The Wise Gospel Preacher, To the reader – Argument
TO THE READER.
Chriſtian Reader,
ALthough there is nothing new or ſtrange now to be preſented to thy view; for, as Solomon ſaith, The thing that hath been, it is that which ſhall be; and that which is done, is that which ſhall be done; and there is no new thing under the Sun: Is there any thing whereof it may be ſaid, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us, Eccleſ. 1.9, 10. Wherefore let me intreat thee peruſe this Book for Truth, and not for Novelty, leſt ſo doing, thou loſe thy labour, and reap no profit by thy pains: And if any ſhall meet thee with their Out-cry, crying, Take heed, for here are ſtrange things preſented to your eyes; ſay No, for there is nothing new or ſtrange under the Sun: And if any thing here written be to any ſtrange, I muſt take leave to tell them, 'Tis becauſe they know not the Scripture, and are ſtrangers in Jeruſalem, and have not known the things that are come to paſs there in theſe dayes, Luke 24.18. And if any ſhould yet retort upon me as a troubler of Iſrael, or a bringer forth of ſtrange Things, or new Doctrines, to their ears, I will not think it ſtrange to be thus dealt with, for thus dealt their Fathers with the Prophets and Apoſtles, in that firſt Book of Kings we find that thus Ahab ſaid to Elijah, Art thou he that troubleth Iſrael? But he anſwered, I have not troubled Iſrael, but thou and thy Father's Houſe, in that ye have forſaken the Commandments of the Lord, and haſt followed Baalim, verſ. 17, 18. And thus was holy Paul ſerved, Acts 17. where you read, That certain Philoſophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him; and ſome ſaid, What will this Babler ſay? other ſome, He ſeemeth to be a ſetter forth of ſtrange Godds; becauſe he preached unto them, Jeſus, and the Reſurrection: And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, ſaying, May we know what this new Doctrine whereof thou ſpeakeſt is? for thou bringeſt certain ſtrange things to our ears; we would know therefore what theſe things mean? verſ. 18, 19, 20. Therefore if ſuch things befal me, I ſhall not be moved; for if thus they dealt with the green Trees, marvel not they thus deal with the dry: Wherefore, Chriſtian Reader, notwithſtanding ſuch Out-cries as theſe, which probably thou mayeſt meet with, yet be pleaſed to read on, and conſider what is ſaid; and the Lord give thee underſtanding in all things, that thou mayeſt ſearch the Scriptures, and try whether the things aſſerted for truth be ſo or no; for no more is impoſed upon your Faith, than what evidence of Scripture doth demonſtrate to be the Faith of Jeſus, and of his Elect; and if any Fathers in our Iſrael ſhall ſay, To what purpoſe is this waſte? Preachers doubtleſs know their Duty well enough, it were well if others knew theirs better. I ſhall only Anſwer theſe over-wiſe ones in the language of Job, No doubt but ye are the People, and wiſdom ſhall die with you, Chap. 12.2. Yet bear with me to ſhew my Love to Chriſt, and offer my Mite to you, remembring what Paul ſaith, And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know, 1 Cor. 8.2. And if you know theſe things already, O how happy ſhall both you and I be, when we ſhall be found doing the things we ſay we know, and are here revealed: And as for others, (or our Hearers) know, ſo far as the Work called for it, they are not forgotten; but remember, that the more fully, the Preacher lives up to his Duty, the more the People will be furthered in their Duty, Preachers being not only nominally called Stars and Shepherds, or Biſhops and Fathers, but alſo they ought virtully to be Lights in their Candleſticks, Shepherds feeding of their Flocks, and Fathers laying up and laying out for their Children, as the Lord teacheth, ſaying, Ye are the Salt of the Earth; but if the Salt have loſt his ſavour, wherewith ſhall it be ſalted? Ye are the Lights of the World; a City ſet upon a Hill which cannot be hid: Neither do men light a Candle and put it under a Buſhel, but on a Candleſtick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the Houſe. Let your Light ſo ſhine before men, that they may ſee your good Works, and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven, Mat. 5.13, 14, 15, 16. But if notwithſtanding what hath been ſaid by me, my Mothers Children, and Elder Brethren will yet be angry with me; I will reſolve not to paſs for Man's Day, or to be angry with them, or to return evil for evil, or railing for reviſing, but pray for them, with holy Stephen, and cry, Lord, lay not this ſin to their charge, Acts 7.50.
My end and ground, both in Preaching and Printing theſe Sermons, was an inward motion to follow the movings and workings of the Spirit upon my Soul, in conformity to thoſe I read of in 2 Pet. 1.21. where it is ſaid, Holy Men of God ſpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoſt: 'Tis truth, as hath been already owned. When theſe Sermons were Preached, I thought not of Printing; but ſince being called upon ſo to do, I judged it my duty, as one of Chriſt's living Creatures, to walk ſtreight forward whither the Spirit was to go, and not to turn when going, Ezek. 1.12. As for my great unfitneſs, yea, exceeding great unfitneſs for ſuch a work, I profeſs I am not unſenſible of it, neither ſhall be aſhamed to own it to any that ſhall object it; yet notwithſtanding, ſince God deſpiſeth not the day of ſmall things, and will accept of what a man hath, and not of what a man hath not, wherefore I am reſolved to be found faithful, as becomes him that is a Steward, not forgetting what the Lord ſaid to Ezekiel, Son of Man, I have made thee a Watchman unto the Houſe of Iſrael, therefore hear the Word at my Mouth, and give them warning from me, Chap. 3.17. The Style is low, and the Method plain, and the Argument ſomewhat bold and impartial; wonder not at it, it being moſt like him that did it, even one who was reſolved to be one of Paul's Scholars in this Work; to wit, Not to come …o you with excellency of Speech, or of Wiſdom, declaring unto you the teſtimony of God; for I determined not to know any thing among you, ſave Jeſus Chriſt, and him crucified, 1 Cor. 2.1, 2. Surely plainneſs will hurt or hinder none, though elegancy and obſcurity might, although it could have profited none, who-ever it might have pleaſed. If any think due reſpect hath not ſufficiently been ſhown to Superiors, let me ſay to ſuch, my aim and utmoſt endeavour hath been, not to offend or over-look ſuch, but to give unto Ceſar th… things which are Ceſar's, though to God the things that are God's: And this I have done, ſo far as I might, without ſin or flattery. Wherefore vouchſafe to peruſe, ſoberly and throughly, theſe lines; and know here is Milk for Babes, and ſtronger Meat for ſtronger Ones. And let me tell you, God is now ſpeaking to you, and ſaying to you as of old, How long, ye ſimple ones, will ye love ſimplicity? and the ſcorners delight in ſcorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, and make known my words unto you, Prov. 1.22, 23. 'Tis now your day of Grace, Jeſus Chriſt is wooing all his People to come out of Babylon; but if ye will not hear, and fear, and repent your ſelves, ye muſt be ſure to partake of her judgment as well as of her ſins, Rev. 18.4. O! do not think Superſtition, or Idolatry, or Will-worſhip, or mens invention in God's Worſhip a ſmall ſin; but remember that dreadful word, Do we provoke the Lord? are we ſtronger than he? (O no) be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatſoever a man ſoweth, that ſhall he alſo reap, 1 Cor. 10.22. Gal. 6.10. Wherefore do nothing partially in the matter of Religion; be not circumſpect about Doctrine, and careleſs about Diſcipline or Church wayes; be not ſtrict for ſecond-Table-Duties, and make no Conſcience of firſt-Table-ſins: Neither make it all your holineſs to mind Family-Duties, but alſo look well to your publick-Worſhip, or your walking with Jeſus Chriſt in his Publick Worſhip.
Such things as theſe, Chriſtian Reader, are in this little Treatiſe preſented to thy view and conſideration; be pleaſed to take nothing in the evil or worſe part, but as thou haſt all from love, ſo let thy love accept of all that carries Chriſt's Image and Superſcription upon it; and with thy Mantle of Love, cover all thou meeteſt with of humane frailty: And if by all, or any thing herein preſented to thee, thou reapeſt any real benefit or profit, I requeſt you to give God all the glory, and ſay, Of him, and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever; which is, and ſhall be, the earneſt prayer of him who is, and will remain thine to ſerve thee,
S. MORE.
The Contents.
Eccleſiaſtes 12.9. 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, &c.
THe words, in general, contain an account of an Accompliſhed Preacher.
1. As to his Qualification.
2. As to his Work, Act, and Diſpenſation.
3. The bleſſing and advantage of enjoying ſuch Preachers.
But more particularly take notice of theſe things following:
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:
1. The Act; his conſtancy in Teaching, &c.
2. Perſeverance in this Work; He ſtill taught the People Knowledge.
3. His warineſs or circumſpection in managing this great Work: Yea, he gave good heed.
4. His diligence, induſtry, or laboriouſneſs, He ſought; he did not catch up, or deliver any thing, but what he had ſought out, and found meet to be delivered.
5. 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.
6. Laſtly, We have the Ʋſe and Benefit of the properties of ſuch Preachings or Preachers; in theſe words, The words of the wiſe are as Goads and Nails.