Works, Part 1 · Spiritual counsels 1 · Counsel 52 – Counsel 65
Ministerie, Ministers.
1 WE must neuer be so moued at the reproches of enemies, as at the not profiting of friends: that is, such as be, or ought to be the ioy, crowne, and glorie of our ministerie, for whom wee hauehave prayed, and with whom we hauehave trauailed for their saluation. For as these men alone giuegive all the credite to our ministerie in well-doing, so they doe farre more discredite it by euill doing, then all others, at whose hands we looke for no such things. And for this cause wee may not be so moued to see the common sort of people offend, because what maruaile is it if they faile in duties, when others which are continually taught, doe so often slip and fall?
2 Ministers should most frequent those places where God hath made their Ministerie most fruitfull: they should heerein be like the couetous man, that where they hauehave once found the sweetnes of gaining of soules, thither they should be most desirous to resort.
3 Hee feared much the preposterous zeale and hastie running of young men into the Ministerie; because as iudgement, so also stayednesse, and moderation, vse, experience, grauitie in ordering affections, and the hauing some masterie ouer corruption, was needefullThe haste of young men to the ministery in him, that should teach others. And hee obserued the extreame in our age, to be contrarie to that in the first age, wherein men being but slenderly brought vp, it was very long ere they were vsed in the Church: but now education being bettered, they are too soone imployed. Too hastie a triall must not be made of mens giftes to their hurt that vse them, and that hauehave the vse of them.
4 If we aske, whether a man may not lawfully desire to be in the Ministerie or no? I answere, that in the Ministerie are two things; a worke and a worship; a dutie and a dignitie. The worke and dutie to the glory of God, and the good of his Church, a man may desire: The worship or dignity, to serue our couetous mind, is not to be desired. It is good before we come to the complete function of the Ministery, there should be some training vp by degrees in the schooles of the Prophets, Acts, 20. Wee reade of the training vp of certaine Disciples at Corinth, and at Antioch: Paul was first a Disciple, then an Apostle: Ioshua vnderunder Moses; Samuel vnderunder Ely; Elisha vnderunder Elias; Salomon vnderunder Nathan; Baruch vnderunder Ieremie; Timothie vnderunder Paul; were trained vp. And surely it is a diuine policie, first, to be of the childrē of the Prophets, then a Prophet, thē a Pastor. First, Christ calleth some to be domesticall Disciples, Luk: 6. After, he sendeth them forth, Luk: 10. And then they preach most fully, whē after his Ascension they had receiued the holy Ghost. Now if this order were in the Prophets times, why should it not be much more in ours? In the common-weale, there is a training vp of the Gentrie, before they be installed into Magistracie. In the Court, no man at the first is admitted to the highest titles and functions, but according to their gifts & practise. In naturall things, wee will not commit our bodies to eueryevery Physitian, & professor, but make enquiry after him who hath had the longest experience. Then it is good, first with Ioshua, Samuel, Elisha, Salomon, Baruch, and Timothie to be humbled; then with Moses, Ely, Elias, Nathan, & Paul to be honored. For what age requireth this more then our headie olde age of the world? Wherein young men are some what forward, and young men hauehave younger iudgemēts, younger affections, vnseasoned speeches, and vnseasoned speeches bring retractions, and retractions bring their discredit.
Mirth.
1 WHen a Gentlewoman asked him if he were not sometime merrie. Yes, saithMirth. he, we are often merrie, and sometimes we are afraid of our mirth.
Mercies.
1 THe way to see the length, depth, breadth and heigth of Gods mercies, is first with shame and sorrow to see the length, &c. of our owne sinnes.
Memorie.
1 THe best arte of Memorie, is, to be humbled at Gods threatnings, and comforted at his promises: for sure it is, that exceeding griefes or exceeding ioyes, leaue great impressions in vsus.
2 The best arte of Logicke is to reason E conuerso, out of that saying of Paul; There is Temptation.no temptation hath ouertaken you, but it hath ouertaken others. And to say thus, There hath no temptation ouertaken others, but the same may ouertake vsus. This will teach vsus to speake charitably and profitably of other mens infirmities.
Markes of the children of God.
1 THere be some notable markes to know whether our iourney be to heauen, or to hell: first, if a man be so close, that he will not open his way whither he purposeth1 How to discerne and discouer the 2 waies of men. to goe, yet you shall sp…e out his intent, by obseruing which way his carriage is sent: if our carriage goe after the flesh, to the flesh we shall come: if after the spirit, to the spirit we shall come. Secondly, if a man conceale his voyage, yet you shall discerne him by his inquirie this way or that way: if he aske which is the way to Canaan, and where the way lieth in the wildernesse, it is an argument he is going to the promised land. Thirdly,3 albeit he would keepe his iourney neuer so priuie; yet he is bewrayed, if when in hearing a man speake against his countrey, and dispraise his Prince and people, his blood beginneth to rise, he findeth himselfe grieued, and standeth in defence of his countrey: So, if when men disgrace Gods word, speake euil of his Ministers, or reproch his Saints, we finde our selues moued, and not able to containe our selues from reprehension: that is a token we are trauailing towards heauen.
Occasions of euill.
1 GOdly men are not in danger of grosse wicked women: wherefore we must hauehave a greater carefulnes of our selues, when we are in companie of such as professe godlinesse. And so in all euils beware of secret and colourable occasions of euill, wherein some make a shew of good, being guiltie of great offences.
Patience.
1 PAtience then possesseth the soule, whensoeuer all our outward wants are suppliedTriall of our patience. by patience.
2 There are many who hauehave set a presse on their hearts, and purposed to exempt themselues from all griefe: others eate vp their hearts with griefe, as the flesh of the body is eaten vp with a corrosiue, and so make themselues dull stones, rather than feeling members:Some eate vp their hearts with griefe. the meane is not to be too quiet, as without all griefe; nor to be vnquiet too much, as being without a God.
Pitie.
1 THey are not to be pitied in their griefe, which sorrow not with some griefe for their sinnes.
Pouertie.
1 WE often want outward things, because we esteeme no more of inward graces.Cause of outward wants. Murmuring.
2 It is the policie of Sathan, to lay before vsus the great benefits which we want, to cause vsus to murmur for them, and to disgrace the present benefits which we hauehave, least we should be thankfull. We must not desire to come out of the fire of affliction, vntill the Lord thereby hauehave purified …s, as fine gold, for his owne vse: but still thinke that the continuing of the crosse, is the continuing of scouring away of some corruption.
3 The Lord oftentimes giueth his children no other riches, but his promise made vntounto them, which they must wholy depend vponupon, vntill the Lord seeing them readie for theCōtentation. thing in the testament hequeathed vntounto them, shall in wisedome giuegive them their legacies.
3 The Lord will hauehave vsus to begin with good things though our beginning be small: the diuell contrary. In euill things God would hauehave vsus feare the very first beginnings: the diuell contrary.
Preaching.
1 IT is to be feared, that by reason of our long peace and ease, mens teaching will become glassie, bright and brittle: for that preaching is alreadie growne so cold and so humane, that the simple preaching of Christ doth greatly decay: & that the great peace & The simple preaching of Christ. 1. Cor. 2. 2. 3. 2. Cor. 4. 5. 6. 7.quietnes which men hauehave in themselues, shall destroy the power of godlines out of them.
2 If wee preach things whereof wee are not fully perswaded, or if we be perswaded of them, yet if they be not sound according to truth, they will trouble our consciences afterwards.
3 He obserued that many would receiue the word of God publikely preached with reuerence, and being priuately spoken, they made no such account of it: wherein men shewed themselues not to respect the preacher of God and his word, but some other thing. And that some men (which was a foule sinne, and worthie publike reprehension) wouldHypocrisie. heare a man willingly in the Church, and gainsay his doctrine at home. Wherein they bewraied, rather that they heard for solemnitie of place, more then for any deuotion.
4 In denouncing the iudgements of God, either priuatly to one, or publikely to more, the Ministers of Christ still ought earnestly and inwardly to be moued to pray, that that euill which the Lord foreshewed them by the word to fall on such sinners, might be turnedPreachers must be farre from wrath. 1. Tim. 2. 22. away: so farre must they be from speaking in wrath.
5 Some Preachers doe much inueigh against the body, crying out, that it is the enemy of the soule: when notwithstanding we are rather to nourish the body as the friend of the soule, for the exercise of repentance, and mortification, and sanctification: and on the contrarie,The corrupt actions of the body proceed from the corrupt affections of the soule. the soule is the enemie to the body in vsing it to sinne, for that there is neuer any corrupt action in the body, but there hath been first a corrupt motion and sinful affection in the soule.
6 He was alwaies desirous to be in the place of publike reading, praying and preaching, euen of conscience to Gods ordinance, were the Preachers neuer so meane. For if he spake of iudgement, he either increased (as he said) or confirmed his knowledge. If the speaker had great wants, euen these wants did humble him, and made him to meditate inwardlyTo attend the holy ministerie and Preaching of the word. of that truth, whereof the Preacher failed: in so much that sometimes hearing the wants, and then meditating of the truth, he could as well be enabled to preach againe of that text, as if he had read some Commentarie.
Prayer.
1 WE cannot be drie in the graces of God, so long as we resort to Christ by feruent prayer.
2 If you will aske any blessing at Gods hands, begin with crauing his fauour: Psal. 4. If you would auoid any crosse, begin first with repenting and crauing pardon for thy sinne. Psal. 32.
3 He in all things would aske counsell of God by his word and prayer, thinking he could neuer well doe good to others, vnlesse he had also first done well to his owne soule. And hee obserued, that taking in hand things more suddenly, hee either was crossed in the doing of them, or if he had any present fruite, yet hee saw it was not an abiding and remaining fruite.
4 It is good to vse eueryevery night as soone as wee awake, some exercise of prayer, or meditation,Prayer in the night. and to preuent the morning and euening watch in thinking on the Word.
5 Hee compounded with himselfe three times a day, to pray for those things which hePrayer in the day. preached, vsing also daily three portions of Psalm: 119.
6 They pray not altogether of fashion, who see their infirmitie in praying, and areTo see our infirmities and wāts in prayer, and to be grieued for them. grieued for it: And they that indeed doe pray onelyonly of fashion, doe not see it: and this imperfection doth not so much displease the Lorde, as the griefe in vsus for our imperfection doth please him. And though it come to passe that God doe crosse a vehement prayer, and doth graunt our prayer when wee pray coldlie, it is not either to make vsus to surcease from zeale, or to slip to coldnes in prayer, (for that is the way either to heresie or prophanenesse) but to teach vsus that wee must not on the one side, trust too much to theIames, 5. meanes, as though wee would tye God to our praying; and to encourage vsus on the other side to vse prayer, when seeing the Lord hath heard vsus praying faintly, he will surely heare vsus when we pray feruently.
7 Sometimes in a good action, vsing good meanes with an vpright heart, to a lawfull ende, if our prayers be vnfruitfull, and our labours want successe: then let vsus remember,Secret corruptions may hinder successe in good actions. that in all these there were secret imperfections, and that the Lords deferring is, that wee being better prepared by humilitie to be thankfull, he may graunt our requests in richer manner and measure.
8 When one said to him after long conference and prayer: Sir, I hauehave troubled you; Oh my brother, not so (said hee) I neuer felt ill by well-doing, and if I may pleasure you, it is as ioyfull to mee as any thing can bee: for, for this cause I liue.
Praise.
1 VNtoUnto one that with many words disabled himselfe, he said meekly: O why do you so much seeke your owne praise? for it bewrayeth a priuie corruption of nature, that by too open dispraise, desireth to stirre vp his owne praise & cōmendations.
Parents.
1 SEeing a godlie man hauing his sonne in his armes, whome hee loued tenderlie, heImmoderate louelove of parents. said to him: Sir, there is the matter of your reioycing, God make it the matter of your thanksgiuing.
2 The Lord hath corrected the immoderate louelove of parents towards their Children, specially when it was grounded on nature, more then on the gifts of God: as we may see in Abraham, who so loued Ishmael; in Isaack, who so loued Esau; and in Dauid, who so loued Absolon.
Prosperitie and Peace.
1 MEn ought to vse all good meanes in the time of peace, and before troubles come: and yet, though (because outward things are as a vaile to hide Gods face from vsus) we cannot vnderstand good things so easily in prosperitie; or if we vnderstand, we hardlie hauehave the feeling of them: we must therefore still vse the meanes, in hope of that fruite and comfort that commeth in time of trouble, vntounto which time God often reserues ourFeelings most vnderunder the crosse. 2. Cor. 12. 9. greatest feeling, because it is the most needfull time of helpe.
2 And if it be so that in our prosperitie we hauehave not vsed so the meanes, yet are we not therefore in aduersitie vtterly to dispaire of comfort, because the Word was giuen for mans helpe, who needeth meanes, not to helpe GOD, who can comfort without meanes: neither are wee to bee out of heart, though our Conscience tell vsus that wee hauehave vsed theMeanes. meanes in some weaknes: for the Lord pardoneth our infirmities, and crowneth our sinceritie in them.
3 Browne bread and the peace of the Gospell is good cheere.
4 Hee said surely, that long prosperitie will breede either heresie or securitie, or someThe long prosperitie of the Church. great aduersitie: and that howsoeuer men did little feare these plentifull dayes, yet when prosperitie is full and come to repletion, there must needes follow some rupture, and the abundance of wealth must needes hauehave an vlcer, to breake out in one place or other.