The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 7
Maſter ſay on. Text. ]
We have conſiderable, firſt the Reverend and reſpective Appellation given by Simon to our Saviour, foreign, Maſter. Secondly, his Ready and ſubmiſſive Attention, in that word foreign, Say on.
Of the firſt: Simon doubted (as I have ſaid) whether Chriſt were a Prophet, but he ſaid it within himſelfe, &c. for he was held to be a Prophet, and in that reſpect he ſtiles him Maſter. We ſee then,
Doct. Reverence and Reſpect is due to the Prophets of the Lord. That there is an honour due to them appeares, Iudg. 13.17. Manoah taking the Angell (who brought him word of the birth of Sampſon) to be a Prophet, asked him his name; giving this for the Reaſon, that when his ſayings were come to paſſe, (and ſo prooved to be a Prophet) he might honour him. See 1 Tim. 5.17. Heb. 5.4. Phil. 2.29.
The want of this is noted for a great fault, Ioh. 4.43, 44. and a ſigne of horrible confuſion, Lament 4.16.
Vſe. A Point that would rather be conſidered of by you, then preſſed by us, and yet neceſſary to be urged in theſe laſt and worſt times, wherein (as if ſome new Cadmus had ſowen the earth with Sauls Teeth, and Sheme'is Tongue) ſo many riſe up armed againſt David, againſt Ahimelech and a linnen Ephod.
The day was, when the feet of Gods Prophets ſeemed beautifull upon the mountaines, Iſa. 52.7. when they have beene entertained as the Angels of God,Iſa. 52.7. Rom. 10.15. yea as Chriſt himſelfe, Gal. 4.14.
A Calling that hath beene honoured not only of the meaner ſort, but even of the honourable themſelves. Obadiah a great Courtier, calls Elijah Lord, 1 King. 18.7. Naaman the only Favourite of the King of Aram, ſtiles himſelfe Eliſhaes Servant, 2 King. 5.18. Ioaſh and Ioram ſtile him Father, 2 King. 13.14. Nebuchaduezzar the Monarch of the world falleth on his face and boweth before the Prophet Daniel 2.46. Herod reverenced Iohn the Baptiſt, Mark. 6.20. and Alexander honoured Iaddus: Conſtantine uſed the Biſhops at the Councell of Nice with more then ordinary reſpect.
And (to the ſhame of us Chriſtians) we ſhall find that Heathens, and Idolaters have farre exceeded us in honouring of their Prieſts, Be unto me a Father and a Prieſt, ſaith Michah, Iudg. 17. So ſaid the Danites to the young Levite in Michaes houſe (whom they allured to go with them) Come with us to be our Prieſt and Father, Valer. Max. lib. 1. c. 1.Iudg. 18.19. And to ſay no more, It is ſtoried of Albinius one of the Romane Conſuls, that when the Galles had taken Rome, and the Flamen and Veſtall virgins fled with the Implements, Inſtruments of Religion, the ſaid Albinius carrying his Wife and children in a Waggon, cauſed them, (with himſelfe) to deſcend,Sacerdotis aſpice dignitatem, agitur in terra ſed officium coeleſtibus negotijs continetur, &c. Per ipſos Chriſtum induimis, per ipſos Dei ſilio conjungimur, per ipſos membra beati ipſius capitis efficimur. Quomodo ergo nobis iſli non ſo'um reverendi magis quam reges aut judices, ſed etiam nobis magis crunt honorabiles quàm parentes. Chryſ. de dignitate Sacer. lib. 2. and placed therein thoſe their Prieſts and Votaries, preferring publike Religion before his owne or his peoples eaſe, which blind devotion of his cauſed one to ſay, that that homely Wane did equall yea excell the moſt glittering triumphant Chariot in the world. Yea the Divell himſelfe ſpeaking of Gods Miniſters, cannot but ſpeake honourably of them, as he did of Paul and Silas, Acts 19.15.
If you would know the Reaſons, why you ſhould honour and reſpect them, I will acquaint you with ſome briefly. Firſt, they ſerve a great Lord, one who is higher then the higheſt; they are his ſpeciall ſervants, Ier. 7.25. 2 King. 1.11. They are the Stewards of his houſe, 2 Cor. 4.1. Secretaries of State, Amos 3.7. His Embaſſadours, 2 Cor. 5.10. They are Gods mouth, Ier. 15.19. Will Rabſekah have Hezekiah the King ſtand in awe of the leaſt of his Maſters ſervants, the great King of Aſſyria, 2 King 18.24. And ſhall not theſe ſervants, which are in ſuch high places under the God of heaven (whoſe ſervice Kings themſelves may not ſcorne) have reſepect? Secondly, honour is due unto them in regard of their Gifts; it is a barbarous thing not to honour learning; and above all gifts and learning the beſt gifts ſhould be honoured moſt, of which ſort theirs are, 1 Cor. 12.31. & 14.1, 5. In ſhort, They are our Fathers and Maſters, Eccleſ. 12.11. 1 Cor. 4.15. and therefore honour is their due from us, Mal. 1.6.
Now I beſeech you Brethren know them which labour amongſt you, and are over you in the Lord, and admoniſh you: Rectifie your Judgements and Opinions, as concerning them, and their Callings; Account of them as of the Miniſters of Chriſt and ſtewards of the Myſteries of God. You think them to be as S. Paul ſpeaketh of himſelfe, Epheſ. 3.8. foreign, leſſe then the loweſt, when in Gods Judgement a Prophet is foreign, greater then the greateſt.
The Angell Gabriel ſaid of Iohn the Baptist, he ſhall be great in the ſight of the Lord, Luke 1.15. And yet his Calling is not ſo great, as theirs is, under the Goſpell; A greater then he, (our aviour ſaith) was not borne of a woman; that is, amongſt thoſe ancient Prophets which have been moſt famous in the world in former times, none greater then Iohn; yet he that is least in the Kingdome of Heaven is greater then he: that is, the meaneſt Miniſter under the Goſpell hath a more excellent office and function then he had. They preaching the ſame Saviour which he did; and that not onelyonly exhibited (wherein Iohn excelled the Prophets before him) but as having fully ſatisfied for mankind, triumphed over Death, and Hell, and aſcended into the glory of his Father. Yea ſo great is this Calling of theirs, that the Sonne of God himſelfe did not diſdaine to live in it, Luke 4.18. The latchet of whoſe ſhooes John Baptiſt thought himſelfe unworthy to ſtoope downe and unlooſe, Mark. 1.7.
The meane and baſe opinion that the world hath of Prophets, is through the ſubtilty, and deceit of Satan, who well knoweth, that the Doctrine ſhall little or nothing be eſteemed of, where the Perſon is not reverenced, and regarded. This was the cauſe why our bleſſed Saviour himſelfe, would ſtay no longer in Nazareth, (though it was the Towne where he was brought up,Luk. 2.39.4.16. and where his Parents formerly had dwelt) but went into other parts of Galile; For that a Prophet hath no honour in his owne Countrey, Ioh. 4.14. Why ſtood he ſo much upon his honour? He told us that he ſeekes not his owne praiſe, Ioh. 8.48, 49. Nor did he, but yet he knew full well that none could receive benefit by his Miniſtery, who did not reverence his Perſon. And thence it was he ſtood ſo much upon his honour, as that he would preach no where but where he might be honoured.
The contempt that is done to them, reacheth to the holy things that they are employed in; yea it reacheth to God himſelfe, Exod. 16.8. Luk. 10.16. whence it is that God hath taken it ſo heinouſly, and puniſhed the contempt of his Meſſengers ſo ſeverely as we read, 2 Chron. 3.16. 2 King. 2. 1 King. 13. Mat. 21.43. & 23.39.
Herod (you know) pretended great love to Iohn the Baptiſt, yet to pleaſure a minſing Damſell, he cut off his head, and gave it her for a favour. Did God take this well? When Chriſt was before him, he would not anſwer him a word, which ſhewes he was not well pleaſed with him: He ſpake to the High-Prieſt ſome words, though not many; to Pilate ſome; but when he came before Herod, never a word at all, (and no wonder, Iohn was vox clamantis, the voice of Chriſt, and Herod in beheading Iohn had taken away Chriſts voice before) Be aſſured Chriſt will do the more when he is ſilent.
Object. Think us not proud whilſt we preſſe this Doctrine on you. Humility you ſay becomes us; We would be Lords and Kings over Gods heritage, &c.
Reſp. In preaching this Truth, we preach not our ſelves but Chriſt Jeſus, 2 Cor. 4.5.
2. In preſſing this, we pleade not for Phariſaicall preheminence, Mat. 23.6. nor do we challenge to our ſelves that Civill Authority and reverence that is due to Magiſtrates, and great men of the world; but that which is due to our worke and Calling which is more Inward and Spirituall.
3. Humility is a Grace becomes all; Princes as well as Prophets; and yet though it beſeemes both Prince and Prophet to humble themſelves and practiſe humility, it becomes not the people to humble either of them. Wherefore Render to every one their dues, Tribute to whom Tribute is due, Feare to whom Feare, Honour to whom Honour. Rom. 1….7.But enough of this you will ſay.