Time Well Spent in Sacred Meditations, Part 104 – Part 108
Miniſters or Preachers.
1. Its a matter whereof we that are Gods miniſters Many in teaching others doe not teach themſelvesmay juſtly complaine, that in teaching others we doe not ſo carefully teach our ſelves, but too often binde heavy burthens upon others, which we our ſelves will not ſet our hands unto, urging the people to many excellent practiſes of Chriſtianity, and not ſo carefully urging our ſelves to the practiſe of the ſame, that wee might by experience commend the excellencie of ſuch heavenly medicines, and ſo perſwade by our practiſe as well as doctrine, which is in our dayes moſt neceſſary, ſeeing men look moſt to our lives. A chiefe The chiefe cauſe here of.cauſe of this evill is, that through our corruption we deale with the word as merchants doe with their wares, they ſeeke after the beſt wares, not to uſe them themſelves, but to utter them to others, ſo we ſeek out moſt heavenly inſtructions not to uſe our ſelves, but to commend to others. The remedie The Remedies.whereof is, when wee firſt finde out ſome precious matter which we like of, then to make uſe of it our ſelves, and as it were trie the medicine on our ſelves ſo ſhall we better commend it.
2. To content our ſelves with preaching profitably to others, and not to practiſe thoſe things Not to practiſe vvhat vvee preach hovv dangerous it isour ſelves, is very dangerous, and cannot be free from hypocriſie, and muſt needs breede hardneſſe, and ſo a very bad courſe, the end whereof is miſerable and wofull. In any hand therefore wee are to be diſquieted with ſuch an Wee muſt be tronhled hereateſtate, elſe no amendment: and it muſt feare us that we be not diſquieted, when as we heare Gods children profeſſe that they have no longer peace, then they thēſelves be ready to every Chriſtian duty, and Note.have ſome delight therein: and therefore we muſt The Remedie.by all meanes in ſuch an eſtate before ſaid, deny our pleaſures, and provoke our ſelves to humiliation till God reforme us (this being indeed a juſt cauſe of faſting) and generally not to reſt in any exerciſe of religion whereby the heart is not bettered.
3. Wee ſhould ſo eſteeme the benefit of Hovv vvee are to eſteeme the preaching of the Goſpell.preaching the Goſpell, that wee ſhould redeeme it with our loſſe, travailes, griefe, as S. Paul, 2 Theſſ. 3. 8. and therefore be farre from refuſing to preach to thoſe that would, but cannot releeve us for want of Hovv vvee may delight in our miniſterie.living.
4. That we may be occupied in this high ſervice of the miniſterie with the greater delight, and ſo rejoyce therein, wee are to remember that its a moſt high honour to be admitted and uſed of God as his inſtruments in ſaving ſoules; that no worke is more profitable; that hereunto the Lord himſelfe called us, not we intruded our ſelves; that the Lord in ſome ſort bleſſeth our labours, beſtowing upon us not a few encouragements therein.
5. The externall miniſterie muſt proclaime ſalvation Difference betvveene the externall miniſterie and invvard vvork of the Spirit.by Chriſt to all without exception, and compell all, but its the inward operation of the Spirit, to draw and incline any▪ one to apply by faith the generall to himſelfe.
6. They that teach not Who are unfit teachers.themſelves cannot teach others
7. Where the people To vvhom the Lord ſendeth carefull or careleſſe teachers.heartily deſire by prayer the miniſtery of the word, the Lord will ſend them faithfull miniſters, and will multiply his graces in them▪ but if the people be careleſſe, they ſhall have a miniſter which for abilitie either cannot, or for affection will not deliver the truth unto them.
8. Although the Lord In begetting or encreaſing faith Gods vviſedome is not to be tyed to the ordinary meanes.hath promiſed a ſpeciall bleſſing to the publick miniſterie of his word, yet we muſt not tye his wiſedome to the ordinarie meanes either of begetting or encreaſing our faith; but if any ſhall at any time have more effectuall feelings by private conference, let him neither contemne nor neglect the publick miniſterie, but with all holy and humble thankfulneſſe yeelde this ſoveraignty to the Lord, that hee is to diſpoſe his gifts, when, to whom, by whom, and where it pleaſeth him.
9. It is not to be doubted but that God hath pardoned Hovv to knovv vvhether the Lord hath pardoned the ſinne of ra…h ent…ance into the miniſterie.the ſinne of raſh entrance into the miniſterie, unmeet through want of gifts, when as he bleſſeth the miniſter both with able gifts and a pure minde, and alſo giveth a bleſſing thereby unto his people. Therefore though one have no aſſurance for his firſt calling, yet from hence may he gather that God now accepteth thereof.
10. A miniſter muſt be Wherein a Paſtor muſt reſemble a plovvman.like a wiſe tills-man, who having ſowen his feede, long after lookes for the fruit of his labour.
11. Two things eſpecially The trueſt triall of doctrines.may warrant both the ſpeakers and the hearers of their doctrine; If their calling be good and godly, and if the generall courſe of their doctrine be ſound and pure, Ier. 16. 17.
12. When there is no Who they are that ſhall be ſaved, vvho not.viſion the people periſh, thoſe then onelyonly to whom the feete of them which bring glad tidings of ſalvation bee precious, ſhall be ſaved, others that neglect them, neglect ſalvatiō.
13. In bringing men to God, firſt ſhew them that there is certaine ſalvation An order in bringing men to God.for them if they will, then that there is a way thereto, which is by the fight of ſinne, wherein they muſt bee humbled as low as may be.
14. A miniſter comming in a new place ought firſt to preach the truth, therby to win credit in the What a miniſter is firſt to preach vvhen he commeth to a place.conſciences of the people, then to envey againſt corruptions, which may breede man▪ hurts to himſelfe and others.
15. In examining a mans conſcience a miniſter Hovv to deale vvith a mans conſcienceis thus to proceede; by the law to try whether he hath a knowledge, feeling and miſliking of his ſins, or not: whether he hath any feare of Gods judgements for ſinne, or faith in his promiſes: whether by particular applying of theſe things to himſelfe he can ſhew any effects by prayers, Sacraments, new birth and repentance.
16. Its a greater thing in a Paſtor to deale wiſely Whercin the skill of a miniſter doth moſt appeare.and comfortably with an afflicted ſoule, and ſoundly and diſcreetly to meete with an heretick, then to preach learnedly.
17. Its a fault of our time that too haſtie tryall Too haſty tryall of a mans gifts hurtfull.is made of a mans gifts in the miniſterie to the great hurt of the Church.
Mirth.
Wee muſt bee merry in the Spirit, not in the fleſh.
Miſtruſt.What mirth is requiſite.
In miſtruſt, its good to ſet before us Gods wayes What courſe to take in miſtruſt and preſumption.upon others; in our preſumption Gods judgements.
Mortification.
Its very profitable to quicken us in mortification to ſet our olde ſinnes Hovv to be quickned to mortification.often before us, and to ſearch the bottome of our corruptions in day ſinnes, night ſins &c. that ſhaming our ſelves we may be humbled, and ſeeing the height length, and depth of ſinne, wee may the neerer comprehend the ſame meaſures of Gods mercies to us in Chriſt.
Motions.
1. When good motions Good motions are to be dravvne into practiſe.are ſtirred up in us, its good as ſoone as may bee to draw them to practiſe leſt either we forget them or want opportunity to doe them; and for helpe of memory to ſet them down in writing.
2. The cauſe of much Weakneſſe in body and minde vvhence it commeth.weakneſſe in minde and body comes not from Satan alwayes, but from our ſelves in wandering after the motions of the fleſh.