Lectures Upon Colossians, Lecture 10
THE TENTH LECTVRE VPONUPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Coloſſians.
COLOS. Chap. 1. verſ. 24. 25.
24 Now reioyce I in my ſuffrings for you, and fulfill the reſt of the afflictions of Chriſt in my fleſh, for his body ſake which is the Church,
25 Wherof I am a miniſter, according to the diſpenſation of God, which is giuen me vntounto you ward, to fulfill the word of God.
YOu heard the laſt day (beloued brethren) how the Apoſtle hauing ended his doctrine, he comes to his exhortation, and exhorts the Coloſſians to perſeuer in the faith of Ieſus Chriſt. Secondly, he exhorts them to perſcuere in hope: The argument he vſeth, is from that benefit of their reconciliation with God. Now (ſaith he) ye are reconciled, and hee hath reconciled you, but with this condition and reſtraint; if ſo be that you abide in the faith grounded and ſtabliſhed, and be not moued from the hope of the Goſpell. Then they might hauehave ſaid: what Goſpell meanes thou of? is it that goſpell that Epaphras hath taught, counteſt thou ſo much of it? This he meetes with, and ſaith, yea, I meane of that ſame goſpell that you hauehave heard of that man Epaphras. Then he falles out into a cōmendation of that goſpell of his. And the firſt argument is taken from this, That it is no other goſpel but that, Coherence.that hath been preached to eueryevery creature. The ſecond argument is, hee hath preached nought at all, but that that I hauehave preached. Then they might hauehave ſaid; what hauehave wee to doe with thee? we ſee nought of thee, but a man in bands at Rome. The Apoſtle anſweres: Now (ſaith he) I reioyce in my afflictions for you. Well, it is true, I am afflicted: but vnderſtand this, that my affliction is for you; it appertaines to you, to eſteeme of my affliction. I reioyce that I am afflicted for the Gentiles, becauſe I am appointed their Apoſtle. You are a part of the Gentiles: therefore in that that I ſuffer, it is for your cauſe, that the Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt may hauehave place amongſt you, as among the other Gentiles.
The ſecond argument: In the middeſt of my afflictions I The ſecond argument. The vſe of affliction.reioyce, to teſtifie my louelove towards you: for except I had loued you, I would not hauehave ſuffered with ioy for you. Brethren, of thoſe that ſuffer affliction, firſt it is required that it be for a good cauſe, for Gods cauſe, for his truth, and for his Church ſake. Suffer not like a theefe or a murtherer, as an harlot or an euill doer in any wiſe. Alas it is a paine, yea of all paines in the world the greateſt, to ſuffer for euill doing.
Secondly, it is required of him that ſuffers, that he ſuffer for a good cauſe, with ioy, cheerefully, and with patience: otherwiſe thou loſeſt thy trauell and praiſe, ſuffer as thou wilt. It is not the good cauſe onelyonly that makes martyrdome; but it is Martyrdome.the ioy, cheerfulnes, and patience ioyned with the good cauſe, that makes thee in ſuffering to be a Martyr. It is hard to fleſh to digeſt this: how can there be ioy in the paines of moſt exquiſite torments? Brethren, Paul at this time is lying in bands at Rome, and yet ye ſee he vtters that in his bands he hath ioy: and no queſtion when he came to the very point of death (for 2. Tim. 4. 6. 7. 8.he was martyred) he had great ioy. And certainly, I am compelled to think that there is more ſhrinking and ſadnes at the remembrance of the affliction to come, then there is in the More grief in the remembrāce of afflictiō, then in ſuffering it when it comes.chiefe time of affliction. The minde will be more troubled thinking on it, then when the perſon is afflicted. For out of queſtion, whē the Lord giues a man cōſtancie to ſuffer, he will giuegive him patience & ioy, which ſhall ſwallow vp all the paine: and the experience of Martyrs hath proued this. Stir not, howbeit thou ſhrinke at hanging, heading, ſcalding, burning and whatſoeuer paines moſt cruell & exquiſit deuiſed for thee: yet ſtir not, for if the Lord giuegive thee conſtancie, all the paines ſhal be ſwallowed vp, and thou ſhalt be armed to ſuffer with ioy.
To goe forward. The third argument, whereby he remoues the offence, they might hauehave taken at his bands, is this: I (ſaith he) fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ Ieſus: as if hee would The third argument.ſay, mine afflictions are not ſo much mine, as they are my Lords afflictions: how can ye then be offended at them? You cannot chuſe if you bee offended at my afflictions, but you muſt be offended at Chriſts afflictions, becauſe my affliction is nothing elſe but the afflictions of Chriſt, and the fulfilling of them. Then all theſe afflictions that are laid vponupon the members of the bodie of Chriſt, they are all Chriſts afflictions: and when they are afflicted Chriſt is afflicted. And the Lord counts it his owne perſecutions, when the members of his bodie, Chriſt muſt ſuffer in his members.which is his Church, are perſecuted. Saul, Saul (ſaith hee) Acts 9. 4. why perſecuteſt thou me? He ſpeakes this to Paul, when he was not perſecuting him, but his members. This he calles his perſecution? for it was ordained from all eternitie, that the Lord Ieſus, who is the head of the Church, ſhould not onelyonly ſuffer in his owne fleſh; but alſo that hee ſhould ſuffer in the members of his bodie, which is his Church. So that none of that bodie ſhould be free from ſuffering, no not from the greateſt to the leaſt; yea euen to the little finger, all ſhould ſuffer; and the meaſure hereof was meaſured, and ordained in that counſell from all eternitie. Suffereſt thou much or little? It was meaſured to thee ere euer the world was. It was not appointed that eueryevery particular perſon ſhould ſuffer al, and eueryevery ſort of affliction: no, no; but as the head ſhould ſuffer one kinde of affliction proper to himſelfe; ſo the reſt in the bodie ſhould ſuffer, ſome in one ſort and meaſure, and ſome in another. All ſhall ſuffer one thing or other: prepare thee for it; and it is a token that thou art in that bodie, if thou ſuffer ſomething for Chriſt.
But to ſticke to the words; he calles them not ſimply the ſufferings of Chriſt, but the fulfilling or accompliſhment of the afflictions of Chriſt: I (ſaith he) fulfill the reſt of the afflictions of Chriſt. Marke the word well. Euen as the Church of Ieſus Chriſt is the accompliſhment and fulfilling of him, to make him a perfect man; ſo it is called Ephe. 1. the laſt verſe: Euen ſo the afflictions that the Church and her members ſuffer, they accompliſh and fulfill the ſufferings of Chriſt. And as the glorie of the head Chriſt is fulfilled and accompliſhed in ſuffering: euen ſo the ſufferings of his members they accompliſh and fulfill the glorie of Chriſt. Wherein wee hauehave to marke a louelove that Chriſt beares to vsus, that cannot bee ſpoken of. The Lord Ieſus is perfect in himſelfe, and he needeth vsus not; no, he hath no neede of me, of thee, nor of no fleſh to make him perfiter, The louelove of Chriſt.then he is alreadie in himſelfe. He is full, and he fils all in all: yet ſuch is his louelove to me, and thee, and to the whole body, that he cannot thinke that he is perfect till he hauehave thee ioyned with him: yea the leaſt member of his Church, hee will hauehave to be ioyned with him; or els hee counts that his glorie and ſufferings are not fulfilled. So his afflictions are perfect, and hee needes not thee to fulfill any part thereof; yet ſuch is his louelove that hee will not hauehave his afflictions perfect without thee. He will hauehave thee made like to himſelfe in affliction: howbeit, his glorie be perfect now at the right hand of the father; yet he cannot thinke that he gets the perfection thereof, till he get all his members glorified with him in heauen. This is his louelove.Rom. 8.
Now let vsus ſee how we account of this. We count it a benefit and a grace to be ioyned with him, to be the members of his bodie, and to be glorified with him; but when it comes to the What a great benefit it is to ſuffer afflictions.ſufferings, there is the ſhrinking, there is none that can accord or be content to be like him in ſufferings; but they will flye backe, there we faile; and we cannot thinke that it is a benefit to ſuffer, but rather that it is a curſe. So ere thou count it a benefit to ſuffer, thou muſt hauehave more then fleſh and bloud; thou muſt hauehave the ſpirit of Ieſus. It is not onelyonly a benefit to beleeue, but alſo to ſuffer, Philip. 1. 29. And Philip. 3. 10. Paul counts it a bleſſing to ſuffer, calling it the communion or fellowſhip of his affliction. There he counts it bleſſednes to ſuffer with Chriſt. Looke not to raigne with him, except in ſome meaſure thou be a companion with him in ſuffring. Yet to ſticke vponupon the words. The word in the owne language is not ſimply to fulfill, but to fulfill courſe about; as he would ſay, my head hath gotten his courſe; now comes in my courſe in ſuffring. So the word affoordeth a good leſſon & true, all theſe afflictions go by courſes: al men and women are not afflicted at once; but Afflictions in the Saints goe by courſe.eueryevery man hath his turne, eueryevery man his courſe about. Chriſt begun, and hee is afflicted firſt. The Apoſtles are looking to him, their courſe was not come; but ſoone after came their courſe. Others ſtood looking to them, but ſoone after their owne courſe came alſo. Brethren, we are but lookers on now; we look to France, and to men ſuffring for this Goſpell: & we are looking to Italy, and Spaine: for our time is not come yet. The Lord hath ſeene that we are not yet ripe; as ſoone as thou art ripe, hee will plucke thee like a ripe apple. Prepare thee, prepare thee, O Scotland, for thou ſhalt finde one day thy part of the ſuffrings of Chriſt: thy courſe is approching. He ſaith not ſimply, he fulfilled the afflictions of Chriſt his courſe about, but that in his courſe he fulfilled the reſt of the afflictions of Chriſt. The words import the reliques and hinder part, or the reſidue of the afflictions of Chriſt. So all the ſuffrings of Paul and the reſt of the elect, were but as ſmall reliques, and remnants of Chriſts ſuffrings. What we ſuffer, yea if it were but in the little finger, we thinke it great; but if thou wert pained in all thy bodie and ſoule, that is but a remnant of the afflictions of Chriſt. And where this remnant is, there the bodie is: but the greater part, the heape and multitude went before. Who ſuffered the former part? who was he that ſuffered the multitude, if Paul ſuffered the hinder part? who but the head Ieſus Chriſt? The heape of afflictions was heaped on him. The dint lighted vponupon him. The waue or billow of Gods wrath tumbling down from heauen, lighted vponupon the head Ieſus Chriſt. All that wee ſuffer are but flaſhes breaking off from that waue and billow that lighted vponupon Chriſt. So that if you will compare the afflictions of the Church to the end of the world, all is nothing in compariſon of that that Chriſt ſuffered. Therefore compare thy ſelfe neuer with him in affliction, but when thou ſeeſt thy ſelfe afflicted, then conſider what Chriſt hath ſuffered. When thou ſeeſt a little thing ſo bitter, then conſider what bitternes was in the whole ſuffrings of Chriſt. He drank out the full cup of bitternes of Gods wrath; but thou onelyonly taſts it, to teach thee to count what he hath ſuffered for thy redemption.
Now in the reſt of this verſe, he ſets downe the cauſe wherefore he ſuffered. No man ſuffers for nothing; as the head Ieſus Chriſt did not ſuffer for nothing, ſo neuer a member of his ſuffers in vaine. For whoſe cauſe then ſuffered Paul or Chriſt in him? for the bodie. What a bodie? The bodie which is his Church. All theſe afflictions (ſaith he) that Ieſus Chriſt ſuffers in me, are all for the bodie of Chriſt. Well, there hauehave been many ſuffrings for this bodie. The Lord Ieſus ſuffered the extremitie for this bodie: Paul and al the Martyrs ſuffred for this bodie; but there is a great difference betweene the ſuffrings of the head and of the members. The head ſuffered for the redemption The difference betweene the ſuffrings of Chriſt, and of his mē bers.of the bodie, which was in hell vntounto the time that heredeemed it out of hell: Paul, Peter, this Martyr, that Martyr, they ſuffered not for the redemption; their bloud could not be the price of redemption; all the bloud in Paul and Peters bodie cannot furniſh out a farthing of redemption; but onelyonly the bloud of that immaculate lambe is the price, and only the price of our redemption, in deſpight of all the Papiſts in the world: onelyonly the bloud of God makes out that redemption. Theſe baſe bodies they hauehave dreamed a dreame of Indulgences and pardons, and ſay, that the people will be ſafe with Popiſh pardons.the Pope that lownes pardons: he ſhall not get pardon himſelfe. What are theſe Pardons and Indulgences, which theſe vaine heads hauehave found out to deceiue the ſillie people with? The Pope hee calles it the remiſſion of ſinnes, by the bloud of the Martyrs, this Saint, and that Saint. O vaine lowne! is a pardon a remiſſion of ſinnes by the bloud of Peter, and Paul, this Martyr or yt Martyr? What a vanitie is this, that they think that a man ſhould not be content with the bloud of Ieſus onelyonly, and eſteeme it ſufficient? but they muſt ſeeke to their workes; and where they faile in this, they muſt ſeeke to the merits of the Martyrs, ſetting this with the reſt of their works. And this merit of the Martyrs, he calles the Treaſurie: he will ſend out this his vanitie, and this his doctrine through the world. Woe to thee Scotland if euer this come among thee. And againe I ſee here plainly, that there can come nothing to the church without ſuffering. As for her redemption, which is the remiſsion of ſinnes, it is not without the bloud of the Lambe, the bloud of God: that is a great matter, except this bloud of God had bin ſhed, thou ſhouldeſt neuer hauehave been redeemed out of hell. But this is a ſtrange matter: when thou art redeemed by this bloud, when thy righteouſnes is bought; yet thou canſt not get it without ſuffring: and it cannot be miniſtred to thee, except the miniſter of it die. Paul it behooued to die, & it Peter behooued to dye, and all for the ſaluation of the bodie. The diuell hath ſuch an enuie to the ſaluation of man (would to God thou knew it) that there is none that would preach to thee of this ſaluation, but he wil ſtand vp and ſeek the ſlaughter of that man. So that this that wee call the Church (which now is come in contempt, the name of the Saints is ſcorned at) this Church is a precious iewell, the ſpouſe of Ieſus Chriſt: be what ſhe will be in her ſelfe; yet the bridegroome counts much of her: otherwiſe, there would neuer hauehave been ſo much bloud ſhed for her. Chriſt had notſuffered; Peter & Paul had not ſuffred, if thou hadſt not bin precious in the eye of Chriſt. Dareſt thou then offer to deſtroy that that Chriſt hath dyed for? How dareſt thou thou dog offer it? He is called an Earle, and a Lord, and a King, and an Emperour, and what will hee doe? He will oppreſſe the profeſſors of the Goſpell of Ieſus; he will burne, and ſcald the members of the bodie: but if thou knew what Chriſt is, and what a member of his Church meanes, thou wouldeſt hold vp thy hand. But there are many falſe Chriſtians worſe then Pagans, and in ſeueritie and crueltie againſt Chriſt and his Church more fierce and malicious, and more exquiſit tormentors of Chriſt in his members, then Popiſh perſecution.euer a Pagan or a Turke would be. The truth of this is euident in the example of the Martyrs, who finde none more malicious againſt Chriſts Church then theſe, who would bee counted Chriſtians. Well, Pagans and Turkes ſhall finde greater caſe and leſſe iudgement at the comming of the Lord Ieſus, then falſe Chriſtians. O their paines ſhall be vnſpeakable!
To goe forward: in the next verſe hee ſets downe another cauſe wherefore hee ſuffered. Of the which Church (ſaith he) I am made a miniſter: as if hee would ſay, I fill out the reſt of the afflictions of Chriſt in my bodie, becauſe I am bound and obliged thereto: I am made a miniſter to it; there is the meaning. Marke the words, I am made. He ſaith not, I was borne a miniſter: nay, no man is borne a miniſter, howbeit, eueryevery man thinkes he may be a miniſter out of hand. I am made a miniſter would he ſay of a very crooked wood, as he teſtifies of himſelf, 1. Tim. 1. 12. 13. He placed me in his miniſterie when I was a blaſphemer; and a perſecutor. Looke what ſtuffe I had, and whereof I conſiſted before I was made a miniſter: And if this was good ſtuffe, and a way to make a miniſter of me, iudge ye. I was of al ſinners the firſt in perſecuting Chriſt and his members, and blaſpheming of him. But (ſaith he) God had pitie on me. Euen this Chriſt whom before I blaſphemed and perſecuted, hee ſhewed merciemercy, and put me in his miniſterie. The Lord can make a miniſter of a blaſphemer. I am made a miniſter, that is, a ſeruant to ſerue the Church, to ſtand and fill the cup, and cary it to the Church. Peter and Paul were none other, 1. Cor. 3. 22. 23. All is yours (ſaith he) whether it be Paul, or Apollo or Cephas: ye are our maſters, and we are your ſeruants, and ye are Chriſts. So he is but a ſeruant to the Church, and not a Lord ouer it. It followes that Paul when he ſuffered, hee ſuffered not The ſufferings of the Apostles and Martyrs were not for the redemption of man.as a Lord of the bodie, but as a ſeruant: neuer any ſuffered as a Lord but Chriſt onelyonly, Paul and Peter and the reſt ſuffered as ſeruants. Ye ſee a faithfull ſeruant will die for his maſter; ſo the Apoſtle ſuffered for his maſter, the Church: what were the Apoſtles but the friends of the Bridegroome? Of this it followes, that Pauls ſuffrings was not for the redemption of man: no, but for his miniſterie and diſpenſation of the grace committed to him. It is a lye to ſay hee ſuffered for the redemption of man; ſo it was neuer for the redemption and remiſſion of ſins to any, yt Paul or any of the Apoſtles ſuffered. For no man, Chriſt Ieſus excepted, was able to abide a lot of yt ſuffring for redemption: no not all the men and Angels in heauen and earth were not, nor are not able to abide one aſſault of that ſuffring. That fierce wrath ſhuld hauehave ſo ſeazed vponupon thē, that it ſhould hauehave conſumed and deſtroyed them. He muſt bee an excellent perſonage, God and man in one perſon, as Chriſt was, that will beare out that ſuffring: otherwiſe hee ſhall not be able to abide one point of it. Well, not to paſſe by this, I ſee a Miniſter is bound to dye for the Church. Wilt thou be a Miniſter? The Miniſter is boūd to dye for the Church if neede ſo require.prepare thee to dye for the Church: otherwiſe thou art but an hireling, a falſe deceitfull ſeruant. So art thou made a Miniſter? thou art made a ſeruant to the Queene the Church: ſhe is greater then any Princeſſe in the earth. Count thou of a Miniſter as thou wilt: the faithfull Miniſter is in greater glory & honor, then al the ſeruants of Kings & Princes in the world: yea he ſhall be preferd to the great Monarches of the world themſelues. Call ye them vaine fellowes? They are the Lords ſtewards; the King of kings Chambermen and Counſellors.
But to ſpeake to the Miniſterie. Art thou called to be a Miniſter? thou muſt prepare thee for ſuffering: yea there is no calling in the Church of Ieſus Chriſt, which is not to ſuffering. Thou maiſt bee called to a politicall gouernment, yet not to ſuffering; but to take thy paſtime and to be in honour: but if thou be called to be a member to Chriſt, thou art called to ſuffer, as it were a ſheepe to the ſhambles. Set not thy head within this fold, except thou think thou muſt ſuffer. Peter ſaith, We are called, yea appointed to ſuffer, 1. Pet. 2. 21. Then when thou art clapt on the ſhoulder to be burned, hanged, headed; yea, and the skinne to be flaied off thee, goe to it cheerefully; for thou art bound thereto. Well, if eueryevery common Chriſtian be thus waies bound; how is a Miniſter bound? I ſay, the more degrees thou getteſt of Chriſt, the greater preferment thou haſt in Chriſts Church; the more art thou obliged to die for Chriſt, and his members. Hee is a vaine man, that thinkes, when he is a miniſter, that he is preferd to eaſe, to greater pleaſure The Miniſterie no place of eaſe, but of labour.then the people: no, no. Is thine honour double? firſt a Chriſtian, and then a Miniſter to ſerue the Lord Ieſus? Thou art bound doublie to ſuffer, and to vndergoe the greater croſſe for his ſake and the Church. I ſay, if thou couldeſt be ſlaine a thouſand times, thou art bound to ſuffer more then a common Chriſtian. And if gladly thou be content to ſuffer, thou getteſt double honour, firſt as a Chriſtian; and then as a Miniſter; and thirdly as a Martyr. Many hauehave been Miniſters, but few hauehave gotten this honor that the Apoſtles got, Acts 5. 41. when they were perſecuted, they departed with ſuch ioy, with a ſong that they were thought worthy to ſuffer for Chriſt. I ſpeake this to make vsus ready to ſuffer, & that with ioy. It is no ignominie or ſhame to thee to ſuffer, if it were the moſt vile death for Chriſts ſake, and thy Creator ſake. Immediatly after that thou ſhalt ſuffer, thou ſhalt be tranſlated from paine and miſerie, to euerlaſting ioy: yea and in the chiefe time of thy ſuffring, thou ſhalt Ioy vnderunder the croſſe.finde exceeding great ioy, as the holy Apoſtles and Martyrs found.
When he hath ſpoken of his Miniſterie, he fals out into a deſcription of it, and that to this end, that we may ſee the worthines of this Goſpell: Firſt he calles it a dispenſation and ſtewardſhip: then there muſt be a familie; if he be a ſteward it muſt be a great calling. Ye thinke, to be the maſter of the Kings houſehold, is a great office; but to be a Miniſter, a ſteward in the houſe of the King of kings, and the maſter of his houſehold, of Ministerie what a high calling.all offices of honour it is the greateſt; and he ſurpaſſeth all the honour of office-bearers in the world: and he ſhall hauehave the fulnes of his honour in heauen, and he were a foole to ſeeke for it here. Secondly, would yee know of whom he hath this diſpenſation? Of whom; but of the Lord of the familie? Who dares make a ſteward, but the Lord of the houſe? Euen ſo who dare make a ſteward in Chriſts houſe, but Chriſt himſelfe? So that he that hath not his calling of God, of Ieſus Chriſt, he is but a hireling and worthie to be hanged. Then let eueryevery one hauehave this warrant in his conſcience, that he is called by Chriſt, either ordinarily conformed to the rule of the Word and diſcipline of the Church of Chriſt; or els extraordinarily, as were the Prophets and Apoſtles.
Now what foode is this that hee miniſters? It is called the word of God. Vaine man thinkes it is but words that hee miniſters (as many ſay this day that a Miniſter, what doth he for his liuing? but goes vp to the pulpit, and ſpeakes a few words:) but I ſay to thee, they are ſuch words that if thou be not fedde with them, thou ſhalt dye and that euerlaſtingly, though thou wert a King. A man (ſaith Chriſt) liues not by bread onelyonly, but by eueryevery word that proceedes out of the mouth of God, Matth. 4. 4. But who thinks that the words of a Miniſter be the words of God? I ſay to thee, eſteeme the words of a Miniſter as thou wilt, if he ſpeake the word of God (as I am perſwaded all true Miniſters doe) if thou take it not as the word of Gods mouth, thou ſhalt die like a miſcreant and wretch: for he that heares you (ſaith Chriſt) heares me, and he that contemnes you, contemnes me, Luk. 10. 16. Look to that part of the Epiſtle to the Hebrues, where it is ſpoken of the iudgement that lighted on them that contemned Moſes and his teſtimonie, Heb. 10. 28. and you ſhall finde it not a light matter, to contemne the meſſenger and Ambaſſadour of Chriſt, euen the voyce of a ſillie Miniſter. Then he ſheweth the manner how he receiued it: he ſaith, it was giuen him: he merited it not. No, not one of them, notwithſtanding all their graces, merited ſuch a glorious calling as the Miniſterie: not a man can merit ought in his houſe. But the Apoſtles they are called to the Apoſtleſhip onelyonly of the free grace and louelove of God; and in ſuch ſort all the faithfull preachers of the word, none of them were euer called to the Miniſterie, becauſe either of their Nobilitie (as there is few of that ſort) or for their gifts of cunning and vtterance, or any ſuch like thing; but onelyonly of the free grace of Ieſus Chriſt, and his ſpirit that called them, they were elected and put apart to the Miniſterie and the worke thereof: therefore it is a free gift. 1. Tim. 1. 12. Paul confeſſeth the ſame of himſelfe, I thanke God (ſaith he) that he found me faithfull, and placed me in his miniſterie or ſeruice: O the thanks which he giues for ſo free a grace! I ſay thou art called to a Miniſterie, wherein if thou reſpect him that calles thee, and the office that thou art called to (for what art thou? vnworthy of the ſmalleſt roome in his Church) thou art neuer able to thanke him enough for it all the daies thou liueſt. Well, to whom got he this Miniſterie? got he it to himſelfe, to put his hand euer in the Ambrie to feede himſelfe? The Miniſters of Chriſt feed not themſelues only.No, no, he is a hireling worthie to be hanged like a theefe, that reſpects himſelfe onelyonly, being not carefull to feede the familie of Ieſus Chriſt. So then he gets not this office of Miniſterie for himſelfe; no, no, thou that art a Miniſter getteſt not this gift, that thou ſhouldeſt take it and locke it vp in thy cheſt; but thou getteſt it, to giuegive it to others: and I ſay to thee, by diſtributing it, it ſhall not be impaired; yea the more thou diſtributeſt, the more thou ſhalt hauehave. The goods of this Miniſterie are not like the gifts of theſe earthly ſtewards, as they themſelues in office are not alike. The more theſe earthly ſtewards giuegive, the leſſe is behinde: but the more the Miniſter giues of Faithfulnes and diligence in the worke of the Ministerie how gainfull.the grace of God giuen to him, the more hath he: for it growes exceedingly.
Laſtly, the end of this ſtewardſhip is ſet downe, to fulfill the word of God. He is a Miniſter of the word: To what end? To fulfill the word of God, not onelyonly to fill the familie, and eueryevery perſon, man and woman; but that they may leaue behind to fulfill the word, to amplifie the food it ſelfe. Marke it well, for the more he giues out, the more it growes; the more the word is miniſtred, the more it is increaſed; and the growth of the word is by the miniſtration of it. Who doth not finde this that euer God hath called to that office, but that the more that hee hath giuen of it out, the more it grew, the more was behinde? Therefore let him neuer goe out of the pantrie: ſtand euer at the doore, and be euer giuing out; and ſo it ſhall ſwell and grow: and thou who receiueſt it, ſhall grow to thy ſaluation, and to the glorie of God whoſe foode it is. To this God be all honor and glory,
Amen.