The Way to True Happiness, Sermon 24
The foure and twentieth SERMON.
MATTH. 5.11, 12.
Blessed are yee when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake.
Rejoyce, and bee exceeding glad, for great is your reward in beaven: for so persecuted they the Prophets that were before you.
WEe have traced our blessed Saviour through the steps of Christianity. Christianity begins in poverty of spirit, and ends in persecution. This persecution will never hurt a Christian, it is no prejudice to his happinesse, the kingdome of heaven shall pay for all.
Now our blessed Saviour descends from christians in generall, to his disciples and ministers in particular.
His disciples did personate both Christians and Preachers. They were now Students, nay Licentiats in Divinity. In the sixth of Luke, he sets them apart for the worke of the ministry, and no sooner hath he called them to that worke, but he presently summons them to suffer persecution.
Wee will not stand now to breake open the words in the severall branches of them: That which at this time wee have to doe, is to touch a little on two points.
First, what measure the world usually deales out to Gods true Ministers.
Secondly, how Gods Ministers must beare up themselves in this entertainment.
For the first: Our Saviour speakes here as if Ministers were to expect all sorts of persecutions, and that from all sorts of people. For persons; Blessed saith he, are ye when [Men] shall revile you, &c. that is, men of all sorts and conditions shall conspire in this worke. And for persecutions, our Saviour himselfe casts them into these rankes, persecuting words, and persecuting actions, (when men shall revile you, and persecute you, …nd say, &c.) unlesse under reviling we shall place gestures, as some doe.
For the order of the words, whether there be in them an allusion to a judiciary processe, (as some Authors of good note will have it) or to such outrage rather as wrath doth minister weapons unto as occasion is given, it is not much materiall. OnelyOnly this, of these three words here used in the text, The first imports upbraiding, and twitting of others, and is the same with that, Iam. 1.5. Let him aske of God, who giveth unto all men liberally, and hitteth none in the teeth, either with their present defects, or former failings. The second word betokeneth a keene and eager pursuite of any other, whether by law or by the sword. The third, all manner of evill language, though never so false. All laid together, amounts to this much.
Doctr. That the world ordinarily hath a keene edge against the true Prophets, and Ministers of Iesus Christ. No sooner is any man a true Minister, but he is halfe a Martyr: Therefore our Saviour gives his Disciples here their orders with one hand, and their weapons with the other, Luc. 6. He cals upon them both at once for preaching and persecution: for these two are twinnes, and goe ever together. Hence it is, that when hee sent forth the twelve to preach; and likewise in another expedition, when he sent forth the seventy, he tels them of persecution. Behold I send you forth as sheepe in the middest of wolves, &c. but beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the Councels, and scourge you in their Synagogues, &c. Matth. 10.16, 17. Come to particular persons, and to begin with Peter; Simon sonne of Ionas, saith our Saviour, when thou wast young, thou girdedst thy selfe, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: The time was when thou could'st have done thus, but now the case is altered, thou art a Preacher, Peter, and therefore now, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carrie thee whither thou would'st not. Ioh. 21.18. The like wee may see of Paul, Act. 9.15, 16. Hee is a chosen vessell unto mee, saith the Lord there to Ananias, to beare my name before the Gentiles, and Kings, and the children of Israel: for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my names sake: Preaching Christs name, and suffering for it, doe goe ever together lightly: Hence is that charge given to the Prophets, Ieremy and Ezechiel, Gird up thy loynes and speake, be not afraid, lest I confound thee before them; They shall fight against thee, but chey shall not prevaile, &c. And againe, Though briars and thornes be against thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions, be not afraid of their words, &c. Ier. 1.17, 19. Ezek. 2.6. But what need we produce more instances? let us but consult common experience, and wee shall finde it so. You know how it fared of old with Gods faithfull Messengers: Behold, saith Isay, I and the children whom thou hast given mee, are for signes and for wonders in Israel. Ieremy became a by-word, Ezechiel a proverb, Daniel was counted no better than a traytor and rebell against his Prince. And, to put an end to a long induction of particulars, Which of the Prophets (saith S. Stephen, to those stiffe-necked Iewes, Act. 7.) have not your Fathers persecuted? and tbey have slaine them which shewed before of the comming of the just. One, of whom you have beene now the betrayers and murtherers: Thus it fared with the Prophets of old: Come downe lower to the middle times betweene the Prophets and Apostles, there fell in two Preachers beyond all exception, Iohn Baptist and our Saviour: neither of them gave content; the one was too sterne and austere, the other was too pliant and sociable; neither of them could please. Come downe from hence to the Apostles times, these were in the hardest condition of all, most contemned, and most dis-respected of all men, 1. Cor. 4. I thinke, saith Saint Paul, that God hath set forth us the Apostles last, as the fagge end, and outcast of all the rest, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to Angels, and to men. Even to this present, wee both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, &c. Come lower to the primitive times; and where shall a man finde the Orthodox Bishops, but at the barre, or upon the racke, or in prison? &c. traduced, proscribed, exiled, all manner of hard measure meted unto them; after this, invaded first by Heathenisme, then by Arrianisme, then by Donatisme, then by Pelagianisme, and last of all by Antichristianisme: So true is that of Luther, It is not possible for a man to be a true Preacher of Gods word, and not be persecuted. And it flowes from these causes; first, from God; secondly, from the World; and thirdly, from Satan.
Reas. 1. First, it pleaseth God for excellent good ends and purposes, to trie and exercise his most faithfull servants his Ministers, who have in them too much pride, too much selfe-love, too much passion, worldlinesse, &c. This God seeth, that they need refining, and therefore hee will breathe them, and exercise them, lest they should bee exalted above measure with the abundance of revelations; he will turne some messenger of Sathan loose upon them, as hee did upon Paul; who being in danger of being puffed up upon his being rapt into heaven, God sets one to welcome him to earth againe, a pricke in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, &c. Thus Gods Ministers doe but stand in need of persecution, their graces must be tried and exercised.
Reas. 2. But there is another Reason of this, and that is from the World, betwixt which and the Ministry there is an utter antipathy; for the Ministry is divine and holy: the World and it can no better agree than light and darknesse, fire and water: Hence the difference, hence the opposition, hence the fight; because the Word detects, disgraceth, and opposeth the sinnes wherein the World walloweth. The Ministry stands in the light of the World, hinders that men cannot sinne with that freedome they otherwise would: hence the quarrell. I have given them thy word, saith Christ in his prayer to his Father, Ioh. 17.14. and then presently followes, and the world hath hated them: they have a word, a message in their mouthes against all sinne, therefore doth the world oppose them.
Reas. 3. Thirdly, it is of Sathan that Gods Ministers are so persecuted, for hee knowes if the sheepheard be smitten, the sheepe must needs be scattered; if he can take off the Captaine, the army will soone be routed; if the starres be once pulled downe from heaven, his kingdome (which consists in the deeds of darknesse) will thereupon be advanced. Hence it is, that as the King of Syria commanded to fight neither against small nor great, but against the King of Israel; so he bends all his forces against these Captaines of the Lords hoasts: hence it is, that so many imputations, so many aspersions, so many indignities are cast and heap't upon faithfull Preachers. You see then, that whether you looke to God, or to the World, or lastly to the Devill, Christs true Ministers cannot want persecution. We will stand no longer on proofe of the point.
Vse. For use hereof, it serves two wayes; and first, take notice of the vile corruption of our nature, in that we be carried with such secret spleen, and beare such an edge against Gods holy Ordinance; wherein we may see, first, our weaknesse; secondly, our wickednesse. First, what greater weaknesse can there be than this, to love flattering rather than plain-dealing? this is meere childishnesse. Chide a childe for his faults, and he thinkes you hate him presently, he counts you his enemy: but let him alone, and humour him a while, and you shall bee his friend, you may have the heart out of his body, or whatsoever you will: And thus childish doe men shew themselves, for most part: wee love those that will stroake us, such as will keepe aloofe, and never come home to us to shew us our ill estate: Hence is it that the Devils dawbers, that dawbe with untempered mortar, as the Prophet speaks, the Devils Upholsters (as one cals them) that sow pillowes under mens elbowes, are magnified and applauded of the world, when as in the meane while Gods faithfull Messengers, that deale plainly and mercifully with mens soules, to draw them out of their sinnes, are disesteemed, and vilified: hence is it, that every Fidler, every Tapster, every Iester, every claw-back, that can humour men & smooth them up, shall be accepted, and made welcome into their company. And on the other side, hee that deales faithfully with mens soules shall be traduced, and disrespected of every body. Now what a weaknes is this in men, to make no difference of friends and foes, to their utter ruine and destruction? And yet this is it wee are all subject to: Hence every true Paul is forced to crie out, that the more hee loves, the lesse he is beloved; and that hee is held an enemy because he speakes the truth; as on the contrary, false Prophets though they deceive and gull men of their soules, yet they are received and applauded: this is weaknesse in graine, in the very height of it. But is that all? Take notice herein, as of your weaknesse, so secondly of your wickednesse, that we should make things amiable the object of our greatest hatred, even fidelity and plain-dealing in our Ministers, that we should thus fall in with our diseases; and insteed of falling out with our sinnes, should fall foule on our Physicians: whence is this strange wickednesse? Would you know the true cause? It is that antipathy and contrariancie (wee spake of before) that is betweene this divine Ordinance, and mans sinfull nature: for otherwise, what is there in a Minister, but that he may passe as well as another man; whether we consider him in naturall respects; he may be as neere & deere unto us every way as another: or if you take him in civill respects; he is lightly as affable as others, as well bred, as courteous and sociable, as good a companion as another: Or lastly, if you consider him in religious respects; take him one way, hee may be the object of your pitty and love, as he is a man subject to like passions, &c. or take him another way, hee is the object of your respect, as hee is the Ambassador of Christ. What is the reason then there is no better accordance betweene him and the world, but from the Ordinance, which is divine and spirituall? but wee are carnall and sensuall, hence the difference. The worke of the Ministry is to shew men their sinnes, to pull them out of hell, to bring them to heaven; but wretched men would not be happy, I meane it, in Gods way they would not, and by the use of Gods meanes. Now because Ministers would make men of unholy, holy; of wicked, righteous: hence is it that they fall out with the Ordinance. This is wickednesse in an high degree; and yet it is in all of us naturally to beare an aking tooth to Gods faithfull Ministers; let us see it and be humbled for this crookednesse of our natures.
Secondly, for such as have an itching desire to be medling with Gods Ministers, let them be exhorted to take heed of pleasing themselves in rubbing this itch, lest it smart and bleed to their death, and undoing. A Minister that comes to us in Christs name should be respected for his message, whether hee come as an Ambassador of peace, or as an Herald of warre, in either quality he is priviledged. Secondly, for his Masters sake, his commission is sealed in heaven, he is come out from God. Thirdly, in respect of that relation he beares to God, who hath undertaken his protection, ownes him, and gives it in charge, Touch not mine annoynted, and doe my Prophets no harme; and hath threatned to strike through the loynes of all them that meddle with his Levites, Deut. 33. wherefore if any of you have a stitch against a Minister as a Minister, my counsell unto you is that of Pilates wife to her husband, Have nothing to doe with that just man: but rather if you have any way wronged him, in his name, in his estate, &c. let the same course be taken by us that the Lord commends to Abimelech, Make restitution, for hee is a Prophet, and hee shall pray for you, and you shall prosper. This is the way to bring Gods blessing upon your selves and yours. And for the time to come take heed how you traduce or maligne any true Minister of Christ, take heed how you lift up a persecuting hand or a persecuting tongue against any such, yea or a persecuting eare either: Receive not a report against an Elder, saith the Apostle, under two or three witnesses: for if to be accused were enough to make a man guilty, Christ himselfe should not have beene innocent. Who knowes not what strange reports were raised, what tales were brought up against the Christian Bishops of old? What hainous things were charged upon Christ himselfe in both the Courts, the civill Court and the Ecclesiasticall Court? Wherfore, when accusations of this kinde are brought unto you, learne, if not to stop both eares, as that good Emperour Constantine did, yet at least to reserve one for the accused party, till you have heard them both. For certainely as that Nobleman accused of tteason said for himselfe, It was not the Baron,Vid. Camd. in Bedfordshire. but the Baronry that was the traytor; so for most part, it is not so much the man they smite at, as the living, the glebe, the Ordinance of God wherewith they are entrusted. It is easie to pretend a thousand things, but take heed of that secret itch that is in many this way, to be tampering and medling with Ministers because Ministers.
Vse. But let me say something here to those of mine owne coate: for the maine weight of this businesse lyes on the Clergy. You see your calling, you see your condition; you are sent out into the world as sheepe amongst wolves, fight you must (it will hardly be avoyded;) therefore resolve upon it, either to decline the stroke, or receive the shocke.
For the first, Christ gives you two prescriptions, Be wise, saith he, as Serpents, and innocent as Doves. Wisedome and Innocency are the best meanes a man can use to keepe his peace.
First therefore that Dove-like spirit that rested upon Christ, must rest also upon us: sinlesse wee cannot be, blamelesse we must be. And although there be a latitude which must be yeelded to humane frailty, yet wee must not swerve too much from the line on either hand, but strive to hold that foreign that Nazianzen speakes of: Walke as those that tread upon ropes, wondrous even and upright, without warping or swerving on either hand.
Secondly for our Wisedome, it hath a threefold prospect:
First, toward our Master Christ: get under his protection, and live as his Chaplaines in Ordinary, study him, preach him, represent him, personate him, thinke what he would say if he were to speake in this place, in your parish. In a word, you must comply with him, depend upon him, and then he will beare you out in all your pressures.
Secondly, toward our selves, and so it shall be our wisedome to hold together; for our strength and safety lyeth in unity. If we be divided in our hands and tongues as those builders of Babel were (when one called for stones, they brought him mortar, &c. one layd a stone in the building, and another pulled it up) a Babel shall sooner arise hereof than a Ierusalem; therefore hearken to our Saviour, and sit downe by his words, Have salt among your selves, and be at peace one with another. Mar. 9.
Thirdly, toward the world; and here the chiefest point of our wisedome is to bee shewed, that sith the world is so captious, and so ready to picke a quarrell with us, therefore it must be our care to foresee as much as possible, & to forestall all their exceptions. Now what it is that they most except against in us, may be best seene in our Saviour Christ. In the second of Marke, and other places of the Gospel, they taxe our Saviour for foure things especially: First for his person, secondly for his doctrine, thirdly for his disciples, and those of his houshold, fourthly for his company.
For his person, first, he must be more than a man that gives content to the world. Our Saviour himselfe could not, they twit him now with his birth, now with his parentage, now with his person, yea they looke round about him, and spye what they may carpe at; all his parts, both naturall and morall doe come under their examination and censure. And even thus will the world deale with the Ministers of Christ, they shall be pryed and search't into every whit of them, from top to toe, as wee say, if any thing may bee found that may come under their censure. The course therefore here is that of Paul to Timothy, first, Take heed to thy selfe, and to doctrine, that is, looke to thy words, looke to thy actions, say nothing, doe nothing unworthy of your place. Secondly supply naturall defects with spirituall endowments, Let no man despise thy youth, saith hee. Wee may say the same in another case, Let no man despise thine age, thy blindnesse, thy deafenesse, or any other naturall defect in thee. Why? but is this in our power, may some say, whether others shall despise or not? Yes, saith the Apostle: for, be thou an example to them in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity; and this is the way to prevent all contempt, namely, if we set them a good patterne, a good copy in all our behaviour.
Secondly, they cavilled at our Saviours doctrine, still they questioned his points, as well as his person. And so it will bee with Preachers of Christs word, it will be enquired into, what schollers they are? what degree of schooles they have taken? what learning is in them? what sufficiency of parts, &c.? Now for this, we shall well enough take off our selves here, by giving attendance to reading, to exhortation, and doctrine; betaking our selves first to study, and then to teach: first wee must learne, and then teach others what wee have learned. Preaching without reading is but a venting of our owne windy conceit; as on the other side, reading without preaching is but a miserly hoarding up from others that which we have learned. Where should a Minister dye rather than in the Pulpit? where should he rather be buried than in his study? Ministers are nurses, and such they should shew themselves. A nurse, you know, doth first feed her selfe, and then feedes her young; so should wee first digest our reading and learning, and then draw out, and impart it to others. That which is most native will take best, and is most desired of our hearers; as it fares with a child, who desires not to have his milke sugred, but likes it best as it comes from the breast, without any mixture: So when a Minister speakes the native truth without all affectation, when hee speakes out of his owne heart, so that the hearers see plainenesse and honesty in the speech; this commends him most to the hearer, and sets a price upon all his labours. Whereas on the other side, let him trimme and starch a speech never so neately, if either he shall preach himselfe, or else confute himselfe by his owne practice, hee shall but render himselfe suspected and despicable when all is done. This was Pauls glory, 2. Cor. 1.13. You shall reade no other thing in mee (saith he) than what I write: and this is a Ministers; when his heart is seene in what he writes, his heart is heard in what he speakes, &c. then though his matter bee never so plaine and ordinary, it will passe and be accepted. Therefore if wee would preach to purpose, we must bring our hearts as well as our heads into the Pulpit, preach the word (as Peter bids) and preach it as the word, and preach it fully; Looke to thy ministry, Archippus, which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it: unlesse a mans hands preach, his haire preach, his feet preach, &c. as well as his tongue, little good will follow, hee shall but do and undoe, As it is said of Aeneas Sylvius (afterwards called Pope Pius Secundus) that what Sylvius did, Pius undid: so such a one shall but undoe at home what he did at Church, whose conversation and doctrine goe not all one way; whose life doth not preach as well as his tongue.
Their third exception against our Saviour was about his disciples (who were his houshold Chapleines as it were) that they did this and that which was not according to the ordinances of the Elders, &c. Wee may not draw disciples after us, or make a side as the Corinthians, who would bee some of Paul, some of Apollo, some of Cephas, and some of Christ; but a houshold we may have, as had our Saviour: and for these we are liable to exception. Doubtlesse it is not for nought, that Saint Paul in two of his Epistles writes an Oeconomick for Ministers, teacheth them how to governe their houses, how to order their wives, their children, and the rest that depend upon them. Herein hee yeelds but to necessity; for all those flawes and faults that are found in our wives, children, or servants, are laid in our dish, put upon our account, and beaten upon our backes. Therefore let us learne every one to watch at his owne doore (if wee would shunne the worlds censures) and often thinke of that hundred and first psalme, I will behave my selfe wisely (saith David there) in a perfect way, till thou come unto me; I will walke within my house with a perfect heart: that so, as Bernard advised a great Clergy man, we may either finde or make our families good.
Lastly (for he was no rich man) they excepted against our Saviour Christ for his company: Why, said they, doth your Master sort himselfe with publicans and sinners? And this was a maine objection indeed, if hee had conversed with such any otherwise than in the nature of a Physitian, to doe a cure upon their soules.
It is a question that a Minister should often put to himselfe, as the Lord did to the Prophet, What dost thou here Elias? So, what businesse have I here in this Market? in this Faire? in this Tavern &c? this is not to be with Paul, nor with Austin neither. It well becomes a Minister to shew himselfe wise this way, and to have a speciall respect to his company: And then if hee study well, and preach well, and live well, and looke well to his houshold and to his company, certainely he shall breake the teeth of many exceptions that the world now commonly makes against the Ministers of Christ.
But what? will wisdome and innocency serve the turne then? is there, besides these, no need of patience? Yes verily: let a man bee as wise and innocent as Christ was, hee shall finde good use of his patience. In truth, my brethren, we had need to be made all of patience, so often shall wee bee affronted, and so much too on every hand. Weel'e not trouble you with the language of Amsterdam, false Prophets, stigmatiques of the beast, creatures of Antichrist, temporarizers, &c. Nor yet with that of Rome, Tinkers, Tapsters,Harding aliique. Fidlers, Coblers, Chimney-sweepers, Cannelrakers.
It were well with many a Minister if he did not heare ill from his owne naturall and spirituall kindred: Yee shall be hated, saith our Saviour, not onelyonly of some few, but of all the world for my names sake. The comfort of it is, that it is for Christs sake we suffer such things. He seeth it, and hee will reward it. What matters it therefore, though we be accounted the arrant'st dunses in a countrey, the worst in all the parish, the refuse and off-scowring of all things for Christ? doe but have a little patience, and hee that shall come will come, and hee will not come empty-handed neither; but bring his reward with him, which is the next thing in the text.
Rejoyce and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
Doctr. Take notice hence, where Gods Ministers must looke for their reward; not here but in heaven. Here is the place of worke, there of wages; here is their seed-time, there the harvest; here they must looke to fight, there to receive their Crownes. Thus it was with our Saviour Christ, Esay. 49.5. Then I said, I have labour'd in vaine, I have spent my strength for nought and in vaine, yet surely my judgement is with the Lord, and my reward with my God. And againe, Though Israel be not gathered, yet I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. And this we may also see, Matth. 18. at the later end: Behold, saith Peter, wee have forsaken all and followed thee, what shall wee have therefore? Little enough, I'le warrant you, for the present: but in that day when the Sonne of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, (and till then the matter is rejourn'd) ye also which have followed mee in the resurrection shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. I know whom I have trusted, saith Paul, and from henceforth there is laid up for mee a Crowne of righteousnesse, (it is laid up, and not yet given him) … the last day, when the righteous Iudge shall give it, &c.
Reas. 1. It must bee in heaven or no where that ministers shall be rewarded. For the world, first, cannot recompence them; secondly, will not do it. It cannot first, for it hath nothing worthy enough to be reward for a Minister: though others may be better men than we, yet they have not better commodities than we. If wee sow unto you, saith the Apostle, our spirituals, is it so great a matter that we reape your temporals? Ministers recover men of their spirituall diseases, so that they owe them even their selves also, as Paul said to Philemon: In a word, they winne soules; and what can a man give in exchange for his soule? If the Heathen man could say, No man can make a sufficient requitall to God, to his Father, to his Tutour that teacheth him humane learning; what doth hee not owe to his Minister that instructs him in the mystery of Christ?
Reas. 2. Men, as they cannot recompence Ministers if they would, so they have no great mind unto it, unlesse it be one or two here or there that are called out of the world by Gods special grace. Mens soules are good cheape with the most, nothing worth. He that can heale a sore, cure a disease, set a bone or the like, shall, be well paid for his paines, and have many a thanke; but Ministers are held Physitians of no value, little set by. If any one can tell us of a good crop, of a good purchase, we lend both our eares to such a bargaine, and …ere is twenty pieces or so for your paines, and I'le owe you a good turne besides: but heaven is scarce worth thankes: If we may have it without any paines or without any cost, we like well of it, but else we give it up as a hard bargaine; and they that offer it are not worth looking after. So that it is well with Ministers, that God hath kept the Law in his owne hand; for such is the course of the world, that every common servant, every herd and heyward, every one that can dresse a horse or drench a cow, shall bee thought a more necessary man than a minister.
Vse. 1. The use of this point concernes ministers chiefly; and yet let mee speake one word by the way (for all the haste) to you hearers. You must bee told, that though our chiefe pay be reserved till another world; yet this is no discharge to you, as if you should therefore put off all the businesse to God, and thinke it enough for you to say to such as labour in the Word and Doctrine, God reward you, I'le pray for you, &c. 'Tis true, wee must looke to our Master in heaven for wages, as other servants must, but what is this to Masters? doth this discharge them? no, saith the Apostle, with good will doing service as to the Lord, and not as to men, knowing that whatsoever good any man doth, the same shall hee receive of the Lord: You Masters must also give unto your servants that which is just and equall, &c. And so it is here: though we ministers have a master in heaven to reward us for any worke we doe this way, yet there must bee an equality observed also on your part: And as the minister must sweat for you, study for you, feed your soules; so must you sweat for him, labour for him, and provide for his body, &c. there must be a mutuall enterchange of all good offices this way one to another. It is true too, that the maine is reserv'd to another world, but yet there must necessarily be some salary, some stipend and allowance made them for the present. Hee that dresseth the Vineyard, is fed of the Vineyard. He that plowes up the field, is fed of the fruit of the field in the interim, though the maine crop be not yet ready. Who goeth a war-fare at any time on his owne chare? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the milke of the flocke? The wages is due unto us here, though the Crowne be behind. I know the question is moved, whether the ministers maintenance be not a matter of almes, and meerely arbitrary? and some good authors are mis-alledged to prove it, as Wickliffe and others, falsely. But our Saviour hath already determined the point; The workeman, saith he, is worthy of his hire; it is as due to Gods ministers as wages to a labourer. Another question is made (I know) about the proportion, and quota pars, what and how much they shall have, and whether or no the tenth bee due? But it is certaine, that as they that minister about holy things, lived of the things of the Temple; and they which waited at the Altar, lived at the Altar, so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. 1. Cor. 9.13, 14. What though he hath meanes of his own otherwayes? that's not to the purpose; publike duties require publike charges: who goes to war (though rich) at his own charge? Therefore you are not to thinke it enough to give them the hearing; or that you have done all, when you give them that which you cannot hold from them, that which custome and prescription affords. Know and understand that God hath ratified no such custome that ministers should bee starved, but willes that they should live, and live comfortably, and recive all good encouragement in their studies, &c.
Vse. 2. Our second use must be to Ministers, and first, to such as doe intend the ministry; secondly, to such as are already entred into it. For the first, they must bee exhorted wisely to cast up their accounts, and not to thinke to enter into the ministery as into a monastery or place of ease and repose, or to helpe their maintenance, not elsewhere to be had: He that desires a Bishoprick (saith the Apostle) desires a worthy worke; a worke unsupportable,Chrysost. a worke formidable to the very Angels, and such as will make the backe of a very Paul to crack againe. He that will be a Minister, hee must be in labours more aboundant, in prisons more frequent, in wearinesse and painfulnesse, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, &c. He must beare every mans burthen, expose himselfe to every mans envy, &c. Beleeve it, the ministry is a worke of workes: Therefore you that intend it, bee advised to sit downe first, and cast up the costs of it, whether you shall be able to goe thorough with it. Consider well of the matter, before you put hand to this plough, before you put out to this sea, lest you give up to your shame, or goe on to your sorrow. Aske your selves the question, whether you can bee content to tarry for preferment till heaven fall to you? Can you folfow naked Christ in a naked manner? &c. Nudi nudum, as Ierom speakes; Will you leave all other things to bee fishers of men? Otherwise if you use the ministry onelyonly as a stirrop to helpe you up into the saddle of promotion, and serve your base ends upon so high an Ordinance, you shall but bring shame and contempt upon your person and place, besides the punishment you are justly to expect from God. Therefore in steed of that question of the most, How shall I compasse this preferment or that? How shall I grow great in the world? &c. Say you, How shall I doe to get more learning, to take more paines, to be in prison, to suffer any manner of hardship, and the like? How shall I get to be more patient, more wise, more meeke? &c. that I may be able to beare the contempt, scornes, hard censures of the world? I have learn'd, saith the Apostle, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content; I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where, and in all things I am instructed, both to be full, and to be hungry, both to abound, and to suffer need. Phil. 4. This is the lesson Saint Paul had taken out, and he had conn'd it well: And this is that he commends to his sonne Timothy, Watch thou in all things, saith hee, suffer hardship, studie souldiery, this is to doe the worke of an Evangelist, this is to make full proofe of thy ministery, 2. Tim. 4.5. He must not study his owne ease, but looke to the worke that lookes toward the Ministry; it is a worke of workes, as well as an art of arts, as Greg. speakes.
Secondly, for such as are already entred into it, here's a word of comfort; What ever your usage or entertainment bee in the world, looke thorough all into the rewad above. What if men revile us, what if wee heare ill when wee deserve well, and wee meet with a great deale of discouragement? Yea, what if they persecute us, and say all manner of evill against us falsly for Christs sake, Yet rejoyce in all this, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven: For so persecuted they the Prophets that were before you. So, did I say? nay much worse measure did they meet with, than ever wee have done: They were whipt, they were stock't, rack't, imprisoned, beheaded, &c. and so are not wee. Therefore if wee yet speed better than our betters before us, we have cause to be patient, and to blesse God we scape so well.
Ob. Yea, but it is from mine owne that I receive these discouragements, if it were from strangers I could the better beare it: but when it comes from them that I have prayed for, studied for, &c. this goes neere.
Sol. For answer to this, our Saviour hath told us, That a Prophet hath lesse honour no where, than among his owne. The Prophet of Anathoth, at Anathoth found hardest measure of all. And this is the lot of all Gods Prophets: there is no minister of Christ, but if he deale faithfully in his place, hee doth ordinarily procure himselfe displeasure from his owne people.
Ob. Oh, but if I suffered these things from those onelyonly that are wicked and naught, it would never grieve me so much: but here is my trouble, that even the godly, and such as seeme to have a love to the Word, doe slight and despise me: and how then?
Sol. How then? Why looke up to Christ, and thinke of another time, another place, another manner of pay than here you meete with any; Great is your reward in heaven.
Why should we trouble our selves with what men thinke or do unto us? The wicked, they looke upon Gods ministers as so many pests or plagues of the world (wee have found this botch perverting the people, saith Tertullus of Paul.) And those that are good among men, they cannot judge of our labours, they know not the paines and cares of our place, they understand not what it is to beare the burden of a charge of soules, to breake our sleepe, yea to breake our braines for their sakes: They thinke it a fine matter to see a man in a Pulpit, to stand and talke over the people for an houre together, &c. they see not in what feare, in what care, and with how many temptations wee stand in this place, &c. Therefore let us never trouble our selves with men that know nothing of all this, but looke to him that doth know perfectly how it is with us; according as hee tells the Angels of the Churches, Rev. 2. and 3. I know thy workes, and thy labour, and thy patience, &c. hee knowes all, and takes notice of all; therefore passe not what men judge of you, but looke higher.
What though thou art little respected here? what though many a shaveling hedge-priest is better set by? what though after you have spent your time, and your patrimony (two or three hundred pound it may be) for learnings sake to fit you for the ministry, a small meanes shall bee thought too much for you? what though you bee held to so straite allowance that you cannot keepe a table as many a taylor or tapster doth? cannot give your children a portion, as many an inferiour tradesman can? Looke up amid'st all this, and see above another Master, another day, another life, another payment. Here is the wisedome, the patience, the strength of a Preacher. Were it not for this, wee were of all men most miserable, and most foolish to enter into this calling; of which we may truely say, as that King did of his crowne, That if a man knew but the weight of it, and the cares that come along with it, hee would not hold it worth taking up in the streete. But consider, that great is your reward in heaven, and that shall pay for all. Never whine, never complaine till Christ comes; if he pay you not to the full for every houre spent in his worke, for every indignity borne for his sake; if he make you not amends for every word you have spoke in his name, yea for every drop of bloud, nay for every drop of sweat, nay for every drop of inke you have spent in his service, then complaine, then take exceptions. But in the meane, blesse God that hath made for you so good provision, and blesse the present government, under which you enjoy any incouragement and maintenance, over and besides that great harvest, that crowne that abides us hereafter, when they that winne soules shall shine as the starres in the Firmament.
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Harris, The Way to True Happiness (1632)