Three Sermons, Dedication 2
TO MY REVEREND FATHERS, and BRETHREN, Fellow-labourers in the worke of the Gospell; eſpecially within the Dioceſſe of BATH and WELS.
WHen the Iſraelites, after the death of Ioſuah, demanded of God, who ſhould firſt go vp for them againſt the Canaanites,Ioſh. 1.1, 2. the Lord anſwered, Iudah ſhall goe vp: but, when Moſes,Exod. 32.26. in behalfe of God, ſtood in the gate of the Camp, and cryed, who is on the Lords ſide? let him come vntounto mee; all the ſonnes of Leui, gathered themſelues vntounto him, &c. Who ſeeth not then (Fathers, and Brethren) that, leauing the conduct of affaires of ſtate to another Tribe, in caſe of reformation of manners, it is our part, to riſe vp first in the Lords quarrell, and to conſecrate our hands vntounto his ſeruice; for as the Prophet ſaith, O ye Prieſts, this commandement is for you.Mal. 2.1.
Wee ſee the fruitfull weedes and thornes of prophaneneſſe and iniquitie, who ſhould root them out, but the Lords husbandmen? Wee ſee the wofull ruines of vertue and pietie, who ſhould repaire them, but the Lords Builders? Wee ſee the troups of armed and audacious enemies, J meane ſinnes, neuer ſo bold or ſo well backt, and the holds of ſelfe louelove and cuſtome in ſinning, neuer ſo ſtrongly fortified: who ſhould attach the battell, or attempt the aſſault, but we, whom the Lord hath not only ſworne his Souldiers, but ſelected as Captaines, and Centurions, in this ſpirituall warfare?
It is our part to bee domi belli que duellatores, fighters at home, & fighters abroade,Cant. 1.6. keepers of our owne vines, and keepers of the cō mon vineyard of Chriſt our Salomon.Cant. 8.11. Others hauehave a ſingle, wee a double warfare, with others, and for others: with others, as wee are of the houſe of Iſrael; for others, as we are of the houſe of Aaron: for both regards, we are to take heed;Act. 20.28. for the firſt, to our ſelues: for the ſecond, to al the flock, ouer which the holy Ghoſt hath made vsus ouer-ſeers.
If wee neglect the charge of our owne vines, may not the Lord ſay, that from the Prophets,Ier. 23.15. wickednes is gone forth into the whole land? For, how ſhall wee perſwade others to fight againſt ſinne, vnleſſe wee can commend vntounto them the ſame fight,Phil. 1.30. which they ſee or beare to bee in vsus? how ſhall wee preſſe to kill our Lords Enemies in others, if wee nouriſh them in our owne boſomes; if wee reſolue not, with bleſſed Paul,1. Cor. 9.27. that euen our owne fleſh firſt, being ſedes hoſtis, ſhall be ſedes belli, and being ſedes peccati, ſhall bee ſedes ſupplicii? Leuies bleſsing conſiſts of Thummim,Deut. 33.8. aſwell as Vrim, integritie, as ſufficiencie: and on the skirt of Aarons Robe, Exo. 28.33. &c.there were not only Bells, but pomegranats, a type to be expreſſed in vsus, Miniſters of the new Teſtament, of whom the people muſt not only heare the ſound, but ſee the fruit, or elſe our golden bell will be but as ſounding braſſe,1. Cor. 13.1. or as a tinkling cymball. In a word, as the ſinne, ſo the reformation of the people beginneth in our Tribe. The Lord ſo purge and fine vsus, ſons of Leui, that wee firſt may bring offerings to the Lord in righteouſneſſe;Mal. 3.3, 4. and then the offerings of Iudah and Ieruſalem may bee acceptable to the Lord.
On the other ſide, if wee neglect our charge concerning the vineyard of Christ: If wee ſeuer the worke from the worſhip, the dutie from the dignitie. If we thinke our ſelues too good, or too great, to till our Lords ground, which (as one ſaid of the arable of old Rome) reioyceth to bee turned vp vomere patritio. If wee bring no ſtuffe to our Lords building, or inſteed of ſtone, timber, mettall, nothing but glaſſe, bright and brittle: If wee bee like Sauls Souldiers, without ſpeare or ſword in the day of battaile;1. Sam. 13.22. or hauing a ſword (a gift) doe not vnſheathe it, or but vnſheathe it for ſhew, nor brandiſh it for vſe. If we doe but muſter, not fight, or flouriſh only, as Fencers, with a rebated edge, but neuer drawe bloud.Ier. 48.10. If we doe cauponari bellum,2. Cor. 2.17. not belligerare; make merchandize of our war, and boot-haling in ſteed of battaile. If we vainly thinke to diſcharge our ſelues of the account of ſoules, committed to our keeping, becauſe whiles wee had here to doe,1. Kin. 20.39.40 and there to doe (not idle but otherwiſe employed) they ſlipt away & miſcaried without our knowledge. Ezek. 44.8.Jf we our ſelues keep not the ordinances of the holy things of God, but ſet others for vsus to take the charge of his Sanctuarie. If ſuch be our practizes and pretences, Fathers, and Brethren, what ſhall we anſwere vntounto that great ſhepheard and Biſhop of ſoules,1. Pet. 2.25. at the dreadfull day of his oecumenicall viſitation?
True it is, the conflict is ſo great, Ier. 15.10.to ſtriue with the whole earth; the labour ſo thankleſſe, to vex them that dwell therein;Reuel. 11.10. the ſucceſſe, oftentimes ſo vncomfortable, Eſa. 49.4.to ſpend our ſtrength in vain and for nothing; that no maruaile if the beſt ſeruants of Chriſt, taking their hard taske to heart, bee readie, ſometimes to bewray their frailtie, and to crie, Ier. 15.10.Woe is me, my mother, that thou haſt borne mee, &c. and otherwhiles, to giuegive ouer, & reſolue, Ier. 20.8, 9.not to make mention of the Lord, or to offer his word to the daily reproch, and deriſion of prophane men.
But this tentation cannot long preuaile, Ibid.if either we feele the word of God, as a burning fire ſhut vp in our bones, and forcing a vent, or ſee the Lord, Ibid. verſ. 11.as a mighty giant, ſtanding at our right hand, readie to rebuke, Zech. 3.1, 2.not men only, but alſo Satan,2. Cor. 2.14, 15 and to make vsus alwaies to triumph in Chriſt, as a ſweet ſauour vntounto God, whether in them that are ſaued, or in them that periſh.
Nay rather, if we be truly humbled with the awe of Gods holy Maieſtie, we ſhall ſee and be waile, euen the beſt of vsus, our owne ſhare in the common corruptions; and crie out, with the Prophet, Woe is me,Eſa. 6.5. I am vndone, for I am a man of polluted lips, and I dwell in the middeſt of a people of polluted lips, &c. that mourning, with Iohn Baptiſt, we may happily prevaile with ſome to weepe after vsus: and haſtning the harueſt of converſion,Matth. 9.37. Reuel. 14.14, 15. wee may preuent the Angell, otherwiſe readie with his ſharpe ſickle to the harueſt of deſtruction:Mal. 4.6. ſo turning the hearts of the Fathers vntounto the children, and (that is, Luk. 1.17.of the diſobedient to the wiſedome of iuſt men) that the Lord may not come & ſmite the earth with curſing.
The Lord make vsus ſuch Paſtors after his owne heart,Ier. 3.15. & 15.19. after his owne mouth; that we may both ſaue our ſelues,1. Tim. 4.16. and them that heare vsus:1. Pet. 5.4. and that when the chiefe Shepheard ſhall appeare, being found ſo doing,Luk. 12.43. we may receiue at his hand an incorruptible crowne of glorie.
S. C.