A Preparative to Contention, Book · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
Conſolations and inſtructions for the Paſtour.
THe wiſe and vigilent Paſtour or Miniſter of the word, being ſent and authorized by the Lord of heauen, and diuinely taught by the wiſedom of his ſonne, ſhould be neither diſpleaſed in his mind, nor diſcouraged in his place, through the tyrannie, the ſophiſtry, the hypocriſie, the contempt, the vaine cenſures and the ingrateful dealings of worldly men.The miniſter is authorized by God. But knowing the author of his calling to be God, and himſelfe to be the ſeruant of God, he ſhould rather reioyce and be glad, that it hath pleaſed the Lorde in merciemercy to ſeperate him from the world, to ſerue God in his Church. And truely, if the meane ſubiect hauehave good cauſe to prayſe the bountie and goodneſſe of his Prince, which ſhall exalt him from the common ſort of the people, and authorize him his honourable Embaſſador or Magiſtrate in the common-wealth, then hauehave the paſtours and miniſters good cauſe to praiſe the Lord God, who hath in his great louelove called them by the motion of his ſpirite within them, and admitted them by an excellent calling alſo, to the preaching of his holy worde, and his diuine place. This conſideration both contenteth Paul, and maketh him glorie in the ſame. Next vntounto this, the Miniſter conſidering whoſe ſeruant hee is, may be much bolder (though in a godlier ſort) then thoſe ſeruing men are of the Lords and Maiſters on whome they attende, as beeing through the countenance, authoritie, and power of them much emboldned.Ier. 1.8. Ezech. 2.6. Nowe the faces of Ieremie and Ezechiel being hereby hardened, they feare not the rebukes and frowning faces of men. Paul may bee accuſed and hardly forced by Tartullus, but yet, hee is able to aunſwere for himſelfe, beeing in this place ſuch an one as hee ſhould be. And hee ſaith boldly before king Agrippa: I would to God, that not onelyonly thou, but alſo all they that heare me to day, were not onelyonly ſomewhat, but alſo altogether ſuch as I am, except theſe bandes. In this regarde Michaeas is bolde to call the people of Iſrael to witneſſe againſt Achab their King.1. King. 22. And Eliſha ſaith without bluſhing vntounto Ioram, 1. King. 3.13.in the preſence of Iehoſophat King of Iuda: VVhat hauehave I to doo with thee? get thee to the Prophets of thy Father, and to the Prophets of thy Mother. And if it were not that I regarde the preſence of Iehoſophat the King of Iuda, I would not looke towards thee, nor yet ſee thee. So was Eliah emboldned before Achab, and Iohn the Baptiſt before Herod, nothing fearing the faces of them that could onelyonly murther the bodie.
2 Thirdly this muſt be remembred, that the Paſtour muſt regarde his place and calling, there into walke worthily. For as he is ſet by his Lorde ouer the houſe, ſo hee muſt be faithfull to diſtribute the portions to them of the houſe in ſeaſon: that is, he muſt (as Paul teacheth) rule well, and labour in the word and doctrine. And this the wiſe man remembreth,Eccles. 12.10 Eccles 12. when he ſaith, that the Preacher was yet more wiſe, and taught the people knowledge: he gaue good heede, ſought out the ground, and ſet forth many Parables: and that he might the better teach the people knowledge, and cauſe them to heare, that he might turne them vntounto rightteouſneſſe, Hee was diligent to finde out pleaſant words, Dan. 11.33.and vpright ſcripture, euen the words of truth: Nullares diſcipulo eſt ita pernicioſa ſicut vita magiſtricontumelioſa. Boet. de diſcipl. ſcolar. Mat. 5.14.and to ſtoppe the mouthes of ignorant perſons (which reſpect more the life then the doctrine of the Paſtour, and be as children which aime rather to the behauiour then to the inſtruction of their parents) it is meete that the light of this perſon doo ſhine before men correſpondent to his teaching (as the right vrim and thumim combined) to the benefit of the Church, and the prayſe of God. God fobidde that he which ſhould be foreign, The light of the world, as Chriſt called his Apoſtles, ſhould be Lumen modi, non mundi, The light of the buſhel, and not of the world, as Bernard called ſome of them in his time. Or that they which ſhould be foreign. The ſalt of the earth, and inſtructors of others, as well in life as doctrine, ſhould reſemble in knowledge and wiſdome thoſe Italian Prieſts,In dicta Alfonſi. of whom Aeneas Syluius (one of the beſt learned of the Popes) complained, when he ſaid, that the verie maides at theyr diſtaues coulde anſwere, both out of the olde and new Teſtament, and yeeld a reaſon of their faith to their Catechizers: but the Prieſts themſelues were found altogither ignorant in learning and life: or that they ſhould bee both like that prophane and vnlearned Frier, who,A verie learned Frier. after hee had in his old age happilie found a newe Teſtament, and therein read a few words, ſayde to his fellowes, that either thoſe words which he had read therin, was no part of the holie Scriptures, or that he and they were no good Christians. So farre diſcented both his life and Religion from the perfect veritie: ſo blind was hee, though of the fraternitie, in that which hee ſhoulde moſt clearely hauehave ſeene and declared vntounto others! Are theſe perſons able to doo and performe the part of an Inſtructor? Can they deale the true doctrine? HaueHave they any regarde of edification? No trulie: Neither (indeede) hauehave they yet taſted the ſweetneſſe of that comfortable Contentation and ſacietie of the Soule, which the holie Ghoſt beſtoweth in the abundance of his graces, to them that rule well, and labour in the worde and doctrine, as faithfull Paſtors.
3 But there be, which to the diſcouragement of the good labourers thus oppoſe.Hinderances oppoſed to the Paſtor. The day is long: the burthen is heauie: the worke is intollerable: and yet, when the day is ended, and the burthen borne, and the worke performed, where is the reward? who hath his wages? where ſhall the recompence bee expected? but chieflie then, when they ſay: that not onelyonly ſuch as inſtruct many (as Iſaiah, and Michaeah, and Zacharie, and Iohn) do fall by the ſworde, by fire, by captiuitie, and by ſpoyle manie dayes:Dan. 11.33. but alſo ſome of them of vnderſtanding, as Iulian, Nicholas, Iudas, the Biſhops of Rome, and others learned in the Scriptures, do fall, to trie them, and to purge them! Then (I ſay) they reſolue thus with the buier, foreign, that is, Nought, nought: deare, deare. Pro. 20.14.Howbeeit, as the faithfull Paſtour dooth acknowledge the grace and mercies of God his Lord and maſter towards him, and is right glad of his calling and place in the Church, with thankfulneſſe: as he ruleth well, and laboureth in the word & doctrine worthily: and as he beleeueth that the Lorde God which hath called him, and ſent him to worke in his vineyard, is both able and willing to help and defend him, as he helped and defended his ſeruants, Samuel, Ieremie, Daniel, and ſuch others: ſo hee doth not reckon that the Lorde hath ſhut him out from the true peace: but he remembreth the wordes of his maiſter,Peace. who ſayde: Peace bee vntounto you: my peace I leaue with you: in the worlde ye ſhall hauehave tribulation: but in me ye ſhall hauehave peace. The word of Chriſt full of comfort to the Miniſters.Neither dooth hee forget to pray vntounto God, that he would vouchſafe to conteine him within the bounds of this peace, that neither by his doctrine, nor by his life, nor by dealing in matters vnneceſſarie, nor by diſputing about genealogies, and vaine queſtions, nor by the yeelding to the enemie of mans ſoule, hee hinder the happie courſe of the Goſpel of peace, that hee no way diſturbe this peace, which is, and ſhould for euer bee retained among the Miniſters of the Goſpel: as of more account and eſtimation, then all the fauour, friendſhippe, pleaſure, and treaſure of the worlde. And then, after that hee hath long preached peace, and laboured therein,The reſolutiō of the wiſe Miniſter. and yet perceiueth that men prepare themſelues to warres and contentions: and hath beene a workman in the vineyard many dayes, and ſeeth not any fruit of his toile to his deſire: he doth not, for all that, thinke that hee hath ſpoken in the ayre, or that he hath laboured in vaine, and loſt his trauailes: but reſolueth,Eſay. 55.20 that as the raine and ſnow which commeth downe from heauen, returneth not hither againe, but watereth the earth, maketh it fruitfull and greene, that it may giuegive corne to the ſower, & bread to him that eateth, ſo the word of God which he hath preached vntounto the people, ſhall not turne againe voide vntounto him, but accompliſh the will of God, and proſper in the rhing whereunto he ſendeth it: and that His labours in the Lord are not in vaine. Moreouer,A reward. he doubteth not, but beleeueth, that his reward is with the Lord, who eſteeming his labours in him profitable, will dulie make paiment thereof in time cōuenient: not according to the quantitie and qualitie of the fruit, but after the meaſure and qualitie of his labors. And in this,The labour of him that waſheth an Ethiopian is not without wages he knoweth himſelfe to be righly likened vntounto him that is hired to waſh an Ethiopian or Black-moore, and is promiſed a reward for his dayes labour, howſoeuer the Blac-moore appeare after his waſhing: and vntounto that ſchoolmaſter, who in all equitie is not to be neglected, but to be rewarded for his diligence emploied on his ſcholers, how ſoeuer they profit. Neither doth he thinke, that Ezechiel the Prophet was to looſe all his paynes in his miniſterie, notwithſtanding that the Lorde ſayde of the people to whome hee ſhould preach, They are the children of an hard face, Ezech. 2.4.and ſtiffe heart: they are a rebellious houſe: briers and thornes are with thee, and thou dooſt dwell among Scorpions. And thou ſhalt ſpeake my wordes vntounto them, whether they will heare or not heare: that they may knowe, that there hath beene a Prophet among them. So, albeit that the ingratefull people, which hauehave no feeling, and as little religion, ſay vntounto the Miniſter, wee bee neuer the better for all thy ſtudies, thy paines, thy preaching, thy teaching, thy labouring: and therefore what reaſon hauehave wee to bee louing, and thankefull vntounto thee? yet he perceiueth,Gods iudgements on thē that contemne the word. that their ſuddaine iudgements falling on them in their times, doo teſtifie his labours, which they contemned, and the contempt whereof the Lord nowe reuengeth to his glorie. Againe, hee ſeeth, that there is a rewarde layde vp for him by the Lord in his merciemercy,A reward for labourers. who forgetteth not his labours, and that hee ſhall receiue this reward in due time to his beſt content. For hee hath heard what hee promiſed. Dan. 11.2. They that bee wiſe ſhall ſhine as the brightneſſe of the Firmament, and they that turne manie to righteouſneſſe, as the ſtarres for euer and euer. Againe, Hier. 45.5. Thy life will I giuegive thee for a praie in all places whither ſo euer thou goeſt. And (to omit other places) he remembreth the wordes of Paul: 1. Cor. 15.58. Therefore, my beloued brethren, be ye ſtedfaſt, vnmoueable, alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord: for aſmuch as wee knowe, that your labour is not in vaine in the Lorde. The labours of all Chriſtians, but chieflie the labours of the faythfull Miniſters, whom the Lorde hath ſet ouer his houſe, to ſuch he ſaith, that cannot lie: Bleſſed is that ſeruant, Mat. 24.46. and 25.23.his Lorde will make him ruler ouer all his goods. He ſhall be made ruler ouer many things: And in a worde, He ſhall be partaker of the ioy of his Lord. This thing when he enioyeth, he will not ſay, It is deere, deere: but with the Pſalmiſt, hee ſhall ſing, Hinne ma tob! Beholde howe good it is! and with him which hath obtained a great good thing for a little money: It is well woorth my money,Prou. 20.14 I hauehave therein a great pennie-worth. Then will he commend that which before hee was tempted to contemne, and will not be diſcontented, nor repent him ſelfe of his bargain, though he hath ſolde with that wiſe marchant all that euer he had, to purchaſe the field wich containeth this treaſure: then will hee account indeed (with Paul, Rom. 8.18. that All the afflictions of this time, are not worthie of the glorie that ſhalbe to them reuealed. Chriſt hath made himſelfe an enſample for labourers.To this therfore hath our Lord armed his diſciples: and to ratifie the fame, hee hath worthily made his owne example perpetual for the immitation and conſolation of the painfull labourers. For notwithſtanding he was moſt vnreuerently derided, mocked, oppugned, and perſecuted of the Scribes, Phariſees, high prieſts, and others, in all his doctrines, myracles, and good workes, he did proceed in his moſt godly purpoſes (mawgre all their malignitie) he ſet the Lord euer before his face: the ſame Lord ſtoode at his right hand, hee left not his ſoule in hell, he ſuffred him not to ſee corruption: he ſhewed him the way of life: he made him full of ioy with his countenance: hee gaue him his hearts deſire: he ſet a crowne of pure gold on his head▪ he exalted him on high, and gaue him a name aboue al names, and made him a King ouer all Kings, for euer and euer. And he hath promiſed, that where he is, there ſhall alſo his miniſter be: and he that miniſtreth vntounto him, ſhall be honoured of his father in the kingdome of heauen.