The Wise Gospel Preacher, Sermon · Part 48
The third Ʋſe is for Exhortation.
The third, and I ſuppoſe the laſt Uſe I ſhall make of this Doctrine, is for Exhortation.
Firſt; To ſuch as are Chriſt's Miniſters.
Secondly; To all you that are Chriſt's Churches and Servants.
Firſt; Let me beſeech and exhort you all, Fathers and Brethren, that are Goſpel-Miniſters under the Lord Jeſus: If your Office and Miniſtry be given and derived from the Lord Jeſus; O then, as that great Preacher of the Goſpel to the Gentiles, Paul, ſaid, Let us magnifie our Office, Rom. 11.13. Even by ſo doing, as he did, by labouring, if by any means we may provoke to emulation them that are our fleſh, and might ſave ſome of them. O let us who are Chriſt's, ſerve the great deſign of Chriſt; and let not us, as ſome do, ſerve our own Bellies, and not the Lord Jeſus, Rom. 16.18. O, if not only our Miniſtry be of Chriſt, and from Chriſt, but a Miniſtry for Chriſt. O then, be exhorted to make it our great and main buſineſs, to ſeek not our own things or glory, but the things of our Lord Jeſus, and his great glory, to whom belongs all honour, and glory, and bleſſing, for ever and ever, Amen. If we have his glory as great in our eye, then let our great buſineſs be, to get or procure his glory, as our Lord tells us he did before us, John 8.50. I ſeek not my own glory; yea, our bleſſed Lord makes it a Character of a true Miniſter, that he is thus minded, telling us, He that ſpeaketh of himſelf, ſeeketh his own glory; but he that ſeeketh his glory that ſent him, the ſame is true, and no unrighteouſneſs in him, John 7.18. Servants muſt not ſo much, whilſt Servants, promote their own Intereſt and Credit as their Lord and Maſters; even no more ſhould we promote our own Glory or Intereſt in the World but Chriſt's.
Secondly; Let me Exhort you my Brethren, if you are Chriſt's Miniſters, and ſpring from him, then pray you approve your ſelves to him; remember how you have received, and be faithful in your miniſtration to him. Let us not forger that ſaying; Behold, I ſend an Angel before them to keep them in the way, and to bring them to the place that I have prepared: But beware of him, and obey his V…ce, and provoke him not, for he will not pardon your tranſgreſſions; for my Name is in him, Exod. 23.20, 21. O conſider, he will not ſpare Levites, Prieſts, nor Miniſters of the Houſe of Iſrael no more, no nor ſo much as others of the Houſe of Jacob: You know what is written, Then Moſes ſaid unto Aaron, This is it the Lord ſpake, ſaying, I will be ſanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the People I will be glorified, Levit. 10.3. Wherefore let us be faithful Stewards of the manifold Myſteries of God; let not us negleſt Chriſt's Work, nor corrupt his Work. Curſed is and ſhall he be that doth the Work of the Lord negligently, which is deceitfully; not doing as many which corrupt the Word of God; but of ſincerity, but as of God, in the ſight of God ſpeak we in Chriſt, 2 Cor. 2.17.
But to come nearer, Let me humbly offer a few things, which I would deſire all that are Chriſt's Miniſters to take ſpecial care of.
Firſt; Conſult often your Commiſſion, ponder your inſtruction for Miniſtration, and do not be a ſtranger to the Weight and Duty of your Miniſtry. If the Kingly Miniſtry had need daily to be Looking or Reading in the Book of the Law, what his Office and Duty towards God and the People is; as from that paſſage of Deuteronomy was declared; certainly even ſo have Chriſt's Prieſtly Miniſters much more need to ſtudy the Scripture, which are Chriſt's Book of Ordination that we may know how we ought to behave our ſelves in the Houſe of God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth; 1 Tim. 3.15. Study to know our o… Miniſtry, and our own proper and peculiar Work. 'Tis, I fear, a cauſe of the wantingneſs of many, even Goſpel-Miniſters, That they are too much ignorant of this thing, even the Nature, Property, and Duty of their Office and Miniſtry; like perſons newly entered into the World, or the Affairs thereof; make more haſte to get into, than wiſely to conſider their Duty therein. Even ſo I fear is it with too many of us Preachers or Miniſters of the Lord Jeſus; They make more haſte to be Chriſt's Miniſters, than to conſult the great Duty of that Office and Miniſtry.
But, Secondly; Let me offer this ſenſe; We are Chriſt's Miniſtry or Miniſters, and the Treaſure in our Earthen Veſſels is his, and none of ours: Then let us be careful of giving away any of Chriſt's our Sovereigns Right and Priviledges, who ever they be that demand it. Be like Moſes and Iſrael, who would not part with, nor leave in Egypt any thing of God's Portion, as we read in that paſſage Exod 9.16. There ſhall not an Hooſ be left behind us. And thus did Iſrael deal with the Kings of Canaan; So whomſoever the Lord our God ſhall drive out before us, them will we poſſeſs, Judg 11.24. Even ſo, give not away to any the right of your Sovereign Lord King Jeſus, whoſe Miniſters we are; divide not the living Child to pleaſe the Harlot; I mean, mingle not Chriſt's and Antichriſt's Ordinances together; Plow not with an Ox and an Aſs together; nor wear Linſey-Woolſey Garments, but remember, it is written, Thou ſhalt not ſow thy Vineyard with divers Seeds, (much leſs may we ſow God's Vineyard with divers Seeds) Deut. 22.9, 10, 11. For the Ark and Dagon, Chriſt our Lord, and Belial cannot agree together, 1 Sam. 5.3, 4. with 2 Cor. 6.14, 15. But remember, the Lord our God is a Jealous God, and he will not hold him guiltleſs that taketh his Name in vain. Though there are ſome whoſe Prudence, Moderation, and Zeal to Preaching, will permit them to do otherwiſe, namely, to mingle the Holy Seed, and do that they otherwiſe would not do; namely, to conform to men, that they may preach Chriſt to the People, Adminiſter Prayer and Sacraments by a formal Service-Book; Baptize all Children, even the Seed of the Adulterer and the Adultereſs; though God of old ſaid, Such Seed ſhall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord! to the tenth Generation, Deut. 23.2. Nay more, if all this was too little, they rather then ſtand out, will ſpread the Lord's Table for that Troop, which his Soul abhors, even a People that neither have nor can examine themſelves, or diſcern the Lord's Body; yet theſe muſt be Communicants, and pay for it, or elſe be Excommunicants.
Yea, to make the meaſure full, they dare meddle with Civil Actions, and deceive the People, as if to Marry and Bury the Dead, were part of the Adminiſtrations committed by Jeſus Chriſt into the hand of his Miniſters; then which nothing is more falſe: For if it were unfit for ſome of Chriſt's Miniſters to tend the Tables of the Living, 'tis much more unmeet for any of Chriſt's Miniſters to tend the Dead, or intermmeddle with Civil Concerns, and Marry the living; but theſe paſs for pious, ſober, peaceable men; but let them remember, who ſaid, of two evils, they muſt chuſe the leaſt. 'Tis not to be taken of ſins, of clear and real ſins; for here we muſt chuſe nor take neither; for it is written, Thou ſhalt not do evil that good may come thereof; for if we do, damnation is juſt, Rom. 3.18. 'Tis not wiſdom, but folly to conform againſt Conſcience to man's Inventions, though to preach the Goſpel. 'Twere better to ſay with Paul, If I muſt ſin, and unwillingly, and againſt Knowledge Conform that I may Preach, I will chuſe rather never to Preach, than to Conform and ſo to Preach. Theſe ſober men, are unſober men, wiſe beyond ſobriety of Scripture, and drunken with the intoxicating Wine of the Whore of Rome's Cup, that thus ſtagger and reel up and down from one thing to another, even to whatſoever is uppermoſt in their dayes.
Whether the men that thus do, be pious, I ſhall not determine; onelyonly this I may ſafely conclude; Such mens practices, which we have hinted, are not pious practices, but impious and ungodly, as not being warranted and founded upon the Word of God.
Laſtly; 'Twere well if this Zeal of theirs for Preaching be not but a blind Zeal, and a bad Zeal, a Zeal rather to preach out themſelves, and preach in themſelves, than to preach out Chriſt to or into the People. But becauſe I hope this Leaven of the Scribes and Phariſees, neither hath, nor ſhall leaven many of you, that are wiſe, even Spiritually-wiſe Preachers, I ſhall add no more to this but that word of Peter, Repent therefore of this thy wickedneſs, and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee, Acts 8.22. O Conforming Miniſters, if poſſible, repent of this your wicked conformity; and you, my dearly Beloved, who have yet eſcaped the corruption that is in the World through luſt; O, take you heed leſt you alſo be led away with the diſſimulations of ſuch.
But once more, If you are Chriſt's Miniſters, and derive Office and Adminiſtration from him, then let me intreat you to provide for the Croſs, and be neither afraid nor aſhamed of it; for if they of the World called the Maſter of the Houſe Beelzebub, how much more ſhall they call them of his Houſhold? Mat. 10.25. Think not much, in ſuch a day as this is, to be evil ſpoken of, traduced and ſlandered, knowing that theſe afflictions are already accompliſhed in your Brethren, and the beſt of Chriſt's Miniſters have met with no better uſage from the men of the Throne of Iniquity, as Paul witneſſeth, ſaying, I think that God hath ſet forth us the Apoſtles laſt, as it were appointed to death; for we are made a ſpectacle unto the World, and to Angels, and to Men: We are Fools for Chriſt's ſake; we are weak, we are deſpiſed: Even unto this very hour we both hunger and thirſt, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling places, and labour, working with our hands: Being reviled, we bleſs; being perſecuted, we ſuffer it; being defamed, we intreat: We are made as the filth of the World, and are the off-ſcouring of all things unto this day, 1 Cor. 4.9, 10, 11, 12, 13. O ſtart not from your Miniſtry or Miniſtrations of the holy things of Chriſt, becauſe of ſuch things as theſe; knowing, that in and from the World you muſt have perſecution, if you be the Miniſters of the Lord Jeſus, John 16.33. But ſay with Paul, None of theſe things move me, neither count I my life dear unto my ſelf, ſo that I might finiſh my courſe with joy, and the Miniſtry which I have received of the Lord Jeſus, to teſtifie the Goſpel of the Grace of God, Acts 20.24.
And, Laſtly; Let me offer this to your conſideration that are the Miniſters of Chriſt; Be profeſſed and reſolved Enemies to the Miniſters and Miniſtrations of Antichriſt; take part with Chriſt, and follow him upon white Horſes, clothed in fine linnen, white and clean, Rev. 19.14. Say not a confederacy to all them to whom this people ſhall ſay a confederacy, Iſa. 8.12. But remember that charge, Put you ſelves in array againſt Babylon round about; all ye that bend the Bow, ſhoot at her, ſpare no Arrows, for ſhe hath ſinned againſt the Lord, Jer. 50.14. Ye Angels of Chriſt, Pour out the Vials of the Wrath of God upon the Earth; even upon this Babyloniſh Earth; Pour out your Vials, filled not with yours, but the Lord's wrath, Rev. 16.1. 'Tis juſt work to deſtroy Babylon, For ſhe hath ſinned, and hath corrupted the Kings and the Inhabitants of the Earth, and hath made even all Nations drunk with the Wine of the Cup of her Fornications, Rev. 18.3. Strip her, and make her naked as in the day ſhe was born; for in her will be found the blood of the Prophets, and of Saints, and of all that were ſlain upon the Earth, Rev. 18.24. Diſcover, by a light of Scripture, her Adulteries, and lay open the filthineſs of her Skirts, the beaſtlineſs of her Power, the earthlineſs of her Church and Members, Chap. 13.12, 13, 14, 16. Shew and diſcover the nature and vileneſs of her Locuſts, or Clergy-Men, Chap. 9. Diſcover their even killing Wormwood, or bitterneſs of her Waters or Doctrine, Chap. 8.10, 11. Shew that ſhe is the great Whore, great Cheat, and greateſt Enemy that ever the Lord Jeſus or his People had or ſhall have; even the ſame power of unrighteouſneſs which put our Lord, them, and his Saints now to death. Bid defiance to her, and to all her Power, and all her Romiſh Trinkets; and cry aloud to all the people of God, to have neither more nor leſs to do with her; but ſpeedily to obey that voice, Come out of her my people, partake not of her ſins, leſt that ye partake alſo of her plagues, Chap. 18.4. Never think of her Repentance, for Repentance is, and ſhall be hidden from her eyes: She is none of thoſe Whores that know how to be aſhamed, or repent, as Chap. 9.21, 22. She is the great Traytor againſt the Crown and Dignity of our Sovereign Lord King Jeſus; no ſuch Treaſon hath been hatched or plotted againſt the Lord Jeſus throughout all the World, as in and by the Roman Church and Synagogue. Therefore plead you Worthies of the Lord with her, and againſt her, and pray without ceaſing. Down with her, down with her, down with her, as a Mill-ſtone into the bottom of the Sea, and let her never riſe any more, and ſet Faith and Patience to work in this caſe; for is it not written, And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, and the word of their Teſtimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death; and he that leadeth into captivity, ſhall go into captivity; he that killeth with the Sword, muſt be killed with the Sword. Here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints, Rev. 12.11. and Chap. 13.10.
O therefore, to conclude, Let all the Goſpel-Miniſters of the Lord Jeſus this day in the World be Antipaſſes, men for Chriſt, but againſt Antichriſt, and whatſoever is truly of Antichriſt both Root and Branch.
So much for the firſt part of this Exhortation, which was to the Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt.
Let me now cloſe with a few cloſing words to the Churches and Servants of Chriſt.
If Chriſt's Miniſters ſpring from him, and both they and their Miniſtrations depend upon him, and are given of him for the good of you his People, then let me exhort you, who are the Churches and Servants of Chriſt, to two or three things, and ſo I ſhall conclude this Doctrine, and the Text, becauſe I would not be too prolix.
Firſt; Be you Chriſt's Porters, and the Inſtruments of making Chriſt's Servants his Miniſters. Be very careful and circumſpect to whom you open the Door, or a Door of Entrance or Admittance in any Office of Miniſtry under the Lord Jeſus. Be ſure you conſult diligently your Charter, the New-Teſtament Inſtitution concerning Miniſters; and when you are to chuſe any, be ſure you ask Wiſdom of God, who giveth liberally, and upbraideth not, James 1.5.
Secondly; Set your thoughts and choice onelyonly upon ſuch men as are of honeſt report, and full of the Holy Ghoſt and Wiſdom, Acts 6.
Thirdly; Chuſe men competently, and ſufficiently endued with ſuch Gifts, as may truly enable and furniſh them unto Miniſtry, yea, unto that particular ſort of Miniſtry whereunto you ordain and appoint them, whether it be to the Office of Teacher, Paſtor, Elder, or Deacon; do not chuſe idle Shepherds into the place of Chriſt's Shepherds, ſuch as may wear the Name of Chriſt's Miniſters, but want the Gifts of Chriſt's Miniſters; ſuch will exerciſe the Inſtruments of fooliſh Shepherds among you, rather than of Wiſe Miniſters or Preachers, and be like neither Goads or Nails to you. Yea further, be very circumſpect that you miſtake not the Gifts of your Miniſters, and appoint them to that Miniſtry in particular, which though they have Gifts for Miniſtry, yet may not have the proper Gift of that Miniſtry you chuſe them for; for every one hath his proper Gift of God, that fits and diſpoſes Perſons for ſome one or other particular work, not for every, or all the works to be performed in his Church. It were to make your Miniſters lying Signs, and like tinkling Braſs, and a ſounding Cimbal, to appoint them to one Miniſtry, when their Grace and Gift propenſes and diſpoſes them to another. Therefore as you would honour Chriſt, or have him honoured by his and your Miniſters, be careful and wary in this particular Concern.
Fourthly; Watch over your Miniſters that watch over you in the Lord, that they make full proof of their Miniſtry, and fulfil it in the Lord; leſt your watchleſneſs over them, make them preſume to be watchleſs over themſelves, their Miniſtry, and you alſo, and ſo you partake of other mens ſins, 1 Tim. 5.22.
Fifthly; You that want ſuch, and may enjoy them, neglect not ſo great a Mercy, neither hinder Chriſt of ſo great a Glory, as the Glory of his own Miniſtry in his own Church, through your want of Zeal and forwardneſs to promote his and your own concern; but I ſhall hope I need not enlarge here.
Sixthly; If Chriſt's Miniſters flow from him, and depend upon him, then when you enjoy them, bleſs and magnifie him for them, who hath not left you Orphans, or as Sheep without a Shepherd. Wiſe Goſpel-Miniſters ſuch as we have all along been diſcourſing of, are very great bleſſings to a People that enjoy them. Wherefore, when God loves a People, he promiſeth them that he will ſet Watchmen upon their Walls, which ſhall never hold their peace day nor night; and alſo that their Teachers ſhall no more be removed into Corners, Iſa. 62.6. & 30, 20. Therefore you that enjoy wiſe, faithful, able, painful Goſpel-Miniſters, bleſs God, through Jeſus Chriſt, for this ſingular Gift of Grace, &c.
But again, Are Miniſters of the Goſpel ſuch as have been deſcribed Chriſt's Gift and Ordinance, both they and their Miniſtrations? then let none intrude or impoſe upon you, the Churches of Chriſt, a Miniſtry, or Miniſtrations, which are none of Chriſts, nor to be found contained in Scripture; but being free, be not the Servants of Men, but remember Paul's Counſel; Beware leſt any man ſpoil you through Philoſophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, and after the rudiments of the World, and not after Chriſt. Let no man at his pleaſure bear rule over you by humbleneſs of mind, and worſhipping of Angels, intruding into theſe things, which he hath not ſeen, vainly puffed up by his fleſhly mind, Col. 2.8, 18.
Further, let me, in the fear of the God, Exhort you, that injoy Chriſt's Miniſtry and their Miniſtrations; Remember to obey them that have the Rule over you, and ſubmit your ſelves; for they watch for your Souls, as they that muſt give an account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you, Heb. 13.17. Their Work is hard enough from the men of this World. O, let it be good from you for whom they endure all things, or at leaſt very many things, 2 Tim. 2.10. They do not only do much for you, but alſo endure much for you. O! therefore, let them not indure any thing from you, but rather, according to Paul's advice, Let the Elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double honour, eſpecially ſuch as labour in the Word and Doctrine, 1 Tim. 5.17. remembring what is ſaid concerning them, without the leaſt ſhadow of pride or vanity. How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad-tydings of peace, Rom. 10.15. Now if you would eminently honour and rejoyce your Miniſters, pray then labour greatly to improve and profit by their Adminiſtrations; for ſuch as are Chriſt's faithful Miniſters, ſeek not yours but you, 2 Cor. 13.14. and have no greater joy, than to hear that their Children walk in or according to truth, 3 John 4. This makes great rejoycing and thankſgiving by Chriſt's Miniſters, when they either hear or ſee, that thoſe they labour among do proſper, and their graces grow, as we have it, Epheſ. 1.15, 16. Wherefore I alſo, when I heard of your Faith in the Lord Jeſus, and love unto all the Saints, ceaſe not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; whereas to find the Saints and Churches of Chriſt, in a poor, low, beggarly ſtate of Soul, not improving nor profiting under means of Grace, this will cauſe Chriſt and his Miniſters to weep and complain, and even ſit down and bemoan themſelves in the ſenſe of it, according to that propheſie, Iſa. 33.7. Behold, their valiant ones ſhall cry without; the Ambaſſadors of Peace ſhall weep bitterly, fulfilled by this Prophet the Type of Chriſt. Then I ſaid, I have laboured in vain, I have ſpent my ſtrength for nought, and in vain, Chap. 49.4. And how fully was this Propheſie made good by Chriſt, who, when he was come near, he beheld the City and wept over it, Luke 19.41. Wherefore Sirs, if you have any love to Chriſt, or compaſſion towards your Miniſters, improve them, and ſtrive to proſper under their Miniſtration, ſo will you prevent their grief, and give them a good reward for their labour.
But again, to haſten to a concluſion, and cloſing up of the Uſe of Exhortation; pray you, if your Miniſters be Chriſt's Miniſters, and Chriſts Miniſters flow from him, depend upon him, and miniſter for him; pray you joyn with, and aſſiſt them in what-ever they for Chriſt have need of you; as Paul directed the Church of the Romans, To do for Phebe, that ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh Saints, and that ye aſſiſt her in whatſoever buſineſs ſhe hath need of you, Rom. 16.2. So ſay I, pray aſſiſt your Miniſters with your watchfulneſs, with your obſervation of thoſe they labour among and for. Help them with your Informations, concerning what you obſerve wanting either in them or others. Help them with your Zeal and readineſs, to joyn iſſue with them in any buſineſs of Chriſt, like thoſe Holy Ones we read of, Exod. 36.1. Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wiſehearted man, in whom the Lord put wiſdom and underſtanding, to know how to work all manner of work, for the ſervice of the Sanctuary, according to all that the Lord commanded. The like frame of Spirit we read of in thoſe mentioned, Ezra 1.5, 6. with Nehem. 2.18. where the People of the Lord are found thus doing; And they ſaid, Let us riſe up and build: So they ſtrengthened their hands for this good Work.
But laſtly; Pray you, let me Exhort you to aſſiſt Miniſters with your Prayers for their good, and the proſperity of Chriſt's work in their hand; remembring, That whilſt Moſes's hands were uplitld by Aaron and Hur, Iſrael prevailed, Exod. 17.11, 12. Even ſo my Brethren, your inceſſant Prayers in your Miniſters behalf, will utterly overthrow Amalek, and help Joſhua and Iſrael to prevail.
And thus I have done with this Exhortation, and with what I ſhall offer to your conſideration upon this Scripture; wherein I have, with what clearneſs and brevity conveniently I could, ſet before you what Preaching is, and whoſe Ordinance it is; who is a truly wiſe Preacher, and what his Work is; and the Bleſſing and Duty of all that enjoy ſuch Preachers.
Now conſider and examine what hath been ſaid, and the Lord give you wiſdom in all things. Amen, Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Stephen More, The Wise Gospel Preacher (1650)