Lectures Upon John 4, Part 15 · Lecture 63
Lecture the sixty third. August 28. 1610. IOHN IIII. XXXVII, XXXVIII.
WE heard the last day, that these two verses doe containe the third and last Argument, whereby our Sauiour stirreth vp the Apostles to zeale and diligence in their Ministry; which is taken from the easinesse and facility of that worke, they were to be employed in, in comparison of that, wherein their fellow-seruants, the Prophets, had laboured. And in this argument, three things we heard are offered to our consideration: First, that the Prophets and Ministers vnderunder the Law were fowers, the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospell are reapers. Secondly, that the seruice and labour of the Apostles, was to be (in this respect) farre more easie and comfortable, than the labour of the Prophets had beene; because by the Prophets Ministry, the people of God were prepared to their hands, and made ready to receiue and obey the truth. Thirdly, that the Prophets shall be no whit discontented at this, when they shall vnderstand, that the Apostles hauehave done much more good in their Ministry, than themselues were able to doe; but reioyce in it rather.
The first of these three points, we finished the last day. It followes now that we proceed to the two last.
First then we must enquire how this is to bee vnderstood, that our Sauiour saith heere to the Disciples, They should reape that, on which they bestowed no labour, and that other men, (viz. the Prophets) had laboured, and they were entred into their labours: seeing we know; first, that the Ministrie of the Word now, is an office that requires great labour and paines, as well as it was vnderunder the law. Neither shall a man euer be able to doe good in this calling, vnlesse he be a painefull man. The faithfull Ministers are called foreign, 1. Tim. 5. 17. To pull mens soules out of the kingdome of Sathan, and to bring them vntounto God, is an endlesse peece of worke, a labour of all labours. It were a matter of farre greater ease, for a man to take vponupon him the charge of so many Beares and Wolues, than the charge of mens soules. Let other men thinke of vsus as they please (that of all men we earne our liuings with most ease, that a very meane recompence will serue for the worke that we doe) I doe assure you, there is not a Minister, that is conscionable and carefull to doe good, but he would oft be ready to wish, he might liue in any calling, rather than in this, were it not for three things:
First, the conscience we make of our duty, and the necessity that is laid vponupon vsus, to imploy the gifts God hath giuen vsus, 1. Cor. 9. 16.
Secondly, that the worke it selfe (though painefull) is a worthy and excellent worke, 1. Tim. 3. 1.
Thirdly, the respect we hauehave to the recompence of reward, that we shall receiue for this worke, in doing this thou shalt saue both thy selfe and them that heare thee, 1. Tim. 4. 16.
2. As for the Apostles, their labours were equall, if not farre greater, than any of the Prophets. This will be plaine, if we shall but marke what one of them reporteth of his owne labours, 2. Cor. 11. 23. vntounto 28.
How is it then that our Sauiour maketh the labour of the Apostles nothing, in comparison of the Prophets? The answer is:
First, it was not so great amongst the Iewes, as the Prophets had beene, because the Prophets by their ministry had prepared the Iewes, and made them ready and desirous to receiue the Gospell in the ministry of the Apostles.
Secondly, though it were amongst the Gentiles, as great as the labour of the Prophets had beene amongst the Iewes, yet was it in this respect more easie and comfortable, because they did see much fruit of their labours, and so did not the other.
This then is the Doctrine we are to learne from hence:
That the forwardnesse and readinesse of a people, in receiuing and obeying Doct. 4.of the truth, giues great encouragement to the Minister, and makes his labour farre more easie and comfortable vntounto them. The Preacher of the Word may receiue either great helpe or great hinderance in his ministry, euen from his people and auditors. When he is to speake to a people, that he knowes come with a preiudice against his person or gifts, or such as he hath no hope to do good on, he cannot do his worke so comfortably and cheerefully as he should. Such hearers discourage him greatly, and cause him to do the worke of the Lord more heauily, with lesse life and spirit than he ought. True it is, this may be our fault: for we should doe the Lords worke faithfully and chearefully, whatsoeuer our hearers be. Indeed, in priuate, the seruant of God may, and ought to forbeare to reproue some, euen when they do most grieuously dishonour God; and refuse to speake good things in their hearing (yea, though he be asked) but sit amongst them, as though he had nothing to say; when they be such, as he hath iust cause to thinke, are despisers of the Word, and will be neuer the better, but the worse rather, for that which he shall say. Pro 9. 7. He that reprooueth a scorner, purchaseth to himselfe shame, and he that rebuketh the wicked, getteth himselfe a blot. And verse 8. Rebuke not a scorner. Pro. 23. 9. Speake not in the eares of a foole: for he… will despise the wisedome of thy words. We hauehave two notable and strange examples for this silence. When railing Rabshakeh had spoken most blasphemously against God, it is said, The people of God held their peace, and answered him not one word, and that Hezekiah had commanded them not to answer him, 2. King. 18. 36. Another example we hauehave of our Sauiour himselfe, of whom it is oft noted, that (though he were able to speake so graciously and effectually as he was, yet) in the presence of wicked men, he kept silence from good words. It is said, that Herod questioned with him in many words, but he answered him nothing, Luke 23. 9. And when he was accused, both before the High Priests and Pilate, of many things that did nearely touch both the credit of his Doctrine, and the glory of God, and they prouoked him earnestly to speake and answer for himselfe, yet would he say nothing; in so much that they maruelled greatly at him, that he was so mute, Marke 14 60, 61. and 15. 4, 5.
Let no wicked man thinke, that when he sweares, or talkes prophanely and beastly, in the hearing of such as hauehave a note for profession of Religion, and they hold their peace, that it is eyther because they are fooles, and can say nothing, or base minded, and dare say nothing; for God hath enioyned them silence, and forbidden them to meddle with thee: therefore they can say nothing, therefore they dare say nothing. Thou art a priuiledged person (I tell thee) and I dare say, thou gloriest much in it. But thou wilt finde it a wofull priuiledge one day. Cain had such a priuiledge and protection, Gen. 4. 15. God forbad all men to kill him, or to touch him, because he would hauehave him to be spectacle of his wrath vntounto men. And thou hast a priuiledge too, God hath forbidden all men to rebuke thee, to speake of good things in thy presence, that thou maist goe on, and fill vp the measure of thy sinne, to such as thou art, the Lord himselfe speaketh in this manner, Reioyce O young man in thy youth, and let thy heart cheere thee in the daies of thy youth; and walke in the waies of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes, Eccles. 11. 9. If thou hadst so much grace, as to iudge rightly of this thy priuiledge, thou wouldst take small pride in it: but pray rather, that thou maist so liue, as no godly man may be vnwilling, or affraid to reproue thee, according as Dauid, a great King did, Let the righteous smite me (said he) it shall be a kindnesse, and let him reprooue me, it shall be an excellent oile, Psal. 141. 5. But you must obserue, that when our Sauiour Christ was thus silent, he stood as a priuate person. In his publike ministry he spake good things, and taught the will of God neuerthelesse freely and boldly, though the Pharisees, and other wicked men were present, when he taught. And by his example we are taught, that we should not be daunted nor discouraged in our ministry, by the presence of any wicked man whatsoeuer he be, but we should do our work faithfully and chearefully, whatsoeuer our hearers be. For first, though any come to heare vsus with neuer so bad a minde, God can, and doth oft catch him, and change his minde, as he did the officers, whom the Pharisees had sent to apprehend Christ, Iohn 7. 45, 46. and that vnbeleeuer, 1. Cor. 14. 25. Secondly, and though he doe not so, yet our labour shall not be lost vponupon them; no, not vponupon the carpers, the scorners that heare vsus: for they shall one day know, there hath beene a Prophet amongst them, Ezek. 33. 33. yet though this be an infirmity in a Minister, to doe his worke heauily, amongst such as he seeth no hope to do good vponupon, yet it is such an infirmity, as the best of Gods seruants hauehave beene subiect to; they hauehave beene apt to receiue great discouragement in their ministry, by a bad auditory. When God had made knowne vntounto Ezekiel, what a bad auditory he should preach vntounto, Ezek. 2. 3—…5. They are impudent children, and stiffe-hearted, surely, they will not heare thee, neither will they cease: for they are a rebellions house: it is said, Chap. 3. 14. He went to preach to them in much bitternesse and griefe of spirit: but (saith he) the hand of the Lord was strong vponupon me: that is to say, Else I had neuer gone. It may seeme by that speech that Iohn Baptist vsed, when he saw many of the Pharisees and Saduces come to heare him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Matth. 3. 7. that he was neuer a whit proud of such hearers. No more, surely, are any of vsus now, to see notorious drunkards, or whoremongers, or blasphemers, or prophane fooles, that scorne all goodnesse, come to hear…e vsus. On the contrary side, when we hauehave such a people to heare vsus, as shew by their constancy and chearefulnesse in hearing, and by their conuersation also, that they are such whose hearts God hath prepared to receiue and obey his truth; it doth vsus good to preach to such a people, be they neuer so learned: this giues heart and cheerefulnesse to vsus in our ministry, and euen set; an edge vponupon our gifts, and makes vsus do our worke with more freedome of spirit, and with a larger heart than otherwise we should. The zeale and feruency, which people shew in hearing, doth euen warme their Minister, and make him more zealous. The Apostles had excellent gifts, you know, and yet the goodnesse of their audience did euen mend their gifts. Though they had receiued commission to preach to all Nations, Matth. 28. 19. yet they were at first vnwilling to goe to the Gentiles. How did God encourage them? Surely, by making knowne the forwardnesse and readinesse of the Gentiles, to receiue the Gospell. Before Paul preached to the Gentiles at Antioch, they besought him to doe it, the whole city came together to heare the Word of God; and vponupon their first hearing of the Word, they shewed much gladnesse when they heard that God had allowed his Word to be preached to the Gentiles, and commanded it also; yea they glorifyed the Word of the Lord, Acts 13. 42. 44. 48. This made Paul so zealous and forward to goe to Macedonia, he saw in a vision a man of Macedonia that prayed him saying, come ouer into Macedonia and helpe vsus, Acts 16. 9. That made him shew such a zealous desire to goe and preach to the Romanes, because they were so good a people, Rom. …. 8. 10. Yea, our blessed Sauiour himselfe receiued (as it were) some helpe, and increase of gifts, by the forwardnesse and zeale of his hearers, seeing the multitudes (that flocked so to heare him) he went vp into a mountaine (that they might the better heare him) and be opened his mouth (set and bent himself to speake so as they might heare and vnderstand him) and taught them, Mat. 5. …, …. What made him deny so much time to himselfe from preaching, as might serue euen for his necessary repast, both at this time, and also, Mar. 3. (insomuch, as his kinsfolke euen thought him mad for it, Mar. 3. 21.)? Surely, the zeale of the people, and their great desire to heare, the multitude commeth together againe, so as they could not so much as eate bread, Mar. 3. 20. And if the Apostles, and Christ himselfe had euen neede, or at least receiued good by this helpe, how much more may we?
The Reasons of this Doctrine are two:
1. The faithfull Minister hath no ioy comparable to this, when he seeth Reasons.the forwardnesse of Gods people, in receiuing and obeying the truth. Iohn the Baptist reioyced to see his hearers flocke after Christ. Iohn 3. 29. The friend of the Bridegroome reioyceth greatly, because of the Bridegroomes voice: that is, that the Bridegroomes voice is so well accepted, that he findes so good entertainement with the Bride.
2. The more zealous and prepared the audience is, the better assistance of his Spirit God is wont to giuegive to his seruants. As it is with thy prayer; the better thy heart is prepared to pray, the more comfortable and fruitfull shall thy prayer be, when he prepares our hearts, then will he cause his eare to heare, Psal. 10. 17. So it is with thy hearing, when thou commest best prepared to heare, then shall the Minister preach best, and most to thy comfort. And that is the cause, why Gods people hauehave euer found his presence most gracious and comfortable in the most solemne assemblies, as you hauehave heard before. This, you that can remember our publike fasts, can witnesse from Lect. 28.your owne experience.
1. To perswade all Christians to the louelove of the most solemne assemblies Vse.of Gods people, where the most and best of Gods people are wont to meete together.
2. To exhort Gods people to giuegive all good encouragement to their faithfull Minister, Heb. 13. 17. If they do not their worke with ioy, it will be vnprofitable for you. And that, the hearers may doe three waies. First, by their diligence in comming to the assemblies, and frequenting their ministrie, that (as we hauehave heard) wrought euen in Christ himselfe great alacrity and readinesse to the worke of his ministry. Secondly by shewing cheerefulnesse and diligence in attention when they are present, as our Sauiours hearers at Nazareth did, Luke 4. 20. the eyes of all them that were in the Synagogue were fastned on him. And as the creeple at Lystra did, he heard Paul with that attention and cheerefulnesse, as Paul perceiued by his very countenance that he had faith to be healed, Act. 14. 9. Thirdly, by obeying and practising their doctrine, and causing their teachers to see how they profit by their ministry, and that is the greatest incouragement of all other, obey them and submit your selues that they may doe their worke with ioy, Heb. 13. 17. And on the other side nothing humbles and afflicts the faithfull Minister more then to see the vntounto wardnesse of his people. I feare when I come, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall be waile many that hauehave sinned and hauehave not repented, &c. 2. Cor. 12. 21.