The Way to True Peace and Rest, Sermon 16
THE SIXTEENTH SERMON, VPONUPON 2. TIMOTHIE 2.15. IN WAY OF EXHORTAtion to the Prouinciall assemblie of the Presbyteries of Louthiane, holden at Edinborough the 16. of September, 1589.
2. TIMOTHIE, 2.15.
Studie to shew thy selfe approoued vntounto God, a workeman that needeth not to be ashamed, deuiding the word of truth aright.
IT is not vnknown vntounto you (Brethren) that in Timothy we hauehave the true patterne of a Profitable Pastor set down, how he should behaue himselfe in all things, what he should do, what he should leaue vndone; what he should follow, what he should flie: In eueryevery thing he is forewarned, but chiefly among many, of one thing, that he study not to please men, that he hunt not for their praise and commendation. For why? Experience from time to time hath taught, yt these men hauehave not onelyonly endangered their owne estate, but hazarded also the whole estate of the Church. As namely, there were two in his owne time, in the dayes of Timothy, who to get a name among men, that they were very curious disputers & subtill reasoners, moued doubts vponupon eueryevery thing, chopped & changed with the truth of God, as if it had bene the prophane word of man: & at ye last, they began to moue questions, & raise some doubts vponupon ye very articles of our beliefe. And the spirit of the diuell to carried them forward, that from doubting, at the last, it came vntounto a plaine defection. They denied the article of the resurrection in particular. So they did not onelyonly lose themselues and poysoned the Auditorie, but they peruerted the truth of God, so farre as in them lay. From these mens example, the Apostle forewarned his Disciple, and in him eueryevery Pastor, that they beware not onelyonly of this vaine iangling about wordes, (specially in matters of conscience,) but chiefly beware of the roote & fountaine, from whence they spring, to wit, of that naturall selfe-louelove, which we nourish all in our bosomes, and are so loth to part with in our whole life.
And we hauehave an example before our eies in our time,M. Patrik Adamson, late Bishop of S. Andrewes. of a man going about to make himselfelfe great, and to get the praise of men: who in the end, not onelyonly hazarded his own estate, but endangered the estate of the whole Church, so far as lay in him. So, as the example of Hymenaeus was meete to moue Timothie to beware of such a vice: euen so, let the example of our Hymenaeus, which is yet in our eyes, moue vsus, that we fall not into the like snare, that we cast not only, not to hunt for the praise of men, but also that we apply vsus to eschue the root and fountaine from whence it springeth; to wit, that naturall selfe-louelove, whereof eueryevery one of vsus hath a portion. And since we are entred into the schoole Christ, let vsus study to learne that one lesson, to renounce our selues. The Lord giuegive vsus hearts to learne it, and make vsus to be borne againe in this life, and to renounce our selues in this life, which are not the workes of man, but the singular works of God renewing man.
Now as he hath shewed him, what he shall eschue; and that this is the vice which he should chiefly flie: so in this 15. verse, he beginneth to admonish him, that the contrary of it is the chiefe vertue which he should embrace, and the onelyonly thing which he should aime at, during his whole life: to wit, he should Study to be approoued of God. For seeing there is no workman, but he wisheth to sute his worke to be allowed of, (this is a common instinct in vsus with the rest, to seeke to be approued:) therefore the Apostle informeth him and admonisheth him, what sort of approbation he shall seeke, at whose hands he shall seeke it, and after what manner he shall come by it.
The heads to be intreated of.So for the present we hauehave these three things to speake of: Of the sort of approbation that a Pastor should seeke: at whose hands he should seeke it: and how, and after what manner he shall obteine it. As to the sort of approbation, it must be spirituall & godly, flowing from the Spirit of God, and not from flesh and blood. And as it must flow from the Spirit of God, and not from flesh and blood: so must he seeke it at the hands of God onelyonly; and not of any creature liuing. Study to be allowed of him; for why? suppose men would allow of thee, thou art not the more approued. For if thou in stead of others shouldst praise thy selfe, thou art neuer one haire the better. For if a man honour himselfe, (saith our master Iohn, 8.) his honour is nothing worth: and he whom men commends, (sayth the Apostle, 2. Cor. 10.15.) is not approued; but onelyonly he is approued whom God commendeth. Therefore, let vsus not seeke honour one from another, but let vsus seeke the honour which cometh from God onelyonly: let vsus studie to be approued of him onelyonly; for obtaine we his approbation, we shall get the other two, for there is but three in all: For if God approue vsus, he shall make our owne conscience approue vsus. And hauehave we our owne conscience and God within our conscience to allow of vsus, we hauehave two of the best; for these two will neuer leaue vsus, they will stand by vsus here, and when it cometh before an higher Tribunall, they wil make vsus ioyfull. And as to the third sort which is by men, where these two go before, we shall hauehave the Church of God (no doubt) and good men to upproue vsus. For where God and conscience calleth a man inwardly, this God maketh his Church by their testimony to ratifie his calling outwardly. As ye see he commanded the Church to separate Paul & Barnabas, to the worke whereunto he had called them inwardly; so, obtaine we his approbation, & we shall hauehave all the three. Therefore let vsus looke to none but his; we looke to his approbation, when we looke to our selues: then honoureth he vsus, when we honour him. When we seeke nothing but him, then seeketh he vsus and our weale. And it is for better for vsus that he seeke our good, then that we our selues seeke it. For he can and may seeke it best. Therefore let vsus studie to seeke God and his honor, that God may seeke vsus and our honor.
And will we looke who hath sent vsus forth, who employeth vsus, who made vsus Embassadors in stead of Christ? we shall find that we ought to studie to please none but him. We are not subiect to render account to any but to him. To him we are subiect indeed: therefore it is necessarie that we studie to be approued of him. Now to come by his approbation, the Apostle sheweth vsus what way we may proceede, & how we shall behaue our selues; namely, that we do two things. First, that we studie, that is, that we hauehave a sound care to present our selues before him; Next, that we studie to present our worke of the ministery before him; as he would say, that we studie to take heed to our selues and to our office. To our selues, that we be good Christians, to our office, that we be good Pastor: for he will neuer be a goo… Pastor that is not a good Christian: Therefore the first thing that he must take heed to, is to his person, that he studie to present himselfe, get accesse to his countenance and stand before him. Now there is no standing before God but in puritie, and by puritie of the heart: it is the pure heart only that looketh vponupon God and standeth before him. For Blessed are the pure in heart, (saith our Maister, Math. 5.) for they shall see God. The heart againe is no way purged but by faith; so it is by faith onelyonly that we stand & present our selues vntounto God. The good Pastor to get himselfe approoued, must studie for the increase of faith and sanctification. For he shall neuer teach with authority and power, except he feele in himselfe the thing that he would hauehave wrought in others: how shall he prease to sanctifie others, who is not sanctified hims…lfe? how shall he teach holily who is not holie? So we must studie for our owne particular sanctification, that while as we preach saluation to others, we be not reprobates our selues.
Next we must studie to present our works, and how we hauehave trauelled before him. That is, we must studie to shew our selues good Pastors as well as good Christians; and to this effect he letteth vsus see what properties are required in particular of vsus, to do the part of a Pastor. And first of all he sheweth vsus, that we must be workmen, not idle; for the ministerie is a worke and no idle businesse: And in respect that men may worke and all out of frame and out of order, therefore he adioyneth, we must be such sort of workmen that neede not be ashamed, that is, workmen without reproofe.
The worke of the ministery standeth in two points, in ruling & teaching; the third thing that he must do, as he must be a worthie workman, so he must be a skilfull workman, that can cut aright and worke rightly; and in the end of the verse he sheweth him whereupon he shall worke, & wherein he shall trauell; to wit, vponupon the word of truth. And because these things cannot be done without great trauell, he biddeth him studie for them all. So to come backe, the first thing that we must take heed to: We must take heed that we be not idle. And it is required of vsus yt we be workemen, that is, the ministerie as I hauehave said, is a worke and no idle businesse. That it is a worke, I hauehave many places to proue it, but there is one in speciall out of the 1. Thessa. 5.12. where the Apostle saith, I pray you acknowledge those that labor among you, and hauehave them in great estimation for their works sake. So the ministerie is a worke, and that we are workmen, Acknowledge, saith he, those that labor among you, and hauehave them in most great estimation for their works sake.
The worke of the ministerie standeth in two points, in ruling, and in teaching; and these are the two points: for ruling we hauehave 1. Thes. 5.12. where it is said, And rule you in the Lord. And as for teaching, the 17. verse 1. Tim. 5. Chap. letteth vsus see yt they must labor in the word. Now by reason that men may worke, and worke out of frame; and that men may labour diligently, and yet out of order: he adioyneth, that they must be such workmen as neede not to be ashamed; as he would say, worthie workmen and without reproofe. For the ministerie is a worthie worke, He that seeketh the office of a Bishop, (saith the Apostle) 1. Tim. 3. doth seeke a worthie worke. So he must be a faithfull and a worthy workman. To do the part of a faithfull and worthie workeman, he must do two things; he must not onelyonly rule, but rule rightly; he must not onelyonly teach, but teach skilfully: That he must rule rightly, we hauehave the Apostle for vsus, 1. Tim. 5.17 where he saith: The Elders that rule well (and not onelyonly simply the Elders that rule) are worthie, &c.. Now to rule rightly, it is as the Apostle speaketh, 1. Thes. 5.What it is to rule in the Lord. To rule in the Lord: to rule in the Lord againe, is to rule spiritually, in spirituall affaires as the Lord did.
To rule in the Lord, is not to rule as a Lord: For we preach Christ Iesus to be our Lord, (saith the Apostle) and we are your seruants for his sake. So to rule in the Lord, is not to rule as a Lord, but vnderunder the Lord as a seruant. To rule in the Lord, is to rule as he did. Now he saith of himselfe, Math. 18. That he came not downe to do his owne will, but his Fathers will who sent him: So as the Lord ruled not after his owne will, much lesse must we rule after our will: yea not after the will of the Prince. We must lay all sorts of wils aside, and follow the will of God onelyonly. For so many conclusions and determinations as flow from the will of man, yea although they were the will of the Prince, beside the warrant of Gods word: they are as many nullities, and hauehave no power to strike vponupon the conscience, no more then ye Popes Buls. So he must lay aside all sort of will, and rule after the Lords will. For his wil is perfect, good and holy, (as the Apostle speaketh. Rom. 12.2.) Further, if he will rule as the Lord did, he must rule carefully and very diligently; for as it was his meate and drinke (as he speaketh himselfe) to do the worke of his Father, so we must be carefull and preferre his worke before any worke of our owne, although it concerne our body neuer so neare.
To mooue vsus to diligence we should remember, that we hauehave the Citie of God to watch ouer, we should remember that we hauehave the spouse of Christ to present as a pure virgin, and we hauehave the lambs of Christ committed to our feeding; for that threefold repetition of our Maister bidding Peter feede his lambes, what required it but diligence? And who is able to answer to the meanest of these things? And yet I hauehave not spoken the halfe of the things that are requisite. So that I maruell not if of old and of late also, there be many loth to enter their shoulders vnderunder so heauie a burthen. But it is a great maruell that any should be found that can intrude himselfe to so weightie and hard a worke. Who euer he be that runneth so vnsent, he will neuer do good in this worke.
As he must rule rightly, so he must teach skilfully; and this is set downe in the end of this verse, where he biddeth them deuide the word and deuide aright. As to the former speech it is a borrowed kind of phrase, wherin the Apostle alludeth to two things, first to the bread of the familie, comparing ye word to houshold bread, & vsus to stewards, who are the deuiders of yt bread. As it is required in a steward of a great familie that he be discreet: in such sort that he hauehave a respect to eueryevery mans age, abilitie and disposition, and deuide to them thereafter: So in vsus that are the dispensers of this blessed word, there is a speciall kind of dexteritie wished, that is, the gift of discretion, whereby we may skilfully and fruitfully deuide to eueryevery one. He that will do the part of a skilfull Teacher, must be a faithfull interpreter, and a skilfull applyer, to interpret faithfully: he must take heede to three things chiefly: first he must take heede to the meaning of the Author, that he take vp his true meaning so neare as he can. To take vp his meaning truly, he must first take heed to the words what they signifie, he must trie their signification, & after triall gather such a meaning as the words may beare, and as their signification may agree with: for if he gather a contrary meaning, or another then they may import, he is not an interpreter of these words, but a peruerter of them. Next, to see if the meaning be right, he must confer thē with other parts & places of the Scripture: see how it agreeth with the analogy of faith. And if he finde any harmony, there is no doubt but the sence is true. The third thing that he must do, he must take heed how the words are placed, in what order they come in, what relation they hauehave to the things that go before, and also how they are fastened with the things that follow. But he that would interprete truly, must chiefly take heede to the Scriptures: for all true interpretations must be sought out of the Scriptures: for seeing that all truth is contained in the Scriptures, there can be no true interpretation but that which floweth from thence. Men should not be leaned to where they want Scriptures; for no man should vse a lie to interpret a truth: and the words of men without Scripture are onelyonly lyes and vanities. Also if the interpreter would be sensible as he ought and should be, of force he must vse Scripture, he must conferre place with place: and that thing which he findeth obscurely spoken in one place, he wil finde it more clearely spoken in another. So, many Scriptures are necessary, and he that would interprete truely, must hauehave many Scriptures in his memory. Therefore we should pray for holy memories; for our old memories wil not keep these things, they must be sanctified memoryes that shall keep holy things. As he must be a faithtull interpreter, so he must be a skilfull applier: for he must Deuide the word aright. It is not ynough that he apply, except he apply it also skilfully: So application is necessary, skilful applicatiō, I say, is necessary. As it is not possible that we can feede vponupon food, except it be applied to our mouth; as little is it possible, that our soules can feede, except the food of them be applyed. Indeed things would be applyed skilfully: for as if the foode be applied to any other part but the mouth, the application serueth not; euen so it is in spirituall things, if they be not applied to the right parts, and to the right diseases, the applicatiō may do them more euill then good. Therefore it is necessary, that he who would do the part of a skilfull applyer, do know the faults and diseases of his flocke; which is not possible to be done in this Towne, except it were deuided into parishes, that eueryevery one might hauehave a reasonable number to come to him, that he were acquainted with, and accustomed with their manners and behauiour. This application, is a chiefe point of the Pastors office: for there is no edifying beside it: there is no obediēce to God but by it. And therefore, as by interpretation he informeth the mind, and maketh it to vnderstand what he should do, what he should leaue vndone: So by application he should subdue the will, that it may giuegive obedience and follow the vnderstanding.
Then in a word, we see that the gift of gouernment, and ye gift of exhortation, are necessarily requisite to be in a Pastor in some measure, in such sort, yt he canot be a Pastor, except he hauehave a part of both these gifts, as I hauehave said, in some measure: And therefore ye hauehave to take heede to your admission in admitting of yong men, ye should see how they hauehave profited in both thes… gifts. And that act which was made in the last prouinciall assembly, would be taken heede to, that none be placed in this office, except he hauehave learned by time the gift of gouernment, together with the gift of teaching in some measure. And as for application it is so necessary, if it were no more but to turne ouer ye very words of the text vponupon the Auditory, it must not be left; yea, and the nearer that we go to Gods word, the application is so much the better: for his word must euer hauehave a greater force with it then any other word. And when the people heare that God speaketh, and not man, it striketh a great reuerence in the hearts of the auditory: And so much the more, when we consider the worthinesse and dignity of the subiect, whereupon we ought to take these paines and are to intreate.
The Apostle calleth it here the word of truth. The more notable that any subiect is, it would be so much the more wisely handled; And we hauehave not such a notable subiect as this, for there is not a subiect that hath these epithetes, to be called sound, wholesome, holy and true, but this. And beside this, there is neither health, soundnesse, truth nor holinesse: Therefore we should not choppe nor change with the word, as if it were a vaine word, but with great humility it would be handled.
But who is able to do these things, or to answer to the meanest part of them? These things craue an exact diligence, a singular care and a painefull trauell. They are not purchased by sluggishnes, they will not giuegive vsus leaue to employ our selues else-where, but they take the whole man, yea the whole thing that he may do, if it were more. And therefore in respect of this, the Apostle vseth the word Study, shewing vsus that these things are not gotten without study; that is, without an earnest care and great diligence. All things whereunto a Pastor should study may be taken vp in two words: In faith, and in a good conscience. Study we for these two, there is no doubt but we shall take heede both to our selues, and to our office. And these two we cannot keep, except we study for the third also, which is the keeper of all the rest; to wit, the holy Spirit. We must study to entertaine and nourish him, and this is done chiefly, by praying in the holy Spirit: Therefore, we should be acquainted with prayer, and be instant in it, that the Lord would not withdraw his holy Spirit from vsus; but rather increase the power thereof from day to day, that we might finde by experience, and by a sensible feeling, the truth of his heauenly promises within our selues, and speciallie of that promise of life euerlasting. To the which life, Christ Iesus, that great Pastor of the sheepe, who gaue his life for his flocke, bring vsus. To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit, be all honor, praise and glory, for euer and euer. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Bruce, The Way to True Peace and Rest (1617)