Apology for the Ministry and its Maintenance, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. More Corrolaries issuing from the Doctrine.
THe Third Use is for Consolation. It is clear, that Sathan does persecute the sound and sincere Ministers of the Gospell with all might and main, knowing them to be the main enemies of his kingdome, that seek by all means to destroy it, according to what was prophesied of them, Luke 10. 18. them therefore he assails with reproaches, persecution, perdition, fire, sword, banishment, hunger, thirst, and death it self. He encourageth his Agents against them, as the King of Syria did his Captains, 1 Kings 22. 31. Fight neither against great nor small, save onelyonly against the King of Israel. For the King being conquered, the souldiers flie: the Shepherd being smitten, the sheep are scattered. Let not us dream of better usage from him and his than Christ and his disciples found from them. The Apostles were counted by the world, as the filth of the world, the off-scouring of all things, 1 Cor. 4. 12. men unworthy of the society of men, worthy to be exterminated the world, and to be troden under foot. Paul is counted a babler Acts 17. 18. a pestilent fellow, nay, if we translate the word properly, the Plague it self, Act. 24. 5. a man unfit to live, Act. 22. 22. Christ himself was every where entertained with scoffs, beaten with whips, assaulted with stones, and at last put to an ignominious death. But let us quietly endure all these Afflictions, and patiently undergo all that men or devills can load with, in hope of the glory that is to be revealed. Let wanto… mock, let malice insult … world whe… it's teeth at us, the devill smite his hands at us, Christ Iesus holdeth the starrs in his right hand, and will certainly maintain and preserve them. For he is not only the author, but also the Protector of the Ministry, and he hath promised safety to the persons, and successe to the pains of his Ministers. Ier. 15. 20. Luk. 21. 15. This is shadowed out by Christ'… right …and. For the right hand denotes love, Hence Iacob call… his yongest sonne Benjamin or the son of his right hand. Gen. 35, …8. Because he was as dear to him as a mans right hand uses to be to him. It also denotes and promises protection and the greatest care. Ps. 17. 7. The Ministers of Christ are his e…bassadors. Now embassadors are inviolable by the law of all Nations, and injuryes and indignityes done to them use to find a sharp revenge. If David so severely revenged the injury offered to his Embassadors by the Ammonites, who shaved their beards, and cut their garments by the halfes, with how much sorer vengeance shall Christ repay the greater reproaches and indignityes with which wicked men entreat his Ministers? VVho ever curseth Father or Mother shall dye the death. Lev. 20. 9. Christ's Ministers are spirituall fathers to regenerate men, as has been already proved, and spirituall Mothers, travailing in birth till Christ be formed in their people. Gal. 4. 19. Nay it is evident by palpable demonstrations, that God hath revenged the quarrell of his violated embassadors. He hath broken prelaticall powers, and hereticall Councells proclaiming warre against his Ministers. He hath reproved Kings for their sakes, saying, Do my prophets no harm. Ps. 105. 14, 15. He will smite thorough the loins of all that rise up against them, and hate them, that they rise not again. Dent. 33. 11. Witnesse Gods dealing with Pa…hur, who persecuted the prophet Ieremiah. Ier. 20, 3, 4. the Children that mockt the prophet Elisha, 2, Kin. 2. 23, 24. King Saul who had slain many of the Lord's prophets, himself was miserably slain at Mount Gilboa, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram pay'd dearly for their conspiracy against Moses and Aaron, Numb. 16. Ieroboam's hand which he stretched out against the man of God, dryed up. 1 Kin. 13. 4. Asa imprisoned Hanani the Lord's seer, and he dyes of the gowte, notwithstanding all his Physicians. 2. Chro. 16. 10, 12. Ioa…h commanded his servants to stone Zechariah the son of Ieho…ada the priest, and for the blood of the same Zechariah. did his servants kill him upon his bed. 2. Chro. 24. Elymas withstood Paul, and he is struck blind upon it. Act 13. We know the sad desolation of Ierusalem that had killed the prophets, and stoned God's Ministers; and what befell the whole b…dy of the Iewish people who killed the Lord of life, and evill entreated his Apostles, any body can tell. It is done unto them according to the sentence which themselves past upon such offenders. Mat. 21. 41. Now if God spared not Ierusalem because of the injury done to his Ministers (2. Chron. 36. 15, 16. 17.) How shall he spare the haters and despisers both of his Ministers and Ministry? Shall not the like causes produce the like effect? Is not God allwayes like himself? And if the man that refused to hearken unto the priest standing to minister before the Lord, was sentenced to dye by God's law; (Deut. 17. 12.) what more heavy doome shall they undergoe, that scorn, contemn, reproach the Ministers of Christ? When God would expresse a people given up to all wickednesse, he says of them that they are like to them that strive with the priest. Hos. 4. 4. you may read the greatnesse of the sinne, and the proportionablenesse of the judgment. Ier. 20. 11. 1 Thes, 2. 16. whosoever shall neglect or despise the sacred ministry, or the faithfull Ministers thereof, let him know that he despises Christ himself, who gives both the gift of the Ministry, and gifts to the Ministers, The contempt that is cast upon Christ's Ambassadors lights upon Christ himself. Luk 10. 16. Is. 7. 13. Let no plots, devices, injuryes, conspiracyes, then weaken our courages, or dant our hearts: For Christ Iesus shall be with us, not a few days, but to the end of the world by his power and spirit. Mat. 28. 29. He whose name is Immanuel, will not, cannot be farre from us. The world shall sooner cease to be, than Christ cease to be with us. He will protect us in dangers, comfort us in temptations, help us in undertakings, direct us in doubts, and upon all occasions stand by us. Let us therefore be of good courage, discharg our calling, going on it cheerfully. What though we may tremble at the sense of our own infirmities; yet we may be bold and adventurous in the strength of Christ. He will not desert us in the work that is his own, but will either give fredome from suffering, or patience, courage, and constancy wherewithall to suffer. Through the wonderfull providence of God, all things shall work together for good unto us. He can make to his messengers medicines out of this poyson, cause roses to spring up to them from amidst these prickles, and make figs to be the fruit of these thistles Let hereticall men g…sh their teeth sharpen their swords, spit their venome at us; their end shall be to be destroyed. Let them associate themselves, they shall be broken in pieces; Let them gird themselves they shall be broken in pieces. Let them take Counsell, it shall be in vain. Let them speak the word, it shall not stand, because God is with us: Is. 8. 9, 10. Let our adversaryes write whole volumes of satyres against us, and fill every page and line with some new scandall or reproachfull title; we will bind them as Crowns upon our heads. They do the best to me. (quoth Luther) who speak the worst of me: Luther feeds upon opprobries, The Ministers of Christ are in this, like Philip King of Macedon, who used to thank the Athenian Orators for rayling him into the better; for he was resolved that his upright conversation should confute, and give the lye to all their soul-mouthed declamations. They think with Seneca that no name is better, than an ill name well got.
In a word let us comfort our selves against the ingratitude of the shamelesse world, by the serious review of Gods gracious promises. Do wretched and godlesse men deprive and defraud us of temporall rewards? It is God who hath promised eternall ones. For the best wages of Christs, Ministers are reserved in heaven for them, where they shall inherit an eminency (if not a singularity) of eternall glory and brightnesse. Dan. 12. 3. Mat. 5. 12. Mat. 24. 45, 46, 47. I Cor. 3. 8, 9. 1. P…t. 5. 4. This Crown the Apostle Paul still had in his eye▪ 1. Tim. 4▪ 8. Rom. 8. 18. Suffering for a time, triumphing to eternity: The work shall have an end, but so shall not the wages. The people shall-receive each man a reward for his good works, but the pasto… shall receive a reward for the good works of them all; For his own he shall receive a Crown, for each of theirs a coronet, as Chrysostome acutely notes.
Nay even in this life they shall be sure of some reward, as
1. Encrease of their gifts. This augmentation is sure; they have God's own expresse order for it, Mat. 13. 12. To him that hath shall more be given.
2. The feast of a good conscience, which in the saddest and ebbest condition of life accompanies a sincere fai…hful Minister of Christ, who eys only the glory of God, and the Salvation of his hearers. Act. 23. 1. and Chap. 24. 16. 2. Cor. 1. 12. and Chap. 6. 10. when he shall be as a man sorrowing yet here in he shall rejoyce; In a time of famine he shall have this table spread for him.
3. The concurrence of divine assistance. Qui jubet e…am juvat.Whom God calls to this employment, them he will also protect and assist, and give in fresh supplyes of new strength for the discharge of the same. Is. 42. 6. I have called thee, I will hold thee by the hand, and keep thee. Thus will God shew himself a father, and a Protector to them. Nay, he will not only save them, but clothe them with Salvation. Ps 132. 16.
A fourth corollary may be this. Let us then study to preserve mutuall peace and concord amongst our selves. God hath joyned salt and peace together, Mark 9. 50. Have salt in your selves, and have peace one with another. Now what things God hath joyned let no one par… asunder. Because salt by its acrimony biteth, therefore our Saviour presently advises so wisely to temper it, that peace may be preserved inviolable. The love of our brother must correct the salt of correction, and the salt of justice must season the love of our brother. And so shall we be insuperable, by being inseparable, and shall gain many to Christ: As lighted torches, if they be separated cause a smoake, but if they be united do encrease the flame. All wisdome is folly and madnesse except it be seasoned with peace and charity. As sacrifices must be without honey, so neither doth any service or sacrifice please God that issues from an heart stuffed with anger, envy, animosity, and bitternesse. Let us not forget that there are many Canaanites and Perizzites in the land that are offended at our differences, and from them seek occasion to oppresse and devoure us. Let us by mutuall and universall concord therefore grow into one body, into one soule, thinking with our selves what an incongruous thing it is, that the messengers of peace should fall into mutuall jarrs; and how unseasonable it is at this time, when (the adversary is laying snares for us) our strength had more need be united by peace, than broken and enfeebled by divisions. There is a fitter object of our anger than one anothers throats. And he seems to be mad but too much, who promises himself a standing, in the downfall of the Church. It is an excellent▪ commendation which is given to Myconius by a worthy Author. He lived with his collegues two and twenty years together in an uninterrupted peace and concord.M…l. Adam. We have runne, (sayes Myconius himself) We have wrestled, we have wrought, we have …ought, we have conquered most unanimously and undividedly. Oh that some such blessed fire of love, and peace were kindled in our frozen breasts. That the Character sometimes proper to the primitive Church might be common to us all, See how they love one another and are ready to dye one for another. In those dayes says the Historian, Act. 4. 32. Believers, nay the whole multitude of believers were of one heart and of one soul, there was a morall onenesse though not a physicall one, for they did so agree in minds and manners, as if they had indeed had but one heart and the same soul amongst them all. Oh happy age of the Church comparatively to ours wherein men and minds are of all equall number! Oh memorable wish of that famous preacher Dr. Stoughton! So that brotherly unity may be preserved, quoth he, Let me below even in the dust, rather than exalted in a tryumphant Chariot by a Cadmean conquest. Let others affect the great title of Ptolomaeus. I am more pleased with the pleasant name of Irenaeus. This peaceable frame concerns all, but more especially the Ministers of Christ, who are sent to preach to, and to pray, for, not to prey upon others, to build up the Church of Christ, not to demolish it, to worke and not to wrangle. The harmony and joynt consent of the builders promotes the building, Neh. 4. 76. Solomons, temple was built without noyse, 1 King, 6, 7. which by a profitable type doth shadow out the peaceableness of the builders and quietness of Christ's Church, in which the noyse of contentions & schismes ought not to be heard. The builders of the Church of Christ should not be divided as Nehemiah's servants were, halfe to the worke and halfe to the warre, neither must these spirituall builders have swords girded upon their sides when they build as his builders had, Neh. 4. 18. If we will revenge our selves upon the bitternesse and malice of base spirits, the best way of revenging is by forgetting, and the onelyonly way to vex them is to be more zealous and servent in the study, practise and pursuit of opposed Godlinesse: If we will contend with their murmurings and malice, let it be by faith and patience and meeknesse of spirit, as knowing it better to neglect them than to stand to confute them, to pass them by in silence than to take notice of them.
Neither do we want motives to this peaceableness. (1) Our God is the God of peace, Rom. 15. 33. 2 Cor. 13. 11. (2) Christ Ie…us is the Prince of Peace, Isa. 9. 6. (3.) The sons of God are the sons of Peace, Luke 10. 6. (4.) The Gospel which we preach is the Gospel of peace, Eph: 6. 15. In a word, we are called unto peace, 1 Cor. 7. 15. Therefore follow peace, pursue it with the greatest vehemency, nay, although it flye from you, and men will not suffer themselves to be reconciled, yet pursue it with indefatigable pains, Psal. 34. 15. H…b. 12. 14. love Truth & Peace. Zach. 8. 19. for otherwise, Truth is better with Discord, than a sinfull Concord: But if it be possible as much as in us lyes, let us follow peace with all men, Rom. 12. 18. For we are one body, we are governed by one Spirit, we have one hope, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, Eph. 4. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Moreover, this is just, honest, good, pleasant, as Sibelius out of Ps. 1 33. 1. Tom. 1. pag. 576. proves by many strong and savory Arguments.