The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 54
THE LIV. LECTVRE, OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST.
MATTH. CHAP. XXVIII.
verse 20 Teaching them to obſerue all things, whatſoeuer I hauehave commanded you: and loe, I am with you alway, vntill the ende of the world, Amen.
MARKE, CHAP. XVI.
verse 16 He that ſhall beleeue, and bee baptized, ſhall bee ſaued: but hee that will not beleeue, ſhall bee damned.
verse 17 And theſe tokens ſhall follow them that beleeue: In my Name they ſhall caſt out deuils, and ſhall ſpeake with new tongues,
verse 18 And ſhall take away ſerpentes: and if they ſhall drinke anie deadlie thing, it ſhall not hurt them: they ſhall lay their handes on the ſicke, and they ſhall recouer.
THE laſt daye (Welbeloued Brethren in Chriſt) we began to ſpeake of the nine appearings of the Lord to the Diſciples, as it is ſet downe by Matthew and Marke. Hee appeared to them in a Mountaine of Galilie, vvhere Hee had appointed them to meete Him. Wee hearde vvhat vvas the Diſciples behauiour: The ſight of that glorious Majeſtie made them to fall downe and worſhip Him: yet in the meane time ſome of them doubted: and therefore the LORDE, to confirme them, drawes neare vntounto them, and enters into communication with them: and in His communing, firſt Hee telles what power and authoritie was giuen Him, both in Heauen and earth: to the ende Hee might mooue them the more willinglie and chearefullie to vndertake the office of the Apoſtleſhip. Then when Hee has layed downe this power, as a ground of their office and Miniſterie, Hee ſendes them out in the worlde, charging them firſt to goe to all Nations: Next, to preach to eueryevery creature: And thirdly, To baptize, in the Name and authority of the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Spirit. Nowe in theſe wordes, firſt Hee telles them what doctrine they ſhoulde teach to the worlde, then hee makes them a threefolde promiſe: The firſt is of life and ſaluation to then that beleeue and are baptiſed: The ſeconde is a promiſe of th'extraordinarie and miraculous giftes of the Holie Spirite: The thirde is a promiſe of His owne glorious and powerfull preſence with them in diſcharging of their calling, & that not for a ſeaſon, but to continue to th'ende of the vvorlde. Then in the firſt wordes which vve hauehave read, He telles them what they ſhould teach: not al things, not eueryevery thing that they pleaſed themſelues: but He ſayes, Teach them to obſerue all thinges whatſoeuer J hauehave commanded you. So Hee reſtraines the doctrine that they ſhould teach vntounto the world, vntounto that doctrine which Hee Himſelfe firſt had taught them. In the 14. Chapter of John, verſ. 26. after Hee has firſt promiſed the Holie Spirit, to teach His Apoſtles all thinges, then Hee telles vvhat Hee meanes by All theſe thinges, which His Spirite ſhould teach: and Hee boundes them, and reſtraines them, to that doctrine, which Hee Himſelfe had taught them before: For, ſayes Hee, hee ſhall bring all thinges to your remembrance, which I hauehave tolde you. Euen ſo here Hee reſtraines the preaching of th'Apoſtles, to theſe thinges vvhichwhich Hee Himſelfe had taught them. So marke this leſſon: The doctrine of Ieſus Chriſt, which Hee deliuered the time that Hee liued in the vvorlde, and had His conuerſation among men, is the grounde, the rule, and the meaſure of all true doctrine. The Spirit of the Lord Ieſus, vvhome Hee left behinde Him, to bee His vicegerent in th'earth, kept preciſelie this rule: Hee taught not ſo much as one ſentence in ſubſtance, but that vvhichwhich CHRIST had taught before. Th'Apoſtles, vvhome Hee ſent out into the worlde, declined not one jote from this rule: for they taught the vvorlde nothing but that vvhichwhich the Holie Spirite had furniſhed and ſuggeſted vntounto them before: and that Spirite taught them nothing, but that vvhichwhich IESVS had taught them before. So that the doctrine of the H. Spirit, & th'Apoſtles, come all wholly from Ieſus, as th'only doctor & teacher of His Kirke, of whom the Father ſaid in His baptiſme & trāsfiguratiō, Heare him. So it ſhould be wt miniſters and Teachers of the Church to the end of the world, they ſhould make Chriſtes doctrine to bee the rule of all their doctrine, they ſhould teach nothing but that which Chriſt teached before them: the faithfull Miniſters of Chriſt in all ages hauehave ſtriuen to doe ſo: they confirmed all their doctrine, ſo farre as they could, to the doctrine of Chriſt. Indeede it is true, through proceſſe of time, corrupt men entred in the Church, who reſpected not God, nor His glory, nor the well and ſaluation of men, but their owne honour, their owne luſts, and their bellie, who taught the world, not the doctrine of Chriſt, the way of life, but their own fantaſies, dreames, and traditions. Wee may ſee this lamentable experience this day in the kingdome of the Antichriſt: What teaches the Pope and his Clergie to the world? Not the word of God: Not the doctrine of Chriſt: Not that doctrine which the Holy Spirit furniſhed to the Apoſtles: not that vvhichwhich the Apoſtles hauehave left in regiſter this day: they make not that to be the rule of their preaching, but they teach their owne vanities, deuiſed by themſelues: they teach mens traditions: they teach vnwritten verities, as they call them, vvhichwhich are for the moſte parte altogether repugnant to the doctrine of Chriſt. The Lord ſaue vsus from their doctrine, vvherewith they poyſon the world, and bring men to perdition. Now, as the Paſtors are obliged to teach nothing but the doctrine of Chriſt, ſo are the people bound to heare, and receiue none other doctrine, but the doctrine of Chriſt: and for this cauſe, they ſhoulde pray earneſtly, for the Holy Spirit, who is promiſed to His owne, to illuminate their mindes, and to giuegive them the gift of diſcretion, to diſcerne ſpirits, as alſo, they ſhould be diligently exerciſed in reading, and conſidering the Olde and New Teſtament, the writtings of the Prophetes and Apoſtles, vvhichwhich containe exactly the doctrine of Chriſt neceſſarie to ſaluation.
Nowe, let vsus conſider in order, the promiſes vvhichwhich the Lord joynes vvith this commiſsion that He giues to His Apoſtles: the firſt two are ſet downe in Marke, the third in Matthew: the firſt promiſe is of euerlaſting life and ſaluation, to all that beleeue by their Miniſterie, and are baptized by them: Hee that ſhall beleeue, and be baptized, ſhall be ſaued. This promiſe of life and ſaluation that Hee ſubjoynes to the preaching and baptizing of the Apoſtles, was, no doubt, to mooue and allure men vponupon the conſideration of ſo faire and great benefi…es, that they ſhould receiue them the more willingly, to beleeue in the Lord Ieſus: With this promiſe to them that beleeue, He joynes a denunciation of judgement againſt all thoſe who would not beleeue by their Miniſterie, He denounces eternall death, and damnation againſt them: Hee that will not beleeue, ſayes Hee, ſhall be condemned. So that, as on the one part, He promiſes a faire reward, to mooue men to beleeue: ſo on the other part, Hee threatens a fearfull judgement againſt them that beleeue not, but deſpiſes the Apoſtles doctrine, to make men to abhorre and deteſt that abhominable ſinne of infidelitie. VponUpon this promiſe of reward, and threatning of judgement: firſt, we learne this leſſon: The Miniſterie of the Goſpell is euer effectuall and powerfull in men, either one way or other: for ſeeing, this Miniſterie of the Goſpell, which from the Apoſtles dayes continues, and ſhall continue to the ende of the world, is grounded vponupon that incomprehenſible power that filles both heauen and earth, howe is it poſsible, but it muſt bee mightie and powerfull? It muſt be powerfull, either to life and ſaluation: or els, to death and damnation: to life to them that beleeue: to death to them that beleeue not. Therefore Paul ſayes, that alwayes they triumphed, and were victorious in Chriſt, and that they were a fauour to God, both in them that are ſaued, and in them who periſh: In them who are ſaued, they vvere the ſauour of life vntounto life: but in them who periſh, they were the ſauour of death vntounto death, 2. Cor. 2.14. The Apoſtle in theſe wordes, lets vsus ſee, that the preaching of the Goſpell is euer powerfull and effectuall in all ſorts of men. Alas, men count too lightly: yea, deſpiſe, contemne and ſcorne this preaching, as if it were a matter of none effect, and the worde of man and not of God: but take heede, how thou heareſt the Goſpell: for thou ſhalt finde it to be the moſt powerfull thing that euer was, and if it bee not powerfull to worke life and ſaluation, it ſhall worke death and damnation in thee: Next, we learne out of theſe wordes, that Faith, Righteouſneſſe, Saluation, and all ſpirituall graces, are ſo tied and bound to this Miniſterie of the Goſpell, that whoſoeuer ſubmits himſelfe to this Miniſterie, and conformes himſelfe to the Goſpell, hee ſhall attaine to Faith, Righteouſneſſe, Life and Saluation: and by the contrarie: whoſoeuer contemnes this Miniſterie, hee ſhall neuer get any ſpirituall grace: no Faith, no Righteouſneſſe, no Life, no Saluation but by this Goſpell. But yee will ſay, We ſhould not tie nor binde the grace of God to thoſe externall things? Wee ſhould not reſtraine Gods working to the outward Miniſterie. Indeede, I grant, the grace of GOD, is not ſo tied to theſe ordinarie meanes, and outward helpes, which are dayly vſed in the Church, but that yee may worke without them, and that ye may worke immediatly by His owne Spirit, in whome, and when He pleaſes: but it is as true, that whoſoeuer contemnes thoſe outwarde ordinarie meanes, which the LORD hath ordained to bee vſed: he ſhall be depriued of all ſpirituall grace, of Faith, of Righteouſneſſe, of Saluation: For Faith, ſayes Paul, is by hearing, and hearing by the worde of God preached, Rom. Chapter 10. verſe 17. Many fooliſh men with-draw themſelues from the outwarde Miniſterie, from the meanes of grace, and are exerciſed in paſtime, in drinking, in harlotrie, and yet they will ſay: they will come to Heauen as ſoone as the beſt of them, but they deceiue themſelues: for if thou contemneſt theſe outwarde meanes, which the LORD hath ordained, thou ſhalt neuer get no grace, the gates of Heauen ſhall be cloſed on thee, thy portion ſhall bee with the Deuill and His Angels: Thirdly, we may marke out of this promiſe, an excellent and worthie effect of Faith: to wit, Saluation and eternall life: for Hee ſayes, Hee that beleeueth, ſhall be ſaued. But we may not thinke, that this effect proceedes from the force, power, worthineſſe and merites of Faith: No, but this effect of life and Saluation proceedes only from the vertue, power and merite of Chriſt, which the ſoule apprehendes: for this Life and Saluation ſtayes and abides ſo plenteouſly, and in ſuch abundance in Chriſt, that as ſoone as wee put out the hand of Faith, and takes holde of Him, ſo ſoone will we finde that life of CHRIST conueyed into our ſoules. His life is made ours by Faith: In Chriſt there dwelles ſuch a marueilous and glorious light, that when wee approach to Him by Faith, by the beames of His brightneſſe, He ſhines in our hearts, that we may get the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God, in the face of Ieſus, 2. Cor. Chapter 4. verſe 6. By Faith His light is made ours: in Chriſt there is ſuch a wonderfull and incomprehenſible glorie, that as ſoone as with open face with the eye of Faith we beholde Him in the mirrour of the Goſpell, as ſoone are we transformed in the ſame Image from glorie to glorie, 2 Cor. 3.18. by Faith His glorie is made ours, & when wee ſhall ſee Him face to face, & whē Faith ſhall be turned into ſight, He ſhall perfect our glorie, Hee ſhall change our vile bodies, that they may bee faſhioned like vntounto his glorious bodie, according to the working, whereby hee is able to ſubdue all things to himſelfe. Philip. chap. 3. verſ. 21. Seeing then ſo excellent and worthie are th'effectes of faith, wee ought both carefullie to vſe th'ordinarie meanes vvhereby faith is vvrought: and alſo pray earneſtlie, that the Lord vvould giuegive a bleſſing to them, and by them vvorke faith in our heartes: that ſo vvee may enjoye all theſe graces and benefites. Fourthlie, vvee ſee in this promiſe of life and ſaluation, that the Lord joynes Baptiſme with faith in Chriſt: For, ſayes Hee, hee that ſhall beleeue, and bee baptized, ſhall bee ſaued. Wee may not vnderſtand this ſo, as if Baptiſme vvere eyther ſimplie a cauſe, or an halfe cauſe of ſaluation: No, it has no reſpect of a cauſe in the ſaluation of man: but it is joyned to Faith, as a ſigne, and an outwarde marke, to teſtifie and beare vvitneſſe of the cauſe, to wit, Faith in Ieſus Chriſt: and in ſuch ſorte it muſt followe vponupon Faith, and bee conjoyned vvith it, that hee vvho beleeues vvould vviſhe to bee baptized, it is not poſſible that hee can contemne Baptiſme: And, if a man contemne Baptiſme, let him boaſt of his faith as hee pleaſes, that contempt is a ſure token, that he had neuer faith, neither ſhall he get eternall life. So Baptiſme in ſome reſpect is neceſſarie to ſaluation: that is, it muſt not be contemned, or neglected: for if a man contemne or neglect it, he cannot get ſaluation: but it is not ſimplie and abſolutelie neceſſary to ſaluation: that is, incaſe a man contemne it not, nor neglect it, he may be ſaued without it. It is the contempt, and not the want of it that hurtes man, for a man may bee ingraffed in Chriſt by Faith, and may bee ſaued by Chriſt, vvithout the ſeale of Baptiſme: for the grace of God is not ſo bound and tyed to th'ordinarie meanes and outwarde helpes, but that the Lord may vvorke without them when and where Hee pleaſes. And the Lord Ieſus as apparantly importes no leſſe in theſe vvordes, than that Baptiſme is not abſolutelie neceſſarie to ſaluation: for vvhen after the promiſe He ſettes downe the cauſe of damnation, Hee ſpeakes not a vvorde of Baptiſme, for Hee ſayes onelie, Hee that beleeues not ſhall bee damned: of ſette purpoſe He leaues out Baptiſme. And if it had beene abſolutelie neceſſarie to ſaluation, no queſtion Hee vvoulde not hauehave misknowne it, and paſſed it by. Now laſt, marke the meaning of theſe wordes, Hee that beleeues not. This negation and vvant of faith comprehendes firſt, all ſinne vvhatſoeuer againſt the morall Law, whether it be originall ſinne, wherein we are conceiued and borne, or actuall ſinne, proceeding from originall ſinne: for if we hauehave not Faith in the Lord Ieſus, all theſe ſinnes whatſoeuer will be laid to our charge, & will bring vsus to damnation. Next, this negation and want of Faith, comprehends that infidelitie, rebellion, & ſtubburneſſe, whereby men diſdainfully refuſe & reject that grace which the Lord offers freely in Ieſus Chriſt to ſinners, & this ſinne of infidelitie, of all ſinnes is the greateſt, & moſt deteſtable: and therefore procures moſt ſpeedie, fearfull & heauie judgement, and therefore Chriſt ſayes, He that beleeues not, is condemned alreadie, Joh. 3 18. Theſe wordes importr that there is no delay of judgement to him, who diſdainfully rejects grace, but the judgement is preſent and alreadie paſt againſt him: and hee giues a reaſon, taken from that rebellion and repining againſt the Majeſtie of the only begotten Sonne of God, hee is condemned alreadie, ſayes he, Becauſe hee hath not beleeued in the Name of that only begotten Sonne of God. The Lord ſaue vsus from this curſed ſinne of infidelitie: for where it is, all other ſinnes are laid to mens charge, it & drawes out moſt ſpeedily moſt fearfull judgements.
Now, it followes, that we ſpeake of the ſecond promiſe to them that beleeue: Theſe tokens ſhall follow them that beleeue in my Name, they ſhall caſt out deuills, and ſhall ſpeake with new tongues, and ſhall take away ſerpents, and if they ſhall drinke any deadly thing, it ſhall not hurt them, they ſhall lay their hands on the ſicke, and they ſhall recouer. The former promiſe, was, of life eternall to them who beleeue, this promiſe is of the gift of working miracles, He promiſes that the Holy Spirit ſhould giuegive to them that beleeue, a power & gift to worke miracles. We may not thinke, that this power is common to all, & that eueryevery particular Chriſtian who beleeues, ſhould hauehave this gift, neither muſt we thinke, that it ſhould be extended to all times, and ages. But this promiſe is to be reſtrained to a certaine number of particular perſons, on whome it ſhall pleaſe the Lord, to beſtowe this gift of working of miracles, and it is to be reſtrained & bounded within a certaine time: it muſt bee reſtrained to that firſt age and infancie of the Church, to the firſt time that the Goſpell beganne to be preached, for then it was expedient and neceſſarie that the Goſpell which was vnknowne, and not heard of before to the world, ſhould be confirmed by miracles: and therefore we ought not to looke for new miracles in this age wherein we liue, becauſe the Goſpell is alreadie ſufficiently confirmed by the miracles wrought in that firſt age of the Church, by Chriſt and His Apoſtles, and them that immediatly ſucceeded. The Papiſtes, indeede, bragge much of miracles that are dayly wrought in their Church, but their miracles are ſuch as Chriſt foretold: that falſe Chriſts, and falſe Apoſtles ſhould worke, and that the Antichriſt ſhould worke at his comming, Matth. 24.24. And they are theſe, which Paul calles lying ſignes and wonders, which notwithſtanding hee ſayes, are effectuall in them who periſh, becauſe they receiued not the louelove of the trueth. Now, yee ſee here, there is a promiſe of ſundrie great and excellent things to be wrought by ſome of the faithfull in the firſt age of the Church: as namely, caſting out of Deuils, of ſpeaking with newe tongues, taking away ſerpents, the drinking of deadly and poyſonable things, without harme, the healing of ſicke folkes, by laying on of their hands, wherein, I purpoſe not particularly, to inſiſt, but onelyonly to marke ſome thinges generally for our edification. Conſider firſt, the order of theſe promiſes which the Lord makes to them which beleeue: Firſt, Hee promiſes life & Saluation: thereafter, He promiſes working of miracles: the promiſe of life, is a promiſe of the greateſt miracle, that euer was wrought in the world: as for other miracles, they are but workes, ſignes and tokens of that life & Saluation that was to be wrought, which farre ſurpaſſes all other miracles. The Lord Himſelfe teſtifies vntounto vsus, that all the miracles which were wrought in the firſt age of the Church, were counted but like as many fignes and tokens of life and Saluation to be wrought by Him. When He ſayes, Matth. 9.6. That ye may know, that the Sonne of man, hath authoritie on earth to forgiue ſinnes, I will reſtore to health this man that is ſicke of the Palſey: then He ſayes to the ſicke man, Ariſe, take vp thy bed, and goe to thine houſe. Where He lets vsus ſee, that the miracle of bodily health, was a ſigne & token of a greater grace & miracle, euē, of Remiſſiō of ſins, & life euerlaſting. Whereupō we marke this leſſon: That Faith is neuer vvithout ſome miracle: it hath euer one miracle or other following vponupon it. Indeede, it hath not alwayes with it ſuch miracles as were wrought in the firſt age of the Church: as caſting out of deuils, healing of diſeaſes: yet it neuer vvants that greateſt miracle of all, the miracle of Regeneration, of life and Saluation, vvhichwhich Chriſt Himſelfe lets vsus ſee, is more to be marueiled at, than all the miracles heere promiſed: for vvhen the ſeuentie diſciples, who were ſent out with power to worke miracles, returned rejoycing that they had wrought ſuch great things, that they had caſt out deuils, and healed diſeaſes, He ſaid vntounto them: Albeit I hauehave giuen you power to caſt out deuils, to tread on ſerpents, and ſcorpions, and that nothing ſhall hurt you, Neuertheleſſe, in this reioyce not, but rather reioyce that your names are written in Heauen, Luke 10.17. There He willes them, to count life and Saluation to bee a greater miracle than all others. Peter teſtifies likewiſe, that whē the Gentiles in that firſt age of the Church, ſawe them that were conuerted to the Lord Ieſus, not walking after their olde manner, in wantonneſſe, luſtes, drunkenneſſe, &c. it ſeemed ſtrange to them, they marueiled much, that they ranne not with them vntounto the ſame exceſſe of riot, as they were wount to doe, 1. Epiſt. 4.4. Where hee telles vsus, that the conuerſion of ſinners was a wonder to the Gentiles: and indeede, it was no maruell, that they counted ſo of it: for a man truely renued by the Spirit of grace, and conuerted vntounto Chriſt, is a wonder of the world: and thou who art renued by the Spirite of Ieſus, and hauehave gotten an aſſurance of the Remiſſion of thy ſinnes, of life and ſaluation, thou wilt neuer ſeeke any new outward miracles, to confirme to thee the trueth of the Goſpell: for thine owne ſaluation will confirme thee more, than all the miracles in the world can doe. Againe, conſider here, that this gift of working of miracles, followes not euer, nor abſolutely that juſtifying Faith, but this gift of working of miracles requires further, another ſort of Faith, which wee call the Faith of miracles, which is nothing els, but a ſpeciall and extraordinarie gift of the Holy Ghoſt, whereby ſome of the faithfull in that firſt age of the Church, were able to worke miracles and wonders: and this Faith of miracles is grounded vponupon ſome particular promiſes and ſenſible perſwaſions in their heartes, who get that extraordinarie gift, that God by them at ſuch times, and vponupon ſuch perſons, and ſuch occaſions would worke miracles. This would be marked againſt the Papiſtes, who confound this Faith of miracles with juſtifying Faith: for they ſay: to worke miracles, none other Faith is required, but this true Faith, which wee call juſtifying Faith, whereas, indeede, they are two different Faiths, of diuers kinds & natures.
Thus ſhortly of the ſecond promiſe: Now it reſts, that we ſpeake of the third promiſe, which wee hauehave ſet downe by Matthew in the laſt words of his Goſpell: there he ſayes, Loe, I am with alway vntounto the ende of the world. This promiſe the Lord makes vntounto His Apoſtles, to whome Hee had giuen commiſsion to goe into the world, to preach the Goſpell, and to baptize, & with this ſweet & comfortable promiſe He ends His cōmuning, that at this time He had with them: as in the beginning of His cōmuning, to the end Hee might encourage them the more chearfully, and couragiouſly to vndertake and diſcharge that high and painfull calling of the Apoſtleſhip, Hee ſhewed and declared vntounto them His great and incomprehenſible power which He had giuen Him, both in Heauen and in earth: ſo heere Hee cloſes vp His communing with them with a promiſe of the preſence of that ſame incomprehenſible power: for, ſayes Hee, I am with you alway vntounto the end of the world: A promiſe moſte excellent, and full of heauenly conſolation, as if Hee had ſaid, I, euen I, who hauehave all power giuen me, both in Heauen & & in earth, I ſhalbe with you, not to remaine with you for a ſeaſon, but for euer, vntounto the end of the world, & not at certaine diets, and with any intermiſsion, but alway, eueryevery day, & at all times.
Marke well the degrees of this promiſe: Firſt, there is a promiſe of an infinite and incomprehenſible power: Next, there is a promiſe of the preſence of this His power with them: Thirdly, Hee promiſes that this power ſhall not be preſent with them for a certaine time onelyonly, but euen to the ende of the world: Fourthly, Hee promiſes it ſhall be preſent vntounto the end of the world, not by ſet diets and dayes, but without any intermiſsion.
But is this promiſe made vntounto the Diſciples abſolutely, without any condition? No, it is not abſolute, but conditionall: and what is the condition? Euen that ſame which Hee ſet downe in the words immediatly preceeding: if the Apoſtles teached men to obſerue all things whatſoeuer Hee commanded them: that is, That they teached theſe thinges which He had taught them before, all theſe things, and no other thing.
This promiſe which here He makes to His Apoſtles, is extended vntounto the Miniſterie in all ages: yea, euen to the Miniſterie, at this preſent time: for the LORD ſayes, I ſhall be with you vntounto the ende of the world: But ſo it is, that the Apoſtles are nowe dead, they are no more in the worlde: therefore this promiſe is made vntounto the Miniſters of the CHVRCH, to the ſucceſſours of the Apoſtles, vvho ſhould remaine in the Church vntill CHRISTES comming to judgement. Then all Miniſters who faithfully diſcharges their duetie in their calling, and ſincerelie teaches all theſe thinges, and onelie theſe thinges vvhichwhich CHRIST taught, and commanded them to preach, hauehave in this promiſe great matter of comfort and rejoycing. The Lord requires faithfulneſſe and painfulneſſe in the Paſtor, in diſcharging of his calling: and if hee labour faithfullie and painfullie in his Miniſterie, let him commit the iſſue and ſucceſſe vntounto Him, who has promiſed, neuer to leaue His owne, but continuallie to bleſſe their trauels vvith His preſence.
Now as it is required of the Paſtor, that he ſhould bee painefull and carefull in his calling, to the ende that hee may enjoye this preſence: So it is the duetie of the people, to hauehave a care, that the Paſtor bee not abſtracted and vvithdrawne from his charge by vvordlie affaires: For, ſayes PAVL, no man that warreth, entangleth himſelfe with the affaires of this life, 2. Timoth. 2.4. And if ſo they doe, they ſhall bee partakers of this ſame preſence which the LORDE promiſes here to His Diſciples: for the preſence which the Lord has promiſed and giues to the Paſtor, is not for himſelfe onelie, but it redoundes to the vveale and commoditie of the people alſo: The Paſtors bleſſing, is the peoples bleſſing: And by the contrarie, the curſe that the Lord layes vponupon the Paſtor, is for a curſe to the people, vponupon whome the Lorde will bee auenged for the contempt of the Miniſterie.
The Papiſtes bragge much of this promiſe, and they gather vponupon it, That the Kirke cannot erre: for, ſaye they, ſeeing the LORDE hath promiſed to bee with His owne vntounto the ende of the worlde, howe can it bee poſſible, that Hee can leaue His Kirke, that it can erre? But if they weigh aright the condition whereupon the promiſe is grounded, they may ſee, that they hauehave no matter of bragging: For, as vvee ſhewed you before, this promiſe, That the Lorde will bee with them, is not made abſolutelie, and in all caſes, howſoeuer they behaue themſelues: but vponupon this condition. Hee promiſes His preſence, That they teach men theſe thinges, which Hee hath taught them before, that they teach all theſe thinges, onelie theſe thinges, and none other thinges. So that if they teach not theſe thinges, but their owne dreames and fantaſies, they hauehave nothing adoe vvith this promiſe: for if they keepe not the condition, vvhat vvarrant can they hauehave to looke for the promiſe.
Nowe howe farre the Papiſtes are from keeping this condition, from teaching the doctrine of Chriſt onelie, it is more than manifeſt, and they are blind that ſees it not: for in ſtead of the doctrine of the Goſpell, they teach their owne traditions, dreames, and fantaſies: They hauehave baniſhed the Spirite of Trueth, and hauehave bewitched the vvorlde vvith their lyes and vanities. Therefore, ſeeing the felicitie and happineſſe both of Paſtor and people ſtandes in this, To finde the Lordes preſence with them in this pilgrimage, the Lord grant, that both Paſtor and people may ſtriue carefullie to holde faſt the doctrine of the Goſpell: and that they may conforme their liues thereunto, that ſo vvith confidence they may claime to this promiſe of the preſence of Chriſt: To whome with the Father, and the Holie Spirit, bee all praiſe and honour, for euermore: AMEN.