The Wise Gospel Preacher, Sermon · Part 31
The ninth Doctrine.
The obſervation we may hence learn, is, That every wiſe competent Preacher, ought with all diligence endeavour to comprehend, and cauſe others to comprehend the Wiſdom, Senſe, and Order of the Scripture. This is every Goſpel-Preacher's Trade and Buſineſs.
Two Acts or Particulars the Doctrine includes.
Firſt, With Relation to the Preacher.
Secondly With reference to the Preacher's Charge or Flock.
Firſt; In reference to himſelf: He is moſt diligently to deſign and endeavour to underſtand and comprehend the Mind and Will of God contained in the Word. This is, To ſet Proverbs, or God's dark Sayings or Truths in order as to himſelf.
Secondly; In reference unto the People: His Duty, ſaith this Doctrine, is to help them to underſtand what he comprehends of the Proverbs of God, or meaning of the Scripture; for as he neither is a Preacher for himſelf, much leſs preaches to himſelf; no more ought he to know, underſtand, or comprehend the Proverbs or Myſteries of Truth for himſelf only, but for the People as well as for himſelf. That this is ſo, conſider a few Scriptures, Nehem. 8.7, 8. you ſhall find Jeſhua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaſeiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Palaiah, and the Levites, cauſed the people to underſtand the Law; and the people ſtood in their places: They read in the Book of the Law of God diſtinctly, and gave the ſenſe, and cauſed them to underſtand the reading. Here we have a large account of the Work and Deſign of wiſe Preachers, and good Miniſters, it is to ſet Proverbs in order, or to clear and make known the ſenſe of Scripture to the people; and v. 13. it is ſaid, That the People rejoyced at this enjoyment.
But again, Solomon tells us, That the Wiſdom of the prudent is to underſtand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit, Prov. 14.8. Whence mark, A wiſe or prudent Perſon, (ſuch every Goſpel-preacher ought to be) his work is to underſtand his way; that is, his way of preaching, how to give the true ſenſe of God's Word to his People, that is, ſetting Proverbs in order; the contrary of this was that God complained of in the falſe Prophets, or fooliſh Preachers of Iſrael; ſaying, His Watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant, they are all dumb Dogs, they cannot bark; ſleeping, lying down, loving to ſlumber: Yea, they are greedy Dogs, which can never have enough, and they are Shepherds that cannot underſtand, &c. Iſa. 56.10, 11. Mark it well, They are fooliſh Shepherds, or unwiſe Preachers, that cannot underſtand the Mind of the Lord, and know not how to ſet his Parables and Proverbs in order; the like you have Jer. 9.12. Who is the wiſe Man that may underſtand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken that he may declare it? Take that of Prov. 22. where you have Solomon the wiſe Preacher both doing this Work, and teaching wiſe Preachers alſo to do this work, when he ſaith, Have I not written unto thee excellent things in counſels and in knowledge, that I might make thee to know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mighteſt anſwer the words of truth to thoſe that ſend unto thee? verſ. 20.21. alſo Chap. 10.31, 32. The mouth of the juſt bringeth forth wiſdom, and the lips of the righteous knoweth what is acceptable. Take that alſo of Luke 1.1, 2, 3, 4. Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to ſet forth in order a declaration of thoſe things which are moſt ſurely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eye-witneſſes and Miniſters of the Word: It ſeemed good to me alſo, having had perfect underſtanding of things from the very firſt, to write unto thee in order, moſt excellent Theophilus, that thou mighteſt know the certainty of thoſe things wherein thou haſt been inſtructed. To name no more, take Paul's charge and direction to Timothy, Till I come, give attendance to Reading, to Exhortation, to Doctrine; meditate on theſe things; give thy ſelf wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all, 1 Tim. 4.13, 15. I ſhould now give you the Reaſons of the Point, I ſhall onelyonly name them at preſent.
Reaſon 1.
Firſt; Every wiſe Preacher ſhould thus do, becauſe this is no more than they all profeſs to do; and what men profeſs to do, that lawfully may be done, that they ought to do; therefore thus wiſe Preachers not only may, but muſt do.
Reaſon 2.
Secondly; This is that which wiſe and pious People warrantably promiſe themſelves will be done for them, by ſuch as preach to them; and therefore ought not to be denyed unto them, nor can without ſin be with-held from them.
Reaſon 3.
Thirdly; If this be not done, how ſhall the People know what they have to do? how ſhall the People prepare themſelves to duty, if duty be not made plain to them, or the Parable ſet in order before them? If Doctrine be not clear, Practice muſt be doubtful; as Paul expreſſeth, If the Trumpet give an uncertain ſound, who ſhall prepare himſelf to the Battel? 1 Cor. 14 8.
Reaſon 4.
Fourthly; If Preachers do not make it their buſineſs to ſet Proverbs, or God's Word, in order, or in due order; nothing is more certain than this, That they will ſet them out of order: but let ſuch that ſo do, think of that paſſage, what the Lord ſaid to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled againſt thee, and againſt thy two Friends; for ye have not ſpoken of me the thing that is right, Job 42.7. Oh, what a dreadful thing is it for God to be angry with a Preacher; view that of Numb. 10.1, 2. with that of 2 Sam. 6.7.
Reaſon 5.
Laſtly; This is that which wiſe Preachers may do, if they will but ſpiritually make it their buſineſs ſo to do, and therefore are without all excuſe if this they do not; for it is written, He maketh his Miniſters a flame of fire, Heb. 1.7.
But I told you, I ſhould only name the Reaſons and come to Application; in the which I ſhall alſo be the briefer, becauſe I have formerly had occaſion, as you may remember, to ſpeak to the ſubſtance of this Doctrine; all I intend, I ſhall comprize in a few ſerious words of Exhortation to all that are, or would be eſteemed wiſe and Goſpel-Preachers.