Englands Face in Israels Glass, Sermon 11
A SERMON PREACHED at Pauls, Novem. 14th. Anno Dom. 1641.
2 CORINTH. 6.8.
By honour and diſhonour, by evill report and good report, as deceivers and yet true.
THe words doe refer to the 4th. verſe, wherein the bleſſed Veſſell of election, St. Paul, beginneth to ſhew, how hee and Timothy, and other faithfull Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt, did approve themſelves to be ſo, by exerciſe of patience, by pureneſſe, by knowledge, by long-ſuffering, by kindeneſſe, by the holy Ghoſt, by love unfeigned, by the Word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteouſneſſe, on the right hand, and on the left; and all this, when (as it is in the Text) they paſſed thorow honour and diſhonour, evill report and good report, accounted to be deceivers when they were true.
In the handling of the words (wherein are three Antitheta's) I propound this courſe; I will firſt handle the Antitheta's themſelves ſeverally.
In the ſecond place, I will ſhew how it is the lot of the beſt of Gods children to paſſe thorow every one of them.
And, in the third place, I ſhall ſhew that we ſhall then approve our ſelves to be true Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt (as Saint Paul doth here) when, as paſsing through honour and diſhonour, evill report and good report, held to be deceivers when wee are yet true, wee doe notwithſtanding keep the faith, hold our owne, fulfill our Miniſtery.
Honour, and Diſhonour.HOnour, in Greek foreign, is nothing elſe but a good opinion and eſtimation, which a man findeth among ſuch as are wiſe, and virtuous, and religious; upon the acknowledgement either of ſome good graces, wherewith God hath honoured him, or of ſome good virtuous actions, wherewith hee hath honoured God: Honor, in Scripturis non tantum in ſalutationibus & officiis deferendis, quantum in eleemoſynis ac munerum oblatione ſentitur. Hieron. in caput 15. Matthaei.And this honour is made knowne abroad, not onelyonly by ſalutations and greetings in the Market-place, which was a piece of Honour wherewith the Phariſee was well pleaſed; nor onelyonly in Titles to be called Rabbi, Rabbi, which they alſo affected, but in the performance of God offices, and all due obſervances, together with rewards and preſents, which are therefore called Honoraria, as given by way of honour. Thus the Queen of Sheba honoured Solomon with a preſent of an hundred and twenty talents of gold, beſide precious ſtones, and ſpices in great abundance, 1 King. 10.10. Thus the men of Judah honoured Jehoſophat with ſo many preſents, that hee had riches and honour in abundance, 2 Chro. 17.5. So the Wiſe-men, that came from the Eaſt, did their honour to Chriſt, not onelyonly by falling downe and worſhipping him, but by opening their treaſures, and preſenting their gifts, Gold, Frankincenſe, and Myrrhe, Matt. 2.11. Our Saint Paul had honour, and much honour, foreign ſo ſaith Saint Luke, Acts 28. ver. 10. They honoured us with many honours, and laded us with ſuch things as were neceſſary for our journey.
And, to ſay no more, What is that double honour which the Elders are worthy of that rule well, 1 Timoth. 5.17. but Reverence and Maintenance? If maintenance be taken away, reverence is ſoon loſt; who will give honour to the Miniſter, what ever worth be in his perſon, if ability and outward meanes be wanting? Solomon telleth us, that the wiſedome of a poore man is deſpiſed, and his words are not heard, Eccleſiaſt. c. 9. ver. 16.
This honour, in what thing ſoever it is ſhewn, muſt be acknowledged a bleſsing of God beſtowed upon his children, as a reward of former good ſervices, and an encouragement to future. Thus was Abraham, though a ſtranger, honoured among the Hittites, as a Prince of God; and had a choyce given him of a Sepulchre, amongſt the choyceſt of their Sepulchers, Geneſis 23. Jehoida, that reverend High-Prieſt, lived in honour, and dyed as full of honour as of dayes, having been matched in Marriage with the Siſter of the King, and buried in the City of David among the Kings: and this was becauſe hee had done good in Iſrael towards God, and towards his houſe, 2 Chron. 24. ver. 16. But what doe I ſpeak of ſuch eminent Perſons? Saint John Baptiſt in his Eremiticall retired courſe of life, wanted not his honour, not onelyonly among the people, who held a common conſtant opinion of him, that he was a Prophet, but even with Herod the King, who both feared him, and obſerved him, foreign, becauſe he was a juſt, and an holy man. Goodneſſe may command honour, when greatneſſe muſt begge it. It is this honour which nouriſheth Arts: Learning would ſoone decay, if this honour were taken from it: This encourageth to virtuous actions, Valerius Maximus.Virtutis uberrimum nutrimentum honos. It is this that putteth a man upon the greateſt ſervices: David durſt adventure to fight with the Philiſtine, after hee had heard how the man ſhould be honoured that ſlew him. There is no noble or generous ſpirit, but doth value honour at the higheſt rate: Intereſſe honoris eſt majus omni alio Intereſſe. Wee reade of many, in Gentile Stories, as Ajax, Brutus, Antony, Cato Uticenſis, and others, which have willingly rid themſelves of life, to rid themſelves of ſome diſhonour: Did not Saul the like in holy Scripture, when hee fell upon his owne ſword? Did not Sampſon the like, when hee pulled the houſe upon his owne head, and upon the heads of the Philiſtines, that had ſo diſhonoured him? It troubled not Abimelech to thinke that hee ſhould die, it troubled him (when, wretched man! hee ſhould have thought of ſomething elſe) to thinke that he ſhould die ſo diſhonourably, by the hand of a woman, Judg. 9. ver. 54. What hath cauſed ſo many duells, and mortall quarrells between noble and generous ſpirits, as that ſame too quick and ſenſible apprehenſion of ſome wrong done unto them in honour? Doe but looke upon examples of Gods children in Scriptures. You ſhall finde Eliſha never ſo provoked, or ſo unable to diſſemble his provocation, as when he was diſhonoured, though it were by wanton and waggiſh children. Holy Job complaineth of nothing more than of that deriſion and ſcorn which he ſuffered from them, whoſe fathers he would have diſdained to have ſet with the dogs of his flock; they were men of no Name, viler than the earth, and yet theſe men abhorred him, and ſpared not to ſpit in his face, Job 30. Miſerrimum eſt fuiſſe foelicem: hee telleth in the former Chapter, in what honour hee had lived; it went nearer therefore his heart, to be thus diſhonoured. Wee never reade that good Nehemiah did uſe any imprecation againſt thoſe ſworne enernies of his, Sanballat and Tobijah the Ammonite, but only upon their contumelious reproaches: Heare us, ſaith hee, for wee are deſpiſed, O our God: Turne their reproaches upon their owne head, and give them for a prey in the Land of captivity, Nehem. 4. ver. 4. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, cry the people. And again, Have mercy upon us: Why? what ail they? Wee are exceedingly, ſay they, filled with contempt; our ſoul is exceedingly filled with the ſcorne of thoſe that are at eaſe, and with the contempt of the proud, Pſal. 123.3,4. What need I, by more examples, ſhew you how Gods children doe complaine of diſhonours? One of the bittereſt ingredients in that Cup, which our crucified Lord did drink for us, was ſhame and diſhonour; which did wring from him that complaint in the midſt of his ſufferings; Vermis ego & non homo, I am a worme and no man, a ſcorne of men, and the out-caſt of the people, Pſal. 22. ver. 6. And, indeed, in that kind of death on the Croſſe, it is a queſtion whether the paine or ſhame is greater: but that glo… is Author and finiſher of our Faith, both endured the paine of the Croſſe, and deſpiſed the ſhame, and is now ſet downe at the right hand of the throne of God, Hebr. 12.4. and, if wee deſire to raigne with him, wee muſt be content to ſuffer with him, and learne to contemne that contempt that the world ſhall caſt upon us in his cauſe: hee was thus vile for us, and how vile ſoever wee are for him, wee are ſtill to reſolve with David, that wee will be yet more vile than ſo.
Good report and Evill report.THe two next Antitheta are, good report, and evill report, foreign, and foreign Bona fama, & Infamia. foreign is firſt: but how irkſome and odious that is to us, will beſt appeare, when I have firſt ſhewed unto you how precious and comfortable a good report is. But let me tell you firſt three things: Firſt, we muſt not look for it from all men; Woe unto you, ſaith our Lord, when all men ſpeak well of you, Luke 6. ver. 26 It is enough if wee be well-reported of by the moſt; yea, it is enough, if, though wee be not of the moſt, it be by the beſt. Secondly, wee muſt not looke for it alwaies from the mouthes of men. Wee commend our ſelves, ſaith S. Paul, to every mans conſcience, in the ſight of God, 2 Corinth. 4.2. Our perſons and actions may, peradventure, receive a good approbation from the conſciences of men, when wee cannot get a good word from their lips. Thirdly, we muſt not look for it at all times: it is not alwaies a bleſsing, it may ſometimes doe us hurt; an ill uſe ſometimes may be made of a good report, if the proud heart of the man ſit and bleſſe it ſelfe in that, for which hee is well reported; and a good uſe may be made of an ill report, when a man by it is made either cautior, or humilior; either more humble for what is paſt, or more wary for afterward: but a good report from the mouth of good men, and from the conſcience of evill men, at ſuch time as it may bring honour to God, or good to us, is to be reckoned amongſt one of the greateſt bleſsings of this life; though it be no virtue, yet it hath the originall from virtue: therefore, ſaith the Apoſtle, Si qua Virtus, ſi qua Laus; Virtus firſt, and then Laus, Phil. 1.8. Honesta fama alterum patrimonium.Firſt, it is bonum utile, accounted a ſecond Patrimony, rather to be choſen then great riches, ſaith Solomon, Proverb. 22. ver. 1. then a thouſand great treaſures of Gold, ſaith the ſon of Syrach, Ecclus. 41.12. Plautus, in Moſtellaria.Aſt ego ſi bonam famam ſervaſſo, ſat ero dives, ſaith one in the Comedy, if I ſhall keep my credit, I am rich enough. Secondly, bonum jucundum: A good Name is better then a precious oyntment, Eccleſ. 7.1. There is mentioned by Saint Baſil foreign, a certaine Art of drawing of pigeons to their dove-houſes, in thoſe Countries, by annointing the wings of one of them with a ſweet oyntment, and, it being ſent abroad, doth, by the fragrancy of that oyntment, invite and allure others to that houſe, where it ſelfe is a domeſtick. Thy Name (ſaith the Church to Chriſt) is an oyntment poured forth, Cantic. 1. ver. 3. Becauſe of the ſavour of thy good oyntments, therefore the Virgins love thee: And then, in the next verſe, Draw mee, ſaith ſhee, and wee will run after thee. A Preacher, well reported of, ſhall not want hearers. A Phyſician of a good report, wanteth not patients. The Lawyer that hath a good report, wanteth not clients, nor the School-maſter ſcholars, nor the Tradeſ-man cuſtomers, nor the Poore man friends. Thirdly, and eſpecially, bonum honeſtum. Amongſt thoſe things that are honeſt, and juſt, and pure, which are to be thought on, there are reckoned alſo foreign, thoſe things that are of good report, in that fourth of the Philip. ver. 8. A good man if hee be not ſo good as hee is reported, hee cannot but ſtrive to be ſo good, becauſe hee is ſo reported: on the other ſide, he is a diſsolute man that careth not what is reported of him. The childe of God muſt not onelyonly looke to his conſcience, whereby hee provideth for himſelfe in the ſight of God; but alſo to his good name, providing things honest in the ſight of all men, Rom. 12.17. There are two things commended in the Lilly, whiteneſſe, and ſweetneſſe; there are theſe two in a child of God, ſaith Saint Bernard, Ber. Serm. 71. in Cant.Candor conſcientiae, & odor bonae famae; the candor of a good conſcience, and the fragrancy of a good name: Nec candor ſine odore, nec odor ſine candore, ſaith hee: My conſcience is for my ſelfe, my good name for others. God would have none near to him, but ſuch as are well reported of. The Widow that is to be maintained at the charge of the Church, not to be received in, unleſſe well reported of for good, 1 Tim. 5.10. The firſt Deacons that were choſen, were to be men of an honeſt report, Acts 6.3. The Biſhop (take the word in the largeſt ſenſe) muſt be a man that hath a good report of them that are without, 1 Timoth. 3.7. The nearer wee are to God, the more carefull ought wee to be of our credit; an evill report of one in that ſacred Function, bringeth up an evill report upon the Function it ſelfe; an evill name of a Profeſſor, bringeth a diſcredit upon the profeſsion: and it were better that a milſtone were hanged about our necks, and wee thrown into the ſea, then wee ſhould live, and, by our evill life, bring an evill name upon the Goſpel, and ſo make the glorious Name of our God to be evill ſpoken of. I need adde no more; onelyonly, becauſe theſe dayes are dayes of evill report, wherein we do nothing elſe, but, as thoſe Philoſophers in Lucian, caſt foreign, whole cart-loads of evill ſpeakings, even in the faces of one another; let me, in a word, ſhew what good uſes may be made of thoſe evill reports.
Firſt, Let us examine our conſciences, whether they be true or no: if they be falſe, altogether falſe, then we may comfort our ſelves in the teſtimony of a good conſcience; and if our adverſaries ſhould write a book againſt us (and there be bookes enough written of that Argument, and cryed every day up and downe our ſtreets) wee might, with holy Job, take it upon our ſhoulders, and bind it as a crown to our heads, Job 31. v. 35, 36. But if the reports be in any part true, then it is fit that wee ſhould lie downe in our ſhame, give God the glory of his juſtice, beg mercy, bear the puniſhment with patience, and give God thanks for it. Iram Domini portabo, quoniam peccavi ei: I will bear the wrath of the Lord, becauſe I have ſinned againſt him, Micha 7.9. If the reports be not altogether true, then let us ſearch the wound a little deeper, and ſee whether wee have not given a juſt occaſion to ſuch a report: It was ſaid of that Veſtall Virgin, that ſhee was
— *Ovidius, Faſt. lib. 4.Caſta quidem, ſed non eſt credita, —
that ſhe was chaſte indeed, but not thought to be ſo; becauſe ſhe was more wantonly attired then became ſuch a Virgin. It may be, though we are not ſo ill as we are reported, yet, upon examination, we may find that we are not ſo good as we ought to be, in ſhunning the occaſions and appearances of evill, which ought to be unto us a ſufficient matter of humiliation. If wee be free from giving occaſions, yet we ſhould do well to ſearch yet a little deeper, and try whether we have not entertained ſome moroſe cogitations, and thoughts of that ſinne wherewith we ſtand charged upon report. It may be that that wickednes hath been ſweet in our mouth, and wee have rolled it under our *Job 20. ver. 12.tongue; though we have not ſwallowed it downe, … peradventure, we have not ſpit it out; and then, though *Digeſt. li. 48. Tit. 19. de Poenis.cogitationis poenam nemo patitur, by the law of man; yet, it is a righteous thing with God, the Searcher of hearts, by falſe reports to puniſh that ſin which hath found ſo kinde an entertainment, or ſome other ſin wherein wee have lyen without repentance.
But, Laſtly, it may, peradventure, pleaſe God in mercy, that ſuch a falſe report ſhould be charged upon us at this time unjuſtly, that we may be the more carefull of our waies, and watchfull over our hearts, with an holy jealouſie againſt that ſin, leſt wee be juſtly charged with it another day: Good God, Teach us to make this good uſe of evill reports. And ſo I have done with evill reports in generall, and come now to one evill report in particular, which cannot but much trouble a true ſervant of God, to be counted a Deceiver, when he is True.
Ut Seductores, & tamen Veraces.As Deceivers, ſaith the Apoſtle, and yet True. There is no lyar that would willingly be accounted a lyar; we ſee how ready ſome are, while they are lying, to preſent death upon the point of a ſword to the man that ſhall give them the lye: There are no falſe Prophets, not Zedekiah whileſt he oppoſed Michaiah, nor Hananiah whileſt hee oppoſed Jeremiah, or any other of them, who would be accounted a falſe Prophet: they would be accounted as true, and yet were deceivers; as Paul and Timothy here were accounted deceivers, and yet were true. One eſpeciall reaſon given by good Authors, why Jonah ſhould be ſo angry, and ſo very angry, that Nineveh was ſpared, was his owne credit, that hee might not be thought a falſe Prophet, as a deceiver, being true. Jeremiah alſo, when the Princes would have put him to death, as a falſe Prophet, regarded not his life, but ſtood in defence of that truth, which hee had ſpoken: I am in your hand, ſaith hee, doe with mee as ſeemeth good and meet unto you. But know yee for certaine, that if you put me to death, ye ſhall ſurely bring innocent bloud upon your ſelves, and upon this City, and upon the inhabitants thereof; For, of a trueth, the Lord hath ſent me unto you, to ſpeake all theſe words in your eares, Jer. 26.14,15. So our Saint Paul oftentimes vindicates his credit, and ſtandeth upon his ſincerity in preaching the Goſpel; Wee are not, quoth he, as many men are, which corrupt the Word of God, foreign, ſeeking to vent their adulterate deceitfull wares, or, as Vintners doe mix their wines; But as of ſincerity, as of God, in the ſigh… … God, ſpeak wee in Chriſt, 2 Cor. 2.17. And ſo in another place of this Epiſtle, Not walking in craftineſſe, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully, but by manifeſtation of the truth, commending our ſelves to every mans conſcience in the ſight of God, 2 Cor. 4.2. And this is it which every faithfull Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt ſhould eſpecially ſtand upon, (For curſed is he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully, Jerem. 48.10.) that his words be the words of truth and ſoberneſſe. Let the world judge as it will of the manner of our preaching; ſometimes, they ſay, we are too hot, ſometimes too cold; ſometimes too learned for them, ſometimes too unlearned; ſometimes too high, ſometimes too plaine; ſometimes too ſharp, ſometimes too pleaſing: Let the world ſay what it will, if wee ſpeak the trueth in Chriſt, our conſciences bearing us witneſſe in the holy Ghoſt, the Guide of our conſciences, that wee lye not, keeping back nothing that is profitable to the people, but declaring unto them the whole Counſell of God; wee may then finde joy and comfort to our ſoules, when all the comforts ſhall faile us that the world can yeeld us. And thus have I ſhewed you what a Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt may paſſe thorow; I ſhall now come to the ſecond point, and ſhew you that it is the lot of many a deare ſervant of God to paſſe thorow them all.
2. Point.ANd where ſhould I rather begin to give an Inſtance, then in our Crucified Lord? one day honoured, when he rode into Jeruſalem, bough's and garments ſpread in the way, with a joyfull ſhout of Hoſanna; Bleſſed is hee that cometh in the Name of the Lord, Hoſanna in the higheſt: and, the fifth day after, moſt ſhamefully diſhonoured, with a continuing cry of Crucifie him, Crucifie him. In which kind of death, there may be doubted, as I ſaid before, whether there were more paine, or ſhame; but paine enough to ſatisfie for our pleaſure, and ſhame enough to ſatisfie for our pride. There's for honour and diſhonour. Now for his good report and evill report: Let me tell you how ſometimes hee was reported to be a Prophet, a great Prophet, a Teacher come from God; that hee was true, and taught the way of God in truth, and cared for no man, and regarded not the perſon of men, and laſtly, that hee did all things *Mark 7. ver. 37.well. At other times, you ſhall finde him reported to be a Blaſphemer, an Enemy to Ceſar, a Seducer of the people, a Gluttonous perſon, and a Wine-bibber, a Friend of Publicans and ſinners, a Samaritane, and One that had a divell, and One that wrought by Beelzebub the Prince of divells: It were a wonder if they ſhould not call him a Deceiver too: Yes, they did ſo; For whilſt they murmured againſt him, ſome ſaying, He was a good man, others ſaid, Nay, but hee deceiveth the people, Joh. 7. ver. 12. And the chiefe Prieſts and Phariſees, in plaine words to Pilate, call him a Deceiver, foreign, Mat. 27.63. Wee remember this Deceiver ſaid; and yet, though he was held as a Deceiver, hee ſhewed himſelfe true in that; for praedixit & revixit, hee fore-ſaid it, and did it in his due time.
Let mee give you another inſtance in our St. Paul: You have heard how, at Malta, hee was honoured with much honour, and laden with neceſſaries: You ſhall reade, at Philippi, Acts 16.23. how much hee was diſhonoured, and laden with many ſtripes; foreign, in the place before, now here, foreign. But, you will ſay, theſe were at two ſeverall places; Look Act. 14. and you ſhall finde him honoured at Lyſtra, more then was fit for a man to be honoured. Hee and Barnabas had much adoe to keepe the people from ſacrificing to him, as to a god, &, preſently after, (it is generally beleeved the ſame day) they ſtoned him with ſtones, even to death, as they ſuppoſed, (for they ſuppoſed him to be dead) and dragged him, like a dead dog, out of the gates of the City. Oh the inconſtancy of humane favour! I cannot but think how the Athenians, in Plutarch, uſed Demetrius Phalereus: they ſet up two hundred ſtatues to his honour, and took them every one downe againe, while Demetrius was yet living, to his diſhonour; and that before either *Cum nullam earum aut aerugo attigerat, aut pulvis ſordidaverat, Plut. Apophth.ruſt had ſpoiled them, or duſt had ſoiled them. But what doe I alledge out of theſe Hiſtories? Examples of the vulgars inconſtancy, diſhonouring where they have honoured one day, and honouring where they have diſhonoured another? Nothing formerly hath been more honourable at home, or admirable abroad, then the Engliſh Clergy: nothing grown now more deſpicable. *foreign Chryſoſt. in 2 Tim. c. 1. hom. 2.S. Chryſoſtome complained of the like in his time, that all things were turned upſide-down, and brought to confuſion; that the Church Governours were not honoured, no reverence, no feare yeelded to them, foreign. But, good God, how much worth, how much learning, zeal, pietie, religion, in ſome Governours of the Church, have wee ſeen ſhamefully trampled on, under the dirty feet of ſome Sectaries in their ſcurrilous libels and pamphlets? I know none, I ſpeake it in the preſence of God, that have done better ſervices to the Reformed Churches againſt Popery, by their Writings and Preachings, then ſome Reverend Fathers in our Church have done*I meane (beſide thoſe Martyr-Biſhops, Cranmer, Ridley, &c. in Q. Maries daies) ſuch Biſhops as have bin in the Church of England & Ireland, ſince the beginning of Queen Elizabeths Raign: as, namely, Archbiſh. Parker, to whoſe care wee are beholding for moſt of our ancient Hiſtories. Biſhop Bale, Oſſorienſis Epiſcopus, for his many Volumes. Biſhop Jewell, for his Workes. Archb. Saundys, for his Sermons. B. Bilſon, for his Book, intituled, The Difference between Chriſtian Subjection, and Unchriſtian Rebellion, &c. B. Andr. for his Polem. B. Buckridge, for his Book, De poteſtate Papae in rebus Temporalibus, &c. B. Abbot, of Sarisbury, for his Book in Defence of Maſter Perkins. B. Babington, for his Workes. Biſhop Lake, for his learned Sermons. Biſhop Davenant, for his Praelectiones de duobus in Theologia controverſis Capitibus, &c. and other Tracts. Biſhop White, for his Book againſt Fiſher. Biſhop Carleton, for his Book againſt Arminianiſme. The Lord Primate of Armagh, never to be mentioned without honour, for his unparallel'd Workes: and many others.; whereof ſome are fallen aſleep, and ſome remain to this day, and long may they live, to the performances of the like ſervices. Who hath ſo plainly diſcovered unto us aSee Biſhop Morton his Book of that Argument.THE GRAND IMPOSTURE OF THE (now) CHURCH OF ROME? Who hath ſo openly laid before us bSee his Inſtitution of the Sacrament.the ſuperſtitious, ſacrilegious, and idolatrous abominations of the Romiſh Maſſe? Who hath ſo fully manifeſted cSee his Catholike Appeale, with many other of his accurate and learned Treatiſes againſt the Romaniſts.the Antiquity of our Religion, and ſatisfied all ſcrupulous Objections, which have been urged againſt us? Who hath ſo evidently demonſtrated dSee Biſh. Downham his Diatribe de Antichriſto, & Biſh. Abbot of the ſame Argument.the Pope to be The Antichriſt? Who hath ſo fully cleared that high point of eSee Biſh. Downham his Treatiſes of Juſtification.Juſtification, and overthrown the Popiſh Doctrine of Merits? Who hath ſo clearely ſet downe fSee Biſh. Uſher his Hiſtorica Explicatio of that ſubject.the beginning, progreſſe, and encreaſe of the myſtery of Iniquity, from the birth of Antichriſt, to his full age, out of manifold Records of Antiquity? Who hath given us ſo wholeſome a gSee Biſh. Hall of the old Religion.Preſervative againſt all Popiſh Inſinuations? In a word, who have more approved themſelves the worthieſt Champions, moſt willing, moſt ready, moſt able, to oppoſe all Popiſh, Antichriſtian, Arminian, Pelagian, Doctrine, then ſome of Theſe, who have been ſtiled in the late pamphlets Popiſh, Antichriſtian, Arminian, Pelagian Biſhops? It is no open enemy that hath done this wrong, but the men of this Land, and children, as they would be thought to be, of this Church, that have diſhonoured theſe Worthies, that have been an Honour to this Church and Land. As for us Miniſters of the Goſpel, of inferiour rank, who have alwaies preached the ſame divine Truth (ſome of us, in the dayes of Queen Elizabeth) and have received that mercy from God, to be faithfull … holding the ſame profeſsion, without wavering or warping, unto this day; how are we at this time (only becauſe we walk in the way of the Church, and ſtudy the peace of it, deſirous to yeeld obedience to God and our Superiours) how are wee, I ſay, foreign, brought upon the Stage? Heb. 10.33. traduced as Baals Prieſts, derided, contumeliouſly uſed, reproached in our ſtreets, our Churches, our Pulpits, accounted foreign, the filth of the world, and the off-ſcouring of all things, a ſpectacle to Angels and men?
But, holy Brethren, to come to my third point, wherein I ſhall make the uſe of all this: Wee may approve our ſelves to be the true Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt, if that neither honour puffeth us up, nor diſhonour diſheartneth us; if neither a good report doth make us proud, nor an evill report faint-hearted, but can paſſe through all theſe, honour and diſhonour, evill report and good report, counting nothing in life, nor life it ſelfe dear to us, ſo as we may finiſh our courſe with joy, and the Miniſtration which we have received of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
To that end let me tender theſe things briefly to our conſideration:
Firſt, that this viciſsitude of honour and diſhonour, evill report and good report, is from the Lord, who muſt be allowed to doe what ſeemeth good in his eyes. The time was, wee doe confeſſe with thankfulneſſe, that the people did eſteem us as the Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt; that they knew us, and did acknowledge us worthy, and accordingly had us in exceeding great love, foreign, for our works ſake, that they might ſhew that they could have pulled their eyes out of their head to have done us good, that they honoured us with much honour, and laded us with neceſsaries, and plentifull proviſion for our encouragement to the worke of the Miniſtery. Have wee received ſo much good at the hand of God, and may we not now with patience receive ſome evill? There is no evill done in the City in this kinde, but the Lord hath done it, Amos 3.6. God hath bidden them to curſe us, and revile us, and traduce us, and load us with all theſe contumelies and reproaches; and it may be theſe things being ſanctified to us, God may doe us good for all our reproaches this day: wee ſhould conſider that as it cometh not without due deſert, ſeeing God is juſt; … ſhall not paſſe away without due profit, ſeeing God is good.
Conſider againe, That there is nothing can come from the hand of this God to his ſervants, but it cometh in the nature of a mercy: while wee were honoured, it was in mercy to encourage us; and now wee are diſhonoured, and our ſoules filled with contempt, it is done in mercy to admoniſh us to walke both more humbly with God, and more warily with men.
Againe, It is but the pride of our hearts that makes us ſo impatient of every light diſhonour; for if wee were as wee ſhould be, vile in our own eyes, it were nothing, nothing to be vile in the eyes of others. Beſides, hear what our Lord ſayes to his Diſciples, Bleſſed are you when men ſhall ſay all manner of evill of you, falſly for my ſake: Rejoyce and be glad, — For ſo perſecuted they the Prophets that were before you, Matt. 5.11,12. The Prophets, before the Apoſtles, were thus perſecuted; the Apoſtles, and all the Worthies, ſince the Apoſtles dayes, have bin ſo perſecuted in their ſeverall Generations; and our bleſſed Lord, the Head both of Prophets and Apoſtles, hath been, as you heard before, perſecuted in like manner.
Now, the diſciple muſt not look to be above his Maſter, nor the ſervant above his Lord. It is enough for the Diſciple, that hee be as his Maſter, and the ſervant as his Lord. If they have called the Maſter of the houſe Beelzebub, how much more ſhall they call them of his houſhold? Mat. 10.24,25.
Laſtly, Behold there is a crown in the right hand of Chriſt, and the word upon it is, foreign, to him that overcometh. Brethren, let us hold faſt that which we have, and let no man take away our crown; let us hold on ſtill, foreign, to divide the Word of God aright, and foreign, to walk with a right foot in the profeſsion of it: Et innocenter agere, & ſcienter praedicare; not ſtudying ſo much to have our gifts commended, as to have God glorified, the conſciences of people edified, their lives reformed, and their ſouls ſaved: And then, if wee finde favour in Gods ſight, God may bring us againe into favour with men; but, if hee thus ſay, I have no delight in you, nor in your ſervices; behold, here are we, let him doe to us as he pleaſeth.
He that, paſsing through honour and diſhonour, as St. Paul did, can ſay, as St. Paul … I have fought the good fight, I have finiſhed my courſ…, I have kept the faith; foreign, I have kept it, may aſſure himſelfe of a crowne of Righteouſneſſe laid up for him; which the Lord, the righteous Judge, ſhall give him that day, and to all them that love the appearing of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt: To whom, with the Father, and the bleſſed Spirit, Three Perſons, one True, Immortall, Inviſible, onelyonly Wiſe God, be given all Honour, Glory, Dominion and Power, now and for ever. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Westfield, Englands Face in Israels Glass (1646)