Four Sermons, Sermon 3
verſ. 14.The third Sermon.
That thou keepe this commandemt without ſpot unrebukable untill the appearing of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
IN this comandement & charge givē by the Apoſtle to Timothy, we have heard already in what a waightie manner he impoſeth this duety upon all that are Paſtours & teachers unto the worlds end, It is a charge from the mouth of the Apoſtle, and a charge in the ſight of God & of God conſidered in his omnipotency: in that hee quickneth all things and it is before Ieſus Chriſt to be conſidered of us as, a patterne for us to follow in his witneſſing a good confeſſion before Pontius Pilate.
Now it followeth that wee ſhould ſpeak of thoſe things wherewithall Paſtours ſtand charged, what the matter is which is of this high moment which the Apoſtle doth lay with ſuch authoritye upon all Paſtours & teachers, & this is layd downe in this verſe in theſe words, that thou keepe this commandemēt without ſpott unrebukeable ūtill the appearing of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, this is the matter, the keeping of this commandement, and the keeping of it without ſpott unrekukeable, and continuing this till Chriſt appeare againe.
Now to encourage all paſtors and teachers in the performance of this duetye which muſt laſt til Chriſtes appearing againe, he ſetts us downe the aſſurance of his comming againe in the next verſe, to keepe us that we doe not faint under the difficulties that we ſhall find in keeping this commandement: untill Chriſts ſecond coming, which in his due time he will accompliſh, God hath reſerved this time in his owne hands, and in his owne time hee will ſhew it: Now that we may be aſſured that God will performe this, he ſetts downe a glorious deſcription of this God, that wee may ſee in God wonderfull and undoubted reaſons that God will in his time ſhewe the Lord Ieſus againe. This deſcription of God is one of the moſt magnificent deſcriptions that is ſett downe of God in all the ſcriptures, to let us ſee what need wee have to take to heart this precept.
Firſt he ſetts downe God that he is the moſt bleſſed one, which in his time will ſhew that hee is the bleſſed.
Secondly that he is the onelyonly potentate, and this he illuſtrateth by more particular demonſtrations, in this that he is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, his bleſſedneſſe is further expounded in theſe particulars, 1. that he hath onelyonly immortality, 2. that hee is inacceſſible dwelling in that light which no man hath ſeene nor can ſee. This deſcription he concludes with aſcribing to God two things, honour, and power everlaſting, thus wee ſee how the Apoſtle in moſt divine manner & high ſtile, doth ſtill propound this charge to all thoſe that are miniſters of his word, that all the world may ſee the neceſſity that lyeth upon Paſtours & teachers to doe their duetye, ſeing they are ſo ſtraytlye charged before this God of might, majeſtie, and bleſſednes, to whom belonges all power and glorye, ſo that wee muſt not dallye in this point of keeping this commandement here charged upon us, therefore it ſtands us upon under no leſſe payne then the wrath of God, to keepe this charge againſt all the world that ſhall oppoſe it.
Now let us come to the words in particular, the firſt thing that all Paſtours are Charged with all, is the keeping of theſe commandents; and that is not onelyonly charged upon them, but the keeping it without ſpot, and unrebukeable, the time how long they muſt keepe it, is ſet downe, till the appearing of the Lord Ieſus; So we have 3. things in this precept, which the Apoſtle lays upon all Miniſters, to be conſidered by us. Firſt wee muſt conſider what is the matter we muſt keepe without ſpot, unrebukeable, and that untill the appearing againe of Chriſt.
The matter is, this commandement: What means the Apoſtle by this commandement? by this, he means all the dutyes that he hath in this Epiſtle charged upon all Paſtours and Teachers, this he calls a commandement, to let us ſee and underſtand, that the office of Paſtours ſo deſcribed as we have heard, is this ſtraite commandement of the liveing God, and it is the Law of God himſelfe that is laid upon us to keepe.
Now he calls it a commandement, that we might underſtand what is the thing that we muſt obey and practiſe and it is a great incouragement for us to doe this, ſince it is the charge of the liveing God, and the precepts which Paſtours muſt lay to heart, that theſe are the things which God hath commanded. Therefore thoſe which make no conſcience to tranſgreſſe this charge, but they will make all the order of Gods howſe to be indifferent, and will make all the precepts of this Epiſtle to be alterable and changeable, as ſome curſed divines have written to prove that this commandement of God may be changed, whereas we ſee, the Apoſtle doth charge us in the ſight of God and of Chriſt, to keepe this commandement of God without ſpot, and that till Chriſt come. Againe is then this a changeable commandement? can any power of fleſh or bloud alter or change this, when we are charged under paine of damnation to keepe this as inviolable, and unchangeable an ordinance? I ſay the curſe of God muſt light upon him that takes upon him, to alter any of theſe ordinances, ſeing in ſo ſtreit a maner we are charged and commanded to hould them.
Well then, theſe things are commandements. I marke this for another end, and not onelyonly to ſhew that theſe things are not indifferēt things for men to doe, or to leave undone; but this doth likewiſe let us ſee, that theſe are of the nature of ſuch things which are abſolutely neceſſary, and therefore are not onelyonly councells as the Papiſts ſpeake, when they make diſtinctions betwixt precepts and councels, and they make theſe things not neceſſary, but voluntary.
And in nothing under the Tunne hath the Church of Rome gone more againſt Gods ordinances, and commandements then in this, yea they have wholy troden this precept under their feete, which here the Apoſtle commands them to keepe ſo ſtraitly, that neither the function it ſelf may be aboliſhed, nor any particulars of them may be neglected of any Biſhop, nor the duty he ſhould performe in preaching or in Governing, but long ſince all is changed among them, and a new faſhion is ſet up in the ordring of Gods houſe, which God never commanded.
Wee have the more need to looke unto our ſelfs in this, ſeeing there is no precept of God which hath beene more adulterated and violated then this precept of the Apoſtle, yea not onelyonly in popery is this ſo, but this violation of it remaines in the reformed Churches themſelvs, our duty is therefore in this reſpect to looke to our ſelvs, and ſee how ſhort we come of performing this commandement, and how we ſhall anſwer in the day of Iudgment for our abuſe thereof.
Next, obſerve upon whom this charge is laid, it is laid, upon Timothy, and in his perſon upon all Paſtours, by which we may ſee who are cheifely to keepe this order in Gods houſe, which are the Paſtours in Gods houſe, moſt and Cheifely here charged on us, it is not on the Magiſtrate ſo much laid to keepe, at it is charged on us, & judgmēts ſhall light upon us if wee keep not this charge, we are they that are commanded of God to looke to this, the ordering of Gods houſe is not ſo much committed to any as to us, therefore we muſt looke to it; Let the world rage as they will againſt paſtours, yet they may not neglect to keepe this.
If the Apoſtle had not knowne that this was a difficult thing to practice,, and that there would be mighty oppoſition againſt it, he would not have laid the neceſſity of doeing it, with ſuch waighty charge as hee hath done, but he knew that the world would not endure to worſhip God as they are here commanded, therefore hee had great care to back this commandment with the waightyer authority of the liveing God, now we ſee who it is that is cheifely charged for the ordering of Gods houſe, namely his miniſters. It is a wofull thing, and the Lord in mercy forgive this iniquity, for now every mann wil have a law for Paſtours and Teachers, hee muſt not preach but as they will, neither muſt he adminiſter the ſacraments, but as they pleaſe, whereas the Lord of Lords hath commanded to keepe his ordinaunces pure, and therefore it is a great arrogancy againſt God and his ordinaunces, for men to lay any law upon Gods miniſters, how they ſhould order Gods houſe, nay happy were the church of God, if Paſtours were not thus led away, that thoſe which are appoynted over the church of God to direct it, that they themſelvs are led away by others, by which means religion is come to ruine, let them which uſurpe this authority, take example by Ahaz & Vzziah the King, who for uſurping the Prieſts office and preſuming to offer incenſe, was ſtrucken with Leproſy, & ſo remained all his dayes, the other for preſuming to make a more coſtly altar.
By this we may ſee how dangerous it is to meddle with the holy things of God without a calling, which is ſet apart for thoſe God hath ordained for that end, we are ſaid in the ſcriptures to be thoſe that are ſet over you to rule you, and admoniſh and inſtruct you, and you are commanded to obey us; why is this? but to ſhew you that we are the men which God hath given the authority and power unto, to order the affayres of his houſe in his worſhip.
To come more particularly to ſpeake of this keeping of it. Keeping is our duty; wherefore then doth the Apoſtle uſe theſe words, that thou keepe this commandement? he knew Satan would ſteale it away if he could pervert the Paſtours by the glittering ſhews of honours, and earthly preferment, and ſo Satan by men of corrupt mindes hath uſurped this holy order; againſt this, all Gods Servants muſt ſtand couragiouſly, and Paſtours muſt keepe it, and hould it faſt. A Paſtour cannot be more unfaithfull in any thing then in this, to ſuffer the power that God hath put into his hands to be taken from him, in this he is as unfaithfull to God as he can be in any thing, the Preiſts of ould were not aſhamed to oppoſe themſelves to Kings, telling them plainely to their faces, that it belonged not to them but unto the Prieſts to doe this and that; ſo it becometh Miniſters well, to ſay to any Magiſtrate under heaven, that the ordering of Gods houſe, the affaires belonging to his true worſhip is not in them to preſcribe any other manner then the Lord Ieſus Chriſt hath by his Apoſtles preſcribed; It is the Magiſtrates duty to order the common wealth, and the affayres of policy, but for Magiſtrates to take this authority from Miniſters which Chriſt hath given them, and ſo to betray the Church of God, and deprive them of their lawfull power which Chriſt hath committed into their hands, is an high diſhonour to God, and a vyolating of this grand charge which the Apoſtle hath ſo ſtraitly commanded.
That this ſuperſtitious Church of Rome and the Idolatrous tricks in theſe points of their Religion, there is more duty obſerved, then among Chriſtians, for among them none of their Magiſtrates meddle with the Miniſters Authority, but in humility they ſubmit to the order of their lawes to them which are their teathers, whereas none are ſo undutifull unto God, as Chriſtians are in the reformed Church, for there the Magiſtrate uſurpes the place of Paſtours, and this is the cauſe why that amongſt the Magiſtrats that are at this day, that God treads them, and their authority under foote, and gives them over unto ſo many Iudgments, all becauſe neither God nor his ſervants can have that reſpect or honour among Chriſtians, as the ſervants of Satan have amongſt Infidels.
Let us marke it then, we are commanded to keepe this precept, and not to ſuffer it to be taken from his Church. This keeping hath many parts.
Many ment hinke it well kept if they keepe it where it is written, and this they both ſhould and ought to doe, that is, they muſt ſee that the Word of God periſh not, but that it may remaine as a perpetuall lawe to binde the conſcience of the ſaincts unto the worlds end: but this is not enough honely to keep it in print in a booke, but we muſt have it in poſſeſſiō, as Iohn is commaunded in the Revelation, having a little booke given him, he is commaunded to eate it, they muſt lay it up within them in their hearts, ſo that the teachers of Gods Word ſhould be well inſtructed in thoſe doctrines which God hath charged him withall, to keepe till the end of the world; This is that which Chriſt requires himſelf of every Chriſtian, that they keep his word, it is not enough to lay the Bible beſides thee in the houſe that wil ſerve the turn, but he will have thee to read in it, and to meditate in it day and night, and to keep it in thy minde, as the Apoſtles of Chiſt are ſaid, to lay up Chriſts words in their hearts, and God opened the heart of Lydia that ſhe gave heed to the things, that Paul ſpake. This is the keeping of his commaundements, whenas they doe not onelyonly keep them in writings, but in their hearts, and have knowledge to doe them, and he commands us by keeping them to practiſe them, ſo all Paſtours are bound to practiſe them contynually, and to performe whatſoever precepts concerne their duty which the Apoſtle hath ſet down in this epiſtle, if they look that God ſhall approve of them in the day of their great accompt.
And not this onelyonly is to be meant by the Apoſtle, but more alſo, that we muſt not ſuffer this commaundement to be changed or altered, or to periſh or decay, but we muſt bould it in perpetual uſe in the houſe of God, and if it be fallen, Paſtours muſt rayſe it up, if it be corrupted,1. Cor. 11. Paſtours muſt reform it, if it be chaunged, Paſtours muſt bring it to the auncient inſtitution, as Paul did in Corinth, where hee found the celebration of the Lords ſupper corrupted amongſt them, hee reduced it to the firſt inſtitution by Chriſt, to reform them to the right practiſe of that duty which they had corrupted: ſo likewiſe in manie other churches where the truth of doctrine concerninge juſtification was corrupted, the Apoſtle in his epiſtle to the Romans, to the Epheſians, Coloſſians, Philippians, Gallatians, reforming the miſerable abuſes wherwith Gods worſhip was profaned, in which he reformed the errors, as doth appear in theſe epiſtles, to inforce their wicked harts to bow to Gods ordinaunces, for, the preiſts lips ſhal preſerve knowledge, and they ſhal ask the law at his mouth: But alas now adayes miniſters muſt take the lawe from other mens mouths, and they muſt doe nothing but as other men direct them, wheras it is his part to inſtruct all by the law of God, as wee have ſhewed what a ſtrait charge God hath layd on his meſſengers which they muſt not be ignorant of, hee muſt keep this commandement that it be not altered nor corrupted, I tell you that theſe alterations will bringe the fierce wrath of God on us, we proteſt before God we deſire to walk in the trueth of God, and wee have ſhewed the truth, and if ye will not ſuffer yourſelvs to obey this truth wee have taught you, your bloud be upon your own heads, for unto alterations wee will never conſent, and if God aſſiſt us, while we breath, I will yeald to doe no otherwiſe then is here commanded, the miniſters they muſt keep this, and preſerve this, and not ſuffer it to be altered or changed for anie mans pleaſure in the world, the keeping of this is the maine part of the Paſtours office, as he will avoyd the wrath of God and of Chriſt at his appearing.
Now let us conſider the manner how they muſt be kept; and here wee may take notice of another miſery in our time, which is, preaching is kept, the Sacraments are kept, & the miniſtery is kept, but whether theſe be kept without ſpot or rebuke judge ye, firſt conſider the meaning of the words, there be manie which doe putt no difference between theſe two words; but onelyonly this, that the firſt word ſpot ſignifies a leſſer ſlip in the duty of the miniſtery, and the ſecond word unrebukable ſignifies greater offences in the duty of the miniſtery, ſome reaſon there is for this diſtinction, for there are ſome things as ſpotts, which are not worthy to be reproved, but that which is worthy reproofe is a palpable ſinne: but the true diſtinction of theſe words is this, according to the new Teſtament, there is a two fold thing to be obſerved by Paſtours in the worke of the miniſtery, the firſt is without ſpott which argues his inward ſincerity in his judgment, minde and underſtanding; and unrebukeable is in reſpect of his outward practiſe before the world, and theſe two words we may either referr to the perſon that is commanded theſe dutyes, or to the commandement itſelf, which they ſtand bound to keepe, either to the commandement, that hee keep it without ſpot, or that he keep himſelf without reproofe, both theſe ſtand with the truth of the Scriptures, elſewhere we muſt keep the practiſe of this comandement without ſpott or rebuke, and we muſt keep our ſelvs without rebuke, that the word of God be not evill ſpokē of by our iniquityes, and that we ſuffer nothing to be added or taken away from the bleſſed ordinaunces of God, for every addition of man to Gods ordinaunce is a blott, every device of man is a fleſhly ſpott, it pollutes and defiles the things that are holy, and the teaching of them by profane paſtours doth pollute the holy commandement of God, yea to ſuffer them to be diſpenced profanely in a profane manner, or in an unlawfull forme, contrary to the patrern which the Apoſtles have ſett before us is miſerable profaneſſe.
Beſides as men ſhould keep the word and ordinaunces of God pure and unpolluted in the ſight of God: ſo he muſt keep this charge himſelf in his own perſon in an unſpotted manner, and certainly this is principally to be referred to the perſons, for a man cannot ſpot himſelf, but he muſt defile the worke hee hath in hand, if hee deſerve rebuke himſelf, then hee brings rebuke therby upon his office; It is a miniſters going out of the waye, and yealding to mens traditions, which brings pollutions upon Gods ordinaunces; If miniſters would ſtand faſt, and not diſpence otherwiſe then they are commaunded, it is moſte certaine Gods worſhip ſhould never be ſo polluted, there never came pollution into Gods houſe, but it came in by thoſe that had the charge of Gods houſe, all the blotting of Gods ordinaunces came in by thoſe that had the power to diſpence them.
But marke, in them two things are to be looked unto, firſt they muſt be without ſpot, ſecondly they muſt be without rebuke, to be without ſpot, I take it (as before) to be meant, of an undefiled conſcience, judgment & affections, by yealding unto anie devices of men, ſo that if he ſuffer his judgment to be defiled, or his affections to be polluted, or ſuffer anie evill thing to take place beſides or contrary to this commandement, hee is a polluted perſō before God, therefore he muſt keep himſelf unpolluted, & then his practiſe will be unpolluted, for it is true as Chriſt tells us in the Goſpell, that out of the abundaunce of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh, & ſo the hād practiſeth; out of an evill heart coms evill practiſes, ſo that if a Paſtour his heart be kept pure & ſpotleſſe, he will embrace nothing but the trueth of God, hee will ſuffer nothing to defile Gods ordinaunces, but he will be ſure to keep them pure & unpolluted: wheras on the contraty if the hearts of ſciſmaticks & heretiques were ſeen, & the hearts of all that corrupt Gods trueth, if wee had ſpirituall eies we might diſcern the corrupters of the trueth of God, there is no ſound cleaneſſe in them who mainteine idle toyes, and ſett them down in place of ſolid ſubſtanciall truths of Gods worſhip, in ſuch mens hearts is nothing but a ſtinking idoll of corruption.
Secondly as a Paſtour muſt not onelyonly keepe himſelf pure within, ſo muſt he not ſuffer his affections to he taynted without, but that hee keepe them pure in his own integrity, ſo that he keepe himſelf unrebukable, and this will follow on the former, for ſo long as he remains without ſpott, ſo long the world cannot finde fault with his practiſe, they may bark at his practiſe, they may backbite him, and ſay of him as they did of Chriſt, that hee had a divell, but in truth to lay ought to his charge they cannot, for it is moſt certayne that a pure practiſe flowes from a pure hearte, that there can be no juſt cauſe of reproach againſt him which keeps himſelf within the compaſſe of Gods truth, we know how againſt Chriſt they hired witneſſes to get matter to charge him with, when in truth they could finde nothing againſt him, yea the ſame Scribes and Phariſes when they ſent for the Apoſtles, and cauſed them to be ſcourged, yet they could finde nothing to lay to their charg, to puniſh them, becauſe they did keep themſelvs pure, and kept this commaundement without ſpott, ſo they were puniſhed not for anie vice, nay they themſelvs were conſtrayned to confeſſe, that they had nothing to taxe them with, and that they had nothing to accuſe Chriſt, yet they ſaid, if we ſuffer this man to live the whole world will follow after him; So at this day there be manie that puniſh Gods ſervāts, not for anie fault they can finde in their miniſtrye, but becauſe their owne authority & policy would be taken from them, if they ſuffer Gods truth to be ſpoken plainly. To goe forward, we ſee miniſters muſt doe nothing which may give juſt occaſion to the world, to blame them, becauſe he is charged before God that hee keep this commaundement without ſpott. But why doth the Apoſtle this? ſince (as I have ſaid) hee muſt walke, more holy then Chriſt if it were poſſible, that they ſhould not be evill ſpoken of, and Chriſt tells his Apoſtles that all ſhall ſpeake evill of them for his ſake, and this Paſtours muſt expect to finde of men, not for that hee handles the Word of God deceitfully, but becauſe hee teacheth the truth in ſincerity in the evidence of the ſpirit to the conſciences of all men in the ſight of God▪ as the Apoſtle avoucheth concerning himſelf, that hee had preached the truth in the evidence, of the truth, and in the ſpirit of God, to their conſciences, ſo that if their conſciences were examined before God, they durſt not but ſaye hee is faithfull; therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, if the Goſpell be hid, it is hid to them that are loſt, and ſhall periſh, ſo that the wicked themſelvs, as Peter tells us, ſhalbe compelled to juſtify, them in the daie of their viſitation, they that rayle upon them now, ſhalbe forced to juſtify them, theſe then bee the two things which the Spirit of God will have Paſtours to looke unto, that they keep this commaundement, without ſpott or rebuke. Out of this wee may ſee and diſcern, what the eſtate of Gods church is this day, there is no church under the ſunne but is guilty of one of theſe two miſeries, the one is this, that Paſtours cannot be ſuffered to perform this, or elſe that Paſtours have ſuffered themſelvs to be corrupted to doe the contrarie, either their hands are ſhortened that they have no liberty, that though they would never ſo faine practiſe Gods commaundements, yet they cannot get liberty to doe it, or if they have liberty to doe ſomething, yet not all things: he may doe a part, yet not the vhole truth of God, this is one of the miſeries which lyes upon the Church of God this daye; I will not enter into judgment whether the faulte be in the Paſtours, or in the people, but this I am ſure, if there were more courage in Paſtours for Gods truth then there is, it were well, wee will leave them to anſwere for themſelvs, which are guiltye of it.
The ſecond impiety is this, that Paſtours for the pleaſure of men have corrupted the ordinaunces of God manie waies, even in the reformed churches, which they have taken frō the church of Rome, ſee what corruptiō now there is in Gods houſe in manie places, ſee if ſuch be choſen for Biſhops as the Apoſtle hath here deſcribed in this epiſtle, come to the adminiſtration of the Sacraments, and then unto the preachers of the word, is anie thing more corrupted than they are? is anie thing left of publique prayers and preaching or of adminiſtration of the Sacraments according to Gods appointment? is that order of government practiſed among them as the Apoſtle hath here layd down for the churches practiſe? Let them looke to this epiſtle, and judge themſelves according to the rules here ſett down, and doe not ſay becauſe it is like the beſt church, therfore it is the beſt church; No, if it be not according to this commaundement it is accurſed, I need not ſpeake of this, for it is too palpable and abhominable. In manie churches there is all corrupted, they will have mens inventions, they are not content with Gods ordinaunces, but they will have them to be mingled with human inventions, or with the deviſes of that curſed church of Rome; this is no ſmall cauſe of Gods anger, and of his fierce wrath, to ſee this charge thus to be troden under foot by Paſtours, who have ſo little ſtudied this portion of ſcripture: they learn all things which others ſhould practiſe, and learn nothing which themſelvs ſhould practiſe and learne,
We all know this, that a phiſitian that ſtudies naturall phiſick for the good of mens bodies, that it is a dangerous thing if he ſhall proffer anie phiſick to the patient, except thoſe things that are of uſe, and with ſuch mixtures which are profitable for the ſick, becauſe a little thing amiſſe may kill the patient: and doe we thinke that there is ſuch danger in naturall helps for the preſerving of our naturall life, and is there not much more daunger in corrupting of the ſpirituall medicine, which ſhould keep us in the life of God that it be-not extinguiſhed? what a wofull change is it to corrupt the word and Sacraments, ſo that there is nothing but the very poyſoning of the word and Sacraments, it is nothing elſe but poyſening the ordinaunces of God. The Apoſtle letts us ſee this plainly, that the force of ſaving grace is taken from Gods ordinaunces whē they are done otherwiſe thē he cōmanded. In the 1 Cor: 1. The Apoſtle ſheweth the reaſon why he will not preach the Goſpell in the intiſeinge words of mans wiſdom, leſt (ſaith he) I ſhould make the croſſe of Chriſt of none effect; & is it not a ſtrange thing that the preaching of the word in the intiſeing words of mans wiſdom or eloquence ſhould take away the force of Chriſt cruifyed from ſaving of our ſoules? and yet the Apoſtle ſaith it doth ſo.
In the 1. Corinths 11.20. When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords body, or Lords ſupper, the abuſe in eating the Lords ſupper made that it could not ſerve as Gods ordinance to comfort the conſcience, thus we may ſee the ſaving force of Gods ordinaunces are taken away, when they are polluted by human authority and vain inventions.
To goe further you ſee how purely and without ſpot God will have his ordinaunces to be kept, he will not have men to deale with them, but that they muſt be kept intire and pure, but how longe muſt they be ſo kept? vntill the appearing of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, what an important charge may this ſeeme to bee unto Timothy! This letts us ſee two things in the duty that God hath charged on all Paſtours, firſt that in this charge all Miniſters are charged with it, and that this is not a commaundement to Timothy onelyonly in his time, but for all that ſhall follow in the miniſtery unto the end of the world, till Chriſte appeare again.
Secondly let us ſee another thing, namely, how this muſt be done, every Miniſter muſt keepe it pure, and pure he muſt deliver it into the hands of them which ſhall ſucceed him, that is, he muſt keep it ſincere, as the Apoſtle tells Timothy in his ſecond Epiſtle, deliver that thou haſt received unto faithfull men, that they may deliver it to others, there muſt be a delivering of it from hand to hand as the Apoſtle taught Timothy, ſo ſhould he teach other Miniſters, that they ſhould ſo preach and adminiſter the ſacraments, as they might be examples unto them that ſhould come after them to doe the like, and this Timothy is ſaid to doe this, till Chriſts appearing when he doth it all his owne time.
Oh what a fearfull thing is it when Paſtours are not carefull to leave the ordinaunces of God and of Chriſt, and the purity of them to thoſe that follow after them, they know not what they muſt anſwere, for who are examples of the contrary, oh with trembling remember the hiſtory of Ieroboam the King of Iſraell, who was the firſt that cauſed the Iewes to ſeparate from the Temple of Salomon, and he is branded with this note, Ieroboam, that made Iſraell to ſinne, he was the firſt occaſion of it, and he is charged above all, for corrupting the Worſhip of God: The like we read before of Gideon Iudges 8. who thinking to adorn an ornament God had commaunded his Preiſts to weare, but it was abhomination unto the Lord, and it was the utter deſtructiō of him and his houſe, for which the Lord recordeth all Iſraell went a whoring after it.
If thoſe men were ſo noted that have cauſed the Church to erre from Gods law, and not imbrace his order he hath ſet down, but in the place of it to receive idle ceremonies, certainly they ſhall know, that God takes this to remembrance and more to his heart then they doe dream of, yea they ſhall ſee that of all men they are lyable to the greateſt judgment in the ſight of God, their own devices ſhall aggravate their judgment for corrupting the Church of God, therefore faithfull Paſtours muſt have a double care in their own perſons and of others committed to their charge, that they keep it without ſpott, and that they deliver it to others without ſpott.
Again we doe here ſee that theſe ordinaunces are not to be changed ſo long as the worlde endures, the Apoſtle to the Hebrews comparing the law with the Goſpell, and the diſpenſation of the Goſpell to the diſpenſation under the law, he calls them both Kingdoms, becauſe they were in his church where his Kingdom is; now ſaith the Apoſtle this word once more ſignifyeth the remooving of thoſe things that are ſhaken, as of things that are made, that thoſe things that cannot be ſhaken may remain, where the Apoſtle ſhews that the diſpenſation under the law was not to continue; but (ſaith he) we receiving a Kingdom which cannott be moved, let us have grace wherby we may ſerve God acceptablie with reverence and godly feare, ſo that theſe ordinaunces of his Kingdom under the Goſpell they cannot be ſhaken, except thou wilt ſhake thyſelf out of Gods Kingdom; This Kingdom muſt remain conſtant till the end of the world, ſo that it is a fearfull matter when men keep not this in their time, ſince it muſt not be chaunged till the worlds end, yet there is ſcarce anie degree of men in the miniſtery that doth not pervert this.
What a fearfull and daungerous matter is it to us, that we cannot keep it for ſo ſhort a time? and if the Kingdom of God had ſtood and his ordinaunces accordinge to his truth, here preſcribed, there had never been another miniſtery nor an other government, or other doctrine then this here commaunded, if Gods will were obſerved, and Paſtours had been faithfull, they would never have corrupted Gods ordinaunces and worſhip as they have done, This Epiſtle is the onelyonly form that God allows, and by which miniſters ſhalbe examined, for men neede not to doubt how the Church may be reformed and ſet in right order, if the fear of God did poſſeſſe their hearts to looke unto this Epiſtle, but when this is not looked unto, nor regarded, but what will pleaſe men, and what is the cuſtom of theſe times, this makes that Gods houſe is peſtered w…th vanityes, and ſtill remains defiled, and if Paſtours would bend their ſtudies to learn this Epiſtle, it would ſhew them their folly, and therefore all which labour to avoyd Gods fierce wrath in this age, and love the ſalvation of their ſouls in obeying God according to his ordinaunces, let them read and underſtand this Epiſtle, for this will teach them the truth of God, how his Church ſhould be ordered and governed.
One leſſon more I will ad, and withall will make an end, This commaundement you ſee is to be kept till the worlds end, let us gather this leſſon from it. Hath God charged his Church to doe this, and will he not have his Church to practiſe it? let the devill and Antichriſt rage as they will, and rage againſt his ſervants, yet the Lord will keep them, and this commaundement ſhal be kept till Chriſts coming again in deſpight of them, though not in the moſt part of the world, yet in ſome obſcure places he will have his own witneſſes to ſtand for him, to convince the world of error, the reaſon of it is this, God gives no commaundement to his church that he will have kept to the worlds end, but it muſt ſtand as long as the time that he hath appointed it, ſo that all the power of darknes ſhall not roote it out of the world, although they may baniſh it in manie countries, but out of the world they ſhall never baniſh it, but there ſhalbe one or other that ſhall ſtand for the truth.
This we may ſee hath been accompliſhed, as we finde in hiſtoryes, although manie of their teſtimonies are ſuppreſſed, yet in all ages God hath had ſundry who have mainteyned the truth, ſo that there ſhalbe a Church of God in which the purity of his worſhip ſhalbe mainteyned, ſo longe as the world ſhall remaine. It is teſtifyed that Noe cōdemned the world, ſo the teſtimonie of Chriſts witneſſes ſhalbe condemnatiō to the world, to this end the Apoſtle ſaith, if our Goſpell be hid it is hid in them that are loſt, in whom the God of this world hath blinded their mindes; So God and Chriſt will and ſhalbe worſhipped, although obſcurely, although not at Ieruſalem nor among the ſcribes and phariſes, yet in the wildernes there ſhalbe a Iohn Baptiſt; or in ſome corner of the earth or other God will have his faitfull witneſſes, for this commaundement ſhall take place as long as God doth reigne, although the tyrants of the earth obſcure it, this is moſt ſure, that his Goſpell is an everlaſting Goſpell, and God will keep it in ſome corner of the earth till the end of the world, therefore raiſe up your hearts with joy, although it be put downe in this or that place, yet it ſhalbe rayſed again in an other quarter of the world, it came from the Eaſt to us, and we had it a long time, and now it is going from us, and God hath appoynted another place to receive it, never ſhall God want a place to keep his ordinaunces, let the world doe what they can to hinder it, it is vaine for men to ſeeke to ſuppreſſe that which God will have kept.