A Cry for Laborers in Gods Harvest, Sermon

A Cry for Laborers in Gods Harvest · Sermon

p. 1MATTH. IX. 38.

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harveſt, that he would ſend forth Labourers into his Harveſt.

YOU are not ignorant of the Occaſion of my chooſing this Text. And the Text, as you may perceive, doth ſuit the Occaſion. God is calling his Labourers out of his Harveſt apace, he removes them by pairs, yea by cluſters; what ſhall we do, what is like to become of us? That is the Queſtion. I know that you have great thoughts of heart about it. There is like to be a great dearth and ſcarcity of faithful Labourers in Gods Harveſt. We have here the Counſel that our Lord Chriſt himſelf gives in this very caſe, that we ſhould Pray the great Lord of the Harveſt, that he would p. 2ſend forth Labourers into his Harveſt.

You ſee what the duty of the Text is, that is, Prayer.

Who it is that we muſt pray unto, to him that is the great Lord of the Harveſt.

What it is that we muſt pray for, that he would ſend forth Labourers into his Harveſt. Then,

Laſtly, You have the Therefore, or the Reaſon why he preſſes this duty upon his Diſciples, The Harveſt truly is great (ſaith he in the former Verſe) but the Labourers are few. The people did flock after Chriſts Miniſtry in great multitudes, and he had compaſſion upon them, becauſe he ſaw them as Sheep without a Shepherd. Pray you therefore, ſaith he, the Lord of the Harveſt, that he would ſend forth Labourers into his Harveſt. The Leſſon or Obſervation that I would put you upon the learning and practice of, is this.

DOCT. That it is the Duty of every good Chriſtian Man or Woman, to pray and cry mightily to God, that …e would ſend forth more Labourers into his Harveſt, eſpecially when there is a great ſcarcity and want of Labourers in the Harveſt.

In the proſecuting hereof we would do ſomething by way of Explication, ſomething by way of Confirmation, and ſomething by way of Application.

For Explication, there are only two things;

1. What we are to underſtand here by the Harveſt.

2. Who are thoſe Labourers in the Harveſt.

p. 31. What are we to underſtand by the Harveſt? Thereby I take to be meant the People that were to be gathered in to Chriſt by the Preaching of the Goſpel. Chriſt you know did often ſpeak in Parables; and that People it ſeems delighted much in Similitudes and Parables: And therefore the Scripture doth ſo often make uſe of ſuch kind of compariſons and ſimilitudes as theſe are. The Lords People they are ſometimes compared to a Garden, ſometimes to a Vineyard, or as here to a Tilled and Harveſt-field. So that our Souls they are Gods Field and Harveſt. What doth that imply? It implys theſe two things.

1. It ſhews us what we are by Nature. When the Goſpel doth firſt come unto us, that we are as an untilled Field, as a barren Deſart, or as an unfruitful Wilderneſs. In Gen. 3. and about the 18th. you read there, upon mans ſin that God had Curſed the Earth, therefore Thorns and Thiſtles ſhall it bring forth. There was the like Curſe upon the heart of man; from that time it brought forth nothing but Thorns and Thiſtles. So that as it is with perſons that are travelling through ſome Deſart places over high Mountains, through rocky and ſtony waies, where there is no husbandry uſed, there grows nothing but Bryars and Thorns and unfruitful Trees, ſuch as are fit for the fire: Such are the hearts and lives of all the children of men by Nature; like the Ground the Apoſtle ſpeaks of in the ſixth of the Hebrews, that brings forth nothing but Thorns and Nettles, which is nigh unto curſing, whoſe end is to be burned. As for thoſe fruits of the Fleſh, which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of in Gal. 5.19. Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanneſs, Laſciviouſneſs, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, p. 4Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Hereſies, Envyings, Murders, and the like; theſe fruits abound every where. But as for thoſe fruits of the Spirit, which he mentions in the following verſe, which is Love and Joy and Peace, Long-ſuffering, Gentleneſs, Goodneſs, Paith, Meekneſs, and the like; Theſe fruits grow not in Natures Garden. One asking a Gardiner what the reaſon was that Weeds did ſpring ſo naturally out of the Ground, when it was ſo hard a thing to make good Plants and Flowers grow in it: He anſwered, Becauſe the Earth was as a Natural Mother to the Weeds, but was become as a Step-mother to the Plants. Thus it is with all our hearts by nature; the things of Grace and Godlineſs, they are not only above our corrupt natures, but contrary to them. In a word, my Brethren, What were all thoſe Churches you read of in the New Teſtament, the Roman, Corinthian, and the reſt of them before the Goſpel was Preached to them? They were all but as a noiſome Dunghill, or barren Wilderneſs to God, till the Apoſtles came to Preach amongſt them, and to Plant them; and then indeed the Wilderneſs was turned into a fruitful Garden, then was fulfilled that of the Prophet, Inſtead of the Bryar, came up the Firtree, &c. Then,

2. As this ſhews us what we are by Nature, ſo it evidences, Secondly, What we ſhould be when the Goſpel comes to us. As the Ground receives in the Plow and the Seed that it may bring forth the Harveſt; ſo ſhould we be willing to hear the Word and to receive the Goſpel, that we may be gathered in unto Chriſt by Faith and Repentance. As the Prophet Jer. 4.3. He bids us Plow up the fallow ground; for p. 5thus ſaith the Lord to the men of Judah, and Jeruſalem, Break up the fallow ground, and ſow not among Thorns. The Husbandman doth not uſe to caſt his Seed among the Thorns without firſt breaking up the fallow Ground, without firſt looſening the root of the Thorns, and cleanſing it from the Weeds, and when the fallow Ground is broken up, many times it needs to be Plowed not only once, but twice or three times before it is fit to receive the Seed. Thus it is with our hearts by Nature, we need to be Plowed by the Word over and over, and to be Harrowed by Afflictions again and again before we are fit to receive the Seed, and to bring forth fruit to God. Break up the fallow Ground, and ſow not among Thorns. For perſons to ſow their Seed without Plowing the Ground, that were a prepoſterous courſe: And ſo it is with many people; when they are convinced that they have lived wickedly, they think they will now mend their waies and do better, and perform ſome good actions that God approves of, and then they hope all will be well. I, but that is to ſow without Plowing, God will never have a good Crop here; Ungodlineſs will never be rooted out, nor Godlineſs truly implanted in the ſoul, except our hearts be firſt Plowed and broken up. Therefore as the Plow you know doth enter into the bowels and heart of the Earth, doth rend it open, and break it to pieces; ſo there are ſome truths of the Word, which are like the Plowſhare to enter into our hearts, and to rend them, and break them to pieces; ſuch as the knowledge of the purity and exactneſs of Gods Law, and of the evil of ſin; and that dreadful curſe we have brought upon our ſelves by it, and of the ſinfulneſs of our Natures, p. 6how all our faculties are full of this ſin. And therefore we ſhould joyn in with God in thoſe things that are revealed to us concerning our loſt and undone condition by Nature; we ſhould labour clearly to underſtand what is delivered in the Word concerning our loſt eſtate, and to work thoſe truths upon our hearts, that we may be ſinſible of them, and to beg of the Lord that he would ſet them home upon us, that we may be truly ſenſible of them. For Miniſters they can only ſow the Truths in your Ears and your Heads, you muſt take them and labour to ſow them in your Hearts; and when the Truths come cloſe to you at any time, as a Sword piercing through your luſts, and dividing between the Marrow and the Joynts, Joh. 2. you ſhould bid it welcom. The Pſalmiſt complains that the Plowers made deep furrows on their backs; but I may ſay bleſſed are thoſe Men and Women on whoſe hearts and conſciences the Word doth make deep furrows. For the great reaſon why ſo much of the Seed in the Parable of the Sower miſcarryed, was becauſe it wanted Root. So much for the firſt, what is meant by the Harveſt.

2. Who are theſe Labourers in this Harveſt? There is no doubt of it but Chriſt thereby means the Prophets of the Old Teſtament, and the Apoſtles of the New Teſtament, and the faithful Miniſters of Chriſt in every Generation, who are to labour in the Preaching of the Goſpel, and the ſalvation of ſouls. And though this be the moſt bleſſed and glorious work that any Man or Angel can poſſibly be employed in, to be recovering and reducing loſt man to God his firſt cauſe and principle; yet this ſhews us the nature of the work, namely that the calling of a Miniſter is a laborious p. 7Calling, and ſo the Apoſtle in 1 Tim. 5.7. Let the elders that rule well, be accounted worthy of double honour, they that labour in the Word and Doctrine; the word ſignifies not only Labour but Pains, or painful labour, ſuch wherein men do ſpend their ſtrength and ſpirits, ſo that their life many times goeth out in their Labour. And this is likewiſe held out to us by thoſe many Metaphors that the Scripture doth apply to the Miniſters of the Goſpel. They are compared here in the Text, you ſee, to Harveſt men; the Husbandmans work of Plowing and Harrowing, Sowing and Reaping, it is a laborious and painful work; and the ſweat of the Brain is no leſs than that of the Brow. So ſometimes they are called Builders, as in 1 Cor. 3.9. We are Labourers together with God, you are Gods husbandry, you are Gods building. Now the Building of Houſes that is a laborious work; for the Houſe is not built of the Trees as they are ſtanding in the Foreſt, or of the Stones as they are in the Quarry; but there muſt be hewing the Stones, and ſquaring the Timber for the building the Houſe. What is the Miniſters work but to build up an Houſe for God, an Habitation for Jeſus Chriſt? As the materials with which the Temple was built of old, were firſt ſquared, and fitted, and prepared for the Building; ſo muſt ſouls be for this ſpiritual Houſe. So that indeed Miniſters are as Carpenters, and Maſons: I have hewn them by my Prophets; and that ſheweth they have hard labour of it, and many times meet with knotty pieces, very hard hearts, ſuch as have made ſome of the beſt of Gods Labourers complain, cry out and reſolve with Jeremy, they would Speak no more in the name of the Lord. So I might ſhew you likewiſe how they are compared p. 8to Shepherds, and Watchmen, whoſe calling you know have labour in them. But to name no more, their labour is compared to that which is the greateſt labour of all; What is that? to the labour of a Woman in Travail, Gal. 4.19. My little Children, of whom I travail in Birth again until Chriſt be formed in you. Thus it is with faithful Miniſters, they have many a Pang, many a throw of heart, before Chriſt be formed in them to whom they Preach. So if you look upon the work of the Miniſtry in theſe Metaphors, by which the Scripture doth expreſs it, you ſee their calling is a laborious calling. So if you look upon it out of theſe Metaphors you may ſee there is much of labour in this work; there is labour to Preach the word, labour in Reading, Studying, Praying and Meditating; as Paul bids Timothy give himſelf unto Prayer and reading the word, &c. and there is labour in diſpenſing the Word. There is a double labour, the labour of the Mind as well as the Body. There is labour to inſtruct the ignorant, to ſhew man his unrighteouſneſs, and to ſhew man his righteouſneſs; labour to exhort and quicken thoſe that are ſluggiſh, labour in reſolving thoſe that doubt, and in comforting thoſe that are ſad; there is labour in bringing in Souls to Chriſt, and labour in building up ſouls when they are brought in. Do but ſee what is ſaid of John the Baptiſt, who, you know, was a Labourer in Gods Harveſt, (Luke 3.5.) what his work was. Every Valley ſhall be filled, and every mountain and hill ſhall be brought low, and the crooked ſhall be made ſtreight, and the rough ways ſhall be made ſmooth. Now to level mountains and fill up Valleys, to make crooked things ſtreight and rough ways ſmooth, this p. 9cannot be done without labour. And yet my brethren, there is greater labour that the faithful Miniſters of Chriſt ſometimes go through than all this; they are forced oftentimes not only to ſweat at the Plough, but bleed at the Croſs: they labour in induring reproaches and Perſecutions they meet with in the world for the truths ſake. Remember my brethren, ſaith James, the Prophets who have ſpoken in the name of the Lord for an Example of ſuffering Affliction and of Patience. Who would have thought they ſhould meet with any hard uſage for ſpeaking to People in the name of the Lord? What ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 2.3. Truly God hath made us a ſpectacle to the world; Why ſo? We are appointed to death every day, and reckoned the off-ſcouring of the World. They are the greateſt enemies the Devil and his Kingdom hath in the world, and therefore the Devil is ſo great an enemy to them. The faithful Miniſters of Chriſt ſtand in the front of oppoſition. That is the Devils principle, Smite the ſhepherd and the ſheep will be ſcattered. So that then you ſoe they are much miſtaken who look upon a Miniſters life as an eaſie, if not an Idle life; who think all their labours but a little Lip-labour. I might tell you it is no eaſie thing for you to hear a Sermon well; and then ſure it cannot be ſuch an eaſie thing to preach well: it will coſt you labour to hear aright. I grant it is an eaſie thing to give the Miniſter the hearing; but to give the ears to the Miniſter, to give every truth a double hearing, that is a hard matter. I grant it is an eaſie thing to let in a Sermon at one ear and to let it out at the other; but to let a Sermon in at the ear and to let it ſink down in the heart, and thence p. 10to ſpring up in the life, this is a hard thing. It is an eaſie thing to write down a Sermon in your Books, and to repeat it at night in your Families, and to diſcourſe and talk of it; but to get this Sermon written in your hearts and to repeat it over in your lives, to be doers of it and not hearers only, this will require pains and labour. Thus we have ſhown you what this Harveſt is, here ſpoken of, and who the Labourers are: and now we come near to the point it ſelf, to ſhew that it is your duty to Pray the Lord of the Harveſt that he would ſend forth more Labourers into his Harveſt. Here are theſe three things offer themſelves to be ſpoken to for the confirming of the point.

1. That the Mininſtry of the word, it is a very great gift and bleſſing to a people.

2. That God and God alone, it belongs to him to ſend forth theſe Labourers into his Harveſt.

3. That our duty and work is to Pray and Pray earneſtly to God, that he would increaſe the number of his faithful Labourers. And theſe may ſerve as the grounds and reaſons of the Point, for I ſhall name no other.

1. Then do you ask me why we ſhould pray to God to ſend forth more Labourers into his Harveſt? Becauſe I ſay to have theſe faithful Labourers among you, is one of the greateſt gifts and bleſſings that God can beſtow upon a People. See what Chriſt himſelf ſaith of ſuch, Matth. 5.13. Ye are the ſalt of the Earth, &c. You know that ſalt ſavours every thing, and that it is to preſerve things from Rotting and Putrefaction; ſo that ſalt is a very uſeful and neceſſary thing in the world, you know not how to be without it. Of ſuch uſe and neceſſity is the Miniſtry of p. 11the word; for the whole world would Rot and Periſh without it. All the Hearts of men and women in the World that live without the Goſpel they are to God as rotten and ſtinking meat, as filthy carrion is to you. Indeed when once the hearts and minds of People are ſeaſoned with the Goſpel, now they become ſweet and ſavoury to God, ſo Verſ. 14. What would this World be without the Sun in the Firmament ſhining upon it, but a dark Dungeon? Such, my Brethren, and no other are all the Kingdoms, Nations, Cities, Countries, Pariſhes, Villages in the World where the light of the Goſpel doth not ſhine. Where they have not had the Miniſtry of the Word, neither Prophets, nor Apoſtles, nor faithful Miniſters of Chriſt, to preach the Goſpel and to make known the mind and will of God to them, they are but as ſo many dark dungeons, where the Prince of darkneſs reigns, where unbelief, Idolatry, Superſtition, and all manner of wickedneſs, and profaneſs reigns. I ſay the ſtate of nature is a ſtate of darkneſs; all the world doth but grope in darkneſs, as the Egyptians did, till they come to have the Goſpel preached to them. Alas! they know little of God, and nothing of Jeſus Chriſt, nor of the Goſpel nor of the Covenant of Grace, nor of the way to ſalvation by a Redeemer, nor what the new Creature is, and the work of Regeneration is. How great a bleſſing and great gift therefore is it to have the Miniſtry of the Goſpel? You may ſee it by that promiſe God gives out in Jer. 3.15. And I will give you Paſtors according to my heart, which ſhall feed you with knowledge and underſtanding. As if he had ſaid; Here is the Bleſſing, the Bleſſing of Bleſſings p. 12I will beſtow upon you, for there is none comparable to it. Suppoſe a man ſhould have his habitation or dwelling in never ſo pure an Air, and never ſo good a ſoil, where he hath his Garden and his Fiſhponds, and all outward Contentment his heart can deſire; but doth not the Sun of the Goſpel ſhine there, the Air and Wind of the Spirit breath there, the clouds of Gods Ordinances drop there? then I ſay it is but a dark and black place: If the beſt things be not to be had there, what is it for a man to be fatted to deſtruction, what is a life without a life of Grace?

Again what a Bleſſing it is may appear in that it was the fruit of Chriſts prayer, of his death, blood and interceſſion; Epheſ. 4.8, 11. you read there of Chriſts aſcending to Glory; when he aſcended up on high, he gave gifts to men. You know Kings and Emperours upon the day of their Coronation, they uſe to ſcatter Money, and let Conduits run with Wine, give gifts to their friends; this was the day Chriſt went up to Heaven, and went to take his Crown of Glory, now he gave gifts to men. Verſ. 11. What did he give them for? for the Perfecting Saints. As if here was the greateſt gifts the Son of God had to beſtow on the Children of men, here was the fruit of his Blood as well as Interceſſion. Had it not been for the Blood of Chriſt, there had never been any ſuch thing as a Goſpel-Miniſtry, or Church, or Ordinances. In a word; If you conſider the great ends for which the Miniſtry is given, it is for the bringing about the greateſt good of the Children of men, it is for the bringing you to the knowledge of God and his Son Jeſus Chriſt, whom to know is eternal life; p. 13it is to reveal the great Counſels of God to the Children of men. The Preaching of the Goſpel, it is not only to civilize men and women, though that were good if it were no more, and many times where it hath not its ſaving work, it hath the Authority to make people civil; but I ſay the Preaching of the Goſpel, it is not only to make you civil, but to make you Saints, new Creatures.

2. Pray ye the Lord of the Harveſt that he would ſend forth more Labourers into his Harveſt. Why, it belongs to the great Lord of the Harveſt to give theſe Labourers. The ſending of Labourers into this Harveſt is not only an Act of Grace and Mercy, but of Power and greateſt Authority. Therefore Matth. 28. when Chriſt ſends forth his Diſciples to Preach, mark the Preface, Verſ. 18. And Jeſus came and ſpake unto them, ſaying, All power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth. Mark how Chriſt doth begin with the preamble of all power being given to him in Heaven and in Earth. It is as if he had ſaid; I am ſending you about the greateſt work that ever any Creatures were imployed in; the Angels in Heaven were not imployed in a greater work than this of Preaching the Goſpel; for your Incouragement know, all power in Heaven and in Earth is given into my hands, and I will be with you and ſecond you. Here I might ſhew you how the Lord of the Harveſt doth ſend forth his Labourers.

1. It is he that calls them, he that gives them their Miſſion and Commiſſion; they have their Commiſſion p. 14on from Chriſt, from Father, Son, and holy Spirit, all their names are in the Commiſſion, though it is more Immediately from the Son. Indeed did not God ſend them, they could never expect to do any good in the World, to convert one ſoul, were not Preaching Gods Ordinance.

2. It is he muſt gift and qualifie theſe Labourers for the work. As in Nehem. 9.10. ſaith Nehemiah there, Thou gaveſt thy holy Spirit; Verſ. 20. Thou gaveſt alſo thy good Spirit. The meaning is, in the Prophets which he gave them, whereby they were fitted for the Work they were ſet about. So it is ſtill under the Goſpel, 1 Cor. 12.4, 5. Now there are diverſities of gifts but the ſame Spirit; and there are differences of Adminiſtrations but the ſame Lord. Whence are theſe diverſities of gifts and miniſterial Abilities? they are from God. This indeed my Brethren is very wonderful to be conſidered. As you ſee a multitude of faces in the world, yet every one differs from another; ſo to conſider that diverſity, that variety of gifts and ſpiritual Abilities God hath given to men in this work, yet none hath the ſame gift: To one the gift of Doctrine, to another the gift of Exhortation. One he is as a Son of Thunder to awaken, another is a Son of Conſolation to comfort. I ſay variety of gifts, and why? to profit withall. It is all for your profit, that if you are not taken with one mans gifts, you may be with anothers.

3. It is the Lord of the Harveſt that doth ſend forth and deſign every Labourer to his particular place and p. 15ſtation wherein he is to labour; it is he that appoints them the bounds of their habitation. The Apoſtle he bids them feed the Church of God over which the H. Ghoſt had made them Overſeers; the holy Ghoſt placed them there. If a Sparrow fall not to the ground without the power of God, much leſs doth a Miniſter preach a Sermon but there is a providence in it. When God ſends a Miniſter to a Congregation, he doth lett out a piece of Land, or bids him husband that for me. Levit. 27.26. You read there how God would have them to value their Land dedicated to God to be worth more or leſs according to the Seed of it, as it was capable of receiving much or leſs ſeed; ſo the Miniſter ſhould value his Land according to his opportunity he hath to ſow Seed there.

4. It is the Lord of the Harveſt that muſt give ſucceſs to theſe Labourers, or elſe all their Preaching and labouring will be but as Plowing and Sowing among the Rocks. You muſt not think Preaching of the Goſpel doth work upon ſouls by any inherent vertue in the Word, as Fire warms, and Food nouriſhes, and Phyſick heals. If the Spirit of the Lord doth not go along with the Word, it will be but as Muſick to the Deaf, &c. 1 Cor. 3. Paul may plant, Apollos may water, but God gives the increaſe. Now if the huſbandman cannot command Seed to grow out of the Ground, how much leſs can Miniſters create Grace in Souls?

If in Natural things it is God that makes the Graſs to ſpring, how much more in ſpiritual things? It is he p. 16makes the Soul to fructifie. Alas, it is not the parts and Eloquence of the Miniſter can beget Grace; that muſt be the work of Gods Spirit.

3. Here is our Duty, or work in order to the obtaining this Gift, that is, to Pray the Lord of the Harveſt, that he would ſend forth more Labourers into his Harveſt. Prayers, you know, that is the prevailing courſe for the removing any evil that lies upon us, or obtaining any good we ſtand in need of, Pſal. 50.15. Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will hear you. Such and ſuch things God promiſes to do for his People: But for this I will be ſought unto, ſaith the Lord. God will do good things for his Church and People, but he will do things in his own order. Here I might ſhew you the great power the Prayers of Gods People have with him. The fervent effectual Prayer of the righteous prevaileth much. Acts 12. You read there how Herod had put to death one of the Apoſtles. And Peter was likewiſe taken up too, and the Church go to Prayer; what was the iſſue? Peter was delivered. Likewiſe what became of Herod? He was ſmitten of God. As one ſaid, Wo be to the Birds of prey, when Gods Turtles begin to cry and mourn before him. O that we were perſwaded of this, that there is ſuch a great deal of power and prevalency in Prayer, how ſhould we be more exerciſed in this Duty both in publick and private? and to be repreſenting the ſtate of the Church to God as they did of Lazarus to Chriſt, He whom thou loveſt is dead; ſo ſhould we ſay, He whom thou loveſt, (thy Church) is ſick and languiſhing, ready to give up the Ghoſt. I would come to p. 17the laſt thing. There are only two or three Uſes I would make of it.

Uſe 1.

If it be the duty of every good Chriſtian Man and Woman thus to pray and cry to God, for the ſending more Labourers into his Harveſt, then it ſhews us,

1. The neceſſity of a Goſpel Miniſtry. What do you think of the Husbandmans Calling, is that a neceſſary Calling, to Plow, and ſow the Land, that ye may have Bread to eat? What would your Houſes and Families do without Bread? No more can a Church of God ſubſiſt in this world, without the Miniſtry of the Word. I know there are ſome ready to ſay, What need is there of mens Preaching, what need of the Miniſtry of Man? cannot God do it alone? Yea, we have Chriſt, and the teaching of the Spirit, what need is there of mans teaching? is not the Spirit above man, is not Chriſt above Miniſters? I grant there is no neceſſity of Preaching the Word, with reſpect to God, he is able to ſave men and women without the Preaching of the Word, as well as with it, he doth not need the gifts and parts and tongue of any man for bringing ſouls home to himſelf. As Iſrael in the Wilderneſs, when they had no Plowing, yet God could feed them, he could bring them Bread from Heaven. But yet as Gods ordinary way of maintaining and feeding your Bodies, it is by Plowing, and ſowing the Field; ſo it is the ordinary way God hath ſet in his Church for feeding p. 18your ſouls. It pleaſed him, 1 Cor. 1.21. by the fooliſhneſs of Preaching to ſave them that believe; and God will keep cloſe to his own Ordinance, and honour his own Inſtitution: As Acts 9. when Paul was converted, it was in an extraordinary way. It is true Chriſt did ſpeak to him out of the Clouds, Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt, &c. and he ſaid, Who art thou Lord? Chriſt you know Preached himſelf to Paul, and he trembled and was aſtoniſhed, and ſaid, Lord what wouldſt thou have me to do? and Chriſt ſaid, Ariſe and go into the City, and it ſhall be told thee what thou muſt do. Could not Chriſt have as well told him his own work and buſineſs? See how Chriſt begins the work, but would have Paul to wait upon him in his own way, therefore Ananias muſt be ſent to Paul. The like inſtance you have in the next Chapter; there you read of Cornelius a devout man, yet knew little of Chriſt, and God ſent an Angel to him, Thy Prayer is heard, and thine Alms are had in remembrance in the ſight of God, ſend therefore to Joppa and call Simon whoſe Surname is Peter, and he ſhall ſpeak unto thee. What was not the Angel as well able to have taught Cornelius as Peter? yea doubtleſs; but as if he had ſaid, That is none of my Commiſſion, therefore ſend for ſuch a perſon, he ſhall ſpeak to thee. Here I might ſpend time to ſhew you the neceſſity of the Miniſtry of the Word.

1. In order to Converſion, Regeneration, and bringing ſinners to Chriſt. Faith comes by hearing. Who is Paul, &c. but Miniſters by whom ye believed? Do you look for ſeed-time without Plowing the p. 19Ground? No more muſt you expect Grace without hearing the Word.

2. I might ſhew you the neceſſity hereof, for the building up of thoſe that are Converted. When we are in Chriſt, when we are Believers, we are not now above the Miniſtry of the Word, above Ordinances. No my Brethren, this Miniſtry of the Word and Ordinances muſt continue in the Church as long as there is one ſoul to be ſaved, as long as one ſoul is out of Heaven; it muſt continue till the coming of Chriſt. Again,

2. If the ſending forth of Labourers into the Harveſt be ſuch a deſirable mercy, then it ſhews us how much we ſhould prize a faithful Miniſtry. If God hath ſent us faithful Miniſters, we ſhould look upon it as a great and wonderful bleſſing. It is the fruit of the Prayers and Blood of Chriſt, therefore if Chriſt hath diſpoſed of us in ſuch a place, where we have a faithful Miniſtry, we ſhould exceedingly bleſs God for it; as David, Pſal. 147.20. He ſheweth his Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his Judgements unto Iſrael. He hath not dealt ſo by any Nation. Other Nations had as much wealth, plenty of Gold and Silver, and more than they: but this is more than all outward bleſſings. So how great a bleſſing this is too, you may ſee in that Prophet Jeremy 30.20. God promiſes his People there, Though he ſhould feed them with Bread of Adverſity, and Water of Affliction, yet they ſhould have this Mercy, that p. 20their teachers, &c. A promiſe to a carnal heart is of no worth or eſteem, but of great worth to a gracious heart. Though you ſhould ſee ſad times, here ſhall be your mercy, and bleſſing.

3. If it be ſuch a deſirable bleſſing for God to ſend forth Labourers into his Harveſt, then ſure it is a matter greatly to be lamented, when God is calling his faithful Labourers apace out of his Harveſt; inſtead of increaſing them, he is diminiſhing of them, he is removing the Teachers not only into corners, but into Graves. Here is juſt matter of lamentation and ſorrow to us, when we conſider how many faithful Labourers and eminent Preachers of the Word, God hath of late removed out of his Harveſt. You know when Samuel died, 1 Sam. 28.3. it is ſaid, They that buried him made a great lamentation for him. And in Acts 8.2. you read of devout men that carried Stephen to his Burial, and made great lamentation over him. And in Acts 20. when Paul tells them, they were like to ſee his face no more, that it was the laſt time he ſhould ever Pray, or Preach with them, it ſets them all a weeping and a mourning. I have read of one, that when he heard of the death of any godly man, he would fall a weeping to think of the great loſs there was to the Church and People of God, in the death of every good Chriſtian and gracious perſon. Brethren, if you look on the loſs of a godly Parent, or Huſband, a godly Friend or Neighbour, if you look upon ſuch a loſs as a great loſs, as David mourned for his friend Jonathan, and Chriſt himſelf weeps p. 21over the Grave of Lazarus: What is then the death and loſs of a godly Miniſter, yea of ſo many godly Miniſters, when you have loſs upon loſs, death upon death, one week carrying one godly Miniſter to his Grave, and the next week carrying another? I am afraid we do not lay theſe ſad rebukes of God to heart as we ought to do. It is not enough when you hear of ſuch a Miniſter dead to be asking, how long was he ſick, or what diſeaſe he died of? to ſay he was a good man, a good Preacher, and alas it was a great loſs: but we ſhould ſeriouſly conſider ſuch ſtrokes, and lay it to heart, for the Living will lay it to heart. If we are living indeed, we ſhould and ſhall lay them to heart: Why ſo? Becauſe the loſs of ſo many faithful Labourers as you have of late loſt in theſe few years, in this City, it looks like a heavy Judgement of God againſt you. I do not ſay a Judgement to them, it may be a mercy to them; Bleſſed are the dead that die in the Lord; Death is their gain and advantage: but the great loſs is ours.

1. Are you not thereby deprived of any further fruit or benefit of their holy Labours? When the Veſſel is broken, the Treaſure, that is removed to Heaven, and you can be no more enriched by it. When the Tree is cut down, it yields no more fruit. How many faithful Preachers are gone, under whoſe ſhaddow you did uſe to ſit and feed with great delight? How many whoſe Preaching uſed to be to you as a lovely ſound, and pleaſant p. 22voice, whoſe Mouths are now ſtopped with Duſt, ſo that you ſhall hear them Preach and Pray no more, your hearts ſhall be no more warmed by their Prayers and Sermons?

2. It is a Judgement, for ſometimes, yea many times, when a faithful Labourer is taken away, there is, it may be, ſome loyterer comes in his room. Acts 20.17. Paul tells them, after his departure Wolves would come; inſtead of the Myrtle Tree, cometh up a Bryar or Thorn; as it is with many people and Congregations, who formerly had a godly painful Miniſter among them, and it may be were a weary of him, and this godly Miniſter is taken away, and there is a pricking Nettle cometh in his room; inſtead of faithful Seers, they are blind Guides, and where the blind leads the blind, Chriſt tells you the iſſue. The Scripture ſpeaks much of theſe idle Shepherds, as a Judgement; inſtead of faithful Teachers they ſhall have thoſe to give them a Stone inſtead of Bread.

3. It's a Judgement to be greatly lamented, when faithful Miniſters are taken away, becauſe it is commonly the ſins of the People that do procure and have a hand in the death of their Miniſter. Here we might be enquiring, What are thoſe ſins by which God is ſo often provoked, to take away his Miniſters from a People? There are two extreams people are apt to run into; either to over-value, or under-value their Miniſters. p. 23The Scripture doth take notice of ſuch an evil as that of having the perſons of men in admiration, when we receive and love the Truth for the perſons ſake, and not the perſon for the Truths ſake, when one is for Paul, another for Apollos. We may loſe our enjoyments by our too high as well as too low prizing of them. Indeed the fault commonly lies on the other hand, that is, their undervaluing the Miniſtry of the Word; their unprofitableneſs, unthankfulneſs, barrenneſs under the droppings of the Word, this provokes God to make the Heavens as Braſs to them; when they play with the B…ead and Light, then God comes and removes the Light and takes away the Bread.

4. It's a Judgement to be greatly lamented when faithful Miniſters are taken away out of the Harveſt, becauſe it is a ſad prognoſtick of ſome greater Judgements, and ſome heavier evils that are coming upon a people. You know what the Prophet ſaith, Iſa. 57.1. The righteous periſh, and no man layeth it to heart, and merciful men are taken away, none conſidering that the nighteous is taken away from the evil to come. Oh, thoſe Words of Chriſt (my Brethren) come into my thoughts; when he was a dying, and ſome were weeping for him, Weep not for me (ſaith he) but for your ſelves and children, becauſe of thoſe miſeries and calamities that are drawing nigh to you. Methinks it is the language of our dying Miniſters, Weep not for us, &c. When the Labourers are called home from the Harveſt, it is a p. 24ſign the night is a coming. When chirping Birds are removed into their neſt, it is a ſign the ſhadows of the evening are coming. When Lights are put out, what can we expect but that darkneſs will follow? When God calls off his Shepherds, we have juſt cauſe to fear he will looſe Wolves upon the Flocks to devour and make a prey of them. My Brethren, if God ſhould ſend ſuch weather that men could not ſow, or if when the Harveſt ſhould be grown up, there ſhould be a mortality, that there were no men to reap it, you would think a Famine were coming, and lament over it as a ſad and grievous thing. Oh, there is a Famine the Scripture ſpeaks of, not of Bread, but of the Word, and when God takes away his Miniſters ſo faſt, have we not cauſe to fear this Famine is coming on upon us? Oh, this my Brethren, ſhould melt your hearts into Prayers and Tears, and if you have any Groans or Tears, to pour them out before the Lord; if you have any intereſt in the Throne of Grace, to improve it, that God would ſend forth faithful Labourers into his Harveſt. Here, my Brethren, I might beſpeak you of this Congregation, more particularly, to lay to heart the ſad breach God hath made among you in his late providence, in his removing him who was wont to labour in the midſt of you. Methinks there are ſome circumſtances in that ſtroke that particularly do require our ſerious conſideration.

p. 25Firſt of all, The ſuddenneſs and unexpectedneſs of that ſtroke. Not ſudden to him, for not many days before he was taken ſick he ſet his houſe in order, acquainting his Wife where his Will was, ſo that it ſeems he had ſome kind of preſage of his approaching death; but ſudden to us the ſtroke was. How many of you that were ſurpriſed and ſtartled to hear of Mr. Ʋenning's death? how many that ſcarce heard of his ſickneſs until you heard he was dead? Who of you thought the laſt day you ſaw and heard him in this place, that it muſt be the laſt day you ſhould hear and ſee him? Who of you when you heard him beginning to direct you how you muſt put on the firſt Piece of the ſpiritual Armour did imagine that he was ſo near of being uncloathed himſelf, and to lay down his Earthly Tabernacle? God ſnatched him away; he had a mind to take him from us, and would not be hindred by the Prayers of his People.

Secondly, This circumſtance doth agravate the loſs, namely, that he was taken away, though I cannot ſay in the Prime or flower of his ſtrength, (for he had Laboured many years) yet in middle Age. For according to the courſe of nature, we might have injoyed more of his Labours: he was not withered by old Age. When a drie ſtake is removed out of the hedge, it is not ſo great a loſs as when a fruit-bearing tree is cut down.

p. 26Thirdly, Is there not this Aggravation attends it, namely, that he is taken away in ſuch a time of ſcarcity and dearth of faithful Labourers? Conſider my Brethren, the great Mortality of faithful Miniſters that hath been of late years in this Nation, doth ſpeak aloud to us to warn us of great evils haſtening upon us.

Laſtly, There is this circumſtance, above all the reſt, namely the Eminency of the Miniſterial gifts, and priviledges God had qualified him withall. In this reſpect he was like Saul, taller by the head than many of his Brethren; like Benjamin, he had a double, yea treble portion of ſpiritual gifts. He was ſuch a workman (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks,) that needed not to be aſhamed, able rightly to divide the word of truth. I do not intend to enter into any commendation of him, though I might ſpeak much of him, and yet ſpeak below, not above his true worth. He needs not any ſuch Spices to embalm his name, which hath left ſo ſweet a ſavour behind him. It was not praiſe or Commendation of the dead, but inſtructions to the Living that I intended in this diſcourſe. Only the more Eminent a perſon is for ſerviceableneſs and uſefulneſs in the Church of God; when there are many can ſtand forth and ſay, It pleaſed God by ſuch a mans Miniſtry to open my blind eyes, and others that can bear witneſs too how God hath ſpoken to their hearts, for quickning, comfort and counſel; I ſay the greater p. 27is the loſs of ſuch an Inſtrument, and the more to be bewailed by us.

I would wind up all by one word of Counſel, that is to teach you how you may improve theſe ſad loſſes. You know Sampſon found honey in the Carcaſs of the dead Lion. There are many ſweet and wholeſome inſtructions to be gathered from the dead Miniſters. Abel though dead yet ſpeaketh. I may ſay of the dead Miniſters though dead and laid in their graves, They ſpeak to you; they ſpeak with a louder voice, out of their Graves and Coffins, than ever they did out of their Pulpit. Here I might ſhow you thoſe ſeveral leſſons you may learn from your dead Miniſters, (but time is gone.) This one thing to be ſure they call upon you for, that you would labour to remember and put in Practice thoſe Godly Sermons they Preached to you in their life-time. The death of Miniſters ſhould revive thoſe Counſels and Comſerts that you received in their life-time from them, and enliven the remembrance of them upon their hearts. 2 Kings 2.14. when Elijah was dead, Eliſha takes up his mantle. I would have you be gathering up thoſe inſtructions that the Miniſters did let fall to you whileſt they were …ve; to remember how he ſpake on ſuch a ſubject at ſuch a time, and ſpoke ſuch a word to my ſoul at another time. Here I might deſire you to call to remembrance the late Sermons of this Eminent Servant of God; to remember his diſcourſe of the grace of God which hath appeared in the Goſpel, to p. 28teach us to deny all ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, and to live ſoberly and righteouſly and Godly even in this Preſent world. And his Sermons concerning the Love of the Son of God; And of the ſaving Operations of the Spirit of God: and to labour to ſhew forth the Works of the Spirit in your holy walking, according to thoſe Sermons you heard from him ſo lately. To put on the Armour of God, and to prepare for the evil day, that you may be able to ſtand in that day. All thoſe heavenly ſpiritual Goſpel Sermons he Preached to you, call for holy, Heavenly and Goſpel converſations from you. In a word, let it be your care to bring forth fruit Anſwerable to all the labour and coſt God hath beſtowed upon you. God will certainly call you to an account for the health, ſtrength and ſweat and labour and lives of his Servants he hath beſtowed upon you. Therefore people had need to look to it, for God highly values his dear Servants lives and labours, and will have a valuable conſideration from you or upon you. Therefore my Brethren to conclude, what you would that your Garden and field ſhould be unto you when you have digged them, planted them, manured them, plowed them, ſowed them, and beſtowed coſt and labour upon them, that you ſhould be to God. To beſtow plowing and ſeed upon a field; and yet to bear nothing, that diſcourages you; but if there is a crop coming, and when the Labourers find there is a good crop that they can fill their Arms with ſheaves, this incourages you. Then, Deut. 16.14. when the Harveſt is done, they p. 29make merry together, have a Harveſt feaſt, and have Harveſt ſongs and are merry: I ſay, then are thoſe words of Chriſt fulfilled, John 4.35, 36. and with that I ſhall conclude. Say not that there are yet four moneths and then cometh Harveſt, behold I ſay unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white already to Harveſt. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal, that both he that ſoweth, and he that reapeth may rejoice together. Thus it is where there is a good Harveſt, he that Plows the field, was Inſtrumental to begin the work, and be that ſoweth the firſt ſeed of Grace, and he that reaps the Corn, thoſe that had a hand in perfecting the work, all theſe ſhall rejoice together. Then all thoſe faithful Miniſters that have laboured according to the Talents given unto them of the Lord: then the people too that are made ſruitful to God, that have received the ſeed in good and honeſt hearts; they ſhall rejoice with their Miniſters, there ſhall be a Harveſt-feaſt and Harveſt-ſongs, the ſupper of the Lamb and the Song of the Lamb, and the Angels they will come in and have a ſhare, (for they gather the Corn into the Barn) and both Angels, Miniſters, and People ſhall all ſing Praiſe and rejoice together, and that for ever and ever.

Uſe.

There are other Uſes we ſhould have made of this point. We might have made application of it p. 30to ſuch as are of the Miniſterial calling, (if there were any ſuch here) to ſtir them up to follow their labour; and to reprove ſuch as are Loiterers not Labourers. Paul could ſay he had laboured more abundantly than they all; but may it not be ſaid of ſome, they labour not at all? Oh how many curſes doth the Scripture denounce againſt ſuch as do this work of the Lord negligently! But I ſhall not ſtay on this, as not ſuiting the preſent Auditory.

Uſe.

Let me ſhut up all with this one word more to the People. Remember the leſſon and duty we have been teaching this day, and make Conſcience of practiſing it. If ever it were a duty in ſeaſon for you to put on ſackloath and lye in the duſt, to mourn and mourn bitterly for the loſs of faithful Miniſters, it is now, when they dye and drop into their Graves ſo faſt: If ever there were a time for you (Chriſtians) to crie and crie aloud to the Lord of the Harveſt to ſend forth more labourers into the Harveſt, it is now, when there is like to be ſo great a ſcarcity of them. And truly if I were able to ſpeak ſo as to be heard by all the Chriſtians of England (who are commonly known and diſtinguiſhed by the name of Non-conformiſts) I would earneſtly beſpeak them all, that they would with one heart and one conſent agree to ſet apart a day of Humiliation and p. 31Prayer for this very end: for certainly the loſs of many Miniſters, ſo Eminent in their Generation, as have been lately taken away, is a ſevere Rebuke from the Lord, and I fear a ſad preſage of ſome greater evils at hand, than we think of.

Remember (my Beloved) who it is that here bids you Pray the Lord of the Harveſt; our bleſſed Lord himſelf, who hath given you not only his command for this duty, but his own example too in this very caſe, as you may ſee if you read Luke 6.12. It is ſaid, Jeſus went out into a Mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer. If you ask what was the Occaſion that he was a whole night in Prayer, the thirteenth Verſe will declare it, for when it was day, he called his Diſciples, and of them he choſe twelve, &c. The occaſion ſeems to be, the work that he had to do the next mourning, to ſend forth his Apoſtles to Preach the Goſpel: Chriſt looked upon this as a great work, a weighty and ſolemn matter, that required Prayer. And whatever men may think of it, it is the greateſt work that ever any of the ſons of men were employed in ſince the world began; and the Truths we Preach to you are ſo glorious, and of ſuch infinite Concernment, as you ſouls will have cauſe Eternally to bleſs God for, if you receive them in faith and love, and ſuch as you would not have been p. 32without the knowledge of for ten thouſand worlds. You therefore that have any love to Chriſt, any love to the truth, any love to the ſouls and ſalvation of men, oh Pray, all and every one of you, Pray, pray the Lord of the Harveſt that he would ſend forth Labourers into the Harveſt.

FINIS.

End of the text · Robert Bragge, A Cry for Laborers in Gods Harvest (1674)