The Christians in Complete Armor, Religious treatise · Introduction 5 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The reaſon why the Apoſtle renews the ſame Exhortation, as alſo what truthes Miniſters are often to preach to their people.
FIrſt of the firſt, the repetition of the ſame exhortation, and that in ſo ſhort a ſpace. Sure it was not for want of matter, but rather out of abundance of zeal, that he harps the ſecond time on the ſame ſtring. Indeed he is the better Workman, who drives one naile home with reiterated blowes, then he which covets to enter many, but faſtens none. Such Preachers are not likely to reach the conſcience, who hop from one truth to another, but dwell on none. Every hearer is not ſo quick as the Preacher, to take a notion as 'tis firſt darted forth, neither can many carry away ſo much of that Sermon, which is made up all of varieties, (where a point is no ſooner named, but preſently pulls back its hand, and another makes a breach and comes forth, before the fi…ſt hath been opened and hammered upon the conſcience by a powerful application) As where the diſcourſe is homogeneal, and ſome one neceſſary truth is clear'd, inſiſted on, and urged home with blow upon blow. Here the whole matter of the diſcourſe is a kin, and one part remembred brings the memory acquainted with the other, whereas in the former one puts out the other in a weak memory. Short hints and away may pleaſe a Scholar, but not ſo profitable for others, the one more fit for the Schooles, but the other for the Pulpit. Were I to buy a garment in a ſhop, I ſhould like him better, that layes one good piece or two before me that are for my turn, (which I may fully peruſe) then him, who takes down all his ſhop, and heaps piece upon piece, (meerly to ſhew his ſtore) till at laſt for variety I can look wiſhly on none, they lie ſo one upon another.
Again, as it is profitable thus to inſiſt on truths, ſo 'tis not unbecoming a Miniſter to preach the ſame truths again and again; Paul here goes over and over the ſame exhortation, v. 11. v. 13. and elſewhere tells us, this is not grievous to him, but to them it is ſafe, to hear the ſame things over and over, Phil. 3.1. There are three ſorts of Truths muſt in our Miniſtery be preached oft.
Firſt, Fundamental Truths, or, as we call them, catechiſe-points, that contain truths neceſſary to be known and believed. The weight of the whole building lies on theſe ground-cells, more then on ſuperſtructory truths. In a Kingdome there are ſome ſtaple commodities and trades, without which the Common-weale could not ſubſiſt, as wool, corne, &c. in our countrey, and theſe ought to be encouraged above others, (which though they be an ornament to the Nation, yea, adde to the riches of it, yet are not ſo neceſſary to the ſubſiſtence of it) Thus here; there is an excellent uſe of our other Miniſterial labours, as they tend to beautifie and adorne, yea, enrich the Chriſtian with the knowledge of ſpiritual myſteries; but that which is chiefly to be regarded is the conſtant faithful opening of thoſe main truths of the Goſpel. Theſe are the Land-marks, and ſhew us the bounds of truth; and as it is in townes that butt one upon another; if the inhabitants do not ſometimes perambulate, and walk the bounds, (to ſhew the youth what they are) when the old ſtuds are gone, the next generation may loſe all their priviledges by their encroaching neighbours, becauſe not able to tell what is their own. There is no fundamental truth, but hath ſome evil neighbour, (hereſie I meane,) butting on it; and the very reaſon why a ſpirit of errour hath ſo encroach't of late yeares upon truth, is, becauſe we have not walk't the bounds with our people in acquainting them with, and ſtabliſhing their judgements on theſe fundamental points, ſo frequently and carefully as is requiſite. And people are much in the fault, becauſe they caſt ſo much contempt upon this work, that they count a Sermon on ſuch point; next to loſt, and only childes meat.
Secondly, thoſe truthes are oft to be preach't, which Miniſters obſerve to be moſt undermined by Satan or his instruments in the judgements and lives of their people. The Preacher muſt read and ſtudy his people as diligently as any book in his ſtudy; and as he findes them, diſpenſe like a faithful ſteward unto them. Paul takes notice that the Galatians had been in ill handling by falſe apoſtles, who had even bewitch't them back to the Law in that great point of Juſtification, and ſee how he bea…s upon that point. Our people complain, we are ſo much, ſo oft reproving the ſame errour or ſin, and the fault is their own, becauſe they will not leave it; who will blame the dog for continuing to bark, when the thief is all the while in the yard? Alas, alas, it is not once or twice rowſing againſt ſin will do it. When people think the Miniſter ſhews his lazineſſe, becauſe he preacheth the ſame things, he may then be exerciſing his patience, in continuing to exhort and reprove thoſe who oppoſe, waiting, if at laſt God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. We are bid ro lift up our voice like a trumpet, and would you have us ceaſe while the battel laſts, or ſound a retreat when it ſhou'd be a battel?
Thirdly, truths of daily uſe and practice. Theſe are like bread and ſalt, whatever elſe is on, theſe muſt be on the board every meale. Saint Peter was of this minde, 2 Pet. 1.12. I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of theſe things, though ye know them. He had (you may ſee) been ſpeaking of ſuch graces and duties, that they could not paſſe a day without the exerciſe of them, and therefore will be ever their Monitour, to ſtir up their pure mindes about them. All is not well, when a man is weary of his ordinary food, and nothing will go down but rarities; the ſtomack is ſickly, when a man delights rather to pick ſome ſallet, then eate of ſolid meat, and how far this dainty age is gore in this ſpiritual diſeaſe, I think few are ſo far come to themſelves, as yet to conſider and lament. O Sirs, be not weary as in doing, ſo not in hearing thoſe ſavoury truths preach't you have daily uſe of, becauſe you know them, and have heard them often; faith and repentance will be good doctrine to preach and heare to the end of the world; you may as well quarrel with God, becauſe he hath made but one heaven, and one way to it, as with the Preacher for preaching theſe over and over; if thy heart were humble, and thy palate ſpiritual, old truths would be new to thee every time thou heareſt them. In heaven the Saints draw all their wine of joy, (as I may ſo ſay at one tap) and ſhall to all eternity, and yet it never taſtes flat. God is that one object their ſoules are filled with, and never weary of, and can any thing of God and his love be weariſome to thee in the hearing here? I am not all this while an Advocate for any Loyterer in our Lords vineyard; for any ſlothful ſervant in the work of the Goſpel, who wraps up his talent in idleneſſe, or buries it in the earth, (where (may be) he is digging and playing the worldling all the week, and then hath nothing to ſet before his people on the Lords day, but one or two old mouldy loaves, which were kneaded many yeares before.) This is not the good Steward, here is the old, but where are the new things which he ſhould bring out of his treaſure? If the Miniſter labours not to increaſe by ſtock, he is the worſt thief in the Pariſh. It is wicked for a man truſted with the improving of Orphans eſtates, to let them lie dead by him, much more for a Miniſter not to improve his gifts, (which I may call the town-ſtock given for the good of the ſoules of both rich and poor:) if that Preacher was wiſe, Eccl. 12.9. who ſtill taught the people knowledge, that is, was ever going on, endeavouring to build them higher in knowledge, and that he might, did give good heed, and ſought out, and ſet in order many Proverbs; then ſurely he will be proved a fooliſh Preacher at laſt, that waſtes his time in ſloth, or ſpends more of it in ſtudying how to adde to his eſtate out of his peoples, then how to adde to their gifts and graces, by a conſcionable endeavour to increaſe his own.