Christs Alarm to Drowsy Saints, Sermon 7
Revel. 3. 1.
Theſe things, ſaith hee, that hath the ſeven Spirits of God, and the ſeven Starres.
THeſe words are the Subſcription of the Letter, unto the Angell of Sardis, containing a deſcription of Chriſt, from whom the Letter is ſent. Now Chriſt is here deſcribed, according to the matter in hand, from two royalties of his; firſt, That he hath the ſeven Spirits of God, that is, he hath the giving of the Holy Ghoſt, and all his gifts and graces to whomſoever he pleaſeth; Secondly, that He hath the ſeven Starres, that is, hee hath the diſpoſing of the Miniſters of the Church. And this, I told you, is to bee meant divers wayes. Chriſt is ſaid to have the Miniſters of the Church five wayes. Firſt, hee hath the ſending of them, they have their Miſſion from him. Secondly, hee hath the delegating of them, they have their Commiſſion from him. Thirdly, bee hath the gifting of them, they have their abilities from him. Fourthly, hee hath the proſpering of them, they have the ſucceſſe of their labours from him. Fifthly, he hath the keeping of them, they are put into a place, continued, or removed, they have their liberty from him, and when they are put downe or ſilenced, it is he that does doe it.
The two firſt I have handled already; firſt, that he hath the ſending of them; Secondly, that he hath the delegating of them. I come now to the third, Hee hath the gifting of them; look what good gifts and abilities they have, they have them all of him. As Paul ſayes, Hee hath made us able Miniſters of the New Teſtament, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 3. 6. and this was one of the ends of his Aſcenſion, as the Apoſtle ſayes, Hee aſcended up on high, and led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, Epheſ. 4. 8. that is, this was one end of his aſcending up to Heaven, that hee might ſend down gifts unto his Church. Now what gifts does hee mean? True, hee ſends gifts to all his true Members, but he meanes the gifting of his Miniſters, as it follows: And hee gave ſome Apoſtles, and ſome Prophets, and ſome Evangeliſts, and ſome Paſtours and teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniſtery; and ſo forth, ver. 11, 12.
And the truth is, it is not without cauſe, for of all men, wee that are the Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt, have need of ſingular and rare gifts and abilities.
Firſt, To open the Scriptures: the Scriptures are a great deep, and they have under the Letter, much admirable ſpirituall matter encouched, and many things are hard in them as Peter ſayes, And a Miniſter is to open them, and to give out the ſenſe, as it is ſaid of the Prieſts, They read the Law diſtinctly, and gave out the ſenſe, and made the people to underſtand the Reading, Nehem. 8. 8. Now if a Miniſter have not gifts from Jeſus Chriſt, what madde work will hee make? the Scripture will bee a claſped book unto him, and a Fountain ſealed up. Like the Philiſtines, that in three daies could not expound Sampſons Riddle. It is ſaid of Chriſt, that he opened the Scriptures, Luk. 24. 32. The Scriptures are ſhut, and contain Myſteries folded and lapped up, now the Miniſter had need of abilities to open them.
Secondly, To Teach; as a Miniſter is to open the Scriptures, which requireth great gifts: ſo, he is to teach the people out of them, to draw Doctrines out of the ſame, and this requireth great gifts too, to informe the judgement, to let out the light of the Word, to ſcatter the beames of the Sun of righteouſneſſe abroad, to diſpel the darkneſſe of mens minds, to ſhine round about them in ſpirituall knowledge. This is a work of much ability, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks to Timothy, the things which thou haſt heard of mee, the ſame commit thou to faithfull men, who ſhall bee able to teach others, 2 Tim. 2. 2. and therefore it is called Prophecying. Deſpiſe not Prophecying, that is, deſpiſe not Teaching, a man had need of a ſpeciall gift, to be able to Propheſie, ſo, if a man would be a Teacher; when Nicodemus would expreſſe what an able Teacher Chriſt was, ſayes hee, Thou art a teacher come from God. A man had need to be one that hath been with God, that would teach aright. There is a gift of fitneſſe and aptneſſe, without which a man cannot doe it. The ſervant of the Lord muſt bee apt to teach, 2 Tim. 2. 24. the Apoſtle tells us, there bee heapes of naughty teachers in the world, a good teacher is a rare man, it cannot bee without all wiſdome, as hee ſayes, Teaching every man in all wiſdome, Col. 1. 28. we are to teach people the learning of the holy, how to know God, how to fear him, and love him. Wee are to teach people how to pray, how to walk in all holines and righteouſnes of living: the great things of Gods Law, the deep things of the Spirit, the myſteries of eternall life, to open the wiles of Satan, the miſtakes of the hearts of men, the many by-wayes of the ſoule, ye know ſin is covered over with pleaſures, and profits, and carnall reaſons, and evaſions, and we are to lay it out naked, as indeed it is. Gracious and godly courſes, ſeem grievous, and irkſome, and uncouth, and vile, and needleſſe, and we are to diſcover the inward pleaſure, and commodity, and neceſſity and glory of them, and therfore wee have need of abilities.
Thirdly, to Convince, yee know how the heart does uſe to put off the Word, and if it meet with a doctrine, or a reproof, or a precept, that it does not like, it will deny it, it will cavill and carp, O, it is falſe, as Johanan and others ſaid to Jeremiah, it is falſe you doe not ſay true, wee will never beleeve it. When wee paint out a drunkards damned eſtate, he is ready to gainſay it, or an adulterers, he is ready to except, people contradict ſuch paſſages of the Word, as are againſt their luſts, and they give us very little better then the lye, many times, therefore a Miniſter ſhould bee able to convince, that he may be able by ſound doctrine, both to exhort, and to convince the gain-ſayers, Tit. 1. 9. when people are ſubject to condemn us for harſhneſſe, and hard ſayings, and that we doe not preach placentia enough, we muſt be able to uſe ſome ſpeech that cannot be condemned, Tit. 2. 8. when a Miniſter preaches weakly, Sermons like wide nets, or rotten threads, that the Birds may get through or break, this is not able preaching, as Zwinglius ſaid of Caroloſtadius, when he heard him diſputing weakly againſt conſubſtantiation, O, ſayes he, I am ſorry that ſo good a cauſe ſhould have ſuch a weak defendant. It is ſaid of Apollos, that hee mightily convinced the Jewes. Stephen, the Univerſity-men there, that came huddling about him, they were not able to withſtand the Spirit, and the wiſdome by which hee ſpake, Act. 6. 10. it is the promiſe of our Saviour, I will give you a mouth and wiſdome, which all your adverſaries ſhall not bee able to gainſay, or reſiſt, Luk. 21. 15.
Fourthly, to move the affections, Miniſters have need of abilities to move the affections of their hearers; not only to informe their judgements, but alſo to work upon their affections, not onelyonly to illighten their underſtanding, but alſo to ſtirre up their hearts, as Peter ſayes, I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle, to ſtirre you up, 2 Pet. 1. 13. a Miniſter is to ſtirre up his people, to ſtirre their hearts and affections: hee may preach a wholſome Sermon, and the hearers bee like Mill-poſts, and not ſtirred a jot: Paul laboured to ſtirre affections too: Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord, we perſwade men, 2 Cor. 5. 11. that is, wee labour to work upon your affections, and therefore Chriſt ſent a Seraphim with a live coale unto the Prophet Iſaiah, to touch his lips, Eſa. 6. 6. he had need of live coales in his lips, to fire the affections of his auditory; So, hee ſent the Holy Ghoſt down upon his Apoſtles in fiery tongues, without this the information of the judgement is little worth. Religion conſiſts more in the will and the affections of men, then in any other faculty of the ſoule. I confeſſe the Miniſter muſt ſhine too; I, but he muſt heat too. John the Baptiſt was a burning and a ſhining light.
Fifthly, To ſpeak Pro re natâ, a Miniſter hath need of extemporary abilities, ſometimes hee ſhall bee called before Councills, hee preaches ſuch doctrine as angers the world, and therefore he is in danger to be had before Councills, and therefore hee had need to have an extemporary faculty, that he may anſwer as hee ſees cauſe, as Chriſt ſayes, When they deliver you up, take no thought, how or what yee ſhall ſpeak, for it ſhall bee given you in that ſame houre, what yee ſhall ſpeak, Matth. 10. 19. ſometimes to preach upon ſhort warning, as Auguſtine did, when hee relyed upon his Brother Severus, to Preach for him, hee not comming, hee was faine to goe up extempore himſelf, and ſo hee preacht upon the 95 Pſalme; So; when there was a ſuddain judgement of God that fell out there in Hippo, though Auguſtine had preacht twice that very day before, yet he went up again, and preached the third time: O, ſayes hee, doe not wonder, my deare Brethren, Si hodie ter Sermonem, &c. doe not wonder that I preach thrice this ſame time, it is not without cauſe, &c. Again, a Miniſter may be put upon it as Philip was by the Eunuch, concerning the meaning of a place of Scripture to ſpeake of it at firſt ſight, & a Miniſter muſt not only have this knowledge in his note-book, but in his lips; that is, to be in a readineſſe upon every occaſion. His lips muſt preſerve knowledge. Mal. 2. 7. Sometimes he may come among his people, he may light upon their company by chance, now if he have not good abilities, he cannot doe the part of a Miniſter. As Paul ſayes, I long to ſee you, to impart unto you ſome ſpirituall gift, Rom. 1. 11. A Miniſter when he ſees his people, he ſhould be a well-ſtored man, to impart ſome ſpirituall thing or other to them, a word of inſtruction, a word of exhortation, a word of admonition, when he does but ſee them, he ſhould be able to drop ſomething among them.
Sixtly, to obſerve ſeaſons, to be able to make choice of ſpeciall Texts for ſpeciall occaſions. For howſoever all Scriptures are full of divine and Heavenly truths; yet ſome Scriptures ſit ſome perſons and ſome occaſions better than otherſome. Aarons bells muſt be wiſely rung, ſometimes in one tune, ſometimes in another as the occaſion ſerves. A Miniſter is to change his note, as the circumſtances do require. A Steward in a family muſt have aſwell wiſedome to Miniſter every owne his portion in due ſeaſon, as fidelity to diſpence his Maſters goods. A word fitly ſpoken in due time, is like Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver, Pro. 25. 11. The very Heathen man Commends much foreign When a man ſpeakes in due ſeaſon. S. Paul had this gift, in all his preaching to ponder all circumſtances, who, and what, and where, & when, & how. I made my ſelf a ſervant unto all, ſaies, he that I might gain the more, To the Jewes I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jewes: to them that are under he Law, as under the Law, that I might gaine them that are under the Law. To the weak I became as weake that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means ſave ſome. 1 Cor. 9. 22. To Beloved, we are the miniſters of God, and we have need of abilities to fit our doctrine to the preſent time and occaſions and perſons, that we may profit hearers. When the Apoſtle came to Athens, he tooke his Text according to the preſent hint. He found an Altar with this inſcription, To the unknown God, and ſo he ſpake of that. Act. 17. 23, 24. He tooke occaſion from thence to ſpeake of the God of Heaven and Earth to them. When our Saviour Chriſt ſaw the woman of Samaria come to draw water, hee tooke opportunitie to preach unto her of the living water. Joh. 4. 10. Miniſteriall gifts are for this very purpoſe as the Prophet ſayes. The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned that I ſhould know how to ſpeake a word in ſeaſon. Iſa. 50. 4. It is noted of John Baptiſt, that when he ſaw the Scribes and Phariſes came in to heare him, he had about with them. O generation of Vipers, who hath forewarned you to ſlie from the wrath to come, q. d. What do you make here? yee are Hypocrites, ye are vile wretched perſons; repent or elſe you'l to hell. This was now in due ſeaſon. So when a Drunkard comes in, we ſhould let fly at him. Weepe and howle yee drunkards. See what God ſaies of you: to whom is wo but to you? See what the Scripture ſayes of your courſes, yee ſhall never inherit Gods Kingdome, none of you, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks. So, when Whoremongers ſtep in, we ſhould give them their doome, O ye Whoremongers & Adulterers, God will judge you one day. This is like the former and the latter Raine. Then it comes, when the ground hath need of it. So when a Miniſter obſerves ſeaſons, then the word comes, when the ſoule hath need of it. It comes pat, as we ſay, Then people may ſee a ſpeciall providence in it. I ſee a ſpeciall providence of God that the Miniſter ſhould ſpeak of ſuch a Theme this day, that he ſhould hit ſo right upon my ſin; when a man hath beene cozening, then to come to Church and there heare of it againe: When a man hath beene ſwearing and lying, then to turne in to the preacher, and heare of that very ſinne, and the danger of it, and the damned eſtate of the commit of it: When a man hath beene thinking to do evill, then to ſit in his ſeat and heare his evill ript up, and all his ſecrets laid open, and wo to you wretch, that deviſe evill, the Lord knowes your deviliſh intentions, ye are thinking to be revenged, but God will be revenged on you, ye are minding to go by-and-by to ſuch a piece of villany, but the Lord will find you out. This is preaching in ſeaſon. So when a ſoule cannot be caſt downe, but when he comes to a Sermon, there he meets with his owne caſe, his temptations are treated of wine and oyle is powred into his wounds, this is to preach in due ſeaſon. O what gifts had a Miniſter need to have! He had need of daily inflvence from God: Daily inſtincts, that God ſhould guide his tongue and his heart. Now, Beloved, it is Chriſt alone that gifts all his true Miniſters. I will be with thy mouth, ſaies he to Moſes.
The uſe of this is. Firſt, here we ſee that a Miniſter had notUſe 1. need be a foole, no; no, he that winneth ſoules, is wiſe, Pro. 11. 30. he muſt be a wiſe man that would be a Miniſter, it requires more then humaine wiſedome to catch ſoules, when the heart hath ſo many put-offs, ſo many deceits, ſo many ſtrongholds, ſo loth to obey the word, ſo ſubtill to invent excuſes, ſo crafty to thruſt away the truth; There is ſome wiſdome required to catch fiſhes, and birdes, and vermine; how much more, to catch men! who is ſufficient for theſe things? The beſt of us all may bluſh to thinke how unfit we are to be Miniſters. O how ſhould we bleſſe God, if he fit any of us in any ſuitable meaſure! and when we have done our beſt, we had need to goe home, and downe on our knees, and cry ſhame on our ſelves for not doing better.
Secondly, Then they are none of Chriſts Miniſters that areUſe 2. not gifted for this mighty worke. Will he ſend a foole on ſuch a waighty Meſſage as this is? He that ſendeth a Meſſage by the hand of a foole, cutteth off the feet and drinketh dammage, Pro. 26. 6. That is, if a man have a buſineſſe of any great importance, He had not need to imploy a foole in it, leſt he ſuffer great dammage. It is all one as if one ſhould chop off ones feet & then bid him go on our errand. O, Beloved, preaching of the Goſpell is a worke of infinit importance, the humbling of mens hearts, the convincing of conſciences, the converting of mens Soules, theſe are great buſineſſes, doubtleſſe they are no Fooles that Chriſt ſends on ſuch errands. True, all Chriſts Miniſters are not alike gifted, ſome have meaner gifts then otherſome have, but he that hath leaſt, he is fitted in ſome meaſure to diſpence divine myſteries, to call home Gods elect, to build up the called, to judge all his hearers, to ſtop the mouthes of gainſayers, to hew down the obſtinate, to ſhew unto men the things belonging to their peace, to give the Saints their due, and the wicked their due. That a good man cannot come, but he ſhall have heavenly meat to feed on: Nor a wretch neither, but his Miniſtery wil ſingle him out & give him his bit to chew upon. He that cannot doe this in any meaſure, he is none of Chriſts Miniſters. Surely he will not ſend ſuch a Meſſage by a fooles hand, but either he makes him a wiſe able man, or elſe he runs without his ſending.
Thirdly, then my Brethren, hence we learn whether to go forUſe 3. gifts, if we would be enabled to our calling, let us goe to Jeſus Chriſt that hath the ſeven ſtars in his hands, he can make our inflvences ſtrong, and our light & heate mighty, he can give us a gift of boldneſſe to feare no mens faces. He can unty our ſtammering tongues that we ſhall have liberty in ſpeaking. He can make our tongues a ſharpe ſword. He can make us ſons of conſolation unto ſome, & of thunder, unto others. If we want knowledge in the myſterie of Chriſt, let us make our wants knowne unto him, & he will inſtill into us. If we want words, he can make them flow in unto us. If we want affections, he can purge away our iniquities & fire our hearts & lips. While the Apoſtles were together at prayer. Act. 1. 14. ſuddenly the Lord Jeſus ſent them the gift of the holy Ghoſt in fiery cloven tongues Act. 2. While Paul and Silas were praying in the priſon, the Lord backt them from Heaven, & made them inſtruments of turning the heart of the Goaler. Let us pray, then, not only in our Pulpits before our Sermons, but alſo in ſecret, God giveth the greateſt gifts in ſecret, and like man revealeth himſelf apart: as ſecret meales make a fat body, ſo does ſecret prayer, it makes a well-liking ſoule.
Again, this ſhould teach us to ſtirre up the gifts that heeUſe 4. gives us: Wee ſhould labour to put them forth, a man may loſe the benefit of Chriſts gifts, for want of rouzing up himſelf, and putting of them forth, as Paul ſayes to Timothy, I put thee in remembrance that thou ſtirre up the gift of God, which is in thee, by the putting on of hands, 2 Tim. 1. 6. wee muſt ſtir up the gift in us. When Father Iſaac would prophecy to his Sons, hee ſtirred up his ſpirit with ſavoury meat. When Eliſha would Prophecy before the three Kings, hee called for a Minſtrell to ſtirre up the ſpirit of Prophecy in him. Deborah cryes, awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, O my ſoule, ſayes David. When Chriſt would pray to his Father, the Text ſhews, how hee ſtirred up himſelf, Theſe things ſpake Jeſus, and lift up his eyes unto heaven, Joh. 17. 1. He lift up his ſoule and his ſpirit, as Sampſon went and ſhook himſelf, if his ſpirit had been in him it had been well, but like a foole he had driven him away. But it ſhould ſeem, when hee had the ſpirit in him, this was his wont, hee ſhooke himſelf as at other times, hee uſed to ſtirre up the Spirit in him, ſo wee ſhould ſtirre up the Spirit in us, wee ſhould rouze up our gifts, like ſparks out of the aſhes, and beſtirre our ſelves ſoundly, remiſſe uſing of them, lets them warpe and wane.
Again, wee ſhould labour to relye more upon Chriſt, weUſe 5. truſt too much to our notes; but, O if wee could truſt more to Chriſt, thats warmeſt matter that comes down from heaven in the ſpeaking, not that wee ſhould leave all without ſtudy, till wee come into our Pulpits: No, prepare as much as wee can. But then if we would truſt in Chriſt for his preſent aſſiſtance, and yearn up to him for prompting, it would make our Miniſtery more lively. When a Sermon is an effect of Faith, thats it that does moſt good: then Chriſts Spirit Preaches, and not wee, as the Prophet David ſayes, The Spirit of the Lord ſpake by mee, 2 Sam. 23. 2.
Again, this ſhould teach the people of God, if they would have their Miniſters inabled indeed, to doe their ſoules good; that they ſhould pray for them, that Chriſt would mor furniſh them. How often does the Apoſtle tell the people, that Miniſters might have greater gifts, if they had a heart! O ſayes hee, Pray for mee, that I may have utterance, and that I may ſpeak boldly, to make known the myſtery of the Goſpel, Epheſ. 6. 19. q. d. if yee have a heart to pray, I doe verily think that I ſhall bee the more aſſiſted, a great deale. Our Chariot drives the more heavily, becauſe it wants the wheels of your Prayers, and the truth is, God uſes to puniſh people thus, that becauſe they are dead and dull, and have no heart, and are weary of the Word; therefore hee with-holds from the Miniſter on purpoſe, to plague them back again; as God told Ezekiel, Son of man, thou ſhalt bee dumb, and when thou wouldſt reprove, thou ſhalt be tongue-tyed, thy tongue ſhall cleave to the roof of thy mouth: now mark the reaſon; why? for they are a rebellious houſe, Ezek. 3. 26. Mark, it was long of Judahs ſinnes that the Prophet Ezekiel was tongue-tyed and locked up: An excellent Miniſter, and yet ſtraitned for the peoples ſinnes.
O, Beloved, I will tell you what would enlarge our hearts and our gifts towards you. Firſt, if you would more flock to the Word, and attend. It is ſaid in Matth. 5. 1, 2. That Chriſt ſeeing the multitude, Hee opened his mouth, that is, he was the more inlarged to Preach, upon the ſight of ſuch a great auditory. Who would not caſt his net amidſt multitudes of ſiſhes? The Text ſayes, When Chriſt ſaw the multitude, hee had compaſsion on them. So, if Miniſters could ſee all their Pariſh come in, all that might hear; the ſight of ſuch a multitude would ſtirre up pity. O would wee think, O what a goodly company is here! O it is pity but they ſhould have ſomewhat, O if I could win ſome of you. There may bee a luſt in this thing, and wee muſt take heed of it too, leſt we be tickled with flockings, or diſcouraged with thin Pewes. This is pride, but yet there is a truth in this. What a ſhame is it, that there ſhould bee fewer of our own Pariſh every Lecture-day, than of ſtrangers? is it not juſt with God to make the breſts dry, when the Children care not for ſucking?
Secondly, if God had more among you to bee ſaved, as God ſaid to Paul, concerning Corinth, Bee not afraid, ſpeak, hold not thy peace, I am with thee, and no man ſhall ſet on thee to hurt thee, I have much people in this City, Act. 18. 10. this opened Pauls mouth, this made him finde abundance of aſſiſtance from Chriſt, becauſe God had much people there.
Thirdly, if you would hear with alacrity, and with a ready and a greedy minde. When Cornelius and his company were all liſtening, and earneſt to hear, and to hearken, O ſay they; Speak Peter, wee are all here before God, to hear every thing thou ſpeakeſt. Then Peter opened his mouth, Act. 10. 33, 34. But when people look dully, and blockiſhly, and ſit ſleepily and drowſily, as though they were weary of hearing, and cared not whether they heard or no; Nay, this is the reaſon why the Devils inſtruments are ſo bold to oppoſe the Miniſtery of God, they ſee they are not much cared for, none but here one, and there one, a ſort of preciſe fooles: whereas, if people would bee eager to hear over all the land, they durſt not meddle with them, as it is ſaid of our Saviour, the Chiefe Prieſts, and the Scribes ſought to deſtroy him, but they could not finde what they might doe, For all the people were very attentive to hear him, Luc. 19. 48.
Fourthly, if yee would bee fruitfull in obedience, and in learning; this would put life into our Prayers at home, this would quicken our labours and paines in the Pulpit. The very hope of having fruite, made Paul very eager to come to Rome, Rom. 1. 13. The very thought that the people are gracious, and godly, and fruitfull, carries the Preacher beyond himſelf. Nay, its ſtrange to conſider, how, when the Miniſter knows hee hath but one underſtanding judicious hearer, one gracious Soule in his Pariſh, it provokes him very much, it makes him look about him the more, a great deale: How much more, when there be many ſuch? But when a Pariſh is ſenſeleſſe, and heavy, and froward, it is unſpeakable to conſider how it ſtraitens a Miniſter. Let a man be to pray in a meeting, where they bee graceleſſe, and dull, and hardly any almoſt godly, hee cannot tell what to ſay almoſt, hee is not himſelf. Whereas, if he were to pray among them that hee knows can ſavour gracious things, there hee hath more liberty to let out himſelf.