Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
THe ſecond generall part in theſe words is a benediction, uttered by the Miniſters of the Lord, We have bleſſed you out of the houſe of the Lord; wherein we have, 1. the parties bleſſing, the Miniſters of the Lord; we, who are called of God to this ſacred function, who are appointed to make prayer and ſupplication for you, to pronounce a bleſſing upon you.Note. Holy and faithfull Miniſters are the inſtrumentall cauſes of great bleſſings to Gods Church and ſervants. 2. here is their Act, an act of bleſſing, We have bleſſed: Miniſters bleſſe the people ſometime by way of vote and exoptation, prayer and ſupplication; ſometime by way of vocall pronunciation, pronouncing good things in the name of God upon them; ſometime by way of prophecye and prediction, foretelling great bleſſings to come; ſometime by way of doctrine and inſtruction: They declare and open the bleſſings which God hath prepared for them, and the Lord by them as by his miniſteriall inſtruments communicates his grace and bleſſing to the people. It muſt be the care of Miniſters ſo to demeane themſelves in their function,Note. that they prove a bleſſing to the people. 3. Here is the Obiect or parties bleſſed, You, you to whom Chriſts comming is acceptable, you who wiſh well to Chriſts kingdome, you who readily endeavour the exaltation of Chriſts name, and Goſpell,Note. we have bleſſed you The labours of Gods Miniſters prove a bleſſing onelyonly to ſuch people as reioyce in, and endeavour the advancement of the Gospell. 4, Here is the place from whence they bleſſed the people, out of the houſe of the Lord, the place of Gods publike worſhip, where his Saints are aſſembled, his ordinances ſincerely handled, his name invocated, his word preached, and religious duties celebrated:Note. God uſeth to dispenſe his spirituall bleſſings in the publike and ſacred aſſemblies. From all theſe particulars knit together we may gather, That,
Doct.God by his holy and faithfull Miniſters dispenſeth every great, ſweet, and heavenly bleſſing to his Church and ſervants: The Lord by Joſeph brought great proſperity to the houſe of Pharaoh; he dGen 39.5.bleſſed the Egyptians houſe for Joſephs ſake, the bleſſing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the houſe and in the field; the Lord by the preſence and labours of his Miniſters bleſſeth his Church and ſervants, his bleſſing is upon their ſoules, and upon their bodies, upon all their labours, and upon all their poſſeſſions; the eſtate and perſons, the undertaking and poſſeſſions of men are made very proſperous through the prayer and labours of Gods Miniſters. This was prophecyed by the mouth of Eſay, in cIſa 19.19.that day, in the day of the Goſpell, when ſalvation ſhall be preached and publiſhed in and through Chriſt: There ſhall be an Altar to the Lord in the midſt of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord; an Altar and a pillar, the worſhip of God ſhall be erected, the word preached, the Sacraments adminiſtred, Chriſt the true Chriſtians Altar and pillar ſhall be clearly manifeſted, his name publiſhed, his kingdome eſtabliſhed, his truth propagated among the people of Iſrael, Egypt and Aſſyria, whom the Lord of Hoſts ſhall bleſſe, ſaying, bleſſed be Egypt my people, and Aſſyria the worke of my hands, and Iſrael mine inheritance: There is the bleſſing attendant on the Miniſtery of the Goſpell, a bleſſing of regeneration, renovation, remiſſion, and ſweet reconciliation with God in Chriſt; they are the choiſeſt and beſt bleſſings which God communicates by his Goſpell to the ſoules of his people; the very names and titles given to Gods Miniſters, doe as in lively characters declare how great a bleſſing they are to Gods Church and people; being ſtiled Seers, Lights, Watchmen, Shep-heards, Salt, Nurſes, Labourers, Stewards, Horſemen and Charets: The eyes are a bleſſing to the body, to guide it; the light is a bleſſing to the world enlightening it; the watchmen are a bleſſing to the City, giving warning to it; the Shepheards are a bleſſing to the flocke, watching over it, conducting and feeding it; the Salt is a bleſſing to the meat, preſerving it from putrefaction; the Nurſes are a bleſſing to the children, miniſtring proviſion to them; the Labourers are a bleſſing to the vineyard, manuring and dreſſing it, removing the thornes and bryars out of it, and ſowing good and profitable ſeed in it; Stewards are a bleſſing to the houſe, guiding it, diſtributing to the ſeverall neceſſities of the perſons in it; Horſemen and Charets are a bleſſing to the kingdome, ſtrengthening and protecting it; Gods Miniſters are a great bleſſing unto Gods Church and people, as eyes guiding them, as lights laying open the deep things of God before them, as Watchmen admoniſhing them, Shepheards leading and defending them, as Salt ſeaſoning their ſoules, preſerving them from the putrefaction of ſin, and making them a ſweet ſavour unto God; as Nurſes feeding, as Labourers manuring, and dreſſing their ſoules, and as horſemen and charets defending them againſt their ſpirituall adverſaries, making them victorious, and driving them forward in the wayes of peace and holineſſe; and the having of Gods Miniſters, the enjoyment of them and their labours hath heretofore been conceived, and taken as a great bleſſing, as a meanes attended with a bleſſing from the Lord; as appeares by that ſpeech of Micah, having gotten a Levite for his Prieſt, Now fIudg. 17.13.know I (ſaith he) that the Lord will doe me good, ſeeing I have a Levite to my Prieſt: His judgement was good conceiving Gods bleſſing to attend the labours of Gods Miniſters, though he ſhamefully erred in expectation of it by an idolatrous ſervice; and our Saviour plainly pronounceth them bleſſed who enjoyed the light of his doctrine, to whom he opened the myſteries of Gods kingdome: Bleſſed (ſaith he) are the eyes which ſee the things that ye ſee: Bleſſed for the preſence of the Sonne of God amongſt you, for the neare appropinquation of God unto you, for the manifeſtation of the great things of God before you, for the detection of the ſinne which is within you, for the revelation of the love of God in Jeſus Chriſt towards you, and for the great ſalvation offered you: great and manifold, ſweet and comfortable is the bliſſe and happineſſe tendred unto man by the preſence of Gods ordinances, and holy labours of Gods Miniſters; of all light, the light of Gods countenance, and the light of the Goſpell, are the chiefeſt and ſweeteſt bleſſings: g1 Kin. 10.8.Happy (ſaid the Queene of Sheba to Solomon) are thy men, happy are theſe thy ſervants which may ſtand continually before thee, and that heare thy wiſedome. Chriſt is greater then Solomon, they are more happy who may ſtand continually before him in the houſe of his miniſtery, and heare his wiſedome in the Goſpell: The nearer man approacheth to Chriſt Jeſus, the greater is mans happineſſe; therefore, Bleſſed (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) is the hPſal. 65.….man whom thou chuſeſt, and cauſeſt to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy Courts, he ſhall be ſatisfied with the goodneſſe of thy houſe, even of thy holy Temple. Bleſſed is the man, happy is the man, ſweet and comfortable is the eſtate, and condition of the man whom thou leaveſt not, as a houſe in darkneſſe without light, as a field overgrowne with thornes and bryars, without husbandman to manure and dreſſe it, as a dead man in the grave without life, as a captive in priſon without freedome, as a ſicke man in his diſeaſe without Phyſitian, as a City in famine without food to feed them: Bleſſed is the man whom thou doeſt not caſt away, as the ungodly, reprobate, and rejected multitude, to periſh in their ſinnes; but chuſest, adopteſt, and takeſt to thy ſelfe to be thy ſonne by adoption, and to be and heire of thy celeſtiall and everlaſting kingdome; and cauſeſt to approach unto thee, calling him by thy word, to be a ſcholler in thy ſchoole, a member of thy Church and of thy Chriſt, a partaker of thoſe benefits, gifts and graces which thou diſpenſeſt by thy ordinances; a dweller in thy Courts, converſant in that Congregation, where he may heare thy voice, learne thy will, embrace thy truth, and his ſoule have intereſt and acquieſcence by faith in thy promiſes; and be ſatisfied with the goodneſſe of thy houſe; with the heavenly myſteries there opened, with the gifts and graces there diſpenſed, as the eye is ſatisfied with the Sunne, as the palate is ſatisfied with the fountaine, and the hungry ſtomacke with the full feaſt ſet before it; and this the Lord promiſeth and propoſeth as a great bleſſing to the people, as an anker in the ſtorme to ſuſtaine and ſtay them, as a feaſt in the famine to feed them, as a light in the darkneſſe to revive and ſolace them, as an anſwer and recompence to all their tryals, troubles and diſaſters: The people (ſaith the Lord) ſhall dwell in Sion at Jeruſalem, they ſhall returne from their captivity and bondage, and ſhall enjoy the houſe of God, the ſacred aſſembly, and his ordinances; thou ſhalt weep no more, the ſorrow of thy captivity, exilement, and eſtrangement from the houſe of God ſhall be taken away; The Lord will be very gracious unto thee, at the voice of thy cry, when he ſhall heare it he will anſwer thee; and though the Lord give you the bread of adverſity, and the water of affliction, though he bring you into many ſtraights, and great diſtreſſes, yet ſhall not thy lIſa. 30.19.teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes ſhall ſee thy teachers, and thine eares ſhall heare a word behind thee, ſaying, this is the way walke ye in it: The having of Gods ordinances is a bleſſing ſweetning the moſt diſaſtrous eſtate of Gods people. The preſence of the Goſpell miniſters ſweet conſolation to Gods children, in the greateſt affliction; better is the eſtate of man in the enjoyment of the labours of Gods Miniſters in the abſence of all worldly abilities, then in the preſence of all worldly fulneſſe, the Lords Miniſters being ſtrangers; great is the bleſſedneſſe of that people to whom the Lord affords his Goſpell, ſingular ſoule-raviſhing, and heart-ſatisfying are the gifts and favours, comforts and mercies, which God diſpenſeth by his Miniſters.
In regard of Gods communication of Chriſt to the ſoules of men by the labours of his Miniſters;Groūds hereof Pharaoh communicated the fulneſſe of Egypt to the people, by Joſeph, the Steward of his houſe God communicates the fulneſſe which he hath put into Chriſt, to the ſoules of men, by his Miniſters, the Stewards of his houſe, the Church; the Stars in the night ſeaſon communicate the fulneſſe of the Sunne to the aire, and inhabitants of the earth; the Miniſters as Starres in the right hand of Chriſt the Sunne of Righteouſneſſe communicate to the ſoules of men the fulneſſe of Chriſt Jeſus in the night of this world;6. Communication of Chriſt by Gods Miniſters. we are all ſtrangers to Chriſt Jeſus without the Lords Miniſters; Chriſt is hidden from that people which enjoy not the miniſtery of the Goſpell; Gods Miniſters by their labours communicate the knowledge of Chriſt, as the Embaſſador communicates the knowledge of the King and of his mind.1. Knowledge of Chriſt. God (ſaith the Apoſtle) who commanded the light to ſhine out of darkneſſe, hath ſhined into k2 Cor. 4.6.our hearts to give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jeſus. God is knowne in and through Chriſt, as a man is knowne in and by his face: We know an earthly Father in the face of his Sonne begotten by him; we know God as a father of mercies, only and through the face of Chriſt Jeſus; we ſee the face of man in a glaſſe, in the Goſpell, in the labours of Gods Miniſters; we behold as in a l2 Cor. 3.18glaſſe, the face of Chriſt Jeſus: Chriſt is a ſtorehouſe in whom are hidden mCol. 2.3.all the treaſures of wiſedome. The Miniſters have the miniſteriall key of knowledge to open Chriſt unto the people: Chriſt is a living fountaine, a well of ſalvation, a well ſealed and ſhut up in the Scriptures: Jacob rowled away the ſtone from the mouth of the well, and gave Labans flocke water to drinke, the Miniſter rowles away the ſtone, removes the obſcurity of the Scripture, opens and interprets it, and makes the people drinke of Chriſt,2. Faith of Chriſt. the true and everliving fountaine; the Miniſters communicate the faith of Chriſt as Gods inſtruments the worke of faith in men; the man of God by his prayer reſtored n1 King. 13.Jeroboams withered hand; the Miniſter by his preaching and prayer reſtores the hand of faith in the heart of man, formerly withered, dryed up, and of no uſe: Faith commeth by oRom. 10.17. 1 Cor. 3. 3. Life of Chriſt.hearing. Who is Paul, and who is Apollo but Miniſters by whom ye beleeved, even as the Lord gave to every man. The Miniſters communicate the life of Chriſt to men; Chriſt by his corporall voice called pIoh. 11.44.Lazarus out of his grave, by his Evangelicall voice, by his word in the mouth of his Miniſters he cals the ſoules of men out of the grave of ſinne; the dead in ſinne qIoh. 5.25.heare the voice of the Sonne of God in the Goſpell, and they that heare, live. The miniſtery of the Goſpell is the inſtrument of the ſoules vivification, a meanes of Chriſts living in them that are Gods children; the Miniſters communicate the love of Chriſt,4. Love of Chriſt. Chriſt rCant. 7.12.gives his love to the ſoule of man, in the miniſtery of his word; Iſaac gave the pledges of his love to Rebeckah by Eleazar his father Abrahams ſervant: Chriſt gives the pledges of his love to his Spouſe the Church by the Miniſters, God his fathers ſervants; by them he woeth and ſ2 Cor. 11.3.espouſeth them unto himſelfe, and in the banquetting houſe of his ordinances, his banner over them is t2 Cant. 2 4. 5. Peace of Chriſt. Iſa. 9 6.love; the Miniſters communicate the peace of Chriſt, the Embaſſador ſpeaks words of peace from the King, and communicates the Kings peace unto the people; the Miniſter, the Embaſſador of Chriſt the Prince of peace, uAct. 10 30.preacheth peace by Ieſus Chriſt to the ſoules of men. The Lord hath created, ordained, and appointed the fruit of his lips to be peace to them that are nigh, and to them that are afar off. Chriſt feeding the multitude corporally,6. Whole treaſury of Chriſt. diſtributed bread unto them by his Diſciples; Chriſt feeding the ſoules of men ſpiritually with himſelfe, the true bread of life come downe from heaven, communicates himſelfe to men by the labours of his Miniſters. Abraham by the hands of his ſervants miniſtred jewels and bracelets to Rebeckah; God by his Miniſters communicates many ſpiritual and heavenly jewels, even the whole treaſury of Chriſt Jeſus to his faithfull Church and ſervants, whom he joynes in wedlocke with his ſonne: Manifold, ſweet and gracious are Gods diſpenſations of his Sonne, by the labours of his Miniſters; Chriſt in and by the miniſtery of the Goſpell is made very conſpicuous and glorious in the eyes of the people; very great is their bleſſedneſſe who have Chriſt communicated to them by the labours of Gods Miniſters.
2. Deliverance from 5 evils diſpenſed by Miniſters. 1. Spirituall death.2. In regard of the evils from which God delivers man by the labours of his Miniſters. God delivered the woman of Shunems ſonne from bodily death by the miniſtery of the Prophet; the Lord delivers the ſoule of man from spirituall death, from being dead in ſinnes by the labour of his Miniſters; the miniſtery of the Goſpell is the inſtrumentall cauſe of the firſt reſurrection; the word is termed a word of life, declaratively revealing life, and operatively as an inſtrument working life. God delivered Paul from his bodily blindneſſe by the hands of Ananias; 2. Blindneſſe.he delivers man from spirituall blindneſſe, by the doctrine of his meſſengers, by their inſtruction, wAct. 26.18.he opens their eyes, and turnes them from darkneſſe to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. The Lord delivered Peter from Herods priſon by the miniſtery of the Angell: He delivers man from Satans priſon, and bondage by the worke of his Miniſters,3. Bondage. by this as by a warlike weapon he caſts downe the holds of ſinne: Satan fals like lightening from heaven, and the ſoules of men partake of ſpirituall freedome; as Goliah fell before David with a ſtone out of Davids ſling, ſo doth Satan before the Miniſter of the Lord, with the word of God out of their mouth. God delivered Naaman from his leproſie in Iordan, 4. Vnclannes.and the impotent from their infirmities in Bethesda: The Lord in and by the Goſpell ſanctifies the ſoules of his children, this waſheth away their uncleanneſſe, this heales their infirmities, this makes them new creatures. Chriſt by his voice appeaſed the ſtormy tempeſt,5 Soul tortures and gave a calme to his Diſciples; Chriſt by his Goſpell appeaſeth the tempeſtuous and perplexed conſciences of his ſervants, and brings them into a haven of ſpirituall peace and quietneſſe: He makes his Miniſters as an Angell of God, and one of a thouſand to the afflicted ſoule, comming like Noahs Dove with an Olive branch, quieting him that is toſſed upon the deluge of trouble, turning his perplexity into peace, his feare into confidence, and his ſorrow into ſweet rejoycings. God abundantly declares his diſpenſation of bleſſings by his Miniſters, through the removall of evils by their labours: The Goſpell is the choiſeſt inſtrument averting evill; foule and ſhamefull, perplexing and mortall are the plagues and miſeries reſting upon them, that neither enjoy nor regard the labours of Gods Miniſters.
3. In regard of the bleſſed ſtate and condition whereinto God puts man by the labours of his Ministers. Deut. 11.29. 3. Man by labours of Miniſters put into a condition of 6. Excellencies. 1. Of wiſdome.The eſtate of man under the Goſpell, making a true uſe of the doctrines and inſtructions of Gods meſſengers is an eſtate of bleſſings: The bleſſing of old was upon Mount Gerazim, the bleſſing is now upon the Goſpell: He that ſavingly entertaines the Goſpell, enjoyes a moſt bleſſed condition; a condition of divine and heavenly wiſedome, Gods Miniſters feed him with knowledge and underſtanding, and make him wiſe unto ſalvation; a condition of holineſſe and ſanctification,2. Of Sanctification. 3. Of Freedome the miniſtery of the word doth waſh him, like water, and purifie him like fire; a condition of liberty and freedome, Moſes freed Iſrael from Pharaohs bondage, Gods Miniſter frees the ſoules of his children from the ſervitude of Satan, the world, and their owne corruption; the word makes them free; from ignorance in their underſtandings, from perverſeneſſe in their wils, from vanity in their thoughts, from infidelity, ſervile feare, worldly love, and carnall joy in their affections; the word makes them free, to know God, as the cleare eye is free to ſee the Sunne, to receive Chriſt as the ſtrong and open hand, is free to receive a gift; to love Chriſt, as the bride hath an open and enlarged heart to love the bridegroome, to attend Gods Ordinances, to run the way of Gods Commandements, as he whoſe feet and ankle-bones received ſtrength by the miniſtery of Peter, was free to xAct. 3.7, 8.ſtand and leap, and walke and enter into the Temple, 4. Of Exaltation.and free to move and come to God by faith, and love, and joy, as the rivers are free to move and flow unto the ſea; a condition of honour and exaltation, the Goſpell making them Sonnes of God by regeneration, the friends of God by love, the members of Chriſt by faith, and heires annexed with Chriſt, for their preſent title to, and future participation of the ſame inheritance with Chriſt Jeſus; a condition of fulneſſe and ſatisfaction, they are ſatiſfied with the goodneſſe of Gods houſe; 5. Of Satisfaction.the Goſpell leads them unto Chriſt, the Sunne in whom is all light, the tree on whom growes all fruit, the fountaine from whom flowes all refreſhment, the rocke in whom is all ſtrength, the pearle in whom is all worth, and the Paradiſe in whom is all pleaſure and peace; very ſweet and wonderfull, gracious and overflowing are the comforts and contentments derived from Chriſt to Gods children, under their enjoyment of the Goſpell. Laſtly, a condition of permanency and duration;6. Of Duration though the graſſe wither, and the flower fade, yet the word of the Lord abideth for ever. Though worldly fulneſſe change like the Moone, and vaniſh like a vapor, and wither like the flower and the graſſe, yet the eſtate of grace, into which men are called by Gods Miniſters, is an eſtate of firme and ſure continuance; they are ſonnes abiding alway in their fathers houſe; they are trees planted by the water ſide never withering; they are houſes built upon the rocke never ſinking; their graces like the light ſhine more and more to the day of their perfection; the excellency of their eſtate who enjoy and make beſt uſe of the Goſpell, abundantly declares Gods diſpenſation of very great, ſweet and heavenly bleſſings by the labours of his Miniſters.