The Christians Charter, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. The opening of the Charter, Things present are a Beleevers.
AND now I come to that great question,Quest. What are the things contained in the Charter?
Resp. There are two words inAnsw. the text that expresse it, Things present, and things to come. I begin with the first.
1. foreign.1. foreign, Things present are a beleevers. Amongst these things present, there are three specified in the text; Paul and Apollo, the world, life, &c. Here is, me thinks, a row of pearl: I will take every one of these asunder, and shew you their worth, then see how rich a beleever is, that wears such a chaine of pearle about him.
§. 1. Paul and Apollo are yours.
1. foreign.1. Under these words Paul and Apollo, by a figure are comprehended all the Ministers of Christ,*Summi & in…imi. Pareus. the weakest as well as the eminentest. Paul and Apollo are yours, viz. their labours are for *Vo…is ad bonum inserviunt. Aretius.edifying the Church. They are *Beza.adminicula fidei, the helpers of your faith. The parts of a Minister are not given him for himself, they are the Churches *foreign. Oecumenius in locum.. If the people have a taint of errour, the Ministers of Christ must season them with wholesome words; therefore they are called *Mat. 5.13.the salt of the earth. If any soul be fainting under the burden of sin, 'tis the work of a Minister to drop in comfort, therefore he is said to hold forth the brests as a nurse *1 Thes. 2.7.. Thus Paul and Apollo are yours: All the gifts of a Minister, all his graces, are not only for himself, they are the *Eph. 4.8.Churches. A Minister must not monopolize his gifts to himselfe, this is to hide his talents in a napkin; such an one makes an enclosure, where God would have all common. Paul and Apollo are yours: The Ministers of Christ should be as musk among linnen, which casts a fragrancy; or like that box of spiknard, which being broken open, fill'd the house with its odour*Joh. 12.3.: So should they do by the savour of their ointments. A Minister by sending out a sweet perfume in his doctrine and life, makes the Church of God as a garden of spices. Paul and Apollo are yours: They are as a lamp or torch to light souls to heaven*Rev. 1.20.. Chrysostome's hearers thought they had as good be without the Sun in the Firmament, as Chrysostome in the Pulpit. Paul and Apollo are springs that hold the water of life: as these springs must not be poisoned, so neither must they be shut up or sealed. A Minister of Christ is both a granary to hold the corn, and a Steward to give it out. 'Tis little better then theft, to withhold the bread of life. The lips of Apollo must be as an hony-comb, dropping in season and out of season. The graces of the Spirit are sacred flowers, which though they cannot die, yet being apt to wither, Apollo must come with his water-pot*1 Cor. 3.6.. It is not enough that there be Grace in the heart, but it must be poured into his lips. As Paul is a beleever, so all things are his; but as Paul is a Minister, so he is not his own, he is the Churches. There are three corrolaries I shall draw from this.
Use 1. If Paul and Apollo are yours, Vse 1.Every Minister of Christ is given for the edifying of the Church; take heed that you despise not the least of these; for all are for your profit. The least star gives light, the least drop moistens. There is some use to be made even of the lowest parts of men: There are gifts differing *Rom. 12.6., but all are yours. The weakest Minister may help to strengthen your faith. In the law, all the Levites did not sacrifice, onelyonly the Priests, as Aaron, and his sons; but all were serviceable in the worship of God; those that did not sacrifice, yet helped to bear the Arke. As in a building, some bring stones, some timber, some perhaps bring only nailes; yet these are usefull, these serve to fasten the work in the building: The Church of God is a spiritual building*1 Cor. 3.9, some Ministers bring stones, are more eminent and useful; others timber, others lesse, they have but a nail in the work, yet all serve for the good of this building. The least nail in the Ministry serves for the fastning of souls to Christ, therefore let none be contemned. Though all are not Apostles, all are not Evangelists, all have not the same dexterous abilities in their work; yet remember, all are yours, all edifie. Oftentimes God crowns his labours, and sends most fish into his net, who though he may be lesse skilful, is more faithful; and though he hath lesse of the brain, yet more of the heart. An Ambassador may deliver his Ambassage with a trembling lip, and a stammering tongue, but he is honourable for his works sake, he represents the Kings person.
Use. 2.Vse. 2. If Paul and Apollo are yours, all Christs Ministers have a subserviency to your good, they come to make up the match between Christ and you: then love Paul and Apollo. All the labours of a Minister, his prayers, his tears, the pregnancy of his parts, the torrent of his affections, all are yours; then by the law of equity, there must be some reflections of love from your hearts towards Paul and Apollo, such as are set over you in the Lord *Phil. 2.29.. If they seek your establishment, you must seek their encouragement; if they endeavour your salvation, you must endeavour their safety; What an unnatural thing is it, that any should strive to bring them to death, whose very calling is to bring men to life▪ The Minister is a spiritual Father *1 Cor. 4.16., it was a brand of infamy on them, Hos. 4.4. For this people are as they that strive with their Priest. Was there none to fall out with but the Priest, even he that offered up their sacrifices for them? and what is it, think we, for men to quarrel with their spiritual Fathers? even those whom they once had a venerable opinion of, and acknowledged to be the means of their conversion? Either love your spiritual Fathers or there is ground of suspicion that yours was but a false birth.
Vse. 3.Use 3. If Paul and Apollo are yours, they are for the building you up in your faith. Then endeavour to get good by the labours of Paul and Apollo, I mean such as labour in the word and doctrine. Let them not plow upon the rock: Answer Gods end in sending them among you. Oh labour to profit: you may get some knowledge by the word, such as is discursive and polemicall, and yet not profit.
Quest. What is it to profit?
Resp. The Apostle tells us, Heb. 4.2. When we mingle the word with faith, that is, when we so heare, that we believe, and so believe, that we are transformed into the image of the word; Ye have obeyed from the heart that forme of doctrine, foreign, into which ye were delivered▪ *Rom. 6.17.It is one thing for the truth to be delivered to us, and another thing for us to be delivered into the truth: the words are a Metaphor taken from lead and silver cast into a mould. This is to profit, when our hearts are cast into the mould of the word preached: As the seed is spiritual, so the heart is spiritual. We should do as the Bee, when she hath sucked sweetnesse from the flower, she works it in her owne hive, and so turns it to honey: Thus when we have sucked any precious truth, we should by holy Meditation work it in the hive of our hearts, and then it would turn to hony: we should profit by it. Oh let the labours of Paul and Apollo have an influence upon us. A good hearer should labour to go out from the Ministery of the Word, as Naaman out of Iordan, his leprous flesh was healed and became as the other: So though we came to the word proud, we should go home humble; though we came to the word earthly, we should go home heavenly: Our Leprosie should be healed. Ambrose observes of the woman of *Joh. 4.7.Samaria, that came to Iacobs Well: She came peccatrix, she went away praedicatrix; She came a sinner, she went away a Prophetesse. Such a metamorphosis should the Word of God make. Let not the Ministers of Christ say upon their death-beds; the bellowes are burnt, and the lead consumed; they have spent their lungs, and exhausted their strength; but know not whether they have done any thing, unlesse preached men to hell. Oh labour to grow: some grow not at all, others grow worse for hearing; *2 Tim. 3.13.Evil men shall wax worse and worse, as Pliny speaks of some fish that swim backward: they grow dead-hearted in Religion, they grow covetous, they grow Apostates: It were far easier to write a book of Apostates in this age, then a book of Martyrs; men grow riper for hell every day. Oh labour to thrive under the spirituall dew that falls upon you. Let not the Ministers of Christ, be as those which beat the air. Is it not sad, when the Spiritual clouds shall drop their rain upon a barren heath? When the Ministers tongue is as the pen of a ready Writer, and the peoples heart is like paper when it is oiled▪ that will take no impression. Oh improve in grace: If you have a barren piece of ground, you do all you can to improve it, and will you not improve a barren heart? It is a great Encomium and honour to the Ministery, when people thrive under it; Need we, as some others▪ Epistles of commendation *2 Cor. 3.1.? Paul esteemed the Corinthians his glory and his crown; hence, saith he, though other Ministers have need of letters of commendation, yet he needed none; for when men should heare of the faith of these Corinthians, which was wrought in them by Pauls preaching, this was sufficient certificate for him that God had blessed his labours, there should need no other Epistle, they themselves were walking certificates, they were his letters testimonial. This was an high Elogium; what an honor is it to a Minister, when it shall be said of him as once of Octavius, when he came into Rome he found the walls of brick, but he left them walls of marble; So when the Minister came among the people, he found hearts of stone, but he left hearts of flesh. On the other side, it is a dishonour to a Minister when his people are like Labans lambs, or Pharaoh's kine. There are some diseases which they call, opprobria Medicorum, the reproaches of Physicians; and there are some people who may becalled opprobria Ministrorum, the reproaches of Ministers: what greater dishonour to a Minister, then when it shall be said of him, he hath lived so many years in a Parish, he found them an ignorant people, and they are so still; he found them a dull, slothfull people, (as if they went to the Temple, as some use to go to the Apothecaries shop, to take a Recipe to make them sleep) and they are so still; he found them a profane people, and so they are still▪ Surely there is some fault, or God doth not go forth with his labours; such a people are not a Ministers crown, but his heart-breaking Oh let your profiting appear to all. 1 Tim. 4▪15.God sends Paul and Apollo as blessings among a people, they are to be helpers of your faith▪ if they toile all night, and take nothing *Luk. 5.5., 'tis to be feared that Satan caught the fish ere they came at their net.
§. 2. Shewing, That the world is a Beleevers.
2. foreign.2. The next thing is, the world is yours.
1. The lawfull use of the world. is a Believers.
2. The speciall use of the world, is a Believers.
1. The lawful use of the world is yours. The Gospel doth somewhat enlarge our Charter. We are not in all things, so tied up as the Jewes were; there were several sorts of meat that were prohibited them, they might eat of those beasts onelyonly that did chew the cud, and part the hoof*Lev. 1.3., they might not eat of the swine; because though it did divide the hoof, yet it did not chew the cud; nor of the Hare, because though it did chew the cud; yet it did not not divide the hoof, it was unclean; but to Christians that live under the the Gospel, there is not this prohibition. The world is yours, the lawfull use of it is yours; every creature being sanctified by the Word and Prayer, is good *1 Tim. 4.4., and we may eat, asking no question for conscience sake. The World is a garden, God hath given us leave to pick of any flower. It is a Paradise, we may eat of any tree that growes in it, but the forbidden, that is sin; *1 Cor. 7.31.And they that use this World, as not abusing it. We are apt to offend most in lawful things. The World is yours to traffick in; onelyonly let them that buy, be as if they bought not: take heed that you do not drive such a trade in the world that you are like to break in your trading for heaven.
2. The special use of the world is yours.
1. The world was made for your sake.
2. All things that fall out in the world are for your good.
1. The world was made for your sake. God hath raised this great fabrick chiefly for a Believer. The Saints are Gods jewels, Mal. 3.17. The world is the shrine or Cabinet where God locks up these jewels for a time. The world is yours *foreign. Oecumen., it was made for you. The creation is but a theatre, to act the great work of Redemption upon. The world is the field, the Saints are the corn, the ordinances are the showers, the mercies of God are the Sunshine that ripens this corn, death is the sickle that cuts it down, the Angels are the harvesters that carry it into the barn. The world is yours, God would never have made this field, were it not for the corn growing in it. What use then is there of the wicked? They are as an hedge to keep the corn from forrain invasions, though oft-times they are a thorn-hedge.
Quest. But, alas,Quest. a childe of God hath oft the least share in the world, how then is the world his?
Answ. If thou art a believer,Answ. that little thou hast, though it be but an handfull of the world, it is blest to thee; If there be any consecrated ground in the world, that is a believers. The world is yours; Esau had the venison, but Iacob got the blessing: a little blest is sweet. A little of the world with a great deal of peace, is better then the revenues of unrighteousnesse. Ps 37.16.Every mercy a childe of God hath swims to him in Christs blood, and this sauce makes it relish the sweeter. Whatever he tastes, is seasoned with Gods love; he hath not only the mercy, but the blessing: So that the World is a Believers. An Unbeliever, that hath the World at will; yet the World is not his, he doth not taste the quintessence of it. Thornes and thistles doth the ground bring forth to him. He feeds upon the fruit of the curse, *Mal. 2.2.I will curse your blessings; he eats with bitter herbs: So that properly the World is a Believers. He only hath a Scripture-tenure, and that little he hath turnes to creame. Every mercy is a present sent him from heaven.
2. All things that fall out in the World, are for your good.
1. The want of the World, all is for your good.
2. The hatred of the World, all is for your good.
Mundi indigentia.1. The want of the World is for your good. By wanting the honours and revenues of the World, you want the temptations that others have. Physicians observe, that men die sooner by the abundance of blood, then the scarcity; 'tis hard to say, which kills most, the sword or surfet: A glutton with his teeth digs his own grave. The world is a silken net, *Prov. 3.32.the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. Him whom I shall kisse, (saith Judas) take him: so, whom the world kisseth, it often betrayes. The want of the world is a mercy.
2. The Hatred of the world is for your good.Mundi inimicit…a. Wicked men are instruments in Gods hand for good, (albeit they mean not so;) they are flails to thresh off our husks, files to brighten our graces, leeches to suck out the noxious blood. *Dant preciosa balsama. Hier.Out of the most poisonful drug, God distils his glory and our salvation. A childe of God is beholding even to his enemies, The ploughers ploughed upon my back *Ps. 129.3, if they did not plough and harrow us, we should bear but a very thin crop. After a man hath planted a tree, he prunes and dresseth it. Persecutors are Gods pruning-hook, to cut off the excrescencies of sin; and evermore the bleeding vine is most fruitful: the envy and malice of the wicked shall do us good: God stirred up the people of Egypt to hate the Israelites, and that was a meanes to usher in their deliverance. The frownes of the wicked make us the more ambitious of Gods smile; their incensed rage, as it shall carry on Gods decree (for while they sit backward to his command, they shall row forward to his decree) so it shall have a subserviency to our good. Every crosse winde of providence shal blow a believer neerer to the port of glory. What a blessed condition is a child of God in! kill him, or save him alive, it is all one. The opposition of the world is for his good. The world is yours.
§. 3. Shewing, That life is a believers.
3. The next thing is, Life is yours. Hierome understands it of the life of Christ. 3. foreignIt is true, Christs life is ours, the life which he lived on earth, and the life which he now lives in heaven; his satisfaction and his intercession both are ours, and they are of unspeakable comfort to us. But I conceive by life in the text, is meant Natural life, that which is contradistinguished to death: So Ambrose. Ambrose.But how is life a Beleevers? Two wayes.
1. The priviledge of life is his.
2, The comfort of life is his.
1. The priviledge of life is a believers: that is, life to a childe of God, is an advantage for heaven: this life is given him to make provision for a better life. Life is the porch of Eternity; here the Believer dresseth himself, that he may be fit to enter in with the Bridegroome. We cannot say of a wicked man, (unlesse catachrestically) that life is his. Though he lives, yet life is not his, he is dead while he lives. He doth not improve the life of nature to get the life of grace; he is like a man that takes the lease of a farm, and makes no benefit of it. Diu fuit in mundo, non vixit; he hath been so long in the world, as Seneca speaks, but he hath not lived. He was borne in the Reigne of such a King, his father left him such an estate, he was of such an age, and then he died; there's an end of him, his life was not worth a prayer, nor his death worth a tear. But life is yours; 'tis a priviledge to a Believer, while he hath natural life, he layes hold upon *1 Tim. 6.12.eternal life, how doth he work out his salvation? what a do is there to get his evidences sealed? what weeping, what wrastling? how doth he even take heaven by storme? So that life is yours: It is to a childe of God a season of grace, the seed-time for eternity; the longer he lives, the riper he grows for heaven. The life of a believer spends as a lamp, he doth good to himselfe and others; the life of a sinner runs out as the sand, it doth little good. The life of the one is as a figure ingraven in marble; the life of the other as letters written in dust.
2. The …fort of life is a beleevers *2 Cor. 6.10.. As sorrowful, yet alwayes rejoycing …ake a childe of God at the … disadvantage, let his life be …ver-cast with clouds, yet if there be any comfort in life, the believer hath it. Our life is oft imbecill and weake, but the spiritual life doth administer comfort to the natural. Homo componitur ex mortali & rationali, Man (saith Augustine) is compounded of the mortal part and the rational part;Aug. the rational serves to comfort the mortal. So, I may say, a Christian consists of a natural life, and a spiritual, the spiritual revives the natural. Observe how the spiritual life distils sweetnesse into the natural, in three cases.
1. In case of Poverty. This oft eclipses the comfort of life *foreign. Menand.. But what though poverty hath clipped the wings? Poore in the world, yet rich in faith, Jam. 2.5. The one humbles, the other revives
2. In case of Reproach. This is an heart-breaking, Psal. 69.20. Reproach hath broken my heart. Yet a Christianhath his Cordial by him, 2 Cor. 1.12. foreign: For this is our rejoycing, the testimony of our conscience. Who would desire a better Jury to acquit him then God, and his own conscience?
3. In case of losses. 'Tis in it selfe sad, to have an interposition between us, and our dear relations. A limb, as it were pull'd from our body, and sometimes our estates strangely melted away; yet a believer hath some gleanings of comfort left, and such gleanings as are better then the worlds *Judg 8.2.vintage. Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, foreign, knowing in your selves that you have in heaven a better and an induring substance, Heb. 10.34. They had lost their estate, but not their God. Here is, you see, the drie rod blossoming. The spiritual life distils comfort into the natural. Take the sourest part of a Christians life, and there is comfort in it. When you heare him sighing bitterly, it is for sin; and such a sigh, though it may break the heart, yet it revives it*Isa 57.15. The tears of the godly are sweeter then the triumph of the wicked. The comfort that a wicked man hath is only imaginary, it is but a pleasant fancy; as rejoycing, yet alwayes sorrowing: He hath that within spoiles his musick. But life is yours. When a believers life is at the lowest ebbe, yet he hath aspringtide of comfort.