The Faithful Shepherd, Chapter 3 – Chapter 4
CHAP. III. Of the Miniſters wiſe and godly proceeding in his Paſtorall charge to teach his people.
A Miniſter placed ouer a Congregation, ſo as is ſaid, isA Minister muſt feed his flocke. there appointed of God, and there muſt ſettle himſelfe to abide, vnleſſe he be lawfully called from thence, or neceſſitie compell him to depart.
And that flocke muſt he foorthwith begin to feed, and not onelyonly deſire the fleece: wages are due to the worke: the painfull labourer ſhould reape the profit; and not the idle loiterer.
To feed aright its neceſſarie, to weigh what eſtate theyHow to feede aright and profitably diuers ſorts of people. ſtand in, and to conſider their conditions.
A Counſeller muſt know the caſe to giuegive ſound aduice; The Phyſitian his Patient, to adminiſter a wholſome potion: And he that will profit a people, muſt skilfully diſcerne his auditorie.
I. If ignorant and indocible, prepare them to receiue theIgnorant and indocible. Word, and winne them from their owne waies, pretended cuſtomes, ſuperſtitious vſes; from ſuppoſed good intents, examples of blindly-led forefathers; from the good liking of Popiſh religion, as the beſt, vponupon carnall reaſon and worldly commodities; from diſlike of the truth now taught them; and from a conceit of imagination in them, that they are in caſe happie enough; and ſuch like impediments, as rubbiſh to be remooued: to lay a foundation by reaſoningAct. 17. 2. 3. 17. Act. 2. 36. with them, and forciblie conuincing them of ſinne: ſo that they may be pricked in their hearts, and ſhew the neceſſitie of preaching vntounto them.
If they heereupon be touched and become docible, thenAct. 17. 30. 31. deliuer the doctrine of the Goſpell more generally at the firſt, and as they amend, more particularly.
If they abide obſtinate, and will not receiue the Word, after ſome ſufficient time of triall, they deſerue to be left, Matth. 10. 14. Prou. 9. 8. Matth. 7. 6. Act. 19. 8. 9. & 17. 33.
II. If ignorant, and willing to be taught, they muſt beIgnorant and willing. firſt Catechized and taught the grounds and principles of Religion, the Creed, the Lords praier, the ten Commandements, and the doctrine of the Sacraments: with this milke they muſt be fedde, or els neuer looke that they1. Cor. 3. 1. Heb. 5. 13. Ioh. 16. 12. 1. Pet. 3. 21. Luc. 1. 4. ſhall be able to receiue ſtrong meat; they cannot vnderſtand nor iudge of interpretations without it.
All Arts hauehave their principles which muſt be learned, ſo hath Diuinitie.
Experience ſhewes how that little profit comes by preachingThat people muſt be Catechiſed: and the manner how. where Catechiſing is neglected. Many there are who teach twiſe or three times in a weeke: and yet ſee leſſe fruit of many yeeres labour by not Catechiſing withall, than ſome reape in one yeere, who performe both together.
This maner of Catechiſing is to be performed by propounding queſtions, and the people anſwering to them: this plaine and ſimple kinde is the beſt, and will bring the moſt profit, though it ſeeme childiſh, and be to many tedious.
Children (as all are without knowledge, yea babes at firſt) muſt be dealt with as children. Many teach the Catechiſme, but its after a diſcourſing maner, which alſo experience declareth, that it nothing benefits at all the ruder ſort, of which kind are moſt in countrie Congregations.
Such as will foreign rightly muſt foreign, that is, audire, as well as erudire: foreign, is audio and erudio, and foreign, one Catechiſed is foreign, reſonans: In Schooles, maſters ſhal neuer profit ſcholers, that heares not them, as well as to giuegive lectures.
Let the people then learne the Catechiſme word for word, and anſwer to eueryevery queſtion: Interrupt not beginners with interpretations, neither goe further with any than he can well ſay: after come to the meaning, and inquire an anſwer ſtill of them, how they vnderſtand this or that in one queſtion, and ſo in an other; but goe not beyond their conceits; ſtate ſomewhat for an anſwer, but not too long: if one know not, aske another; if any but ſtammer at it, helpe him, and encourage him by commending his willingneſſe: if none can anſwer a queſtion, ſhew it thy ſelfe plainly, how they might hauehave conceiued it: and then aske it ſome one againe, and praiſe him that vnderſtands it, and anſwers after thy telling of him.
Note the varietie of wittes, and as they be, ſo deale with them; take a word or a piece of an anſwer from one, when you may expect much from another: teach with cheerefull countenance, familiarly, and louingly.
The forward commend openly, ſpeake to them alſo in priuate heartily, to Capt…re beneuolentiam: hardly will anie learne of thoſe they hate. Be free of ſpeech to anſwer at any mans asking, and gladly take occaſion to ſhew a will readie alwaies to teach. Be familiar, but beware of contempt: neuer permit any to laugh at others wants: that will vtterlie diſcourage them from comming: Make much of the meaneſt, the beſt eſteeme of as is meete, to make the reſt aemulous: But the wilfull obſtinate rebuke as they deſerue, leſt their example make the inclinable, careleſſe, and the better ſort, leſſe dutifull.
Thus through Gods goodneſſe thou maieſt profit by Catechiſing: draw them to it alſo without compulſion; but if thou beeſt proud and cannot ſtoupe to their capacitie, or impatient to heare an ignorant anſwer, or diſdainfull to be familiar; few will come to thee willingly, and none but by force; and theſe will profit little by thee. Experience hath beene my Schoole-maſter, and taught me theſe things, and I finde great fruit, to my comfort.
Suſpect that we bee wanting in our dutie, when none profit by our paines: happely our hearts ſeeke not vnfeignedly what we ſeeme to profeſſe; we teach vſually of courſe, but endeuour not to ſaue our people, of conſcience.
III. If they hauehave beene a people taught, and hauingTaught but vnſanctified. 2. Cor 7. 8. knowledge, but without ſhew of ſanctification; the doctrine of the Law muſt be vrged vponupon them, with legall threats to bring them to a feeling of ſinne; and note ſome ſpeciall ſinne whereof they bee guiltie, and vrge the euill of that ſinne, and wrath of God therefore vponupon them, to makeAct 8. 22. them ſorie, that at length they may repent thereof, and bring true repentance for one, and it will cauſe a hatred of all: when they are humbled, preach conſolation.
IV. If they know and beleeue, liuing religiouſly in aA beleeuing an… …onable▪ …. …. Theſ. 1. 5. & 41. Act. 11. 23. holy conuerſation, they muſt be encouraged, commended, and entreated to continue with encreaſe, daily deliuering the Law without the curſe, as a rule of obedience, not to condemnation; and prouoke them by the ſweet promiſes of the Goſpel, to beleeue and practiſe vntounto the end.
V. If they be declining, or already fallen backe, whetherBackſliding. Gal. 1. &c. Eſa. 1. &c. 1. Cor. in doctrine or maners, recall them backe, and labour to recouer them; by conuincing the errors, correcting the vices, and by ſhewing their future miſeries by relapſe, and their happineſſe by a timely returne againe.
VI. If the people be mixt of all, as our CongregationsA mixt Congregation. are, they muſt be dealt withall euerie way, as in the former particulars hath beene declared.
Informe the ignorant, confirme ſuch as hauehave vnderſtanding, reclaime the vitious, encourage the vertuous, convince the erroneous, ſtrengthen the weake, recouer againe the backſlider, reſolue thoſe that doubt, feede with milke and ſtrong meat continually, in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon:2. Tim. 4. 1. 2. when thou thy ſelfe art loth to labour, and the people liſt not to heare; when pleaſures withdraw, wordly cares carrie away; much labour before ſeeming miſpent, and little hope of after profit: yea euen in perſecution, then ceaſe not. RememberEzec. 3. Act. 20. that thou haſt a flocke to feed, and their blood to anſwer for: weigh with compaſſion their miſerie, conſider thy glorie and reward in winning of ſoules; and that it is God that will fully recompence, when the people deſpiſe thee, and regard thee nothing.
But yet in performing thy office, bee euer ſo deſirous toIt is not good to preach without prepararation. ſpeake, as neuertheleſſe thou come not to diſcharge the publike dutie vnprepared. The beſt wit readieſt to conceiue, the firmeſt memorie to retaine; nor the volubleſt tongue to vtter (excellent gifts but much abuſed to idleneſſe and vaine glorie) may not exempt a man from ſtudying, reading, writing ſometime, meditation and continuall praier. The men of God indued with gifts extraordinarie, were diligent ſearchers of the Scriptures. The Sauiour and chief Prophet exhorts the Teachers in Ieruſalem hereunto,Ioh. 5. S. Paul bindes Timothie vntounto it, 1. Tim. 4. 13. S. Peter plainly ſhewes it to be the practiſe of the Prophets, 1. Pet. 1. 10. It ſeemeth that Ieremie read the Pſalmes, Ierem. 10. Pſ. 79. 6. Daniel peruſed Ieremie. It is certaine, S. Paul had his booksDan. 9. 2. and parchments, not to write in, but to read on, if Caluin 2. Tim. 4. 13.may be credited; and Peter wee may ſee looked into Pauls Epiſtles, 2. Pet. 3. 16.
It is not beſeeming the weightineſſe of the worke, nor reuerenceThe vanitie of Preaching extempore. of the place, to runne ſuddenly to ſtand vp in the roome of God: A raſh attempt in ſo high myſteries breeds but contempts: A deſire to ſhew a mans extemporall facultie, declareth a mans indiſcretion and folly. Who will, that is wiſe, ſpeake before Princes or Princelie Peeres, of Princes affaires openly with leuitie? of matters of great importance ſuddenly? Who will, that reſpects bloud, giuegive ſentence of life & death raſhly? The Miniſter in Chriſts chaire ſpeakes of Chriſt, before God & his Angels; the matter is the ſecrets of the kingdome; the precious treaſures of heauen, by him are opened and ſet to ſale: He is ſetting before his hearers life & death, heauen and hell; and is pronouncing the ſentence of ſaluation o… damnation vponupon them: Sudden conceits of the minde not digested, muſt needs be rawly deliuered: often little to the purpoſe, and eftſoones as farre from the matter as he from ſerious meditations. And the world is full of carpers, all are not conſcionable hearers; by raſh & headdie powring out of ſome thing vnawares, thou maieſt giuegive an occaſion to the euill diſpoſed, either of contempt or raiſing of contention. Men of this diſpoſition labour for pra…e, who either play the worldlings all the weeke, or delight in their pleaſures, and yet of a ſudden can giuegive men a ſermon. But they often loſe that they looke for of the wiſe and iudicious hearers. Holie things are not to bee handled haſtily, that we may not caſt pearles to ſwine. Maintenance is allowed, time is allotted; and ſuddenly we need not, vnleſſe we will, vndertake ſuch a worke without preparation. This leuitie in preaching makes a light conceit of Preaching, though not the often preaching done ſeriouſlie by ſtudie and foreſet iudgement.
Preaching ſhould not be a labour of the lippes, or talke of the toong from a light imagination: but a ſerious meditation of the heart in grounded knowledge by much ſtudy and illumination of the ſpirit.
So to preach will preuent light account of thy words, it will moone the hearers to reuerence, bring more credite to Gods ordinance, worke more effectually, yea pierce more deepely, as ſpoken with authoritie; when words carrie weight of reaſons and religion, and are deliuered with knowledge conſcionablie.
CHAP. IV. Of Prayer before the Sermon.
THe Miniſter and man of God well prepared, the godly order of Diuine Seruice ſo called, as it is by the Church appointed, without giuing of offence obſerued; and as the cuſtome is, after a Pſalme ſung; then maieſtNeh. 8. 7. thou aſcend vp into the Pulpit, fitly placed for the benefitLuk. 4. of all, or moſt, that thou maieſt behold all, and they may hauehave their eies faſtened vponupon thee.
Begin with Praier before thou read the text, after theBegin with Praier. Auguſt. lib. 4. cap. 1. de doct. Chriſtiana. Eph. 6. 19. Ioh. 16. cuſtome of ancient Fathers, as S. Auguſtine teſtifieth, and as religious reuerence bindeth vsus.
Praier muſt bee the Proeme; it is the Lord that both giues wiſedome to vnderſtand, and words of vtterance: it is the ſpirit that ſtrengtheneth their hearts in ſpeaking, that guides them in the trueth, calles things to their remembrance, & makes them able Miniſters of the Goſpell. TheMatth. 10. 2. Cor. 3. 5. 6. Luk. 24. Act. 1. Act. 2. 47. & 13. 48. 2. Cor. 3. 6. Deut. 29. 4. Eſai 63. 17. What is required in a Minister to be able to pray well. Diſciples might not goe out before they had receiued the ſpirit; neither may wee goe vp and ſpeake without it. It is not by the inſtrument that men are conuerted; neither in the words lieth the power to ſaue: But it is the Lords bleſſing thereupon, who thereby addeth to the Church ſuch as are ordained to be ſaued. Paul plants, Appollo waters, but God giues the increaſe; els is al in vaine, though woonders were ſhewed from heauen with the preaching of the Word.
Heere for the Miniſter to doe his worke, Faith is required; to goe to the throne of grace boldly, the ſeeling of wants and need of Gods bleſſing, to pray ardently: a louelove and commiſeration of his hearers, to crie to God compaſſionately: and a conſideration of Gods glorious Maieſtie there preſent, to ſpeake vntounto him reuerently. It muſt bee with vnderſtanding and affection; the matter well digeſted into order, and vttered in few words briefly.
It is not conuenient to be long in Praier vſually, exceptLong and tedious Praiers not commendable. vponupon extraordinarie occaſion ſometime: Remember that one may more eaſily continue praying with deuotion; than others hearing in ſilence, can religiouſly giuegive an aſſent with good attention.
Halfe houre Praiers are too tedious, vſuall with ſome men, which is their indiſcretion; weariſome to all, liked of none, but ſuch as vſe them, who ſeeme to ſtriue to win God by words, or to waſte time. It may bee thought that ſuch weigh not other mens weakneſſe, or that Praier is not held feruent, that is not ſtretched out to ſuch a length; when experience ſhewes to euerie mans feeling, that feruencie of ſpirit in Praier is not ſo during; but euen in a ſhort ſpace is interrupted with wauering thoughts and by▪ fantaſies: the edge of godlie feruencie of affection is ſoone blunted. Let eueryevery one in praying conſider what he is in hearing, and ſo meaſure his time; as alſo by the liking or diſlike of the Chriſtianly diſpoſed, whoſe mindes muſt in theſe things be our meaſure.
The voice muſt be audible, continued with one ſound,Of the voice in Praier. the words vttered deliberatelie, not huddled vp in a haſtie maner too irreuerently.
The geſture is with bended knees; with the eies andGeſture. 2. Chro. 6. 13. A ſet forme of Praier in the beginning. hands lifted vp towards heauen.
It is not amiſſe (except vponupon ſome not common occaſion) to obſerue in the beginning one ſet forme of Praier, as many godly men doe. In our Praier wee are the peoples mouth vntounto God, and therefore ſuch as in the Pulpit pray for themſelues in the ſingular number, as thus; I pray thee open my mouth, &c. doe therein breake off the courſe of their publike function, and make it a priuate action, vntuneable without concord to the reſt, as a iarring ſtring.