Scripture shall be furnished for this Work he saith When the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he shall shew you things to come John 16.13 The like Testimony gives Paul But we speak the wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the World unto our Glory which none of the Princes of this World knew for had they known it they would not have Crucified the Lord of
Point I proceed now from the Preacher's Work to the Preacher's Commendation And that which was written was upright even words of Truth The eleventh Doctrine Whence I might observe That as wise Preachers are wary and painful Preachers and search and seek out acceptable and seasonable words for their People so a pious and deserving People will not be wanting to give or afford them and their preaching due and deserved incouragement and commendation as might easily be made to appear But remembring what Solomon the Preacher hath writ in this case Prov. 27.2 Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips I shall forbear to proceed any further and shall now consider the words without relation to the Preacher as they hint forth the commendation of uprightness and truth not only in the Preacher's Spirit and Work but in every Man's Spirit and Conversation The twelfth Doctrine And the Observation may be this That a Spirit of Truth and uprightness is an excellent frame of Spirit in all that profess the Name of Christ I shall not need to spend time about the opening or discovering what Truth and Uprightness is because among such who enjoy wise Preachers this is much discoursed of amongst wise and gracious Persons this is well known if not better known than practised Therefore I shall briefly give you the proofs of the Point and then come to improve it That this frame of Spirit and walking is lovely and excellent take the witness of a stranger in Israel concerning David when he told him Surely as the Lord liveth thou hast been upright and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the Host is good in my sight for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me to this day 1 Sam. 29.6 Take also David's own testimony when he sings forth the excellency of his Spirit saying I was also upright before him and have kept my self from mine iniquity 2 Sam. 22.24 But setting aside Man's testimony to this Truth take the Lord 's own testimony concerning Job And the Lord said unto Satan Hast thou considered my Servant Job there is none like him in the earth a perfect and upright man Chap. 1.8 The like honourable acknowledgement doth our Lord give of Nathaniel saying Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile John 1.47 And Solomon tells us Such as are upright in their way are the Lord's delight or his delightful ones Prov. 11.20 But this may suffice for the proof of the Point though manifold Texts might have been produced for the further demonstrating this had it been necessary Let me now give you some Arguments to clear this Observation That truth and uprightness in the Spirit renders such Spirits excellent Argument 1. First Because this is the frame of God's Spirit or Beeing therefore to be like God in beeing must needs render us excellent in beeing That God is thus in his Beeing take that saying for it Good and upright is the Lord Psal 25.8 Also that of Isaiah Oh thou most upright dost weigh the path of the Just Isa 26.7 Now to have our Spirits according to the frame of God's Spirit is the most excellent frame that can be imagined But again Argument 2. Secondly This must needs be a most excellent frame because the contrary frame of Spirit is the most dishonourable and unlovely frame that can be 'T is said of Satan That he is transformed into an Angel of Light This is the emphasis or height of his iniquity he is not upright he is not as he seems to be he is really an Angel of darkness and pretends to be an Angel of Light 2 Cor. 11.14 Therefore when our Lord would set forth the vileness and unworthiness of the Spirit of the Jews he tells them They are of their Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father you will do John 8.44 And no Spirit is so disowned and detested of God as the Spirit of Hypocrisie Wo unto Hypocrites Math. 23.27 read that place at your leasure Therefore to be of the contrary Spirit to Hypocrisie must needs be excellent that is to be upright in Spirit But again Argument 3. Thirdly 'T is that frame begun in us here which will be our frame perfectly in the state of Glory Now to be in such a frame here as we shall be in glory must needs be a glorious and excellent frame When the Disciples saw Christ transfigured That his Face did shine as the Sun and his Rayment was white as the Light Mat. 17.2 Even so how glorious are such Souls as are transfigured into the Image of Christ even this image of Truth and uprightness of Spirit Such are the most excellent in their Generation But again Argument 4. Lastly This can be no other than a Truth which both Heaven and Earth bear witness to but that this is excellent even truth and uprightness in whom-soever it be found we have heard the testimony of Heaven and of the Scripture and if we enquire of all sorts of men under the Heavens they will all seal to this Truth that Men and Women of honest Spirits are most desirable and excellent Persons both to dwell with and converse with Therefore seeing this Doctrine knows no Adversaries as to the acknowledgment thereof I shall cease any further demonstration and come to Application wherein I shall speak some-thing by way of Information some-thing of Exhortation and then give some Motives Use of Information The first Use I shall make of this Point is to present you with a word of Information and that is Whence it comes to pass that the Preachers and People of the Lord are no more valued and esteemed than they are this day 'T is because they have no more of this excellent Spirit in them this Spirit of Truth and of Uprightness I do not say this is the only reason or that there is no other reason but I say it again amongst other Reasons this is one grand one They say Professors want Truth and Uprightness talk of Heaven and of Love and of Bounty and Patience yet love the World and pursue the World and keep the World as much as any love few but themselves and Men of their own Principles judging all that believe not as they believe and practise as they practise They are as miserable and impatient or forward upon every slight occasion as any other men Therefore men are apt to think that all is not true they say and that they speak not as they think but are deceitful meer words and shews Oh my dear Friends I wish that this were altogether groundless and that there were not too much truth or ground for this complaint But Sirs take notice how the want of visibility and activity in this frame of Spirit causeth our good commodity to be evil spoken of therefore let it be our wisdom and business to take away occasion from them that seek occasion and take
the Spirits and most delights in the well ordering and composure of the Spirit Wherefore seeing the delight and sacrifice of God is a broken and a contrite Spirit give unto God a plain Spirit of Truth and Uprightness knowing that our God loves Uprightness And to quicken us to the acceptance of this Exhortation let me give you and my self a few Motives and Encouragements to induce us to be of this blessed frame of Spirit Motive 1. First This is the ready way to have God manifest his love abundantly to us when he finds such a frame of Spirit in us as we have it Psal 11.7 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness his Countenance doth behold the upright that is favorably or as one that God loves and respects Oh with what favorable respect did God behold upright Abraham and upright Job not only to approve them but also to reward them or priviledge them as we find in that story of Abraham's offering up of Isaac whereby was manifested his uprightness and God acknowledges it Gen. 22.12 And when God saw that Abraham had such a frame of Spirit God doth not only give him his Isaac from the dead but tells him also By my self have I sworn saith the Lord for because thou hast done this thing and hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son thine Isaac that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy Seed as the Stars of Heaven and as the Sand that is upon the Sea-shore and thy Seed shall possess the gate of his enemies vers 16 17. And lest this should not be enough hear further what God promises him in the next Verse saying In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed and all because he was upright and in uprightness obeyed the Voyce of God Oh see what favour God bears to upright Men and Women as in Job and David and Paul and others might be largely manifested Secondly Consider this is an encouragement or an heart-strengthening frame of Spirit Oh how wonderfully will uprightness strengthen unto Truth according to that of Solomon The Lord is strength to the upright Prov. 10.29 How did Daniel's uprightness give him humble and holy boldness in the day of his trouble as appears by his expression to the King Then said Daniel unto the King Live for ever my God hath sent his Angels and hath shut the Lyons mouths that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me and also before thee have I done no hurt Dan. 6.21 22. But on the contrary How does the want of uprightness cause heart-trembling and weakness as you may see in that story of Haman Hest 7.6 7 8. Oh therefore get and maintain such a frame of Spirit as will cause and maintain in our Souls a truly well-grounded confidence and boldness to look God and Man in the face withal without blushing in any season But again Thirdly To move us to make it our business to get and maintain our Spirits in such a frame consider 'T is a frame so desirable and lovely that not only God and all good men love this frame of heart but all men even the vilest of men approve of this in others though they may be wanting in it themselves and this is the Apostles Argument Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue if there be any praise think on these things Phil. 4.8 But again Fourthly Take this for encouragement towards pressing after such a frame of Spirit A deceitful Spirit is a vain Spirit that goes about to deceive or go beyond God or Man by fraudes by guiles and deceits nay deceives himself 't is like cloathing our selves with Fig-leaves or hiding our heads under the Spider's Web 't is vain work as the Lord tells us Isa 29.15 16 17. There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed and hid that shall not be known Mat. 10.26 For the folly of fools is deceit Prov. 14.8 For their folly shall be made manifest to all men 2 Tim. 3.9 Fifthly and lastly To hasten consider but the danger of a contrary frame of Spirit to this Doctrine and if former Motives cannot induce and move us to this frame yet peradventure this lower Motive of self-conveniency and concernment may Though God is a resolved enemy against all sorts of sin and sinners yet especially is he resolved to shew himself most quick and severe against persons of this frame God hath said it and will make it good Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their dayes Psal 53.23 Hypocrites of all men must have their woes and no portion of woe is sufficient for their punishment short of the Devils weeping and gnashing of teeth which must be the portion of Devils and of Hypocrites Mat. 24.51 compared with Chap. 25.41 Take but an instance or two of this of two great men in their day the one a King and a choice one but found playing the Hypocrite the other a Bishop or an Apostle but a bad one and an Hypocrite And behold how severe and quick God is in punishing both the one and the other The one is David who playing not only the Murderer and Adulterer but the unworthy Hypocrite with Vriah pretending kindness but contriving and effecting his death How home doth God deal with this good man now therefore the Sword shall never depart from thy House And if this were too light a punishment for secret but detestible iniquity and hypocrisie God adds Behold I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house I will take thy Wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy Neighbour and he shall lie with thy Wives in the sight of the Sun The story you have at large in 2 Sam. 11 12 Chapters The other is Judas one of the Twelve that plaid the Hypocrite and Traytor with his Master as you all know And what became of him No sooner is his hypocritical Act performed but he departed and went and hang'd himself Being a Preacher could not preserve himself from bursting asunder and all his Bowels gushing forth Preachers of all Persons are in most danger if found playing the Hypocrites as God tells us Psal 50.21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest I were altogethor such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thine eyes Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you vers 22. Therefore to close up this Use and this Point Let it be the care and labour of the Souls of all wise Preachers to share in the Commendation given to Christ by the Herodians who said Master we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any mar for thou
faithful able painful Gospel-Ministers bless God through Jesus Christ for this singular Gift of Grace c. But again Are Ministers of the Gospel such as have been described Christ's Gift and Ordinance both they and their Ministrations then let none intrude or impose upon you the Churches of Christ a Ministry or Ministrations which are none of Christs nor to be found contained in Scripture but being free be not the Servants of Men but remember Paul's Counsel Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men and after the rudiments of the World and not after Christ Let no man at his pleasure bear rule over you by humbleness of mind and worshipping of Angels intruding into these things which he hath not seen vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind Col. 2.8 18. Further let me in the fear of the God Exhort you that injoy Christ's Ministry and their Ministrations Remember to obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Heb. 13.17 Their Work is hard enough from the men of this World O let it be good from you for whom they endure all things or at least very many things 2 Tim. 2.10 They do not only do much for you but also endure much for you O! therefore let them not indure any thing from you but rather according to Paul's advice Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially such as labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 remembring what is said concerning them without the least shadow of pride or vanity How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad-tydings of peace Rom. 10.15 Now if you would eminently honour and rejoyce your Ministers pray then labour greatly to improve and profit by their Administrations for such as are Christ's faithful Ministers seek not yours but you 2 Cor. 13.14 and have no greater joy than to hear that their Children walk in or according to truth 3 John 4. This makes great rejoycing and thanksgiving by Christ's Ministers when they either hear or see that those they labour among do prosper and their graces grow as we have it Ephes 1.15 16. Wherefore I also when I heard of your Faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the Saints cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers whereas to find the Saints and Churches of Christ in a poor low beggarly state of Soul not improving nor profiting under means of Grace this will cause Christ and his Ministers to weep and complain and even sit down and bemoan themselves in the sense of it according to that prophesie Isa 33.7 Behold their valiant ones shall cry without the Ambassadors of Peace shall weep bitterly fulfilled by this Prophet the Type of Christ Then I said I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain Chap. 49.4 And how fully was this Prophesie made good by Christ who when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it Luke 19.41 Wherefore Sirs if you have any love to Christ or compassion towards your Ministers improve them and strive to prosper under their Ministration so will you prevent their grief and give them a good reward for their labour But again to hasten to a conclusion and closing up of the Use of Exhortation pray you if your Ministers be Christ's Ministers and Christs Ministers flow from him depend upon him and minister for him pray you joyn with and assist them in what-ever they for Christ have need of you as Paul directed the Church of the Romans To do for Phebe that ye receive her in the Lord as becometh Saints and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you Rom. 16.2 So say I pray assist your Ministers with your watchfulness with your observation of those they labour among and for Help them with your Informations concerning what you observe wanting either in them or others Help them with your Zeal and readiness to joyn issue with them in any business of Christ like those Holy Ones we read of Exod. 36.1 Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise-hearted man in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the Sanctuary according to all that the Lord commanded The like frame of Spirit we read of in those mentioned Ezra 1.5 6. with Nehem. 2.18 where the People of the Lord are found thus doing And they said Let us rise up and build So they strengthened their hands for this good Work But lastly Pray you let me Exhort you to assist Ministers with your Prayers for their good and the prosperity of Christ's work in their hand remembring That whilst Moses 's hands were uplitld by Aaron and Hur Israel prevailed Exod. 17.11 12. Even so my Brethren your incessant Prayers in your Ministers behalf will utterly overthrow Amalek and help Joshua and Israel to prevail And thus I have done with this Exhortation and with what I shall offer to your consideration upon this Scripture wherein I have with what clearness and brevity conveniently I could set before you what Preaching is and whose Ordinance it is who is a truly wise Preacher and what his Work is and the Blessing and Duty of all that enjoy such Preachers Now consider and examine what hath been said and the Lord give you wisdom in all things Amen Amen FINIS
able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all them which are Sanctified Your Servant for Christ STEPHEN MORE TO THE READER Christian Reader ALthough there is nothing new or strange now to be presented to thy view for as Solomon saith The thing that hath been it is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the Sun Is there any thing whereof it may be said See this is new It hath been already of old time which was before us Eccles 1.9 10. Wherefore let me intreat thee peruse this Book for Truth and not for Novelty lest so doing thou lose thy labour and reap no profit by thy pains And if any shall meet thee with their Out-cry crying Take heed for here are strange things presented to your eyes say No for there is nothing new or strange under the Sun And if any thing here written be to any strange I must take leave to tell them 'T is because they know not the Scripture and are strangers in Jerusalem and have not known the things that are come to pass there in these dayes Luke 24.18 And if any should yet retort upon me as a troubler of Israel or a bringer forth of strange Things or new Doctrines to their ears I will not think it strange to be thus dealt with for thus dealt their Fathers with the Prophets and Apostles in that first Book of Kings we find that thus Ahab said to Elijah Art thou he that troubleth Israel But he answered I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy Father's House in that ye have forsaken the Commandments of the Lord and hast followed Baalim vers 17 18. And thus was holy Paul served Acts 17. where you read That certain Philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoicks encountered him and some said What will this Babler say other some He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange Godds because he preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection And they took him and brought him unto Areopagus saying May we know what this new Doctrine whereof thou speakest is for thou bringest certain strange things to our ears we would know therefore what these things mean vers 18 19 20. Therefore if such things befal me I shall not be moved for if thus they dealt with the green Trees marvel not they thus deal with the dry Wherefore Christian Reader notwithstanding such Out-cries as these which probably thou mayest meet with yet be pleased to read on and consider what is said and the Lord give thee understanding in all things that thou mayest search the Scriptures and try whether the things asserted for truth be so or no for no more is imposed upon your Faith than what evidence of Scripture doth demonstrate to be the Faith of Jesus and of his Elect and if any Fathers in our Israel shall say To what purpose is this waste Preachers doubtless know their Duty well enough it were well if others knew theirs better I shall only Answer these over-wise ones in the language of Job No doubt but ye are the People and wisdom shall die with you Chap. 12.2 Yet bear with me to shew my Love to Christ and offer my Mite to you remembring what Paul saith And if any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 And if you know these things already O how happy shall both you and I be when we shall be found doing the things we say we know and are here revealed And as for others or our Hearers know so far as the Work called for it they are not forgotten but remember that the more fully the Preacher lives up to his Duty the more the People will be furthered in their Duty Preachers being not only nominally called Stars and Shepherds or Bishops and Fathers but also they ought virtully to be Lights in their Candlesticks Shepherds feeding of their Flocks and Fathers laying up and laying out for their Children as the Lord teacheth saying Ye are the Salt of the Earth but if the Salt have lost his savour wherewith shall it be salted Ye are the Lights of the World a City set upon a Hill which cannot be hid Neither do men light a Candle and put it under a Bushel but on a Candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the House Let your Light so shine before men that they may see your good Works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5.13 14 15 16. But if notwithstanding what hath been said by me my Mothers Children and Elder Brethren will yet be angry with me I will resolve not to pass for Man's Day or to be angry with them or to return evil for evil or railing for revising but pray for them with holy Stephen and cry Lord lay not this sin to their charge Acts 7.50 My end and ground both in Preaching and Printing these Sermons was an inward motion to follow the movings and workings of the Spirit upon my Soul in conformity to those I read of in 2 Pet. 1.21 where it is said Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 'T is truth as hath been already owned When these Sermons were Preached I thought not of Printing but since being called upon so to do I judged it my duty as one of Christ's living Creatures to walk streight forward whither the Spirit was to go and not to turn when going Ezek. 1.12 As for my great unfitness yea exceeding great unfitness for such a work I profess I am not unsensible of it neither shall be ashamed to own it to any that shall object it yet notwithstanding since God despiseth not the day of small things and will accept of what a man hath and not of what a man hath not wherefore I am resolved to be found faithful as becomes him that is a Steward not forgetting what the Lord said to Ezekiel Son of Man I have made thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel therefore hear the Word at my Mouth and give them warning from me Chap. 3.17 The Style is low and the Method plain and the Argument somewhat bold and impartial wonder not at it it being most like him that did it even one who was resolved to be one of Paul's Scholars in this Work to wit Not to come â—o you with excellency of Speech or of Wisdom declaring unto you the testimony of God for I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.1 2. Surely plainness will hurt or hinder none though elegancy and obscurity might although it could have profited none who-ever it might have pleased If any think due respect hath not sufficiently been shown to Superiors let me say to such my aim and utmost endeavour hath been not to offend or over-look such but to give unto Cesar thâ— things which are Cesar's though
sâ—berly say of these great Rabies of our Day whâ— the Apostle saith Rom. 1.22 Professing to be wisâ—â— they became fools Surely even so hath God 〈◊〉 fooled this wise Generation and discovered thâ—â— our World hath many grave and gay Fools Eveâ— many more then wear motly-Coats even most 〈◊〉 the Professors of Divinity as they please to stiâ—â— themselves our Grave and Orthodox Roman Clergy I say This Generation how lofty soever theiâ— eyes are are not washed from their filthiness 〈◊〉 not of being sordidly ignorant what scripturally will qualifie sufficiently and essentially unâ—â— Preaching-Imployment Prov. 30.12 13. Nay so ignorant are they of a Preacher's Qualification that some and they no small men amongst that Tribe have openly declared That without a Miracle it is impossible to be a sufficient Preacher to Preach the Gospel of Christ without having sat at the feet of Gamaliel or be brought up in an University as if it were not possible with God even without any Miracle to kill Goliah by the hand of little David when the Sons of Mars stand by and can do nothing Even so this Clergy would perswade us God's little David's Spiritual and Experienced Christians cannot Preach except armed with an University-burthen upon their backs Though God hath most abundantly by innumerable Instances disproved this Fallacy yet once more let me rebuke the madness and make manifest the folly of these Prophets even those learned but ignorant false-Prophets who assert That Humane Learning only can qualifie unto this end Yea that it alone without saving-Grace and the Fellowship of the Spirit of God can make sufficient Ministers to go forth and Preach the Gospel to Children of Men especially if a Bishop do but Ordain them and say Receive the Holy Ghost as plentiful experience witnesseth and their Canons and Book of Ordination of Priests and Deacons declareth where the Scripture-Qualifications are left out and others set up Well to conclude this Use let these Prophets that fill the World with Priests and Preachers of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat's Order of whom we read 1 Kings 12.31 And he made Priests of the lowest and basest of the People which were not of the Sons of Levi. But let these hear what the Lord saith to them that have apostatised from the right way These mad Prophets these Wells without water these Clouds carried with a tempest 2 Pet. 2.15 16 17. Even thus saith the Lord God Wo unto the foolish prophets that follow their own spirit and have seen nothing Ezek. 13.3 The second Vse is for Reproof Secondly This might reprove the darkness and delusion that is crept into and seized on too many godly sober well-meaning Christians and Professors that have dwelt so long in Egypt they can swear by the Life of Pharaoh that is haâ—â— traded too long with Antichrist's Clergy men that now they dare even swear to the truth of it thaâ— no man but a Scholar of that sort they intend either can or ought to meddle with Preaching saying Let every one keep in his own Calling and 〈◊〉 go beyond his last forgetting that the Lord hath said Ye may all Prophesie one by one 1 Cor. 14.31 And that by the alone study of the Scriptures The Man of God may be throughly furnished uâ—â—â— every good Word and Work 2 Tim. 3.17 Oh let me beseech you Have not mens Persons and Part so in admiration as to plead for Baal and call Good Evil and Evil Good speaking evil of things you know not but search the Scripture diligently and humbly and you will find other qualifications appointed as necessary and sufficient for Preaching without that I have so opposed unless the smoke of the Bottomless-Pit hath put out your eyes Rev. 9. Oh my Brethren all you that fear the Lord be more Scripturally-wise and Learned your selves and then you will easily and plainly see the vanity ignorance and emptiness of your supposed Orthodox Teachers but I shall sparâ— you as being rather led than Leaders of your selves seeing in this Point with other mens eyes All I shall further do for you is to pray for you as sometime Elisha prayed for his Servants saying Lord I pray thee open his eyes that he may see and the Lord opened his eyes and he saw the Mountains full of Horses and Chariots of fire round about Elisha 2 Kings 6.17 Even so say I for all the Saints who are contrary minded to this Gospel-Truth Lord open the eyes of thy dear Children my dissenting Brethren to see by thy Light even the Light of Scripture that Grace-saving Sanctifying-Grace and the Gifts and fellowship of the Spirit without Humane or Vniversity Preparations are truly fully most abundantly sufficient to make Christ's Gospel-Preachers wise enough for Soul-conversion and the edification of the Body in love And thus much for the second Use I now come to a Third The third Vse is of Information Thirdly Thus may I inform whence the Romish and Learned Clergy-men of our day do so blaspheme and oppose the Spirits-Teaching 't is surely because of their ignorance and sinful interest This was the reason why Zedechiah Son of Chenaanah went near and smote Micaiah on the cheek 1 Kings 22.24 This also was the cause why Sanbalat and Tobiah and their Companions did so reproach good Nehemiah and obstruct the Work of the Temple Nehem. 2.19 with chap. 6.1 2. And the same reason there was why the Priests and Captains of the Temple and the Sadducees came and opposed and persecuted the Apostles Acts 4.1 2. And even at this very day the same reason is why the Priests and Prelates of our day do so exclaim and reproach the Spirits teaching and the Spiritual-Ministers teaching It is their own interest of profit and ignorance of Truth and right way of fitting men for Preaching though they are ignorant of God's Will in this thing yet are they well acquainted that iâ— this kind of Truth and these sort of Preachers go up their Trade Honour and Profits will soon go down according to that saying The Fruits which thy Soul lusteth after are departed from thee and all things which are dainty and goodly are departed from thee and thou shalt find them no more at all Rev. 18.14 And this is the reason why these covetous Clergy-men do so cry out against this way of Preaching by men spiritually wise but otherwise illiterate and unlearned because such Preachers if allowed will soon cloud their Glory and eclips their Credit and humble their Pride and hinder their Markets and who then can wonder that these so reproach the true Gospel-Preachers they must blaspheme and gnaw their tongues for pain therefore it is not to be wondred at as long as this Antichristian-Priesthood endureth as we have it Rev. 11.10 There can be no joy to them that dwell thus in or upon earthly Things Orders Riches Credit and Authority You may as well look for Peace from Hell as from the Learned Romish-Priesthood Rev. 12.17 Therefore cease marvelling
that the Pope's Clergy do so vilifie and reproach Christ's Gospel Spiritually-wise Preachers stiling them proud busie-bodies in other mens business self-will'd presumptuous ignorant factious enemies to Caesar and what not that may render them odious dealing with Christ's Ministers and faithful Preachers as formerly their fore-Fathers dealt with that faithful Witness and Martyr of the Lord Jesus John Huss who when they burned him clad him in strange Garments painting Images of Devils upon him to make him odious to the People as you have it recorded in the Book of Martyrs But to close this Use Let all Christ's faithful Servants and Preachers remember what the Lord Christ saith Mat. 5.11 12. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you And if men of this breeding do scoff and deride you for this Preaching say as David If I be vile I will be yet more vile c. The next Use I shall make of this Point shall be for Caution or Counsel The first Use is of Caution First To all the Churches of Jesus Christ to consider That if every Gospel-Preacher ought to be wise and none may Preach but such who are Spiritual-wise then take heed in your choice and calling of men to Preach that you observe this Rule to Elect Ordain and Appoint to the Work of Preaching such have eye to this Rule And as Moses said to Israel let me now-say to you the Churches of the Saints Look you out wise and Spiritually understanding men and appoint them to the Work of Preaching Intrust no Spiritual Fools with so weighty and honourable a Work remembring God hath no pleasure in Fools Eccles 5.4 Fools or unwise-Preachers will Preach but foolishly and his people can have little Soul-advantage or few sinners be converted or the Lord Jesus little glory from or by such Preachers Preaching is too weighty and difficult a Work for ignorant unwise Carnal ungifted persons to accomplish therefore take the Counsel given Acts 6.3 Wherefore Brethren look out men for this Work full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom and them only appoint unto this business dishonour not Preaching by sending dishonourable Preachers about Preaching Imployment and mistake not the Rule by which you should judge who is wise and fit to make a Preacher Judge not according to appearance or man's judgment but remember what God said to Samuel in the like case Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him for the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 Beloved in this business of judging who is fit to be admitted and allowed to Preach consult not with flesh and blood with the carnal wise and learned Rabies of the day lest like Samuel you be mistaken in your judgment and call him God's Anointed when the Lord saith This is not the man but consult the Record and Charter of the New Testament and see whom that Word calls Wise and a man fit to Preach the Gospel and as hath been demonstrated you shall find the Wisdom which comes from Above from the Father of Lights is the onely Wisdom that can fit persons unto Preaching Grace and Gifts of the Spirit of God are best qualifications for a Preacher as appears Acts 1.4 5. He will make the best Preacher which hath most Grace and Gifts of the Spirit Therefore take heed to this business I beseech you Brethren who are Christ's Porters see that no foolish idle or unholy Shepherds enter in at Christ's Doors or be his Peoples Pastors for if there do the sin and guilt yea and punishment also of such Preaching will lie at your doors John 10.3 Object But me-thinks I hear some Object and say This is preposterous erroneous and dangerous to make Preachers to depend and spring from the Congregations Approbation and Mission This were to make Ministers or Preachers depend upon the People whereas is it not better for Congregations to spring from and depend upon the Ministry or the Preachers and Dispensers of the Word I Answer This Objection smells strong of Rome who-ever be the Objectors and is calculated for the Interest of the Clergy to maintain their Pride Authority and Avarice and therefore may the rather be suspected to be Anti-scriptural or of no great strength to withstand Therefore first Though these suggest this to be preposterous as if we would put the Cart to draw the Horses and not the Horses to draw the Cart My Answer is Natural and Divine Reason would judge the contrary were it not preposterous that Servants should judge and chuse their Masters but Masters that are to have their service and provide them their maintenance should be judged unmeet to question or judge their ability Is not the House-holder more honourable than his Household-Servants and the House before the Household-Servants Even so in the Church of Christ Must Preachers and Ministers be the Churches as well as Christ's Servants and shall not the Church be concluded honourable and wise enough to judge of the ability of her own Servants Only they must judge whether the Church or Congregation is fit for their Profit or Honour God forbid Must the Church maintain them yet not call them to their work and be allowed to judge of them Yea the Church must try their Ministers and yet shall they not be equal or superior to them proved 1 John 4.1 Secondly This is not erroneous but most constaint and agreeable to Scripture and then it matters not what it is contrary to or who calls it Error But that this is agreeable to Scripture take Acts the first into consideration where Peter standing up in the midst of one hundred and twenty Disciples sayes Of these men that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us must one be chosen or ordained to be a witness with us of his Resurrection and they meaning the hundred and twenty not the eleven appointed two Josephus called Barsabas who was sirnamed Justus and Matthias vers 15 21 22 23. with chap. 18. from 24 to 28. Truth it is this way of trying and sending forth and judging of the Preacher's Gifts and fitness for Gospel-Preaching is an erring from the Canon of the Romish-Church and their Book of Ordination of Priests and Deacons but is no erring from the Canâ—on of the New Testament as hath been cleared And Thirdly Whereas they say this Doctrine is dangerous give me leave to say thereto Truth is not endangered by tryal or good commodity by being searched into The wiser and more Spiritual Preachers are the less danger of their corrupting the Scriptures or ensnaring the people If the Objectors intend the danger lies in this That the ignorant
heed that we open not the mouths of the uncircumcised Philistines to rejoyce or blaspheme Let Professors know what they can and talk what they will 't wil signifie little unless they walk also in this Spirit of Truth and Uprightness Vse of Exhortation But secondly and especially Let this be matter of Exhortation to us all even as many as fear the Lord both Preachers and Hearers to labour for and walk in a Spirit of Truth and Uprightness This we have seen is a most excellent choice frame of Spirit in the esteem both of God and Man Oh therefore labour to attain such a frame of Spirit For naturally our Spirits are otherwise in the frames of them for what the Prophet once said is still truth Every one is an hypocrite and an evil doer and every mouth speaketh folly or falshood Isa 9.17 'T is Mortification of earthly Members and Sanctification of the Spirit must make us Men or Women of this frame of Spirit for naturally we are born of another temper and you who know what Mortification is know it is not easie work to mortifie the deeds of the flesh but be it what it may be yet be prevealed upon in the fear of the Lord to set upon this duty even to get our Spirits into this frame even into this good frame and if it will cost us the plucking out of our right eyes or cutting off our right hands yet subscribe to it And first Let me freely tender this word of Exhortation to us that are Preachers and should be wise Preachers seeking out acceptable words and that which by us is at any time preached and written upon the heart of the People should be upright even words of truth Let us be a living Word as well as a speaking Word let our lips and our lives joyn together and speak one thing even Holiness to Jehovah Oh let not us reprove sin in others and allow or indulge it in our selves What is that but down-right dissimulation Oh let us not commend Patience and be impatient and Humility and be Sons of Pride our selves This is not to walk with the foot of uprightness according to the Gospel This is not to be a wise but an unwise Preacher if not a proud Pharisee and a very Hypocrite Wherefore if a Preacher be under such temptations as to pretend Christ and preach Self and to seek Christ and seek mostly Self as to cry down all sin and yet live in cry'd down sins to commend Grace and Vertue and yet live short in Grace and empty of Virtue placing thy excellency and piety in seeming so and saying so and in washing the out-side neglecting the inside make broad the Phylacteries and enlarging the borders of your Garments that is in using singular or peculiar restraints and modes of Gesture and Vesture from other sober and pious Persons Oh know 't is not marring of our Beards or Locks and having our Cloaks long and our Girdles strait that can or will prove us wise Preachers or men of this excellent Spirit of Uprightness and Truth Oh no! we may be Fools and Hypocrites for all this and therefore it nearly stands us upon to do as that great Preacher and Apostle of the Gentiles did Even to keep under or beat black and blew our body and bring it into subjection lest O mark it that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9.27 And answer all temptations to contrary-mindedness or contrary-spiritedness to this Doctrine and frame of Spirit as good Nehemiah did saying Shall such a man as I flee Who being as I am would desist Chap. 6.11 So let us Who that is as I am a Man Ah more than a Man a Christian yea more than a Christian a Preacher to Christians that would seek great things for himself under pretence of seeking great things for Christ Oh who that were a Preacher as I and preached down Covetousness Idleness Earthly-mindedness in others would live in these things himself Oh no my Soul I will not I dare not lest I be not found a wise but an unwise Preacher and that which by me is written or preached be not words of Truth and Uprightness And in the Close what-ever I may be to others I be to my self a cast-away O therefore let Preachers especially receive and improve this Exhortation and see that our conversation be only as becometh the Gospel Phil. 1.27 And to close up this Head of Exhortation Let as many as are and would be found wise Preachers be perswaded to think often and deeply of that Scripture 2 Cor. 4. Therefore seeing we have this Ministry as we have received Mercy we faint not but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every man's Conscience in the sight of God Having thus tendred my Mite to Preachers let me now be your Exhorter that are Hearers Men and Women fearing the Lord Oh let this be your frame of Spirit be like your Father Jacob of a plain Spirit who hath his commendation in his youth that he was a plain man Gen. 25.27 Oh such let us that fear the Lord be let our inside be manifest by our out-side let our Words and our Works agree our professions both to God and Man and our performances agree and correspond together let our Light and our Life agree our publick and private walking agree so shewing forth that we are Israelites indeed in whom there is no guile Even the Epistle of Christ written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of Stone but in fleshly Tables of the heart as we have it 2 Cor. 3.3 Oh 't is living forth this Doctrine will speak us forth clearly to be Christians or the Epistles of Christ when we have such frames of Spirit as are throughly seasoned with Uprightness and Truth Christians look to your frame of Spirit Hypocrites can look to their Words and Speeches Look you to your Hearts good Words and good Works Hypocrites have for God 't is Saints onely have good Hearts for God Oh look well to your Spirits how the frame stands bent whether for Truth and Uprightness or for Falshood and Hypocrisie and forget not that word Mal. 2.15 Take heed to your Spirits Oh dress your Spirits with Truth and Uprightness for the dress of the Soul goes further with God than all the dresses of the Body with men can do as Peter informs us where he advises Women Not to let their adorning be outward adorning but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which in the fight of God is of great price 1 Pet. 3.3 4. Oh my Brethren look mostly after the dress and adorning of your Spirits for God is not only a Spirit but converseth most with