A Gospel Glass, Treatise · Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII. Their miſearriages with reference to the Miniſters of Chriſt, Profeſſours miſcarriages toward their Miniſters ſince their removal. Not finding the want of them. Not eſteeming the loſs great enough.ſince their removal.
1. H How many of you do not find them wanting? This will be evident by the following Queries.
Have you indeed accounted that none in the world want help like your ſelves upon this very account? Do you look upon your ſelves as litting in darkneſs, yea in the region and ſhadow of death? under a worſe Plague than the Egyptian-darkneſs? that was a darkneſs, wherein men lived; but do you look on this as a darkneſs of death? Do you account a Throne without the Goſpel but the Devils Dungeon? Wealth without the Goſpel, fuell for Hell? Advancement without the Goſpel, but a going high, to have the greater fall? Do you look upon your ſelves as under a worſe famine than that of bread? Cannot you your ſelves make up this great loſs? cannot you ſet other things in the breach?
Do not ſome of you ſet good books in the room of your Miniſters? Going about to make it up, by good books.I confeſs (ſaith a Reverend Man) Reading hath its uſe; but the voice hath a ſecret force upon the Soul, it hath a Miniſterial efficacy, by which the Authority and Soveraign efficacy of the Spirit is conveyed. I pray God the fruitfullneſs of the Preſs may not beget a diſ-eſteem and contempt of the great Ordinance of the Miniſter already: you have been told already that Luther had rather his books ſhould be burnt, than the Scriptures ſuffer a diſhonour and neglect by peruſing his papers.
Do not ſome of you ſet your own parts and gifts in their room? Their own parts and gifts.Do not ſome of you think that you have ſo profited by their Miniſtry, that you have no further need to attend upon any Miniſters of Chriſt? May not ſuch doubt whether their experience of the power and efficacy of the Miniſtry hath been true, ſeeing true experience thereof ſweetneth the Miniſtry unto Souls, raiſeth up their eſteems of it, and engageth them to a further and more chearfull attendance upon it. A true taſt will ſharpen the Souls appetite: the true Chriſtian gets a Stomach by eating, as the new born babe by ſucking. 1 Pet. 2.2, 3.As new born babes deſire the ſincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if ſo be that ye have found that the Lord is gracious.
Do not ſome of you go about to make up your ſelves by attending on Chriſt's companions in the ſenſe of Solomon? And Chriſt's companions. Cant. 1.7.by going to Wells without water? by ſucking empty breaſts, whence you can draw nothing, but wind or blood? what is this but ſeeking the living among the dead? expecting gracious ſhowers from Clouds without rain? making up the want of bread with ſtones, if not poyſon? O! why do not you ſay, Tell me, O thou whom my Soul loveth, where thou feedeſt, where thou makeſt thy Flocks to reſt at Noon? for why ſhould I be as one that turneth aſide by the flocks of thy companions?
What ſighs, Not mourning enough for the want of them.ſorrows, tears, &c. hath the removal of your Miniſters coſt you? Cannot you rub it out very quietly? If you loſe your Jewels, Eſtates, Names, Friends, Children, &c. we can read the ſorrows of your hearts in your countenances: you are almoſt angry with God when a goard is ſmitten. O! what ſinkings of heart are there among Profeſſours? what cares? fears? griefs? not only to the ſadning of their hearts, but altering of their countenances, when the world vaniſheth? And yet no aking hearts, no dejected countenances for the glory's departing, for Gods ſhutting up houſe and departure? I am confident it hath not broke one nights reſt to many, who yet will think themſelves wronged, if they be not placed in the higheſt form of Profeſſion.
What time haſt thou ſet apart to humble thy Soul for all thy abuſes of the Goſpel and Miniſtry thereof? Not Faſting under this Judgment.If a Child be ſick, time muſt be ſet apart to humble thee before God: this is your duty; but the other ſhould not have been neglected. Thou may'ſt ſubſiſt better without Children, than without theſe Spiritual Fathers: a Goſpel Miniſtry is a greater Jewell, than many Sons and Daughters. Thy having ſinned away the food of thy Soul ſhould have put thee in Sackcloth, and upon Faſting with mourning long ago. All Iſrael lamented after the Ark; But are not you as merry and ſenſual at your tables as ever?
Yea are not you ſecretly glad at the removal of your Miniſters? yea ſecretly being glad for their removal.Miniſters and Miniſtry (ſaith Shepheard) are bills of charges to a Congregation, and too coſtly Inhabitants among them.
2. Not juſtifying God in their removal.Have you juſtified God in the removal of them? God as a wiſe and provident Maſter gave you glorious lights to do his work by; but you have plaid away your time: is it any wonder that he hath put out your Tapers and Candles? Have you confeſt the righteouſneſs of God herein, that he will not be at coſt to find you Candle light to play by? Hath this been thy hearts acknowledgment, God gave me theſe lights, that I might work for him by them; and becauſe I did not, but wrought the works of darkneſs; therefore he hath moſt juſtly left me in darkneſs, and in the ſhadows of death: 2 Theſ. 2.10, 11becauſe I received not the truth in the love thereof: I took it into mine head, but not into mine heart; God may juſtly ſend me ſtrong deluſions, that I ſhould believe a lye. Vide Pareu… in Act. 5.36.It is the obſervation of Pareus upon many of the Jews being ſeduced, that it was juſt with God, that they ſhould believe impoſtours; becauſe they would not give credit to Jeſus Chriſt. O! God may make ſhort work with us in his Judiciary proceedings. When God hath departed upon repulſe, he hath left a diſmall curſe behind hind him: I ſay unto you that none of theſe men, which were bidden ſhall taſt of my Supper: If the meat be on the table; yet it is juſt with God that I ſhall never taſt of it; for I have controuled the Spirit again and again: twenty, thirty, fourty years have I vexed the good Spirit of the Lord; and therefore he may ſwear in his wrath that I ſhall never enter into his reſt: If ſome ſhall never taſt that have neglected one Call, woe is me, who have neglected thouſands. Take words and ſay; becauſe I have not obeyed the voice of thy Servants, Job. 36.12.'tis righteous that I periſh by the Sword, and dye without knowledge.
3. Not bleſſing God for former opportunitles.How little have you bleſt, and do you bleſs God, that once you did enjoy a Goſpel Miniſtry? and ſuch a Goſpel Miniſtry? How ſeldome are ſuch words as theſe, Bleſſed be they, and bleſſed be their Counſels, and bleſſed be the Lord, that ſent them out to meet me in former dayes, and for ſo many dayes, months, and years together, found in your mouths? It is a ſign that your diſeſteems of the Goſpel and Miniſtry do ſtill abide, whilſt you cannot find in your hearts to thank God for enjoying ſo choice a bleſſing for ſo many years together.
4. Not crying for their return.What cries have you ſent up to Heaven for the return of your Miniſters? Dare you thus imprecate, Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I forget to pray for Zions welfare in this particular? Had the Miniſtry of the Goſpel been counted a glorious bleſſing, you would have ſent ſtrong cryes to Heaven, for the return of it: Had you believed, that they came to treat with your Souls, about your peace with God, and that God hath appointed this as the great means to bring your Souls to himſelf, you would not have parted with your Miniſters ſo eaſily, being as little moved, as at the withering, and throwing to the dunghill, of a formerly flouriſhing Noſe gay of Flowers; and you would have wreſtled with the Lord, for the return of theſe glorious Lights of Heaven. How can you chuſe but feat, the Lord hath no more Souls to convert in that place, from which the Goſpel is removed? Jeſus Chriſt prayed, Iſa. 49.8. compared with 2 Cor. 6.2.that the Goſpel might be ſent to the Gentiles: In an acceptable time have I heard thee. O! How ſhould you have prayed for the fruit of Chriſts prayer? Have you back'd prayer with prayer? Have you doubled your Prayers for the return of your Fathers? Have they not begotten you? Judg. 9.17.Should they not be unto you as Fathers? Will not Idolatrous Micah elſe condemn you?
5. Not preparing for ſuch a mercy.How little do you ſet your ſelves in a poſture for the return of the Goſpel and the Miniſters of it? Until you have humbled your Souls as low as the duſt for your unprofitableneſs, pride, ſenſuality, earthlineſs, diſ-eſteems, and neglects of the Goſpel, for your abuſe of the talents of Gold, that you hid or waſted, can you imagine that God will intruſt you with more talents? Alas! few put themſelves in a readineſs: few prepare to meet God, as formerly they have met him in the ſolemn Aſſemblies. Verily, God is gone and returned unto his place, Hoſ. 5.13.till you acknowledge your offences (your Goſpel-ſins) and ſeek his face. But if ye ſeek him not early, how can ye hope for the bringing back the Captivity? that the glory and ſtrength will return?
6 Being niggardly even now toward them.How little do ye now lay out for the refreſhing and feeding of your poor Ministers, now that their neceſſities are ſo growing? you cannot now excuſe your niggardlineſs with this, they have a competency: Alas! moſt of them, and their many little ones are in great ſtraights and exigencies, and what, ſtill ſtraightned in your bowels? Is not the Proverb made good, Out of ſight out of mind? If all were as unmercifull as ſome of you, they and their Children would ſwoon away in deſolate Wilderneſſes. Remember Hagar and the Child: Did God pity that Egyptian? and have you no pity on your poor Miniſters? Are not you ſo far from the Macedonian bounty, 2 Cor. 8.3.of giving above your power, that you will not afford them your ſuperfluities? Who is there that redeems from his table, from his belly, from his cloaths, to cover theſe naked ſhoulders, and to fill theſe empty bellies? Doth not Baruck's ſore run upon you, you trade for your ſelves, ſeek great things for your ſelves, and ſend away your ſpiritual Fathers, with, I pray God bleſs you, &c. be ye cloathed, &c. but do not give according to their neceſſities, and your abilities. O! Jam. 2.15, 16, 17.How dwelleth the love of God in you? Boaſt what you will of your Profeſſion and Faith, your Faith without Works is but dead.