The Wise Gospel Preacher, Sermon
The Wiſe Goſpel-Preacher's Praiſe and Practice.
ECCLES. 12.9, 10, 11.
9. Moreover, becauſe the Preacher was Wiſe, he ſtill taught the People Knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and ſought out, and ſet in order many Proverbs.
10. The Preacher ſought to find out acceptable Words, and that which was written was upright, even words of Truth.
11. The words of the Wiſe are as Goads, and as Nails faſtned by the Maſters of Aſſemblies, which are given by one Shepherd.
SOlomon the Wiſe is declared to be the Compoſer of this Book, and it may probably be the laſt he wrote, the which I ſhall not poſitively determine, nor whether theſe three Verſes be his, becauſe they ſeem more probable to have been wrote by his Hiſtorian, or that hand which committed this Book to the Churches Treaſury, rather than by himſelf, and are part of the concluſion of this Book. As to the Book it ſelf, I ſhall ſay nothing, the words I have pitched upon, having no dependance upon any thing that went before, unleſs to commend it, and incourage to improve it; becauſe both of the excellency of the Preacher, and of that which was Writ or Preach'd. The words in general contain an account of an Accompliſhed Preacher.
Firſt, As to his Qualification.
Secondly, As to his Work, Act, or Diſpenſation.
Thirdly, The Bleſſing and Advantage of injoying ſuch Preachers. But more particularly take notice of theſe things in theſe Verſes.
1. A Preface in this word; Moreover.
2. A Reaſon of what was done; Becauſe the Preacher was Wiſe.
3. The Perſon ſpoken of; The Preacher.
4. That which is related or declared concerning him, and that in theſe Particulars.
Firſt, The Act; his conſtancy in teaching, &c.
Secondly, Perſeverance in his Work; He ſtill taught the People Knowledge. His warineſs or circumſpection in managing this great Work; Yea, he gave good heed.
Thirdly, His Diligence, Induſtry, or Laboriouſneſs; He ſought out: He did not catch up, or deliver any thing but what he had ſought out, and found meet to be delivered.
Fourthly, We have his Fidelity or Perfection in Preaching; He did ſet in order many Proverbs: He ſet in, not out of God's, or due order, his Preachings or Proverbs, amplified in theſe words; The Preacher ſought out acceptable words. But again, in the next place we have the Property or Excellency of that which was preached or written, it was upright, Even words of Truth.
Laſtly, We have the Uſe, and Benefit, or Properties of ſuch Preaching and Preachers in theſe words; The words of the Wiſe are as Goads, and Nails faſtned by the Maſters of Aſſemblies, which are given from one Shepherd.
I ſhall not trouble you with the opening or clearing of any obſcurity in the Text at this time; but refer that till afterwards, where more conveniently I may diſpatch it; but ſhall proceed to ſome Doctrines, or Concluſions hence obſervable. The firſt is taken from the firſt word, or Preface, Moreover. We may take theſe words not only litterally, as ſpoken of the Typical Solomon; but as Prophetical, and pointing at a greater than Solomon, our Lord Jeſus, That ſo ſpake as never man ſpake, John 7.46. And alſo we might eye theſe words as dogmatical, or inſtructing what every Wiſe Goſpel-Preacher ought to be and do; whence we may collect thus much.
Doct. 1. That the Lord is not ſparing or ſcant in means of Grace to his Church and People; but hath provided, and doth afford them one, and another means of help, and advantage for Soul-Concernments.
God, as God, hath in Mercy and Wiſdom dealt with the Second Creation and ſtate of Grace, as with the firſt Creation. In Nature he hath not made ſingle Fruits, Flowers, Plants, Grain, or Beaſts, Birds, or Fiſhes, but innumerable in number, and manifold in kind; even ſo great variety and plenty, that even the wiſeſt of Moraliſts or Naturaliſts ſcarce knew what need or end there is even of that variety or plenty, unleſs to commend the Creator. Men are often times at a loſs how to improve, and not deſpiſe that plenty: Even ſo is it in ſpiritual and ſupernatural things; Men are ſo fully provided of them, that they even ſurfeit and are wanton under God's Divine Ordinances and Proviſions of Grace, as once Iſrael did of Manna; yet it ſeems good to God, to have moreovers, and to miniſter himſelf in manifold wiſdom to his People. To inſtance, thus God dealt with Iſrael; he gave them not onelyonly Moſes, but Aaron alſo; not onelyonly Sacrifice, but Circumciſion alſo; nor Circumciſion only, but the Paſſeover alſo; nor the Tabernacle, but the Temple alſo; not onelyonly Prieſts and Levites, but Prophets and Nazarites likewiſe: That ſo God might ſay as Iſaiah 5. What could I have done more for my Vineyard, which I have not done? And this Job tells you, Chap. 33.14, 15. So Solomon in the 9th of his Proverbs. Even ſo hath he done under the Goſpel, not tying us to any one Way or Means, but affords us various Means and Seaſons. We have the Heaven and the Earth declaring his Glory and Handywork, Pſal. 19. Alſo we have the Law and Statutes of God in his Scripture, which is able to make the Man of God wiſe unto Salvation. We have alſo the Law written in our hearts. We have Inſtruments without, and Inſtincts within. We have the Word and Men without, and the Spirit within. We have Mercy and Judgment, all whiſpering to us, Fear ye the Lord. So that we may truly ſay, God as well as Man hath his Moreovers. And we ſerve not a hard Maſter, nor is our reproof and deſtruction leſs than ſufficiently of our ſelves. Now the Grounds and Reaſons why God walks thus towards his People are briefly theſe.
Reaſ. 1. That the Glory of the Wiſdom, Power, and Bounty of God might the more gloriouſly appear, by the riches of his Liberality, and plenty of Proviſions afforded to his People, Prov. 16.4. Rom. 2.4. Epheſ. 1.18, 19. Col. 1.27.
Reaſ. 2. God makes his Proviſions to be very large and plentiful, affording us moreovers, to the end that we might with the more eaſe and facility do his Will, and attain the knowledge and enjoyment of Salvation; ſo Iſa. 28.9, 10, 11, 12. and this the Apoſtle ſeems to eye, Acts 17.30, 31. And the Prophet Micah, Chap. 6.6, 7, 8. Chriſt ſaith, His Yoke is eaſie, and his Burthen light; becauſe he affords light ſufficient to ſee it with, and ſtrength enough to do what is required, and helps many to aſſiſt us; and rewards full, and rich enough to quicken and incourage us. But again,
Reaſ. 3. The Lord doth it to comply with our nature and frailty, which is not ſo well ſatisfied, nor ſo effectually furthered or helped by one Way or Means, as by diverſity and variety, and therefore vouchſafeth us his Moreovers, or Line upon Line, and Precept upon Precept.
Reaſ. 4. And laſtly, It is to ſtop the Mouth and leave ſilent and inexcuſable all neglecters and deſpiſers of Goſpel-Grace and Proviſions; ſince God can ſay to all ſuch, What need I have done more than what I have done? This God pleads for himſelf, 2 Chron. 36.15, 16. and Luke 13.7, 8, 9.