The Wise Gospel Preacher, Sermon · Part 1 – Part 2
The firſt Ʋſe is of Information.
By way of Improvement or Application briefly; let this firſt admoniſh us to believe how inexcuſable wicked and ungodly Men and Women are, who have God's overpluſes and moreovers; I mean, that living under the light of the Goſpel among the Saints, enjoy ſuch means to better them, and change them; and yet remain ignorant, profane, and ungodly. Will not all this preſent favour and goodneſs of God to them, one day riſe up in judgment againſt them, and be an aggravation againſt them, as Paul ſaith, Rom. 2.3, 4, 5, 6. Oh! let ſuch think ſeriouſly and timely upon two Scriptures, and I ſhall ſay no more to this Uſe, Luk. 19.41, 42. And when he was come near, he beheld the City, and wept over it; ſaying, If thou hadſt known, even thou, at leaſt in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes; compared with Heb. 6.4, 5, 6, 7, 8. For it is impoſſible for thoſe who were once inlightned, and have taſted of the Heavenly Gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghoſt, and have taſted the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come; if they ſhall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; ſeeing they crucified to themſelves the Son of God afreſh, and put him to an open ſhame. For the Earth which drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dreſſed receiveth bleſſing from God: But that which beareth Thorns and Briars, is rejected, and is nigh unto curſing, whoſe end is to be burned.
Secondly, Caution.
Secondly, Let it be a word of Caution to all of us, not to be wanton, and deſpiſe, and ſlight God's moreovers, or his overplus kindneſſes, as I am afraid too many do among Profeſſors at this day; like wanton Iſrael, that deſpiſed God's Manna, Numb. 11.4, 5, 6. calling it, light Bread, Chap. 21.5. Even ſaying as Chriſt's Diſciples, What need this waſte? Matth. 26.8. Like unto many now-adayes that ſay, What need ſo much Preaching? Yea, What need of ſuch long Preaching? Is not ſhorter Preaching better Preaching? I beſeech you take heed of ſuch thoughts, leſt God takes away our plenty, and give us ſcarcity enough: Oh let me perſwade ſuch wanton Chriſtians to take the Counſel Peter gives to Simon Magus; Repent therefore of this thy wickedneſs, and pray God if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee, Acts 8.22, 23. Oh Friends! take heed of ſuch thoughts, of ſuch vain, yea, vile thoughts, for ſurely we are not grown ſuch quick Learners or good Scholars, or ſo ſoon taught what the good and perfect Will of the Lord is, as to conclude, we need few Preachers, or little Preaching. Neither is the Preaching of the Goſpel ſuch a mean Excellency, as worth little more than to be deſpiſed; or hath the Lord Chriſt given Gifts to men in vain: Oh no; he that hath given Gifts to many, not to one, he well knew many Preachers were neceſſary, that by here a little, and there a little, by Line upon Line, and Precept upon Precept, becauſe the People are ſo hard to learn, Iſa. 28.9. Therefore the Lord hath conferred upon the Church diverſity of Gifts, though they proceed from one Spirit: He hath ſet in his Church not only Teachers, but Prophets alſo; and dare we deſpiſe Prophets or Propheſyings, and ſay, What need have we of theſe Miniſtrations? Hath the Lord given diverſly, as to Degrees or Meaſures, to one three, to another five Tallents, and ſhall he that hath received the leaſt, be thought unmeet to have the freedom to improve his Meaſure for his Lords Honour, or his Brethrens Advantage? or, where the Lord beſtows a larger Meaſure, and his Servants are faithful in the Stewardſhip thereof; dare any ſay the time is waſte, and the Meſſage too long? Not remembring, that although he that can ſpeak but five words underſtandingly, muſt be accepted; yet he which can ſpeak ten, muſt not be muzled or reſtrained. Chriſt, and his Spirit, ought to be free; Wherefore remember that ſaying of Paul, Let no man blame us in this abundance which is adminiſtred by us, 2 Cor. 8.20. And to cure this evil, take this ſhort direction, Be more ſenſible of your want of the means of Grace, and more humble ſpirited, truly hungring and thirſting after Goſpel-Ordinances.
Laſtly, Let it be a word of Exhortation, If our Means and Proviſions be abundant, and redundant, let not our fruitfulneſs be ſhort, leſt what the Lord Jeſus ſaid to Jeruſalem, he ſay to us alſo, The Kingdom ſhall he taken from you, and given to a People bringing forth the Fruit thereof, and he let out his Vineyard to other Husbandmen, Matth. 21.34, 41, 43. with Heb. 6.8. How dreadful then will thy ſtate and mine be, to enjoy much means of Grace, and to bring forth none or little Fruit by it: Oh! conſider this all you that forget God. So much for the firſt Particular, or word in the Text, Moreover.
Now let us conſider the next Particular, which contains the Reaſon of what the Preacher ſaid or did, that is in theſe words, Becauſe the Preacher was Wiſe.
Before I go further, Three things need ſome clearing or Expoſition.
Firſt; How this ſuits with ſome other of Scripture-Expreſſions, for Solomon to commend himſelf, or to ſay the Preacher was Wife, or Painful, yea, Uſeful alſo.
Secondly; What a Preacher is, or what this Preacher was.
Thirdly; What this Wiſdom is that is here ſpoken of.
For the clearing of the firſt thing, Though this Book is Solomons, and bears his Name, and was by him Compoſed, yet is it not clear that this Copy, or theſe Words, were his own: But as David and other Kings had their Scribes and Pen-men which did write for them, and wrote after them; even ſo might Solomon, and doubtleſs had, as his Story in 1 Kings 4.3. compared with 2 Chron. 9.29. doth declare. And ſo though he did not, yet they well might ſet him forth. But ſecondly, Although in moral reſpects, and at ſome time it is not fit for a man to commend himſelf, yet in two reſpects a man may (eſpecially a Preacher) ſo do, and be innocent in ſo doing: Firſt, in caſe of ſcandal, he may vindicate himſelf from unjuſt aſperſion and reproach: So Samuel did; the people had clouded and eclipſed his worthy and innocent Government, 1 Sam. 8.4, 5. therefore, Chap. 12. he vindicates himſelf. So alſo did Jeremiah, Chap. 15.10.
So Paul, in 2 Cor. 10.3, 7. ſo in Chap. 12. with that of Job 29. Secondly, In furtherance of man's Work or Imployment, a man may commend himſelf: So Paul did, 2 Cor. 2. and it Gal. 1.12, to 19. with chap. 2.6, 7, 8, 9. An… thus Nehemiah acted, in chap. 5. from verſ. 14 to the cloſe of the Chapter. And thus I conceive if Solomon did commit this to the Churches Treaſury, from his own Hand or Pen, in this latter ſenſe he might humbly and innocently do it. B… poſſibly the ſtick or obſcurity may be from th… Tranſlators ſo rendring the Words; for if th… words be thus read, this difficulty is eaſily avoided and the ſenſe preſerved intire. Moreover, A Wiſ… Preacher will ſtill give good heed, and ſo it ſpeak Duty, and not Commendation.
Secondly, Let me a little open this Particular, What a Preacher is, or, this Preacher was that here is ſpoken of. A Preacher is not onelyonly ſuch as are under Miniſterial Unction, or calling in Office o… Miniſtry. But a Preacher is any, or every ſuch Perſon or Diſciple of Chriſt that hath received Gifts of the Spirit to profit withal, and is able to ſpeak a word in due ſeaſon to him that is weary, for Edification, Exhortation, and Comfort; and the… in Scripture are called Prophets, or Propheſying. Preachers, as in that of Gen. 20.7. 1 Cor. 12.28. And ſuch a Prophetical or Propheſying. Preacher was Solomon, the Preacher in my Text, and not an Official, Ordained, or Miniſterial. Preacher, for ſuch were only at that time the Tribe of Levi, the High Prieſt, Prieſts, and Prophets Extraordinary. But the Book tells us, this Preacher was by Office a King, not a Prieſt; he was onelyonly a Prophet, or Membral Preacher, even ſuch a Preacher as that Church had many of, and any Brother or Member of that Church, who was able, though not ſo able, might as freely and as lawfully preach as Solomon, as that paſſage Acts 13.15. compared with Luke 4.16, 17. Ye men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the People, ſay on: And ſuch Preachers Moſes and Paul allowed, Numb. 11.29. And Moſes ſaid, Envieſt thou for my ſake? Would God that all the Lord's people were Prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them; compared with 1 Cor. 14.29, 31. Let the Prophets ſpeak, and let the other judge, for ye may all propheſie one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. Many other Teſtimonies may be added, but becauſe I ſhall ſpeak to this more hereafter, let this at preſent ſuffice.
The third thing to be cleared is, What this Wiſdom is, or what is this Wiſdom that Solomon ſaith the Preacher had, and what that Wiſdom is that every Preacher ought to have, that will thus wiſely or profitably Preach. Wiſdom, as Solomon phraſeth it, doth not onelyonly excel Folly, Eccleſ. 2.13. but Wiſdom alſo excels Wit. Wit is a quickneſs or acuteneſs of the Underſtanding to catch or apprehend things by. But Wiſdom is that depth of Reaſon and Judgment, whereby Apprehenſions, Thoughts, Sciences, Purpoſes, and Buſineſſes are begun and compleated, or are honourably, profitably, and regularly performed. A Fool may have Wit, only a Wiſe Man can have Wiſdom, or carry on his Deſign or Buſineſs wiſely.
But ſtill the Queſtion is, What Wiſdom that is that is here treated of? or is Preaching Wiſdom, even that Wiſdom without which a man cannot be competent or profitable Preacher?
To which Queſtion I Anſwer firſt, Negative… It is neither Moral, Natural, or acquired Wiſdo… as Languages, Tongues, Arts, or Sciences: Th… I not only affirm, but ſhall alſo confirm; thou… when all is done, no doubt, but ſo ſaying, m… make ſome marvel, and others be mad with me, … once the Silver-Smiths were with Paul, when … cryed down their Diana, by whom they had a their Wealth, as have the School-maſters, Tutor Academiſts, Collegiats, Parſons, Doctors, Pr… lates, Popes, with all the reſidue of that crue … Antichriſtian Clergy-men. But I am learning not to fear the faces of men, or reſpect theſe Pe… ſons, but make known the Truth as it is in Jeſus remembring what Zechariah ſaith will be their portion, even every one to be aſhamed of his Viſion Chap. 13. of that Book. But affirmatively, Anſwer, The reaſon why I affirm that this Wiſ… dom before ſpecified is not the Goſpel-Wiſdom, i…
Firſt, Becauſe God hath not ſet this Ax or Hammer apart to do his or this work with.
Secondly, It is but a carnal natural Weapon and is onelyonly fit for carnal, natural, weak, and wordly Work. And for ſuch purpoſes, thi… Learning, Wiſdom, or Furniture is fit, or very uſeful; but no more fit for preaching, or a Preacher in order to preaching, than a Sword is to cut one Bread with, or a Plough to ride on, though for other uſes both are profitable. But the Wiſdom abſolutely neceſſary to preaching, or for a Preacher, is Divine Wiſdom, which deſcends from Above more immediately, and comes from the Father of Lights, James 1.5, 17. and in Scripture is put in oppoſition to the Wiſdom before mentioned, 1 Cor. 1. from 17 downwards, I will deſtroy the wiſdom of the wiſe, and will bring to nothing the underſtanding of the prudent. Where is the Wiſe? where is the Scribe? where is the Diſputer of this World? Hath not God made fooliſh the wiſdom of this World? &c. So chap. 2.1, 4, 7, 13. Brethren, when I came to you, I came not with excellency of Speech, or of Wiſdom, declaring unto you the Teſtimony of God; and my Speech, and my preaching was not with inticing words of man's wiſdom, but in demonſtration of the Spirit and of Power: Not the Wiſdom of this World, nor the Princes of this World, that come to naught, but we ſpeak the Wiſdom of God, which God ordained before the World unto our glory. Which things alſo we ſpeak, not the words which man's wiſdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghoſt teacheth, comparing ſpiritual things with ſpiritual: The natural man receiveth not theſe things, neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned. And Peter tells us, that the Learned in the former ſenſe, but unlearned or illiterate in the latter ſenſe, are the Novices which do but wreſt and pervert the Scripture, or the ſubſtance of all Scripture, 2 Pet. laſt, verſ. 16. But more particularly, what this preaching Qualification or Wiſdom is, I ſhall hereafter, the Lord aſſiſting, diſcover.
From the Perſon ſpoken of, and that which of him is ſpoken, let me note theſe Obſervations.
Doct. 1. That Preaching by godly men, thereunto qualified, is God's Ordinance.
Secondly, From the kind of Preacher that Sol… mon here ſpoke of, note, this Obſervation.
Doct. 2. That Prophetical Preaching or Pr… pheſying, by Members or Brethren of true Church… by virtue of Gifts and Memberſhip, without Mi… ſtry, is God's very Ordinance. Elſe Solomon, ho… wiſe ſoever, had ſinfully preached.
Thirdly, Note, Doct. 3. That ſuch, or many Brethren as have Gifts and Abilities thus Preach, not onelyonly may, but are bound to Prea… Elſe Solomon had done more than his Duty, o… what he was not bound to; which is vanity in … to imagine, for he had not been wiſe in ſo doing.
Fourthly, Note, Doct. 4. That every Goſpe… Preacher ought to be wiſe; or that Grace and Spiritual Wiſdom are the only Requiſites, and …ffi… ent for Goſpel-preaching, or Preachers.
To begin with the firſt of theſe, though th… laſt of theſe is principally deſigned; Note, The Preaching by Godly Men, thereunto qualified, is God Ordinance. For the proof of this, take the… Teſtimonies, Iſa. 61.1. The Spirit of the Lor… God is upon me, becauſe he hath anointed me t… Preach glad-tydings to the Meek: He hath ſent … to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty … the Captives, and the opening of the Priſon to the… that are bound, &c. Jonah 3.2. Ariſe, go un… Nineveh, that great City, and preach unto it th… Preaching that I bid thee. Mark 1.4. Joh… preached the Baptiſm of Repentance for the remiſſio… of ſins; with chap. 3.14. He ordained twelve that they ſhould be with him, and that he might ſend them forth to preach. Acts 5.42. And daily in the Temple, and in every Houſe, they ceaſe… not to Teach and Preach Jeſus Chriſt; and chap. 10.42. And he commanded us to preach unto the People; with Rom. 10.15. How can they Preach except they be ſent? Many other Scriptures would give teſtimony to this, were not this that is offered ſufficient. But a little further, to clear this by Argument or Reaſon, ſince this, as every Truth, hath its Oppoſition or Oppoſers.
Reaſ. 1. Had not this been God's Ordinance, that the Word by Men ſhould be Preached or Revealed unto men, the beſt of men would never have been found ſo often, even in all Ages, tranſgreſſing againſt the God of men, through preaching unto men; but the beſt of men have preached unto men. The Scripture ſhews us this in Noah's time, in that he was called a Preacher of Righteouſneſs, 2 Pet. 2.5. The like is ſaid of Abraham, Gen. 18.19. where Abraham's Teaching or Preaching, in and to his Houſhould, is made the reaſon of God's Preaching or Declaring to him the deſtruction of Sodom. The like we have in chap. 49.1, 2. So Moſes, Deut. 31.1, 2. with v. 19. compared alſo; you have it chap. 32.1. So did David, Pſal. 40.9, 10. So Solomon, you have it in the Text. So Samuel in his firſt Book, chap. 12.23. So in 2 Chron. 17.7, and 9 compared. And thus did the New-Teſtament Converts and Diſciples practiſe, Acts 8.4. Therefore I conclude, that Preaching is, and ever was, acknowledged God's Ordinance.
Reaſ. 2. Had not Preaching been God's Ordinance, though godly men might have miſtook their Duty, yet the Lord Jeſus Chriſt would doubtleſs not have preached. But the Lord Jeſus Chriſt was a Preacher, and did frequently preach; therefore Preaching is God's Ordinance. That the Lord Jeſus Preached, is moſt evident, Mark 1.14. with Luk. 8.1. After John was put in Priſon, Jeſus came into Galilee, preaching the Goſpel of the Kingdom of God. He went Preaching, and ſhewing the glad-tydings of the Kingdom of God; and th… Twelve were with him.
Reaſ. 3. That which not onelyonly Holy Men have approvedly done, and the Lord Jeſus himſelf likewiſe did, but that which even Angels did teach and commanded the Saints to do, that muſt need… be owned to be an Ordinance, as appears Luk. 1.26, to 37. Luk. 2.10, 11. Rev. 14.6. I ſa… another Angel flie in the midſt of Heaven, having the everlaſting Goſpel to Preach unto them that dwel… on the Earth, &c.
Reaſ. 4. That which God hath in all Ages moſt abundantly fitted ſome men for, muſt need… be his Ordinance: But God hath in all Ages fitted ſome men for Preaching-Work; therefore Preaching-Work is God's Ordinance. The proof of this lies moſt apparent in the firſt Argument, and is confirmed further to us, Pſal. 68.11. The Lord gave the Word, great was the Company of them that publiſhed it; compared with Epheſ. 4.8, 12. Wherefore he ſaith, when he aſcended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men: For the Perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Miniſtry, for the edifying of the Body of Chriſt. Yea, he that ſaith, No man lighteth a Candle in vain, or to put it under a Buſhel; Would not himſelf light ſo many Preaching-Candles, or make ſo many Preachers in vain, if Preaching were not his Ordinance.
Reaſ. 5. Satan and ſinners would never have ſo oppoſed Preaching, had not Satan known that Preaching was God's Ordinance: Satan oppoſes not ſin, no not the groſſeſt wickedneſs; but the pureſt and the moſt powerful Preachers and Preaching he hath alwayes moſt eagerly oppoſed; witneſs Micah, Zechariah, Jeremiah, Peter, Paul, Stephen: And which of Chriſt's eminenteſt Preachers hath he not perſecuted? witneſs Acts 13.49, 50. And the Word of the Lord was publiſhed throughout all the Regions; but the Jews ſtirred up the devout and honourable Women, and the chief Men of the City, and raiſed perſecution againſt Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their Coaſts; compared with Acts 17. and Rev. 11. Yea, our own Times witneſs this, how much the deſign of the Devil and his Creatures is to obſtruct and hinder the Spiritual Preaching of the Goſpel: Like the Men Paul ſpeaks of 1 Theſſ. 2.15, 16. Who both killed the Lord Jeſus and their own Prophets, and have perſecuted us, forbidding us to ſpeak to the Gentiles, that they might be ſaved, to fill up their ſins; for the Wrath is come upon them to the utmoſt.
Reaſ. 6. I might add that which not onelyonly good Men have both practiſed, and been perſecuted for; yea, both the Lord himſelf, and Angels have practiſed and Preached to us, as our Work, that muſt needs be God's Ordinance; but this both Chriſt and his Apoſtles have taught and injoyned us: Therefore to Preach is their Duty, as they are able to Preach. Mat. 28.19. Go, and teach all Nations; with 2 Tim. 4.2. Preach the Wor… be inſtant in ſeaſon, out of ſeaſon, reprove, rebuk… exhort with all long-ſuffering and Doctrine, w… 1 Pet. 5.1, 2, 3, 4.