God Wooing His Church

God wooing his Church. The first Sermon.

THese words be part of an Exhortation begun in the 12. verse of this chap. and made to the captive Israelites in Assyria, in the 9. yere of Hoshea king of the ten tribes, as appeareth in 2. King. 17.6. And it groweth upon a complaint against Judah, because that Judah did not profit by the iugements of God upon Israel: which complaint being ended, the Lord here commandeth the prophet to labor with the ten tribes that were in captivity, that they might profit better by those afflictions which were upon them, and by timely and hearty repentance to turn unto God, which if they would yield unto, the Lord doth also promise for his part to forget all their sins past, and to place them in their former estate of liberty again.

This Scripture hath two partes; an Exhortation, and a Promise. In the Exhortation there are two circumstances to be considered of: the first is of the persons; the second is of the matter subject. The persons be twofold, exhorted, and exhorting: the persons exhorted are the captive Jews described in the two first words, disobedient children. The persons exhorting are also double, the Lord by Jeremiah, and Jeremiah in the name of the Lord; and that appears in these words [saith the Lord.] The matter subject is twofold; first, what it is that they are exhorted unto, in these words, Turn again: secondly, a reason why, in these words, For I am your Lord.

In the manner of speaking to the persons exhorted, doth notably appear the singular wisdom, and unspeakable mercy of God. God's wisdom appeareth in ripping up of their sins, before he exhorteth them to repentance: Yea that he may bring them to repentance for their sins; he saith not simply, O my children, turn again, lest they should take an action against Jeremiah, for impeaching their credit: but he saith, O ye disobedient children, that so he might convince their consciences, stop their mouths, and take away all occasion of boasting. From this wise course of wisdom it self, in calling men to God, both the minister of God, and every Christian brother may learn this profitable lesson; that the readiest way to bring men from their profaneness to true repentance, is first to convince them of sin, and then to exhort them to repentance. Many cry repent, and amend, thundering out the judgments of God against the people: this ought to be done; but if we do not first show them what is amis, they will say as the proud Jews said to Malachi, What have we done? But let Malachi tell them what their words are, and then they will blush for shame. Then will Felix tremble, when Paul preacheth of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, all which do concern him. Then will David confess his sin, when Nathan shall lay the parable close to his conscience. Then is Nabal stricken as a stone, when Abigail shall wisely watch hir time, and tell him of his churlishnes. Then will the Samaritan woman leave hir scoffing, when Christ shall come home to her conscience. Then will the ten tribes return (if ever they will return) when Jeremiah shall summon them before gods judgment seat for disobedience. And then may the Preacher look to profit by his public doctrine; and the brother by his private counsel, when first they shall prove to their consciences, that of this and that sin they are guilty.

Secondly, from this wisdom of God, we learn that it is lawful and necessary for the minister of god sometime to use sharp words, if he mean to do any good, specially when he hath to deal with men whose faces are of brass, whose necks are of iron, whose harts are offlint, and whose consciences are seared up with an hot iron. And yet he is not always to lay on load, but sometime (with Paul ) to doubt whether he should come with a rod, or with the spirit of mildness; & as he shall perceive them either obstinate, or tractable, so to make the edge of his reprehension blunt, or sharp; as he seeth his Stil to drop, so to quicken or slake his fire; and so to strain, or let down the strings, as that neither by too much straining, or too much loosening, they be brought more out of tune then they were before.

Again he is not to handle all alike, but to remember that as all the strings, of an instrument are not alike placed, alike natured, alike sounded, nor all strained alike, nor all out of tune alike, and that according to their place, quantity, and quality, everyone must more or less be strained, so it must be among men. The magistrate is to be reproved, but with great reverence, and singular modesty. The minister is to be reproved, but as an Elder. The elder sort must be reproved, but as fathers. The yoonger sort must be reproved, but as children. And everyone according to his place and calling must be dealt withal.

Again, if two be fallen into one and the same sin, he is wisely to observe how they came down, & warily to put a difference between the one and the other. The one may fall by weakness, the other of willfulness, the one of ignorance, the other of malice: the one therefore with lenity, the other with severity must be proceeded against, always tempering his speeches according to the nature and dispositions of persons with whom he hath to deal, and according to the quality and quantity of the sin against which he dealeth: examples hereof we have not a few in the scripture. Christ will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, but the rebellious he will batter in pieces, like a potters vessel. Moses was the meekest man on earth, yet none more angry with Aaron, nor more severe against Idolaters then he. Paul will persuade Felix to become a Christian, and will convey himself into the bowels of the Gallatians to win them to Christ, but he meaneth to take up Peter for halting, and to pronounce Elimas the very child of the devil.

As this doctrine was always profitable, so never more needful then now, when there be quot homines tot sententiae, how many men, so many minds. Some would have the preacher speak always alike, and that of nothing but of mercy and salvation, to prophesy of new wine and strong drink, but in no case to awake them out of their sins. Som would have him always to be thundering out the judgments of God, and to minister nothing but bitter purgations, as though • ll men were sick at once, or of one disease, or of one cause. Some again can abide neither piping, nor mourning. If the minister reprove their sins, they call him a busy controlour: If he shall apply the word to the conscience, then, who made him a judge? If he denounce the judgments of god, then he fraieth his audience. If he standeth above his hour, thē he is tedious. If he entreat friendly, then he is glad to curry favor. If he be sparing in reproof, thē he is afraid to displease. If he speak learnedly, then he is too deep. If plainly, then he is no scholar, but if he will sooth them up with an Omne been, or a nihil dicit, then he is the best church man that ever they knew.

Thirdly the Prophet telleth the Jews of their disobedience, that so he might make them more fit to return unto God, being first humbled with the sight of their sins, to teach us, that in all our reprehensions or admonitions, we must seek the good of our brother, and the glory of God; as John the Baptist called the Pharisees and Sadducees a generation of vipers, not to make them desperate, but fruitful in the works of repentance. And surely (good brethren) then is there hope of doing good by sharp censures, when men may see that they are not censured of malice, or to make them odious, or for some other sinister respect, but of conscience and love, seeking thereby the good amendment of our brother, and that we are no whit glad for their faults, but rather grieved at their falls. And if this rule were always observed, amongst all those to whom the censures of the church are committed, I do not doubt but that much more good might be done, then is done; but if men shall see that their censures (whatsoever they are) proceed not from a hatred of sin, nor a conscience and care to amend their brethrē, but either of stomach to revenge their own quarrelles, or from a covetous affection, to maintain their own gains; alas, how should they be regarded as they ought? Nay, howe should the kingdom of Satan be overthrown, when the golden judge giveth sentence? Howe can the right mark be hit, when a wrong mark is set up to be shot at? and howe can the Church be terrible as an army with banners, when the leaders of the army shall turn their swords points against their own soldiers but this may suffice for the wisedone of God in mentioning their sins, before he calleth them to repentance, in this first word disobedient.

As the first word is a most evident testimony of God's wisdom, so is the second of his mercy; for lo, he calleth them still by the names of children. Oh love unspeakable, that cannot so forget the workmanship of his own hands, but albeit they had most shamefully abused his majesty, yet still offereth to be their father. He ceaseth not to try them by afflictions, to call them by his prophets, to draw them by his spirit, to woo them by his benefits, to pardon them in his mercy, and to receive them into his wonted favor again. Thus we see that our God will not always be chiding, neither will he keep his anger forever, [ 13] but as a father pitieth his children, so hath the Lord compassion on all those of whose return there is any hope. [Applicat.] This doctrine will stand us instead many ways; [ 1] first the papist may learn from hence, that the Lord doth not deal with us, according to our deserts, but according to his merits in Jesus Christ. [ 2] Secondly from hence the afflicted conscience (that groaneth under the burden of his sins) may fetch comfort against all the firy darts of Satan, when he shall be surely persuaded that in Jesus Christ the partition wall is broken down, and the hand-writing fastened unto his cross, and therefore, that all his sins shall not be able to ramper up the gate of God's mercy against him. Thirdly this teacheth us, [ 3] that if any be fallen by infirmity, we should do what we can (with the spirit of brotherly love, & long suffering) to restore him again. And good reason, for if we be bound by the law of God to help up a beast under his burden, much more our brother; but alas, how strange is this amongst us? If a man's foot hath slipped never so little, especially if he be a good man (and who can say his heart is clean?) profane men are ready to exclaim of him, but never labor to reclaim him; never remembering what our savior Christ said when he wrote upon the ground, but forgetting themselves to be laden both with moats, and beams, they do as dogs do, which (when one is in disgrace) run all together after him with open mouth and full cry. Now if the Lord should thus hotly pursue us, as we do our brethren, what should become of us? Fourthly, this gracious example of our heavenly father, dealing so mercifully with his disobedient children, condemneth the uncharitable practices of three sorts of men: the first sort is the Papists, whose fingers are died of a sanguine color in the blood of those men, which have but transgressed the dirty decrees of an Italian priest; & yet these gnatstrainers, and camel swalowers, bewail the want of love among us: secondly it meeteth with an abuse in church governors, who use sometime to make out excōmunications for fees, for trifles, and matters of small importance, as though the greatest censure of the church and the greatest judgment next to the general judgment may be dallied withal, and so far abused, as thereby to cut off, & cast out members of the church, to Satan at men's pleasures. Our good God casteth not off his people, no not for disobedience, but still admonisheth them, and taketh them for his children, so long as there is any hope of returning: thirdly it meeteth with the rash & furious dealing of Brownists, who (for some defects and blemishes) cast off the whole church of God in England for no apparent church of God, which is more then they ought to do for two causes. First, though disobedience be (as it is indeed) as the sin of wichcraft, and who is not disobedient in many things? yet so long as they cannot challenge us, for apostasy, as we may some of them, and so long as there is any life of the spirit at all in her, she is not to be laid out upon the cold ground. But soft a while: though she hath not all her ornaments according to the word of God, yet she doth not refuse them, if she might lawfully come by them; but is ready to receive them whensoever she may lawfully obtain them. In the mean time she mourneth for her wants, and seeketh a redress as she may, and sueth as she ought, and therefore no doubt is marked on the forehead for the dear spouse of Jesus Christ, so long as she holdeth the foundation in him. But suppose that the church of England were proved as the church of Rome, a very harlot, and were adjudged for her continuance worthy to be put into the black book of excommunication, (which God forbid) yet for them to be their own carvers and bailifes, is more then they ought, being but private men: and this is certain, that no particular congregation, much less a private person may excommunicate a whole church.

Lastly, in joining these two words together, we are taught to censure sin in all men, but yet to judge charitably of all. And on the other side to judge charitably of all, but so as we wink not at sin in any, for that were to hate our brother. And this are we taught here, while God calleth them disobedient; yet still children: and children, but yet disobedient. Many think that we hate them if we tell them of their sins, taking those for their best friends, which do always sooth them up in their sins, but these men are much deceived; for the reproof of a friend is better then the kiss of a flatterer; yea, if Shimei an enemy shall rail upon David, though that be Shimei his sin, yet it may be and ought to be David's benefit. Again, the sweetest words to the ear, are not always the wholesomest to the heart: no, the bitter pill is better to purge, then the sweet perfume. The boisterous wind will make a man hold his garment fast about him, when the gleaming sun will make him put off all to his shirt. The thunder and lightning do more purify the air, then the calmest day in summer. The greenest herb doth often cover the foulest toad, where the water is stillest, there is it deepest; the fairest garment doth often cover the filthiest carkas; when the bait is most in sight, the hook is least suspected; the friendliest kiss in show, is sometime but treason in substance; the Be hath hir honey, so hath she a sting, and the one shall wound more then the other shall heal; when Herodes courtiers shall cry to Herod, Oh the voice of God, not of man, then must Herod come down with a mischief; when 400. false prophets shall say to Ahab, go and prosper, then must Ahab look least to thrive, neither shall he return in peace: and so much for the persons exhorted, in these words, O ye disobedient children.

The persons exhorting are, God by Jeremiah, and the prophet in the name of the Lord, and this is of force also to enforce the exhortation: as if he should say, I do not of myself thus reprove you, for then you might think me too busy, but the Lord set me awork, whose will I must obey, and therefore you must hear me with patience. Thus Jeremiah pleadeth his commission, partly for his own discharge, and partly to make his message of more credit and force with them. And thus might Jeremiah reason. He that is but a servant, must do his masters message: I am but a servant, therefore I must do my masters message. And again, he that doth but his masters message, ought not therefore to be blamed; I do that, and no more, and therefore I ought not for that to be blamed. And again, whatsoever the Lord by his messenger saith, that must be believed: but the Lord (by me his messenger) saith that you are disobedient, & promiseth that if you will turn again, and obey him, he will be your Lord, therefore you must believe it. And again, whatsoever the Lord by his messengers doth command, that must be obeyed; but the Lord by me doth command you to turn again, therefore see that you obey his commandment as you will answer at your utmost peril. Here then we have three things to consider of in the ministers of God: First their authority, secondly their dignity, thirdly their duty.

Their authority is very great, and their commission is very large; for behold (saith the Lord to Jeremiah ) I have set thee over nations and kingdoms, to pluck up, and to root out, to destroy, and to throw down to build and to plant. But how? Exechiel showeth how; Thou son of man, fear them not, nor their words, although thou remain among scorpions, fear not their looks, for they are a rebellious house; verse 7. Therefore thou shalt speak my words unto them: so that it must be done without fear, and by speaking the word of God without ceasing. The minister of the word therefore hath authority to reprove princes, as the prophet saith, but not by the sword to remove princes as the pope saith. He hath authority in Christ's stead to pronounce forgiveness of sins to the faithful as the Evangelist saith, but not to absolve whom he list as the pope saith. He hath authority to reprove things amiss in the church, or the common weal by doctrine as the word saith, but not of himself to re • orme by practice, as Brownists say, for deposition of Princes belongs to God only: forgiveness of sins, belongeth to God only: reformation of churches and common weals belongeth to Princes only, but the reproving of sin in prince, church, or common wealth belongeth to ministers also. And this in wisdom and discretion, they may & ought to do. Nay blood for blood, if they do less then this, if they do more then this, and if they do not all this; Why then should Moses be murmured at? why should Michea be smitten? or why should Jeremiah be imprisoned? and all thus troubled for executing their commission? have they not authority to speak? Nay we say to you, (if you be angry with us for this) as your servants will say for themselves. We are but servants, it is nothing to us, agree with our master and we shall be content, we may speak what his word speaketh, for we have authority, and so much we must speak, for the refore are we put in authority. And so much briefly for the authority of God's ministers.

As their authority is great, so is their calling excellent, and honorable, in respect of their office, and of his person, whose mouth they are. We can think as basely of our selves, as any can either think or speak of us, but if it be an excellent thing to be a kings ambassador, howe much more then to be embassadour to the king of heaven & earth? Therefore are they called in the scripture by names of great account; as Angels, Stars, Fathers, Horsemen, and Chariots of Israel, whereof some be old as Heli was, some be young as Timothy was, yet all the messengers of the Lord Jesus. Some have ten talents, some have but one, yet all must occupy for their Lord's advantage. Some come at the first hour, some at the last, yet all sent of God. Some are like James and John the sons of thunder, some like Barnabas the son of consolation, yet all the messengers of God. Some have received a greater measure of g • fts, some a less, yet all according to the measure of the gift of Christ. And therefore let us esteem of them as of the ministers of Christ, and the disposers of the secrets of God. Men they are as we are, that is our benefit, for if God himself should send forth his voice, we must yield up our lives. Sinful they are as others, that is, because they are men, mortal they are as others are, and that is because they are sinful; yet still the messengers of God, and beseech us in Christ his stead to be reconciled unto God. If this were regarded, then God's ministers should be more regarded, and less despised, more believed, less disgraced, better provided for, less pinched, and not so shamefully slandered and abused of so many as now they are. But alas, it is not once thought upon of many, and therefore every churlish Nabal denieth them maintenance, every covetous Ahab is sick for their livings, every proud minion, and minsiing damsel longeth for their heads in a platter, every Judas is ready to betray them Zidkijah the kings claw back will not stick to take his fist from their cheeks, Tertullus the orator dareth call them pestilent fellows, and troublers of the state, if any man of his courtesy will give thē the hearing. Festus in his mad mood, will call them mad men, and lay the fault (if there be any) upon their learning too. Demas the worldling will give them the slip, only the poor widow of Sarepta is found relieving poor banished Elijah. And some (thanks be to God) but not many in respect of the multitude, have the ambassadors of the Lord Jesus, in that good account which they should, especially for their works sake, for do not many grudge our meat, number our morsels, and reckon our livings to every farthing? Christ commanded his to carry neither bread nor money, nor to put on two coats: he is a rich man nowadayes that hath two coats to put on, except some that have two or three benefices, for many in the world are turned out of all, and yet (God be thanked) they are delivered. We may say as Paul said, we are afflicted on every side, in poverty, yet not overcome of poverty; as dead, yet alive; as sorrowing, yet rejoicing; as possessing nothing, yet having all things. In the time of popery one congregation did maintain many mass-priests, now many congregations will hardly maintain one good preacher of the gospel: and no marvel, for then there were too many foolish Bees that brought all their honny into the popes hive, and now we have too many droanes that suck all the honey out of the churches hive; yea too many horse-leaches, which always cry, Give, give, but never say, Ho. One crieth, give me the college lands, another crieth, and me the lands of cathedral churches; another longeth for the impropriations; the fourth must have another benefice or two for to buy him books withal; one is sick for a deanry; and some are sick of a consumption, and a bishopric or two would restore them again, or some other thing that should go to the church, and some will not leave till they have the devil and all, or till the devil have them. If men take pains, some will reward them with a thistle the reward of an Ass: others would send away their pastors in worse case then the basest officer in their kitchen, without either warning or wages. I blame not all, but all such. Why, say some of these men, can you not live as the apostles lived? Why, say I again, let them lay down their goods at the Apostles feet, and then let them ask that question. Truly many dee as Ananias did, if they give one groat, they will brag of two. Many ask, from whence cometh the fall of the church? Indeed it is a question to be moved, though the disease will hardly or never be removed: It is said that seven ilfauoured lean kine devoured seven fat kine, and this was Pharaoh's dream; but now seventy times seven ilfauoured lean kine have devoured seven hundred fat kine; and this is no dream, but a very troth: but wherefore I pray you are God's messengers thus handled? Do they demand their duties? No they dare not; for the earthen potte dareth not strive against the brazen vessel, and men are now like drunken guests, which having filled their bellies are loath to pay their reckoning. What is the cause? Any cause will serve the turn in this point. Facile inuenias baculum, quo canem cedas. It is an easy matter to find a staff to beat a dog withal. When the Pharisees could not abide the doctrine of Christ nor his disciples, they quickly found a just defense of their quarrel. They do that on the sabbath day which is not lawful. And wot you what that was; they plucked the ears of corn. Our Pharisees also have taken up the same accusation against us, for (say they) we do that on the sabbath day that is not lawful. And first to begin withal, they cry, out upon him rebel, he will not wear the surplis every sunday and holy day. Again, he will not read all service at all times, and therefore (whether law dispence with him or no for his preaching we have found sufficient cause to deny him his duty. Again, he will not read divine service to the walls and the windows: to the stools and the stones, & is not this cause sufficient to deny him his duty? Again, they preach against papists, Atheists. userers, drunkards, swearers, lords of missc-rule, abuse of apparel, and other profanings of the sabbath day, and such like comendable, and common excercises of good neighbourhood, and is not this a sufficient cause also? Lastly, if they should pay the minister his duty, the lone of so much money were lost, which in many years would amount to some round sum, and are not all these, or any of these sufficient causes think you, to handle God's poor ministers and servants as hath been shown before? But what hath good queen Elizabeth done, that she can get nothing of some of them, I hope it is not because she hath banished idolatry and brought in the gospel. Some can rob Peter to pay Paul, (they say) but these men can cunningly rob both Peter and Paul too, and pay neither of both. Well, we have been all this while but among the ears of corn: but what? Are we sharp in reproving their sin? No, we dare not say to Herod, thou must not have thy brothers wife, we may not say, that a right papist is a rank traitor, lest we should be told, that when we are in our priuileged places, we prate what we list, as once I was told. We may not say the magistrates are profaners of the sabbath day, if they suffer it to be profaned, though the word saith so. And to meddle with any abuses or corruptions in the church, is Auribus canem, to pull a dog by the ears, and to put our hand into a hornets nest. A learned father (who belike had experience of such things) said once (if not often) Tutior est discentis, quàm docentis ratio: It is better to • earn then to teach: but we may say nowadayes, Tutior est peccantis, quàm arguen • is conditio, It is more dangerous to reprove sin, then to commit sin. And if ever it were true, it is now true, that Lepores concionantur leonibus, we must preach in fear as poor hates before proud lions: for if we please them not, they will say as Ahab said, He doth not prophecy good unto me, but evil, and therefore my soul doth hate him. We read that Pharaoh cried against the Israelites as appeareth in Exod. 5.8. Give them no more straw but let them gather it themselves, and get it where they can, and yet we will have our whole tale of brick; And why so? for they be idle and cry, Let us go three days journey into the wilderness and offer sacrifice unto God. So play many with us, for they cry, let our pastors and preachers have no more liberty given them let them gather their straw thenselves, that is, let them preach as much as they will (for they account of preaching but as offstraw;) but in the meaue time we will have our whole tale of brick, that is, all our old customs and ceremonies kept whatsoever they be: and albeit we have no law for them, yet will we have them to do as we will. And why so? Because for sooth (as they say) we be idle, and cry, let us go offer sacrifice; that is (say they) they never leave calling to church, and to the sermon every day, and there we must be reproved for every fault, and this diet is not for our humors; and they were as good be idle as thus occupied. And as Pharaoh urged those things at Israel's hands, which he would not touch himself with his least finger: so these Pharaoh's would lay heavier burdens upon the ministers backs, then either prince, or law, or conscience will warrant. Again, because the Egyptian task was not done, the Israelites, and their officers were beaten. Even so, because their task (I mean not the task of the law, for that have we borne, and are ready most willingly to under go it) but the vnstinted task of men's unbridled affections, whose behavior savoreth of the discipline of an alehouse, because their task is not done: we are beaten with the slanderous tongues of ungodly men, with the reproach of the world, with the disgrace of our ministry, with the bitings of poverty; and if some might prevail, with the loss of liberty, living, and life it self; for they cry Crucifige already, the Lord (if it be his will) turn such Pharaoh's hearts. But, will not the Lord be revenged of his servants wrong and oppression? Yes no doubt; for if Princes take that contempt to themselves which is offered to their ambassadors, much more will God. If Haman and Ammon stink in the nostrils of Israel, for their villainy offered to David's messengers, much more shall these stink before God. And if God made Jerusalem, yea even famous Jerusalem a heap of stones, and the shame of the world, for mocking, despising, & misusing of God's messengers, how shall God suffer these oppressing Pharaoh's, whether they be papists, or atheists, or libertines, or neuters, or Machiauils, whether in city or country, whether in village or in cotage, or wheresoerver or who soever they be, how shall God suffer them at last though he suffer them long to escape his heavy wrath? Therefore I would wish that this contempt and neglect of God's ministers might be banished from amongst us; for although in respect of human infirmities, they are but as other men are; although the messenger of Satan be sent to buffet them; and though there be a law in their members, rebelling against the law of their minds, whereby many times they are led (against their wills captives to the law of sin, oh wretched men that we are: yet in respect of their office which is honorable and excellent in respect of him whose message they bring; and in respect of the message it self which they bring, they are to be regarded and reverenced: and so much for the dignity of God's ministers.

Their authority is great, honorable is their office, and great is their dignity; their duty therefore must needs be very great, but which is the greatest I know not. They are messengers of God's counsels, therefore they must be trusty; they are fathers unto God's children, therefore they must be loving and tender; they are builders of God's church, stewards of God's household, shepeheards of God's flock, therefore they must be skillful, faithful, and watchful; they are captains over God's church, which is terrible as an army with banners, therefore they must not be fearful and faint-hearted; they are the lights of the world, and the salt of the earth, and therefore they must neither stand under a bushel, nor be unsavory; they are nurses of gods tender ones, therefore their breasts should never be without milk; they are to heal with old and young, with learned and unlearned, with strong and weak, with willful and ignorant, and with all sorts, therefore they must be wise. In the time of peace, and in the time of war, in time of prosperity, and in time of adversity, in season, and out of season, and at all times; therefore they must be no time-seruers: Against principalities and powers, against holds mighty and strong against flesh and blood the world & worldlings, the devil and hell, presumption and despair, and against all sin in others and in themselves: before princes and subtects, before angels & men, before heaven and earth, and before God himself, & therefore their garners must be stored with all kind of grain, both old and new, their lips must always preserve knowledge. Their hands must be holden up, & their arms vnderset whē they faint in prayer, their eyes should dazzle with waiting for the hope of their prayer, their cheeks should be watered with tears, when they pray for the sins of the people, & when they can pray and preach no longer, let thē chatter like a swallow, mourn like a dove und groan in their spirits: for oportet Episcopum mori concionantem & orantem, saith a godly father. A good Bishop must die preaching, and praying, & must pray and preach till he die. What should I say more, he is the minister of God, therefore of God he must learn his duty, and unto God he must perform his duty. He is to speak in the name of god, therefore he must speak both what, & when, & to whom, & in that manner that God will. If therefore we speak men's inventions in painted eloquence to set forth our selves, to some & not to all, faintly and coldly, to Tharsis for Niniuy, if we condemn the good, and commend the bad, encourage the wicked, and discourage the godly, if we speak but ance a year, once a quarter, or when we list, or not at all, and at all times as occasion serveth, both instantly and earnestly, we do not the duty of good messengers. But if we speak God's glorious will, without adding or diminishing, in the evidence of the spirit, to the conscience as well as to the ear, to the courtier and countrieman, with courage and boldness, with wisdom and discretion, with a zeal of God's glory, a love of God's people, and a desire of their good, and that continually, constantly, and faithfully, then we do the duty of God's ministers, If therefore any man shall send for God's minister, to school him before hand, and to teach him either what to speak, as general doctrine without application, or howe to speak, as in fine terms, and filed phrases, to please all, and to displease none (as the manner of some is, and who is not cunning in the ministers office, and in every man's office saving his own) we are to signify thus much unto him, that we are not ministers of men's unbridled affections, but of the Lord's most holy will, and therefore we must not speak either what they will, or how they list, but all must be both for matter, and manner as God will; so said Michaiah the true prophet to the kings eunuch; so said Balaam the false prophet to the King himself; and so say we to everyone. And good reason; for if the Lawyer will scorn to learn of the Divine to plead at the bar, why should the Lawyer take upon him to teach the Divine how to speak in the pulpit? And if our servants are not to do our business by other men's directions; if the steward must not dispose of his masters goods at another man's appointment; if the captain must not fight when the mean soldier will appoint him; and if the soldier must not fight with such weapons as his enemy will appoint him, why then should God's minister (who is to plead God's matters, to do God's business, to dispose of God's treasures, and to fight the Lord's battles) become a slave and a servant to men's affections? If he should (which God forbid) hurt he may do much; but God he shall do none. And yet I deny not, but that the minister is to receive good counsel of any man. And the Colossians may say to Archippus, look to thy ministry. And so much for the authority, dignity, and duty of God's ministers. And thus much both for the persons exhorted, and exhorting.

In the second part we are to consider; first of that whereunto they are exhorted, and then of the reason why. For the first, it is repentance, and is here called a turning again: alluding to one that is out of his way, and cannot come into the right way, except he turn again, or else to one that had left something behind him, without which his journey could, not prosper, but most likely to a wife diuorsed from her husband, for adultery, but he calling to mind the old and sweet love that was wont to be between them, calleth her again, and offers still to be her spouse, upon condition that she will become a new woman. At all these stays were we all of our selves, for by nature we are all gone out of the way, we are corrupt, and become abhominable, the ways of peace we have not known. But then did the Lord cal unto us, and said, Adam where art thou? come into the right way, Christ Jesus the seed of the woman, is the way the truth and the life, walk thou in this way, and he shall conduct thee directly unto Canaan the kingdom of heaven.

Again, when we had found Christ the way, we made no more reckoning but thought that we had all, when we had the way, but we were denied; for we left behind us the works of faith, and repentance. We were going to Christ, not like the wisemen with our presents, but like the foolish virgins without oil in our lamps; but behold, the Lord calleth unto us, and saith. Turn again, and take your provision with you, we also went a whoring after our own inventions, we were trudging to hell, with bag, and baggage, we had plighted our troth to the world, sin, and Satan. Yet lo: God of his infinite mercy and goodness, sendeth ambassadors after us, his Prophets, Apostles, and ministers, to call us back again, and to offer us conditions of peace. Nay he sent his own son to call us back again, and he crieth, Come unto me, come unto me, &c. Nay God himself calleth unto us, and he crieth unto us why will you die, O house of Jacob, why will you die? when this would not serve, he falleth to entreating of us, that we would be reconciled unto him. Oh love without comparison. Thus hath our good God, and most gracious father forbid the banes of matrimony between the devil and us, and offereth us a better match, even his own son, the heir of all things and king of heaven and earth, and all upon this condition, that we will turn again, and forsake the devil, with all his works, and embrace Christ Jesus with all his merits, and serve him in righteousness, and true holyne all the days of our life, blessed be his name forever.

Well then, by this time we see what true repentance is, namely a continual turning again unto God, by forsaking our old ways of iniquity, and transgression, and walking in the new ways of holy life, by casting off the work of darkness, and putting on the armor of light. This turning again, is a hatred of all sin past, with a hearty sorrow for the same, with a care to prevent sin to come, and a steadfast resolution not to entertain it, when it is offered again. It is a conquest of our own wills and affections, and a subjecting them unto the will of God. The time of this turning again must be always, even while it is said today. This turning again must be by one certain way, and that is Jesus Christ. And for the better finding out of our way, & keeping of it being found, we must needs have a lantern to our feet, and a light to our paths, and that must be the word of God, read, preached, heard, believed and meditated upon. And because we walk in this world as on a sea of glass, very slippery, and we very feeble & faint, we must have the staff of faith to go by. Our guide must be the spirit of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, of courage, and strength. And because Christ our way is holy ground, we must therefore put off the shoes of our beastly affections, which carried us every way before, and put upon our feet the shoes of preparation to the gospel. In this our turning again, we shall meet with many discouragements, we must therefore be covered with a helmet of hope, and lest our old enemies the world, the flesh, and the devil, should make us retire back, we must put upon us the whole armor of god, be valiant, and quit our selves like men, and so march forward toward our heavenly Canaan. And if at any time we chance to loose our way, as being either benighted, weather beaten, or otherwise beguiled, we must go about the city; by the streets and open places, and inquire of the watchmen, the ministers that are set to go about the city, if they did not see him whom our soul loveth, & if they shall show us where he is, we must not say, I have put off my coat, howe shall I put it on? but leaving all such dilatory pleaes, turn again, and meet him with great joy.

If these be the properties and qualities of true repentance, then are many in the world far from true repentance. The papists dispence with murder & treson. The price of whoredom, incest, sodomitry, patricide, matricide, fratricide, & of all sin is set down in the market of Rome where. Omnia venalia, all is for money, & the devil clarke of the matket, far enough therefore are they from true reap̄tance, neither can they be saved, except they turn again. Their foolish penance of whipping, creeping to the cross, going bare foot, and such like, God never required, and therefore no true conversion, except they leave these toys and turn again. The Turk followeth his Alcaron, even darkness it self, leaving the word of God, even light it self, and therefore so long as he doth so he cannot turn again. The Jews denied Christ the right way, and therefore they are far from this turning again. The Anabaptist rejecteth the written word of God, and relieth upon his drowsy dreams, and night-reuilations, and therfote shall not possibly find the right way, except he turn again. The Neuter is for any way, and therefore out of the right way, except he turn again. The Atheist saith in his heart there is no god. The Machiuel with the Atheist, will not acknowledge that there is either god or devil, hell or heaven, and in all their actions they quench the spirit of god, which one day they shall know to their cost, except they return. The profane worldling, with Esau weepeth not for his sins, but for the loss of some worldly commodity, but this is no true turning. The presumptuous person drives of all to the last hour, & therefore is like to be preted, if in time he do not turn again. The desperate person is in hatred with himself for his sins, but because he wanteth Christ the way, and the staff of faith he layeth violent hands upon his own body, and destroyeth the good creature of God, and so turneth further from god, then ever before. The turning turner that turneth with the weathercocke in the wind, must also turn again before he can be saved. The churchpapist turneth in show, but not in truth, and therefore must look for his portion with hypocrites except he turn again. The Barbarians turned from one opinion to another, but both in extremities; for one while they judged Paul as a murderer, another while they esteemed him as a God. Our Brownists also once accounted highly of gods ministers, but now they account them but murderers, and false prophets; once they thought our church to be the only church, but now no church; but I hope that so many of them as belong unto God, shall one day turn again. Some turn from popery, to Atheism, from one sin to another, but to God they cannot turn, except by true repentance they turn again. Some turn as dogs do, that is, either to their vomit again, or else to snatch at them which bring them meat. I would I could devise a way to make userers turn again, but I fear me I shall not, for they which can cosin all laws, (no doubt) will be too cunning for me. Usury is a deu •• that all the disciples of Christ, in England cannot cast out, for it is a kind that will not be cast out, but by fasting and prayer. We read that there was a man possessed with a devil called Legion, he kept amongst the graves, and no man could pass quietly by him: I think userers also are possessed with the same devil, for no man can pass by without his marks. The father crieth, oh my son is undone by the usurer, the son crieth, oh the usurer hath eaten up my father, and everyone that cometh that way where the usurer keepeth, crieth, God keep me out of the userers hands. No statute, nor laws can tame usury, for he hath so many turnings and turn againes, that a man cannot tell where to find him. He is in money, and wares, in buying and selling, he dealeth for ready money, and for time, he borroweth and lendeth, he dealeth by himself and his brokers, the devils huntsmen. And this is certain, that usury is grow̄ so strong, that he hath sinews and bones like a man, and walketh up and down the streets like a serving man, like a gentleman, like a merchant man, and like an alderman; yea and that so stoutly that • e taketh the wall of all honesty and religion. These turners are like the devil, who being driven out of a man, would needs be in the swine, but wheresoever they be, they will be sure to do no good. Good brethren, in many things we sin all, and therefore we have need at all times to be turning again. In every turning again there is terminus à quo, & terminus ad quem; that is, the thing from which, and the thing unto which we must turn. Saint Paul showeth that we must turn from idols, to the living God. And Jeremiah in the first words of his text, showeth that we must turn from our disobedience to true obedience, for the reproving of the one is the approving of the other, and the forbidding of the one is the commanding of the other. And to say the truth, they are truly turned unto God, who are truly obedient to the word of God, and they are indeed disobedient persons which disobey the word of God. And therefore let us make what shows of holiness we can if we obey not the word in all things that concern us, we are unholy, we are not truly converted. The word of God forbids us to follow the fashions of the world, it forbids men the wearing of long hair, & womē the laying out of their hair, & both men & women to disguise themselves in strange attire, now if (all this notwithstanding) we shall practice the contrary, what do we else but turn from the Lord unto Satan, who is our terminus ad quem. The Lord in his word forbids all lying, and false dealing to deceive, and all deceit to live; if any man in his shop, or else-where shall use both, they may well be hearers of the word, but God will note them for monstrous rebels and hypocrites. And thus we are to examine our selves for every other thing. For the wickedest man that liveth may hear the word of god gladly reverence the preacher, & in many things obey the word, as Herod did; but Herod would still have his brothers wife, and so many will love one sin or other as their dearling. And surely the devil can draw a man to hell as well with one bait as with a thousand. God's children must therefore strive against all sin, and in everything labor to obey the word; or else, as God did allow the good things, and ever had somewhat to say for the evil that he found in the seven Churches of Asia, so will his majesty reckon with us for all our sins, not only of omission but commission; although he do find some, yea many good things amongst us.

Many, under pretence of obedience to Princes would give entertainment to any religion, forgetting that god must be obeyed before men, but such men are most disobedient to the King of all kings, but truly obedient to none. Many again cry, obedience, obedience, as though they were compounded of nothing but of obedience, and yet all is not gold that shineth; and flattering Judas is not the faithfullest disciple; & ex vnguibus leonem, ex fructibus arborem, the lyon shall be known by his claws, and the tree by his fruit. For let a man look well upon many of them, and he shall see that there are not any generally to all laws more disobedient, in their lives, none more dissolute and scandalous in their worshipping of god, none more superstitious, in the principles of true religion, none more ignorant, in their dealing, none more unjust, and deceitful where advantage is given them, none more cruel & merciless, and in all their sports & pastimes none more profane, and filthy, and blasphemous; which kind of people are not much unlike Gaius Gracchus, who took upon him the defense of the treasury, whereof he himself was the spoiler. So they cry obedience, when none are more disobedient then they; like thieves which having done a robbery, can make hew and cry after the true man. Some can hold one with a tale, while they pick his purse, but these are cunning thieves, which can hold the world with a tale of obedience, and conformity, while they in the mean time do deceive both Prince, church, and common wealth of their duties, and themselves of God's favor, if in time they take not a new course. Such hallow hearted Ambo-dexters, have learned to serve the time, but to serve their own turn, looking when time will turn, that they may turn with time: but if careful circumspection be had, which the necessity of these times requireth & the subtleties of these enemies crave, it will be no hard matter to discern the wolves, though they wander in sheep's clothing, by the noise of their howling, and to descry the asse (though he iet in the lions skin) by the length of his ears, except by true repentance in time they turn again, which God grant if it be his will.

But here ariseth a question, and that is this: Whether a man in turning to God, must forsake the company of the wicked or no? If yea (as they ought indeed) why did these Jews continue still among the Assyrians which were idolaters? and why went they not to Zion, the place of gods worship? Of if they could not, because they were in captivity, to what purpose then served this exhortatiō? The answer is not heard? There is a turning in outward action and affection: In outward action, whē a Christian doth that which he ought to do, and may lawfully, & conveniently do it. In affection when a Christian would do that which he ought to do, but cannot, being letted outwardly, by imprisonment, sickness, banishment, the law, or such like: or inwardly by some natural infirmity. Examples we have of both in the scripture. They turned in outward action, who with David fetched home the ark, so did the Ninevites which fasted & prayed at the kings commandment; so did likewise the Jews and Grecians, which burned their books. In affection turned the Jews in Babylon, which mourned & wept at the remembrance of Zion. In affection turned David in banishment, whē he desired to go to God's house with the people, but could not. In affectiō also turned those men which mourned for all the abominations that were done in the midst of Jerusalem: And in affection also the Apostle turned, whē he desired to do all that he ought to do, but could not, being led captive to the law of sin. So we in many things may turn, both in outward action & affection of heart, as frō idolatry to the gospel, from drunk̄nes to sobriety, from pride to humility, and in many things more. Som things are yet wanting (which the church should have, if she had her right) as a learned minister through the whole land, and the prefection of that godly, and ancient discipline, which was in the primitive church, but as yet we cannot have them in act, yet in affection we embrace them that is, we pray for them, we would gladly have them if we might lawfully come by them, and this church doth allow in our book of common prayer, where in plain words it is said, That there was a godly discipline in the primitive church, which is to be wished; and much to be wished, that is might be restored again; and therefore also when occasion serveth it may be taught, and yet with great wisdom and discretion: for shall it be prayed for, and not be taught also what it is, that it may be much wished for? yes surely, for Ignoti nulla cupido, there is no desire of that is not known. And in affecting that which is wanting, we are to beware that impatient rashness draw out our affections beyond the bond of Christian charity, and godly sobriety, lest we forget to be thankful for those singular benefits which we have already received, and so for our impatience on the one side, and our ingratitude on the other, we are rewarded, in the ende with the loss of all.

Now followeth the reason of the exhortation in these words: For I am your Lord. The word Lord, in the original signifieth to command as a Lord, or to rule as a husband: either is sufficient, so the sense be taken, as if he should say; it is good reason thou shouldest turn again, for thou hast entered a covenant with me, and married thyself unto me, and therefore I have both power our you, and interest in you. This being the sense, the doctrine shall be this; first, that it is never in vain to turn to the Lord, for such is his love unto those, whose names are once written in his book of election, that finally he will not forsake them, but most mercifully will embrace them, whensoever they shall faithfully turn unto him: Neither doth he show us this favor because we have deserved it by our turning again, as the papists say, but because of his free & undeserved love hath made us this promise. If any shall think that of himself he hath power or will to turn unto God, he deceiveth himself; for by nature we run from God as Adam did, but it is God that seeketh us up again. Naturally our thoughts are evil continually, our words are vain, our works are filthy; but it is God that createth in us new hearts, and that makes our words gracious, and our works acceptable to himself, & that by Jesus Christ for of our selves we cannot so much as think a good thought. And as God only by his grace preventeth us, and worketh in us both the will and the deed, so by the same spirit he draweth us to him, or else we never come at him: and by no other spirit, doth he also finish that good work he hath begun in us, & that in Jesus Christ. And as our repentance is of god, so is our faith also; for S. Paul saith, To you it is given both to believe & suffer. S. John saith, It is the work of God to believe in Jesus Christ. And what have we that we have not received? If we have received all the good we have from god, & not from our selves, and that of his free grace and mercy, without any consideration of our parts, why should we not attribute all to him again? & why should any part of our conversion or salvation be ascribed to our selves, or any creature else in heaven or earth, and not wholly to the merits of Christ his death and passion? for shall the disobedience of one man, Adam, destroy all the world, and shall not the obedience of one man, Jesus Christ, save all that believe? shall the work of men, of Saints, of martires, or of Mary (all sinful and imperfect) be sufficient, and not the works of Christ Jesus which are most perfect, and perfection it self? Is he the seed of the woman that brake the serpents head, and could he not do it without us? Is he that brazen serpent that heals all those that look on him with the eye of a lively faith, & must we now lick our selves whole. But (say the Papists) there is righteousness in us as the accident in the subject. To which we answer, first, though this be true in philosophy, yet it is false in divinity, and therefore Paul saith, Take heed lest any man spoil you through philosophy. Secondly, there is righteousness in us, as there was sin in Christ; but in Christ there was no sin really, of his own, but of ours by imputation; neither have we any righteousness of our own, but of Christ's, and that by imputation also. Thirdly, God by his good spirit beginneth righteousness in us, even in this life, but it is imperfect and polluted, so soon as it cometh into the stinking vessels of our corrupted nature, but it shall be perfected in the world to come, by Jesus Christ only. But yet the papists have another shift, as our evil works are available unto condemnation, so our good works are available to salvation: for (say they) Contrarierum contraria estratio, of contraries, there is a contrary reason. But I answer, the comparison is unlike, and holdeth not; for first, our sins are of our selves, our righteousness is of God: secondly, our sins are perfectly evil, our good is imperfect: thirdly, he that is guilty of one commandment is guilty of all, and deserveth damnation; shall we therefore conclude, that he which keepeth one, deserveth salvation? what more absurd? No, no, both our conversion and salvation be the free works of God. Heaven is our inheritance; ergo, no purchase by us: it hath pleased the Father to give us the kingdom; ergo, we get it not by our selves. Saint John saith, Christ is the door by which we must enter. Peter saith, there is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved, but only by the name of the Lord Jesus. And therefore to join Christ with us, and his perfect righteousness, with our broken works, even unholiness it self, were but to put new cloth in an old garment, and so to make the rent worse; and to put new wine into old bottles, and so to spill all; and to build part of the house upon Christ, and part upon our selves were to set part upon the foundation, and part besides the foundation, and so to bring all under foot. And therefore if we will be wise builders, let us ascribe all wholly, and only to our good God, who hath so loved us in Christ Jesus, that albeit we have been disobedient to his heavenly majesty, yet if we will come when he calleth, and use the ordinary means when he offereth them, & turn again to him with all our hearts, he will be still our Lord, & that for his promise sake in Jesus Christ our Lord, and yet all of his favor vnde served, and love unspeakable, wherwithal he loved us before the foundation of the world 〈…〉

This doctrine is necessary for two sorts of men; First, for those that are too much oppressed with the burden of their sin, even to despair: these men are to know that Christ Jesus spake unto them, when as he said, Come unto me all you that are heavy laden, and I will ease you. And the Prophet here speaketh unto them, when he saith; O you disobedient children turn again, for I am your Lord. Let them only believe, and pray the Lord to help their unbelief. And let not this be the question, whether God will be their good Lord or no; or whether they shall be saved or no; but whether they be surely persuaded of God's love in Christ to them or no. The second sort are such as are not at all touched with their sins, but are drenched in the sea of sin, and feel not the waves; in the midst of the fire they are, and yet feel not the flame; God's iugements are present, hell gates are gaping, and death ready to strike them, yet they no whit abashed: No threatening, no promise, no example, nothing will make them forgo their sins, that God may forgive them: God make us to feel our sins, that we may by true repentance turn again; for this comfort belongeth to none but to those that in obedience turn to God by Jesus Christ our Lord.

The second thing that we learn from this place, is, that the consideration of gods love towards us, should move us to serve him in true obedience. This argument did Moses use to the Israelites; The Lord (saith he) will curse thy enemies, and them that hate thee, and persecute thee; return therefore, & obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do all his commandments. The same argument did Joshua use. The Lord saith he hath given you a land wherein you did not labor, cities which you built not, and vineyards which you planted not: now therefore fear the Lord your God, & serve him in uprightness and truth. The same reason also doth the Lord (by Jeremiah ) use here. Turn again, and obey, and why? for I am your Lord. The same reason ought to move everyone of us to fear the Lord, for with him is mercy that he may be feared. Apply we this to our selves. No nation hath been longer urged with this argument then our English nation: but hath it persuaded us to obey the Lord? God indeed hath made us his vineyard, and done for us what he possibly could devise, by plāting dressing hedging, watering, & defending us. Yet lo, nothing but sower grapes. Nay have we not degenerated more then any other nation? I would to god that we had not; for thus standeth the case with us: the more love from God, the less duty from us; the more mercy in God, the less pity in us; the more peace, the less quiet; the more knowledge the less practice: let enemies come, and we will hold together; let enemies go, and we fall out one with another; let sickness come, & we send for the preacher; let health come, and we scorn the preacher; let death come, and some will give a little to the poor; let life continue, & they take all from the poor: when David of love sent ambassadors to visit the king of Ammon, they cut away half their beards, and curtoled their garments by the buttockes: but some seek to cut their throats, which do them most good, and that even now. Jonathan used his fathers love to David's benefit, and by shooting of three arrows, gave him warning of his fathers displeasure; but now many do abuse their fathers love, shooting poisoned arrows at those that are true of heart, causing displeasure where none was, and that even now: When God maketh men most able to do good, they are least willing, and that even now in the light of the gospel. In time of dearth the rich hoard up their corn, looking still for a greater price. In time of war and common calamity, whē men are infinitely charged, then is every man for himself, setting the dice upon men, taking five shillings for one, and 20. for five; but by the way, these be no userers, but devils incarnate. One poor man beggeth of another. Elijah goeth to Sarepta, & from thence to the ravens for comfort. Lazarus goeth to the rich man's gate, but the dogs give him his alms. Nabal's song is, I have not for David, when Nabal hath the devil and all. Now do mē eat the calves of the stal, and the lambs of the flock, drink wine out of golden cups, anoint themselves with costly ointment, wallow upon beds of Iuorie, and sing to the vial and musical instrument: and even now, but Joseph's affliction is quite forgotten. When the Lord spareth us, we smite our fellow servants, when the Lord forgiveth us a thousand talents, we take our brethren by the throat for every farthing. When God giveth Ahab a kingdom, let Naboth look to his vineyard. And when Ahab is sick for Naboth's vineyard, and Jezebel religious in proclaiming a fast, for Ahab's sickness, then let Naboth look unto his life. There is nothing but joining house to house, and lande to lande, until there be no more room, except it be for a plague. The Israelites bestowed their earerings, and iewelles upon a Calf. The Papists like calves would bestow all upon the popes bull, and we like profane Esau are content to sel away our heavenly patrimony for a mess of belly sorrow, and in this sort we deal with the Lord, as though the Lord did spare us, that we might spare none; as though he did give us a portion to waste prodigally; as though he gave us our meat to play withal, and as though his mercy and goodness, should not make us merciful and loving, and finally as though his long suffering and patience, were not to draw us to repentance.

The last thing that I observe from this place is this: that seeing the love of God is so free, so continual, so undeserved, and unspeakable, that therefore we ought to set more by it, then by any love in the world. Great was the love of Damon and Pithias, when one offered to die for the other, but it was neither free, perpetual, nor undeserved; but god loved us when we were his enemies, and hated him: their love ended with their lives, God's love is eternal, as himself; the love of Princes is great, but princes may be unconstant, as Saul was to David. The love of fathers is great, but they may prove unnatural, as they which offered their sons and daughters to the devil. Many wives be unfaithful as Delilah, scoffers as Michal. Children may prove unnatural as Absalom was. Servants are untrusty, as Gehazi. Friends are feigned and sickle as Joab, and Judas; but the loving kindness of the Lord endureth forever and ever, upon such as think upon his commandments to do them. There are many things wanting in the world, which should bring us out of love with the world. There wanteth ability in the king of Samaria, willingness in the wicked judge, there wanteth judgment in Isaac, so as Jacob may deceive him, fidelity is wanting in Laban, so that Jacob is deceived, constancy is wanting in the Jews, which will cry, Crucifige, and Hosanna, and almost all with a wind, so that Christ is executed: there wanted in Pharaoh's butler thankful remembrance of his friend, so that Joseph is forgotten: mercy in Rehoboam, wisdom and discretion in his young counselors, and a good name in both is wanting, so that Quicquid del • rant reges plectuntur Achiui. The whole land smarted for their folly. In all men wanteth somewhat, the whole world hath not all things, no the world hath no interest in us; for we are chosen out of it, by that GOD that saith here, I am your Lord. There are not wanting the contrary, which like scorpions should drive us from the world to the Lord, as the malice of Cain, the hatred of Esau, the villainy of Joab, the unkindness of Haman, the treachery of Judas, the cruelty of Jezebel, the sickness of Ahab, the churlishnes of Nabal, the dissembling of Ananias: as the breasts of the world are not benointed only with sower things, but the very milk that it yieldeth bitterness it self, for all is but vanity, and vexation of spirit. There wanteth not ignorance, weakness, unwillingness, unfaithfulness in all, imperfections in the best, nothing certain, but all changable as the moon, fading as the flours of the field, & vanishing as the smoke in the air, all wax old as a garment, and as a vesture shall we all be changed. What shall I say? the whole world is set on mischief. But with the Lord our god the case is otherwise, for he is almighty, & therefore of ability to reward the godly, & to punish the wicked. He is our father in Jesus Christ, & therefore willing to receive us when we turn unto him, he is also a just God, & therefore will plague those which will not turn unto him, he hath all knowledge, & knoweth all things, & therefore he will know Barabbas from Barnabas, Esau from Jacob, Bethaven from Bethel. Simon Magus from Simon Peter. Judas Iscariot from Judas the brother of James, Shibboleth from Sibboleth, and who shall deceive the Lord? He is not as the son of man that he should change his mind, & therefore he must needs be constant, and his counsel shall stand. He cannot be letted or his purpose, for he is in heaven, & doth whatsoever he will: he cannot forget his children, for he hath written them in the palms of his hands. He is always watchful over his children, for he that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep. A second information shall not miscarry him, for he that knoweth all at once needeth no information. No orator shall turn his mind, for he will never alter the decree that is gone out of his mouth, yea his counsel must needs stand, against whō no wisdom, no counsel, nor strength can prevail. If he hath conceived any displeasure against his children he will soon be entreated vpō their reap̄tance: he calleth us, he persuadeth us, he entreateth us to turn & obey him, & therefore let us turn again: he claimeth it as his right, it is for our benefit, he shall get nothing by our service: if we never serve him, he will loose nothing by us, if we be saved, he shall be glorified, & if we be damned, he will be glorified also: for no way will he loose a jot of his glory, & therefore let us turn again & obey him, he commandeth it in his law, whē he saith, Thou shalt have no other gods but me; we cōfes it in our belief, whē we say, I believe in God the father almighty: we pray for it whē we say; our father hallowed be thy name, &c. & therefore if we do not turn again, we break his law, we deny our faith, and we mock God himself in our prayers. His mercies should move us to obedience, his promises should allure us to obey him. If he correct us, it is that we might obey him; if he plague us, it is because we obey him not; but if he doth bear with us, and forbear us, it is, to see whether his long suffering and patience will draw us to repentance. The Lord is our Lord, and still offereth us mercy, we are his children and always owe him duty: he is our Lord in goodness, power, wisdom, justice, mercy, providence, and in himself above all, and therefore let us turn unto him. God for his mercies sake turn our hearts that he may be still our God, and we may be his people forever, So be it. Now let us pray.

The second Sermon of God wooing his Church.

IN the former part of this text, the Lord hath shown what authority and power he hath over his people, by which he might compel them to serve him: but now he taketh another course, whereas he might enforce them, he doth entreat them; and whereas he might press them down with most grievous judgments, he doth now promise to reward them most liberally, and to deal most bountifully with them, for he promiseth to endow them with the best, and greatest blessings which he giveth unto any of the sons of men in this life. For first whereas they were in captivity and bondage amongst God's enemies, he promiseth to set them at liberty, in their own country, and to establish his true religion and worship amongst them. And further, that they may no more provoke the wrath of the Lord against them through their ignorance, and wandering out of the way for want of lights and guides; he promiseth to provide for them such pastors as shall watch over them for their good, and not see them want any instruction; as if he should say unto them, I will bring you to my own house, and during your whole life I will assure you of the best things I have for you, and you shall want nothing, if you will obey me, this shall be your dowry. And thus we see how frankly the Lord dealeth with them, and what large offers he maketh them, as one which meaneth to win them, if anything will woo them.

And further, lest that such as were well affected, and desirous to return indeed, might be discouraged, thinking it in vain to turn, except all would turn; and because the promise was made to all the whole company, it would not avail them to humble themselves. The Lord (to take away that doubt) telleth them, that though but a few of them do return, yet he will be as good as his word: and if but one of a city, and two of a tribe, that is, very few in comparison of the whole; yet if so many shall in truth return, they shall not loose their labor, but the Lord will bless them, and the rest for their sakes. Thus the Lord showeth himself careful to remove all causes of doubting from his people, and to put in all the prouisoes that may be on their behalf, all to make the conueiaunce of his blessings as sure as may be unto them, that they may have nothing to allege for themselves, if they should unkindly reject or neglect this gracious covenant of the Lord, so mercifully and undeservedly offered unto them.

The first thing that from hence we may learn, is this, that the sins of many shall not hinder the course of God's mercies unto the penitent, though they be but few. The Sodomites were many, and their sins were as a mighty pile of wood for the wrath of the Lord to burn upon, the cry of them ascended up unto the ears of the Lord, and the filthiness of their abominations had infected the very air; yet all this could not move the Lord to keep back his mercy and loving kindness from righteous Lot, whose soul was vexed within him for their wickedness; neither did the Lord forget his servant Abraham when the fire of his fierce wrath was flaming upon those wicked cities. In the like gracious manner did he remember Rahab (who gave entertainment to the spies of Joshua ) when Jericho was utterly destroyed. And this is a point of singular comfort to the godly, to remember, that God in visiting the sins of the whole world, yet will not forget to show mercy unto thousands of them that love him and keep his commandments. Yea, if there be but one of a City, and two of a Tribe that do truly return to the Lord, the Lord will surely embrace them whatsoever others do.

Again, we are further to observe here, that the Lord that is the most righteous Judge of the world, judging all men in equity and truth, will not condemn all for the wickedness of some, but will take them as he findeth them, if there be but one of a city, or two of a tribe that fear God, they shall be justified in their uprightness, and not be condemned with the rest And surely this is a good rule for us to follow, that in censuring and judging of men we may take heed of rash and hasty judgment, for it is the manner of the perverse world to condemn all for some, without any difference, or exception. If in the ministry they hear of someone or a few that be of lewd and ungodly behavior, straitwayes their bolt is shot over the heads of all that are in the ministry, crying out that all be naught, they are all such. In like sort, if any other man that is a professor of the gospel chance to be found in any fault, straitwayes profane Atheists cry out with open mouth, that there are none worse then professors: but they will take heed (I hope) how they do make such wry mouthed conclusions against all estates, for fear that their neck should pay the price of their tongue. For if they should look into the state of Kings and Princes, they should find that some have been usurpers, some idolaters, some tyrants, and some very vicious and licentious persons; will they therefore conclude and say of Kings and Princes, as they do of the poor ministers and other inferior professors of the Gospel, there are none worse then Kings and Princes, for such and such were idolaters, &c. they are all naught? No, I trow not, for fear of a worse matter. But do they think in this sort to deprave and condemn the profession of the gospel, and the knowledge of the sacred scriptures as the cause of all disorder, and the professors of the same as the worst persons that live (as the manner of many is) and to escape the Lord's hands for this their horible pride, and presumptuous rashness: will not the Lord (think we) be revenged of such wicked ones that shall so maliciously bear false witness against God's church and slander the Lord Jesus in his poor members? Is not the Lord as jealous of his own glory, and of the credit of his people and gospel, as Kings and princes are of theirs, and their laws? but as Christ said of his disciples, so we may truly say of such swift judges, they know not what spirit they are of. For the spirit of God taketh another course, having to deal with the seauē churches of Asia, in the Revelation he saith thus: I know thy faith, and thy patience, and thy love, and thy zeal, &c. that is, I commend thee for these good things, and I approve thy works, but yet I have somewhat to say against thee for such a thing and such a thing; that is, I neither condemn thy good, because of thy evil, nor commend the evil that is in thee, because of thy good things: this course he taketh with everyone of them, to show what we should do in such cases, if we have the spirit of god; for we so many in the world fallen into two foul extremities at this day: first our protestants at large say, that because we have the gospel plentifully taught in many places of the land, and the sacraments, & many good things (the Lord make us indeed thankful for them) that therefore all is well, and nothing is amiss, there are no faults, nor corruptions in the church, ministers, or people. The Brownists on the other side cry out, that because that there are some defects and wants in the church, and everything is not ineuerie respect so purely reformed as it ought to be by the word, therefore (say they) we have no church, no sacraments, no ministers, nor anything that is good, but that all our ministers are dum dogs, Baals priests, and I know not what, playing the frantic man's part, who because something lieth in his way, or there is something in the house that is not to his mind, therefore layeth about him at everyone that cometh in his way; the poor innocent children are beaten, the servants driven out of doors, the meat on the table is cast down to the dogs, the fire flung about the house, the windows are broken in pieces: and not content with this, runneth out and gathereth up all the filth and dirt in the street to cast in his mothers face that bare him, and wipeth his hands upon his fathers face who begat him, and all to make them odious to all that shall behold them. And having set the house on a fire, runneth away by the light thereof, crying out to all that they have infected with the like rage. Come out from among them, Come out from among them, there is no dwelling, there is no house, there is no meat, there is nobody to dress anything, they are all polluted and defiled, all is naught amongst them. And having made their Proclamation, away they fling into another country, till they have done as great an exploit there, until at the last falling out amongst themselves, and excommunicating one another, many of them return home again & as men awaked out of their dream, they lay down their weapon, and go quietly to bed again. And in the like sort do the Papists deal with us; but their dealing is so gross & palpable, that I will not vouchsafe to waste any breath about them. But now to the text again.

One of a city and two of a tribe, &c.] Here we are further to observe, that God is not led by the multitude of the wicked, to mislike of the godly being but few, or to like well of the evil, because they are many, which is also a rule for us to imitate and follow, and it may stand us in steed many ways, for first it teacheth us to take heed that we be not drawn away to evil, with the example of the multitude which like a mighty stream is very forcible to carry us away, except we row hard against the same. The life of the multitude is called by our savior Christ the broad way, that is, the common way, wherein many do walk unto their destruction, which therefore must be avoided of everyone that will be saved: secondly we may learn from hence, not to be discouraged from good things, by reason of the small number that join with us, for straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to salvation, and few there be that find it. And thirdly we may see here, that multitude is no certain argument of the truth, nor of the best things, as Papists and Atheists do imagine, for though evil men have all the hands and feales in the world to testify in their behalf, yet are they never the better before God, as Ahab's journey was never the more prosperous (when he went contrary to God's will against Ramoth Gilead ) though four hundred false prophets said unto him, go and prosper, and but one only was against him in it. And though many laugh thee to scorn, thou art never the worse, if thou hast the truth on thy side: as Micaiah was never the worse though 400. were against him, and the king and all were against him, yet was the truth still the truth, (though it were justified only in his mouth) and prevailed at the last. We see for the most parte, that those which turn to God as Hezekiah did, are but the smallest number, as it were one or two in a town (in comparison) that are truly religious, and a few in a great congregation, that are zealous indeed for the glory of God, and they are also noted & pointed at of the rest, as the common wonderments of the world: and yet we must beware, that we make not up the whole reckoning, with those only which we see, or can yet judge of (as the Brownists do) excluding all the rest, but to think thus rather, that as there may be fire under the ashes, though I see it not, yet so there may be religion in the harts of many though I see it not yet. And as in the days of Elijah, the lord had 7000. in Israel which never bowed their knees to Baal which Elijah could not see, as sharp sighted as he was, so there may be in our days seven thousand, which belong unto God and may prove religious, 〈…〉 we see now, and yet we be not so sharp sighted as Elijah was. But howsoever it may be, this is sure, that the sincere worshippers of God are always the fewest; and God's number is always the smallest. And therefore as Jeremiah preached to all, but converted by his doctrine not past one of a City, and two of a tribe, that is, a very few. So we now must preach to all, but if one of a city, and two of a tribe, that is, if any at all do reperit at our preaching, we may think our selves very happy. It may be, that as 70. followed Christ a while, which bare the name of Christ's discrples, besides thousands that followed him for their bellies sake, so many may follow us now in the like manner: but as these seventy disciples came after twelve, so is it now, that as it is read in one place, of Christ and his seventy, and in another place, of Christ and his twelve, so now may we see the like again: for at one time you shall see Christ with a great auditory, and some time Christ with two or three about him, from seventy to twelve; and amongst those few will be some hypocrites and false brethren too, as amongst the twelve there was found one Judas a traitor. So that the Lord's company oftentimes proveth like Gideon's army against the Midianites, which at the first was 32000. amongst which were found 22000. timorous and fearful, which being dismissed, there remained but 10000. of which ten thousand there were found but 300. which would take pains to lap water like a dog, and they were Gideon's army, so from two and thirty thousand they came down to 300. The same is still to be observed, which hath been from the beginning, and shall continue to the end. In going frō god many are noted in the gospel. 70. disciples forsake Christ at one time for one speech which they understood not, and came no more at him afterward, yea & it was doubtful whether the rest would have forsaken him too: but in coming unto Christ but few are noted, now and then one alone like Nicodemus, and that by might too for fear of the Jews. Inquirie being made for prophets, four hundred false, but one true, four hundred against God, but one for God can be found. In the ninth of Ezekiel, we read of six that were sent to destroy, and but one to save. In the fifth of Jeremiah the Prophet is willed to search all Jerusalem; to see if he could find but one righteous man that the Lord might spare the city for his sake. Now, this is hard, and it goeth so hard, that when all are gleaned out and refined, the Lord's flock will be but a little flock as Christ calleth it, in respect of the multitude, but it is the best flock. Gideon's army was but the gleaning of Ephraim, yet those gleanings were better then the vintage of Abiezer; so the Lord's people are but the gleanings of the world, yet those gleanings are better then the vintage of Satan. And as hard as it goeth, so merciful is the Lord, that if in all Sodom there be found but one Lot, the Lord will glean him out, before the devil shall reap his harvest. If one groat be lost, he will seek it up again; if one sheep be gone astray, he will fetch him home again with joy; if one sinner repenteth, there shall be joy for him amongst the angels in heaven; if one prodigal child cometh home again, he shall be received; if one leaper amongst ten that are cleansed, return with his thanks, he shall be accepted; if in a city one, in a tribe but two, and in a whole world but eight just persons be found, the Lord will receive them and save them from perishing with the wicked world. The Lord dealeth not with his people as men do, that will say, if there be but one fish in the net, and a little one, cast it in again; if there come up but a little fruit upon the tree, let the swine eat it, except there were more; if the hen bringeth but one chickin, cast it away, because there are no more; or as the wicked say, if there be but one or two in a congregation that fear God, what account make you of him, he is one, we are many against one? but the Lord makes much of one, so it be his own, to teach us, that we also should make more account of one good man, (if there be but one among many) then of many bad, as the Lord doth, for he dealeth like a merciful creditor, who having many desperate debts, will take anything, and not refuse part, because he cannot have all. Last of all, from this place we note, that the Lord useth to spare many wicked ones oftentimes for the small number of his elect sake which are amongst them, as he spared Sodom and Gomorrhah for Lots sake, the old world for Noah's sake, and Putiphar for Joseph's sake, the thorns are spared for the Lilies sake that groweth amongst them, and the tares for the wheat sake, are not cut down, and for good Jehoshaphat his sake it was that the Lord's Prophet vouchsafed to go unto wicked Jehoram, or else he would not so much as have looked towards that wicked man, though he were a king.

This may teach us to make much of them that fear God, for if their number be once accomplished, the world is at an end; for as the world was made at the first for their sakes, so for their sakes it is that it continueth and standeth: for how long did Sodom stand free from the fire of God's wrath after Lot and his household were removed out of it? or how long did the old world escape drowning after that Noah and his company were entered the Ark, no longer shall the world stand, after that the Lord hath once gathered his chosen unto himself. If the wicked did well consider of this point, that when the Lord hath gathered his wheat into his barn (as the Lord Jesus saith) that he will then gather the tares together and cast them into unquenchable fire, they would not be so hasty to drive away God's people, and to hunt them out of their company, and out of their Cities and towns, as they do, like the Galileans which were not well until Christ were gone out of their coast, but even in policy they make much of him, as foam do of wards, whose lands they enjoy but during their minority and the term of their lives, and after their decease, or when they come to full age, all goeth from them again to another. But now let us come to the text again.

And will bring you to Zion] Zion was a fort in Jerusalem, & kept in possession of the Jebusites til David's time, but it was won by David when he came to the crown. After he had won it, he brought • hither the Ark of God's covenant; to which place the people resorted to worship the Lord. So that by Zion is meant the place of God's worship and religion, so that the meaning of the Lord in these words is this in respect, I will set you at liberty from your enemies, and bring you again to your own country, that you may serve me in holy exercises of religion, as I have appointed. Whence we may note, that the end of the churches deliverance frō any trouble and affliction, is to become more religious, for to this end hath the Lord delivered us out of the hands of our enemies, that we might serve him without fear, in righteousness & true holiness always. But some may say: This is a mater of no great vaiue, for they had it before & made no reckoning of it, & therefore very like that this would not move them. But if he had told them of their gorgeous houses, delicate orchards, pleasant fields, and abundance of worldly wealth and great honors and dignities, it may be they would have regarded such things, as Satan thought to move Christ to worship him that way, when no way else would prevail, he showeth him therefore all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, and doth offer them all unto him upon condition that he would fall down and worship him, but by no means he could prevail with his goodly offer, for the Lord Jesus was not of a worldlings mind, that will do more for gold then for godliness. So it should seem that if the Lord had told the Jews of such matters, wherewith the heart of man is more drawn, thē with spiritual matters, he might have won their love forever. But to tell them of Zion, and religion, of pastors, and preaching, might seem to be the next way to drive them further from his love then before. Indeed this seemeth to be a good worldly policy, but the Lord need not to be taught of the world. The truth is so, that when they had their fill of religion and religious exercises at Zion, they cared not for them: but now being well humbled with affliction amongst idolaters and scoffers: and being kept from it, they account dearly of it. And the truth of this may further appear by that pitiful complaint and mone which they make in the 137. psalm, when they were amongst the Babylonians in captivity, By the rivers of Babel we sat, and there we wept, when we remembered Zion: they wept not before, when they were at Zion, but now they weep: yea so great was their grief at the remembrance of Zion now, that all mirth and music is laid aside: now they hung up their harps upon the willow trees, and fall to weeping and sorrowing for Zion; for Zion, why could not their melody and sweet music make them merry? Oh no, no, they could take no joy nor comfort in any such outward things, so long as they were banished from the public exercises of God's religion at Zion, which was a sign of God's love and favor unto them; but now they were excommunicate and cast out as it were unsavory salt upon the dunghill (for Babylon was but a dunghill to Zion) oh God had taken his love tokens and iewelles from them, God shown an angry countenance upon them. How could they then be merry? what joy could they have in the rivers, or pleasant walks, or sweet music when they remembered Zion? oh now Zion, Zion, Zion, nothing but Zion would make them weep, and dashed all their joy and mirth, & laid it in the dust, But, was this all? Oh no, no, besides all this, they that led us captives required of us songs, and mirth, when we had hanged up our harps, saying, sing us one of the songs of Zion. Oh the wicked Babylonians came scoffingly, and tauntingly, and mocked them by their religion, and flowted at the very name of God which was praised in their songs, and this cut the very heart strings of them in twain: as the proud Spaniard would scoff at us and our religion, if the Lord (as justly he might) should deliver us into their hands; Come on you Protestants would they say, let us hear now one of your Geneva psalms, &c. Oh this would go to the heart of us (if we had any spark of God's spirit in us) to hear God thus, and his holy religion had in derision of his wicked enemies.

Here then we may learn, that we never see what a benefit it is to have religion, and the ministry of the word, until it be taken from us. Though David always loved religion, yet never so much as when he was in trouble and banishment, for then he could make his mone unto God, and say, that the sparrows and the swallows were at a better pass then he, because they might come and build their nests near unto the altar of the Lord, and they could have a place in the Lord's house when he was shut out. Then did his soul long for the presence of the Lord again. As the Hart longeth for water when she is chased; then was his meat nothing but tears, and his drink still mingled with weeping, and then did he pour out his soul unto God like water, and his bones were as it were cut a sunder, so great was his grief then, whē he remembered how he had gone with the multitude into the house of the Lord with songs of praise, and thanksgiving as unto a feast which now he could not do. And this is that which Amos prophecieth of, when the Lord shall bring a famine of the word of god upon the land, thē shall men run up and down from one place unto another, yea from one sea to another; and from North to South to seek it, and shall not find it, for he that wanteth meat, and health, and liberty, can best tell what they be worth.

And the rather to provoke us to a love of these heavenly things, we are to note, that religion and liberty go both together: The Kings of Judah never prospered better then when they embraced most zealously the word of the Lord. And most true is that saying of the Lord Jesus, that if we first seek (as many did) the king dome of GOD, and the righteousness thereof, then liberty, then peace, then health, then riches, and then all other things shall be cast upon us. It followeth.

15 And I will give you Pastors according to my heart.] As if he should say, whereas before you went into captivity, you had pastors that were either dumb dogs that could not teach you at all, or false prophets that taught as it stood with their advantage, so that you could neither have knowledge, nor conscience to serve me; for which cause I sent you into captivity, now I will not only bring you home again, but I will also give you wise and godly pastors which may teach you how to serve me rightly, and may also call upon you to serve me faithfully, that you may go no more into captivity. Here then we may note first, that a wise and a learned ministry is a most needful thing, in as much as without it, it is not possible true religion should continue. And therefore when God began an ordinary religion, he commanded that Aaron and his sons, and the tribe of Levi should be sanctified to the office of priesthood, to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people, and to teach and instruct them in the will of the Lord, showing thereby that religion could not be upholden without some special means to teach and direct the people therein.

According to my heart; that is, such as I shall like and approve, that shall have their calling from me, and their gifts from me, and their allowance from me, and shall teach for me, and reprove for me, and shall seek nothing but my glory, and your good, such as myself shall like of; so is David said to be a man after God's own heart, that is, such a one as God taketh delight in, and approveth, and that is God's heart indeed: for the Lord hath no heart, nor head, nor body, nor hands, nor feet, nor eyes, nor mouth, nor ears as man hath, and as the gross Papists have set him out in their pictures upon their windows, &c. But these partes of man are attributed and given to God after the manner of men, for man's better understanding of the nature of God; for every man knoweth to what use these partes of man's body serve; the eye to see by, the ear to hear by, the mouth to speak by, the hand to work by, the foot to go by. And sometime these partes in man are in the scriptures put for the qualities and properties that be in them; and sometime for the actions and deeds that are wrought by them, as appeareth in the fifth chapter of the gospel after Saint Matthew, where it is said by our savior Christ; if thy eye offend thee, pluck it out, or if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: his meaning is, that men should take heed of such things as are done by the hand, and by the e • e; and so by the rest, to the offense of God or our neighbor. And it is an usual thing in our common speaking amongst men, when we see any man's writing, we say, this is such a man's hand, and yet the writing is not his hand, but his handy work. When we hear one speak, we use to say; that is such a man's tongue, or, I know him by his tongue, and yet his speech is not his tongue, but a thing uttered by the means of his tongue. So likewise in God there are such properties and qualities, which are indeed his very essence and being, and are described in the Scriptures, for our better understanding what the Lord is unto us; as knowledge, and wisdom, and understanding, and might, and strength, and justice, and mercy, and providence, and love, and hatred, and anger, and liking, and disliking, and many moe, which are all set forth, either under the partes of man's body, or by other creatures whose natures are very well known unto men. And how could we better come unto the knowledge of God's unspeakable nature, so far as is meet for us to know, but by such things as we are familiarly acquainted withal our selves? for do not all men know, that strength doth utter her force by the means of the arm? and that knowledge and understanding do enter into the heart by the eye and the ear? • o not men declare their mind by word and by writing? doeth not love and anger lodge in the heart? and doth not the countenance bew • ay the liking and disliking that is in the heart? and who is so simple that knowet • not these things? Therefore when the simplest shall hear the scriptures call God a spirit, and tell us withal, that a spirit hath no flesh nor bones as men have, and yet shall hear the same Scriptures to attribute unto God a head, a heart, together with eyes, and ears, and a mouth, and a face, and a soul, and feet, and such like, as if he were not a spirit, but a man, must they not needs conceive that there is something else meant by such kind of speeches, which they could not so well understand, nay not at all conceive, if God should utter himself as he is in himself, and not by such things as are familiar with man's understanding, and not to imagine so grossly as the gross headed idolatrous Papists do, that God is a man indeed, and hath the parts of man's body indeed? Therefore when we hear of the Lord's hand or arm, what can we understand thereby but his omnipotent power, might, and strength, whereby he is able to do all things which he will do? Other arm and other hand the Lord hath not, for he is a spirit. When we hear of the Lord's eyes and ears, what can we conceive thereby, but his knowledge & understanding, which is such that nothing can be hidden from his majesty? but that he seeth and knoweth all things at one instant? other ears and other eyes, the Lord hath not, for he is a spirit. When we hear of the mouth of the Lord, what else can we understand thereby but the revelation of his will? other mouth the Lord hath not, for he is a spirit. When we hear the Lord's head is as white as wool, what can we gather thereby but the eternal wisdom of God, because wisdom is commonly attributed to the grey headed? other head and hair the Lord hath not, for he is a spirit. When we hear of the soul or heart of God, what can we concerue thereby but the Lord's liking or disliking of a thing? otherwise the Lord hath neither heart nor soul, for he is a spirit. When we hear of the light of God's countenance, what else can we understand thereby but the tokens of his love and favor? otherwise the Lord hath no countenance, smiling, or frowning as men have, for he is a spirit. And when we hear that God is a spirit, we must not concerue thereby, that God is circumscribed within any certain place, as some heretics have thought, because a spirit is so; but we are to learn thereby, that he is of a spiritual substance, and invisible nature, but altogether unspeakable, infinite, and incomprehensible. And thus we see what is meant by Pastors according to God's heart, that is, such as his majesty shall approve and like of Now let us see what we may learn from hence. The Lord promising and purposing to do his people good, yea the greatest good that can be if they turn to him, he saith, he will gave them pastors according to his liking, such as he shall approve and delight in; to teach us that there can come no good unto God's people but by such means as God doth like of. To build up God's church in faith and repentance, and to keep the same in the holy obedience of God's laws; there is more required then to have pastors, and dctours, they must be such as God doth like of. These are tokens of God's love to his people, and shall do good in their places, and turn many unto righteousness, where others are tokens of God's wrath, and are given in his wrath, as Saul was to the Israelites, to be a plague unto the people. These that are approved of God, have their gifts from God, and are sent forth with his blessing, that they may prosper & beget many souls to God. The other are made barren, and accursed that they can do nothing, but only supply the place of pastors, but the sheep cannot feed in their pastures it is so sower; or if they feed, they cannot thrive, because it is not blessed, for as the body liveth not by bread only, so the soul liveth not by doctrine only, but by the blessing of God upon both. Daniel's diet was but water & pulse, yet with that did he like better, then they which had their portion from the kings table, because it was God's allowance, and went with a blessing. So they that have pastors according to the Lord's own heart, are many times fed but with plain, yet pure doctrine, and their souls are better fed with knowledge; their faith is more strong, their repentance is more sincere, and their life more reformed, then theirs that are fed after a more stately and princely manner, which ostentation of human learning and eloquence, because it it is gods allowance and goeth with a blessing, whereas the other cometh and goeth like the wind, which only puffeth and bloweth at men, and so leaveth them as it found them. In the twenty three of Jeremiah the Lord doth most notably describe such prophets, as are not according to his heart. In the 23 he calleth them liars and dreamers, to show that there is no credit to be given unto them, more then unto hars, neither is there in their doctrine anymore certainty then is in a dream. In the six and twentieth verse he saith, they delight in lies, which he calleth the deceit of their own hearts, to show from what fountain they draw all their licor, even out of the filthy puddles of their own brain. In the twenty seven verse he showeth what is the fruit of these dreams, namely the name of God is forgottten by their means amongst the people, a most horrible sin to forget GOD, as if the devil himself should teach. In the thirty verse he calleth them thieves, because they steal the word of GOD away from the people, like those that are still dissembling and discouraging men from the reading of the scripitures after the manner of the popish synagogue, for fear that their wickedness should be descried by the light of the word. They that rob by the high way, take away but men's money or their worldly goods, but these rob men's souls of the most precious word of GOD, therefore they are the greatest thieves. And the better to effect their purpose the Lord saith in the one and thirtieth verse that they have very sweet tongues, and can make the people believe that the Lord saith this, and the Lord saith that, when it is only the deceit of their own heart. In the two and thirtieth verse he saith, they are flatterers, and through their flattery they cause the people to err; & in a word he saith, that the Lord never sent them, neither gave them any authority, and therefore they bring no profit unto the people, they preach and study and take pains to no purpose, like the good wife that churmeth, and churmeth and can make no butter come. As for the people that l • ue under their ministry, he showeth in the 2. verse that they be adulterers and swearers, full of wickedness and ungodliness, to show that nothing but wilderness can grow upon the ground that is tilled by such as are not according to the Lord's liking. As for their own behavior he showeth in the thirteenth and fourteenth verses that it is suitable to their teaching: deceitful and filthy; broken out with all manner of botches and blaines, of foolishness, and filthiness, and adultery and uncleanness, and walking in the by-paths of lies and falsehood, strengthening the hands of the wicked, that none can return for his wickedness, and in one word more, they are all, both prophets and people unto me, but as Sodom a sink of sin, and as the inhabitants of Gomorrhah such another sink: this they are to me saith the Lord, thus they are in my eye whatsoever they seem to be in their own opinion, or in the judgment of others whom they have blinded and bewitched: Thus we see what ugly creatures they are which run before the Lord send them, which are ministers after men's hearts, but not after God's heart, as a number of blind guides amongst us be; the Lord taketh no pleasure in them, nor in those foolish people that are contented with them: and therefore sets them alone to do as they list, and turneth them as false children, over whom he hath no care, but lets them run as it were filth and vermin for want of trimming & washing with the water of his grace and spirit, whereas those that are of his sending forth, and such as he taketh pleasure in, he will set them out in the best manner, and grace them with good gifts, and holy conversation, he will make their words gracious, and their ministry to be reverenced in the eyes and hearts of all that fear God, they shall be mighty and powerful in delivery of their message, they shall be fruitful in the work of the Lord, and terrible in the consciences of the wicked, they shall be blessed in the strength of the spirit, to turn many souls into the ways of righteousness, even so many as GOD hath appointed, yea they and their people shall be a righteous generation, over whom the Lord will have a watchful eye continually, to renew and to repair them with his grace and spirit, there shall not so soon any fore seem to arise in their life, or any corruption in their profession, but the Lord with his favor and grace shall heal it again, they shall be blessed of God to the good of God's church which are pastors according unto God's heart, and none else; I do not mean such as are free from all corruption and stain of sin, for such are not to be looked for in this vale of corruption, but such as the Lord hath sent forth, and furnished with gifts, and sanctified for the work of his church. And the like may be said of civil magistrates, and church governors, that if ever the church of God reap any good by any, it is by them that are not after Antichrists heart and liking, or according to the worlds approbation, but according to God's words liking, for God blesseth no ordinance but his own.

This doctrine may have a good use in respect of those that be Pastors, or that have any public place of teaching in the church of GOD, it may seem to admonish them, that they approve themselves both for life and doctrine in the sight of GOD, to be such as God liketh of, if they will do any good in the work of the ministry, and thereupon reap any comfort to their conscience in the day of the Lord.

There be two marks that every minister approved of God must principally aim at, not lucre, nor gain, nor worldly promotion, nor the vain praise of the world, as the manner of many is, which shoot as rouers do at many marks, and never a one certain. But the marks that God's ministers must shoot at, are the glory of God and the good of God's church, that they may say as Paul said, without check of conscience, Our hearts desire and prayer to God is, that Israel may be saved. And so deer should the glory of God be unto us, and so great should be our love unto the church of God, that if it may be advanced in the salvation of our brethren, yea of our enemies more then in their destruction, we should earnestly crave the same of the Lord, yea so earnestly, that rather then the Lord should loose any part of his glory therein, we ought to crave it with the hazard of our own salvation, as the apostle Paul that singular pattern of zeal and love did, when he desired to be accursed for his brethren sake, the Jews which were his brethren according to the flesh. Some bend all their endeavor that they may be well thought of with the Prince, or with the court, or with some noble man, or with the chief of their congregation, for wealth and authority, and some desire only to be popular, & approved of the multitude: & to bring this to pass, they take great pains, they study hard, they read much, they currie favor with one, and flatter with another; they serve the time, and turn with the time, watching the tide, that they may row with the same; and if they meet with any of their brethren laboring against their stream, him they belabour with their Inuectiues, though therein they do strive against the stream of God's eternal truth; but what •• re they so they may have the approbation of the world, whose glory they do hunt after like lusty Nimrods? and if they chance to miss of their purpose, as sometimes they are crossed as well as others, are they not ready to fall sick of Haman's disease, who was ready to die for sorrow, because Mordecai did not bow the knee unto him? It is a good blessing of God to be gracious in the eyes of Christian Princes, and great states, as it was a thing greatly to be rejoiced at when Theodosius the Emperor of Rome embraced Christian bishops which resorted unto him. And the favor of God's people in the Lord is a good favor of God, which oftentimes he giveth unto his servants, when they seek not after the same. But yet this is not the thing that God's servants must affect, but all their care must be both at their first entrance into the ministry, and in the whole course of the same unto the ende, that they may be found Pastors according to God's own heart. Both credit and maintenance in the world are the good blessings of the Lord, and it shall be lawful for God's ministers to enjoy the same so far forth as God seeth good for them; but yet they must take heed that they make not those things the ende of their work; but that at the first, and at the last, we may be approved in the sight of god. The apostle had matter of rejoicing in his country, for he was an Israelite, and of his bringing up, for he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel a learned man; he could have stood upon his learning, for he spake with tongues more then any other; if others were doctors, he was a doctor of the Gentiles, and many great privileges he had that others had not. But what, doth he stand so much to the maintenance of those things? No, he counteth them all but dung to win Christ, he forgetteth them as things left behind him, so that he may attain unto the mark that is set before him, even the price of his high calling the Lord Jesus Christ: he careth not a point for them, so that he may approve himself a faithful workman in the sight of God. And so should we do; if we be ministers approved of God, we must not be as many are which make merchandise of the word of God: but as of sincerity; but as of God in the sight of God, we must speak in Christ. If we be pastors according to God's heart, we must not praise our selves, nor stand in need of letters of commendation unto our charge; or of recommendation from them unto others (as the Apostle saith) but our flock must be our epistle written in our hearts to be read and understood of all men; not with incke, but with the spirit of the living God. If we be ministers approved of God, we must give no occasion of offense in anything, that our ministry may be free from reproof: But in all things (saith the Apostle) we must approve our selves as the ministers of god, [ 4] in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in prisons, in tumults, [ 5] in labors, by watchings, by fastings, by purity, by knowledge, by long suffering, [ 6] by kindness, by the holy-ghost, by love unfeigned, [ 7] by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness, on the right hand and on the left, that is, both in prosperity and adversity, [ 8] amongst friends and foes, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report, [ 9] as deceivers, and yet true, as unknown and yet known, as dying and yet living, as chastened and yet not killed, as sorrowing and yet always rejoicing, [ 10] as poor and yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things. What a notable approbation is this? How many fellows hath the holy Apostle saint Paul in this? This is for saint Paul alone, and such Puritans as he was. Here is no mention all this while of Dispensations, nor of Qualifications; nor of Pluralities, nor of Vnions, nor of Totquots, nor of any such implements, belike they were not allowed of in Saint Paul's time; for if they had, surely the Apostle would not have left them out, or it may be that they were not then in use, and the world is grown wiser now then it was in saint Paul's time:

The world is greatly altered since saint Paul's days; it can no skill of saint Paul's course. Well yet we must learn to have skill of it, if we will be approved in the sight of God. And if all the world do commend us, and yet God condemn us, what shall it advantage us? Most miserable and wretched caitifes shall we prove our selves to be, and better it had been that we had never been borne, if the Lord shall say he knoweth us not. This was Micaiah well persuaded of, and therefore he stood to the truth when four hundred false prophets & flatterers stood against him; yea when the king and all was against him, but yet he was a Prophet according to the Lord's heart, and that was sufficient for him. Many at the first, and a great while have made a good show of great sincerity, that no man would have taken them but to be men of God indeed (as good Prophets were called in old time) until they have fallen by the world as Demas did, or till they have fallen into favor with the court, or the state, or till they have taken some high degree of schools, or til they have climbed up the ladder of promotion, and then the date of their zeal, and painfulnes and sincerity hath been expired, and they have turned over their coppy to others, & having made shiprack of faith & a good conscience, they have gone forth like Tamar out of hir brother Ammon’s chamber when Ammon had deflowered hir, she went out with her garment of diverse colors rent & torn; so they have go • away with their garment of gods graces rent and torn, only this difference is between Tamar and them, she wept & mourned for it, and so do not they, but rather rejoice at their alteration, holding these things now as most vile, which before the time of their sincerity they counted most precious: & this is yet a most fearful judgment of God vpō them for their apostasy, for when they begin thus with tongue to persecute the truth which before they have professed, what do they else but turn into that hie way which leadeth unto the sin against the spirit of truth. And being thus revolted from their first love, they fell to be just of Saul's humor, who perceiving himself to be forsaken of the Lord for his hypocrisy, and dissembling in God's business, desired yet of Samuel, that he might be honored before the elders of the people, and then he was safe, that was all that he looked after. So say they, let us be honored before the elders of the people, and that is sufficient, for that is all that they look after, as having their reward of men, and not of God.

The third Sermon of God wooing his Church.

NOw the question groweth how we shall know who be pastors and ministers according to God's liking, and who be not. The Lord Jesus doth best resolve that doubt in the 7 of John ver. the 18, thus; He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him: that is, he is a true messenger of God, and no counterfeit. A man is said to speak of himself two ways, either when he speaketh before he be required to speak, or being required to speak, speaketh not the truth truly, but mixeth some device of his own brain therewith: so did the false prophets, for both they ran before they were sent, and also spake the errors of their own heart instead of the word of the Lord: So did Uzzah that which he did of himself, when he put his hand to the ark of the Lord, because he was not called thereunto of the Lord. So Balaam spake of himself though he spake the truth without adding or diminishing, because his covetous heart which served for the wages of iniquity, made him go when the Lord bad him to stay When Calphas profecied of Christ's death, S. John saith; This spake he not of himself, that is, he did not invent it of his own brain. But what is it for a minister to seek his own glory? to be infected with the stain of vainglory? no, for Paul was infected with that stain, as appears by his own testimony; for therefore he had a messenger of Satan sent to humble him, lest he should be lifted up out of measure for those heavenly revelations which were given unto him. What then? to extol his ministry and calling when just occasion serveth? no neither, for the Apostle having to deal with such as went about to abuse his ministry. He extolleth his ministry in this manner; Verily I suppose that I was not inferior to the very chief apostles. But then indeed doth he seek his own glory, when he preacheth man's doctrine to please men. For now, preach I man's doctrine or God's? (saith the Apostle) or go I about to please men? for if I should yet please men, I were not the servant of Christ I certify you brethren that the Gospel which was preached of me, was not after man. And the apostle cha. 4. ver. 17. describes the vainglorious false apostles by this mark, that they would exclude all others as nobody, that the people might altogether affect them. But what is it to seek God's glory? that is a very needful question indeed; what is it to say God be praised, or, thanks be to God? No, for so did the proud Pharisy who was compoun ded of vain-glory; and when he pronounced those words, sought nothing less then the glory of God, and nothing more then his own glory. What then? is it to say, Let God be glorified? No neither, for so did the persecutors of gods church when they excommunicated their brethren, as appeareth in Isaiah 66.5. like the Prelates, who began all their excommunications and condemnations with In nomine Dei; and so In nomine Dei burned, and imprisoned, and massacred many of the dear saints and servants of God. And like unto the former are the papists, who in all their idolatrous and superstitious services sing, Glory be to the father, to the Son, and to the Holi-ghost, &c. A • which do give as much glory to God, as the Jews did unto Christ, when they spit in his face, and saluted him with the knee, crying, Hail King of the Jews. What then? to speak God's will without adding or diminishing? No neither; for so much did Balaam, who for all that, sought nothing but his own commodity and gain, and therefore is said to serve for the wages of iniquity. Howe then? To come in outward humility, and shows of holiness, as to profess willful poverty, to go barefooted, &c. after the monkish manner of the Popish friers, and others of that fraternity? Nothing less; for the apostle doth utterly disclaim them, and maruelleth that they which are dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world, will be burned again with traditions, as though they lived in the world, and not in Christ; [ 21] as, touch not, taste not, handle not, which all perish with the using, and are after the commandments and doctrines of men: Which things have a show of wisdom (saith the apostle) in voluntary religion and humbleness of mind, [ 22] and in not sparing the body, [ 23] neither have they it in any estimation to satisfy the flesh: thus the Apostle speaketh of men's traditions, to teach us that we must think of them but as of burdens too heavy for the consciences of Christians to bear, and shows, without any substance they are in the sight of God. How then doth God's minister seek the glory of God? First, in speaking; then mark his doctrine. Secondly, in living; then mark his life: for the first it is said, he speaketh not of himself; for the second, it is said, there is no unrighteousness in him, that is, he is not a subject to sin and wickedness. Counterfeit and false apostles are deceitful workers, (saith S. Paul ) & can transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ, and no marvel (saith he) for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing, though his ministers transform themselves as though they were the ministers of righteousness. But ex fructibus, by their fruits, (saith the Lord Jesus) you shall know them. The sorcerers and soothsaiers of Egypt did imitate, or rather counterfeit Moses and Aaron in many things, so do the ministers of the devil counterfeit the ministers of God in many things: but as Moses did one thing which the sorcerers could not do; so God's messenger doth one thing the other cannot do; that is, they seek the glory of him that sent them. Now when the people saw Moses do that which all the cunning men of Egypt could not do, they said; this is the finger of GOD: so when men sha • l see a man seeking in his whole ministry nothing but the glory of GOD that sent him, they must needs say, This is a minister of God.

In the doctrine it will appear two ways; First, by the matter delivered; secondly, by the manner of delivering. For the matter, it shall be such as God hath put into his mouth, that he may say as the apostle did, That which I have received of the Lord. I have delivered unto you, and if an angel from heaven shall preach otherwise then the apostle preached, he is to be accursed. And herein he is not to hold himself sufficiently discharged, if he declareth some part of God's will, and leaveth out some part thereof, but he is to deliver to the church of God, the whole counsel of God, as time and occasion serveth; and yet in such sort as shall be most profitable for the people, for wisdom and faithfulness must wait one upon another in the minister of God. And still he is to meet with such things as obscure the glory of God, as Paul did when he came to Athens, & perceiving them to be addicted to idolatry and superstition, he advanceth the true God, and abaseth all false gods, & that he doth 2. ways. First, by setting forth in God his power, his goodness & his providence; secondly, by declaring the vanity of idols, & the ignorance of the Athenians. Again, the manner is to be observed; and that our doctrine may win glory to him that sent us, two things are required: First, concealment of human skil • secondly, demonstration of the spirit; both which are evident in the example of the Apostles preaching, who may be a pattern of true preaching to all the doctors in the world. When I came unto you brethren (saith he) I came not with excellency of words, or of wisdom, [ 2] showing unto you the testimony of God, [ 3] for I esteemed not to know anything among you, saving Jesus Christ, and him crucified. [ 4] And I was among you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. Neither stood my word, and my preaching, in the enticing speech of man's wisdom, but in plain evidence of the spirit, and of power. Paul's drift is to reprove certain teachers at Corinth: but for what? not for heresy, but for the manner of their teaching, and in that for two things, for human eloquence, and wisdom, neither are they simply reproved for these, for they are good in their place, but because they made a show of them in declaring of God's message. And in the fourth verse, human wisdom is opposed to the evidence of the spirit, to show that they which study only for human learning and eloquence, cannot preach in the evidence and power of the spirit. And this he proveth by many arguments. First, the doctrine that I taught was God's will and testament, ergo, I must not utter it in matter and form after men, but it must be shown as he set it forth. Secondly, in the second verse, I have purposed to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified; that is, to profess nothing else, for he could not but know many things more, therefore the profession of all human wisdom was to be laid aside. Thirdly, in the third verse, he saith, it was in much weakness, fear, and trembling, because he was to deal with the devil, and with men of beastly condition, who could not be subdued with gallant shows of human strength, nor with flanting and flourishing in human eloquence & wisdom. Fourthly, in the 5. verse he showeth a notable reason why it was thus, and why it must be thus; lest your faith should stand upon man's wisdom, rather then in the power of God, and so man should have the glory of converting men's souls to the faith, which is proper to God only: therefore, in the ministry the power of God must only be shown in demonstration of the spirit, and of power. Fifthly, we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of that power, might be of God, and not of us. The minister is compared to a vessel, and a homely one, he showeth a treasure in it: Whatsoever therefore is in man must be hidden: that when the treasure worketh, the virtue which is of God, may be ascribed unto God, and not to man. But then it will be demanded of some, what use there is of arts, of doctors, and fathers, and the tougues, if they may not be shown & alleged in the public ministry of the word. To whom we may answer, that as those things are the good blessings of god on his church so there is a private use of them in study, to help the man of God to find out doctrine and to set it forth, but in public they are not to be shown, by the testimony of the apostle, except it be in disputations and controversies against those that rely upon them as the papists do.

As there must be a concealment of human eloquence and wisdom, so there must be a demonstration of the spirit, as the Apostle showeth in the fourth verse of the second chapter and the first epistle to the Corinthians, and that is, when the minister so delivereth the word, that the people may perceive, it is not he that speaketh, but the spirit of God in him. The whole fourteenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians, is a commentary of this point, and in the four and twentieth verse he showeth, that if there be propheciing, that is expounding, and applying to the conscience, the scriptures in a known tongue: if an idiot, or an unbeliever come in the mean time he is rebuked, and judged of all, that is, he shall take himself so to be, for the secrets of his heart shall be made manifest, and so he will fall down and worship God, and say plainly, that God is in you indeed. And thus must men prophecy to work this effect, they must be as Michaiah was, full of power, by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment and of strength, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. The Apostles were not permitted to witness of Christ, till they had received the spirit that must execute it. And i • the second of the Acts it is said, that it lighted on them like fiery tongues, to show that the spirit of GOD maketh the speech to burn. Then wheresoever the speech toucheth, it burneth by the outward sign, the inward work is signified by all which we may see that there must be no demonstration of the person, but of the power of the spirit. And further, because explanation is the very soul of the spirit, therefore that especially must be labored for; for in man is soul, and body, and spirit. The soul giveth life. The spirit liuelinesse; and is the moving and stirring of the affections. The doctrine must also have application, or else it is dead; now when it is applied by the spirit, it is most lively and effectual.

The liuelinesse and power of the word thus preached, appeareth in this demonstration. Take a thing that is red hot, and lay it to another thing that is cold, and it shall kindle a heat in that too. So the ministers tongue is a fiery tongue, now when it is brought to man's senses and understanding, it worketh the like heat in them, so that the power of the spirit is conveyed unto them. And thus an impression is made in the hearts of the people. And when the man seeth this, he falleth down, he glorifieth GOD, and reverenceth the minister, & God in him. And for the better procuring and preserving of this reverence: it is very requisite also, that his message be delivered with authority and majesty, as Paul adviseth Titus; the reason is in the 2. Cor. 3.20. The minister is an embassador for Christ; now the embassador beareth his person that sent him, he is his vicegerent to speak and do that that he himself doth; therefore the whole function must be with authority. It is said that the people were astonied at Christ's doctrine, because he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes, to show that the minister shall never move by his doctrine, except it be with authority. He that will approve himself in the sight of God to be a minister after the Lord's liking, and win glory to him that sent him, must have his life clothed with robes of holiness and righteousness. I mean not that a holy life is essential to a minister, so that he is no minister that wants it, but that it is necessary for a minister, for many shall say at the last day to Christ, We have prophesied in thy name; to whom answer shall be made again, depart from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not. The necessity of it may appear by many reasons: first, a minister unless he be sanctified he shall never soundely, and lively understand the word of GOD; for the Lord revealeth his will unto the humble, and his counsels unto them that fear him, and to none else. Lawyers become cunning by long reading; and Physicians by experience; yet no man was ever a perfect, found, and judicial divine without holiness. This knowledge is rather feeling, then learning, in abundance of heart, rather then extreme study, sent by God to good men: so that, he that can say with David, I love thy law, may say, I have more understanding then my teachers. It is the equity of God, unwilling to obey, unworthy to know; for what should he do with a talent which will not use it? Therefore he which forbiddeth pearls to swine, stays his hand from casting knowledge to the wicked, except so much as shall condemn them. Further, the ignorant people cannot see the ordinance of God, but they use to judge of a man's ministry by sensible things which they see in him; therefore a good life is necessary in a minister. For they say, because he liveth according to his teaching we will hear him, as Herod heard John the Baptist, because he was a good man and a godly. If teachers of human arts shall tell general things without examples, it is hard to learn of them: so if teachers of divine things shall teach only without examples, it will be as hard to learn of them; therefore the minister must set a copy with his life, which the Apost • e saint Peter requireth when he saith, Feede the flock of God, which dependeth on you, caring for it, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, not as though ye were Lord's over God's heritage, but that ye may be ensamples of the flock. What manner of examples ministers must be. Saint Paul showeth, 1 Timothy. 4.12. when he saith, Be unto them that believe an ensample, in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in pureness. It is said unto all men, Be ye holy; but it is enjoined the minister more specially. to be adorned both with inward and outward holiness. Inward holiness standeth in faith and a good conscience, which the Apostle Paul would have to be in Timothy, as weapons, without which he cannot fight a good fight; the first is, a persuasion of the truth, or true doctrine: the other excuseth a man in every action, and therefore Solomon calleth a good conscience a continual feast. And Paul labored to keep that above all things; for I endeavor myself to have always a clear conscience both towards God, and towards men. Outward holiness which must be in the minister of God, is set forth in I. Tim. 3.2. A Bishop must be unreproveable. Again, there be outward duties required of him, in regard of his person. in regard of his family, in regard of his calling, and in regard of strangers. First in regard of his own person, he must be unblameable, so far from outward crimes, and gross sins, that he must be free from all just cause of suspicion, because he must reform others; not to be free from sin, for that is not possible in this life. He must wisely conceal his infirmities from others, for being once known, they are as a bar cast in the way of the people to stumble at. And howsoever great and foul faults in another man seem to be but small, yet every light infirmity in the minister is accounted as a plague-sore running upon him, the which maketh him to be abhorred of the profane and ignorant sort: therefore if the minister should make his infirmities known unto them, it were all one as if he should say, I have the plague about me, and so make them to abhor both his person, and his doctrine.

Secondly, in regard of his own person it is required that he be the husband of one wife, for in those times men had two wives, and then he might not be a minister, because that he had broken the holy ordinance of almighty God in himself, which should see it kept in others. If he had been such a one, and now is single, or joined only to one, he may be a Christian, but not a minister. And the like is to be said of him that hath been sometime a Preacher of the gospel, and after that fell to be an idolater or a Popish priest, and is now a professor of the gospel again; the church may upon his repentance take him for a Christian, but he ought not to serve in the public ministry of the word, as yet many do, because he is not only blemished himself worse then a man that wanteth a member, which in no wise might serve in the work of the ministry, but also is a fowl scar in the face of the church, which must be removed, that the church may look with a lovely and comely countenance, that her friends may be in love with hir, and not through hir ugly and deformed visage, be occasioned to loathe her: and this is that which the Prophet Ezekiel in plain words hath recorded in this manner, Thus saith the Lord God, No stranger uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary: Neither the Levites that are gone back from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray from me after their idols, but they shall bear their iniquity. [ 11] And they shall serve in my sanctuary, and keep the gates of the house, and mi • nister in the house. [But how shall they minister?] they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to serve them: that is, they shall serve as drudges to do all the servile work that belongs to the sanctuary, like the Gibeonites, who were appointed by Joshua to carry wood and draw water; and why? because they served before, their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; Therefore have I lift up mine hand against them (saith the Lord) and they shall bear their iniquity. [ 13] And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of the priest unto me, neither shall they come nere unto any of mine holy things in the most holy place, but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. And [ 14] I will make them keepers of the watch of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.

Now if any man will object against this that hath been spoken, that Paul was a persecutor of the gospel, and yet afterward was called to be a preacher of the gospel, he may; but it will not serve his turn; for first, Paul was not a preacher before he was a persecutor, for then had he been a right apostata, or back-slider from the faith, as those men were of whom I spake before, as namely, such as were preachers and professors of the gospel in king Edwards days, and persecutors of the gospel in Queen Mary's days, & then to become preachers of the gospe • l again in Qu. Elizabeth's days; such Apostates Imeane was Paul never, neither are they to be admitted into the ministry now. Secondly, Paul was extraordinarily called and converted; it doth not therefore follow that any now-adays should look for an extr •• rdinary calling, when the same Apostle hath laid down an ordinary rule, for an ordinary ministry, and amongst other rules hath laid down this for one, that a minister must be vnrep • ooueable: but it is very evident, that such apostates and runningates from the f •• rh (which have made also others to fall away with them) are very instly to be reproved. Thirdly, it is required of a minister of God, that he be watchful, because the church of God is subject to the temptations of heretics, and Satan, therefore he must of necessity be resident vpō his charge, that he may be acquainted with the natures, and conditions, & opinions of his flock continually, & so meet with every inconueniēce as it ariseth before it grow to a head Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently; If negligence in the Lord's work be accursed, then what blessing can a Non-resident look for upon his non-residencie? for there can be no greater negligence in doing of the Lord's work, then for a minister to leave his place & standing, wherein god hath set him, and to commit the care over unto a hireling which was committed to him, like the unkind nurse which turneth over the child to another, whom the parents of the child never trusted withal. If any will say they can be but taught, & as good by one as by another, they do but deceive themselves. For if thenselves should commit their own child to a nurse, whom they have made choice of before another, they would not like it well, nor take it well if that nurse should take her wages, and post it over to another, and say, it can be but kept, or, it can be but fed, and as good by one as by another. Besides that, the Lord in his word expressly condemneth such kind of dealing in the priests of Israel, charging thē to have broken his covenant; and How? because they had brought in strangers to pollute the house of God, [ 7] being vocircumcised in flesh, and in heart, who offered with the bread, fat and blood, which the Lord calleth abominations; showing the reason of it, [ 8] for ye have not kept the ordinances of mine holy things, but you yourselves have set others to take the charge of my sanctuary; which maketh as directly against Non-residents and their Curates or substitutes as can be; for if such care was required of the Levites and priests under the ceremonies of the law, which were but shadows of Christ and the gospel. How much more ought the ministers of the gospel to have this care to look unto the work of God themselves, unto whom is committed, not the shadows, but the substance it self, even the Son of God, who was the ende of those ceremonial figures and shadows, and the dispensation of the gospel of Christ, wherein is exhibited more clearly unto the church of God even Christ Jesus himself already come, and crucified, and in heaven glorified, which fair exceedeth all those things which were committed to the priests and Levites: which did also exhibit Christ unto the church, but more obscurely, and a far off. Now • f God would not dispense with them for committing the charge of his house then, to others, much less will he dispense with us for committing the charge of his house now, to others. And admit that their substitutes be honest men, godly, learned, and painful too, which yet is but seldom (though sometime) seen, if they be not troubled, nor called into question as others be, yet we must know that God hath not promised any blessing, but to the labors of such as he hath ordained and set over his people, and not over every hireling, for God will bless no ordinance but his own, what care and intent soever men have.

Fourthly, it is required of a minister, that he be sober, that is, there must be a moderation of all his affections, and of all his appetites, as in eating and drinking, in apparel, in recreation, in company keeping, and such like, unto which must be joined modesty, that in good and seemly order, his outward behavior must not be offensive, he must be free from all light speeches, or shows, he must learn to bear his person orderly, in dignity and gravity, as becometh the minister of God: It is also required, that he be harborous and full of hospitality, according to his ability, and an entertainer of the faithful; he must be also apt to teach, & able to deliver the word, and to apply it aptly and fitly, according to time, place, persons, and all occasions, as Isaiah saith, he had a tongue to speak words in due season, which as Solomon saith) are like aples of gold with pictures of silver, most precious and comely, whereof one is worth a thousand of others, & hath more grace then ten thousand. There be three foul vices, which must be removed from his person. First he must not be given to wine, that is, always to sit by it, as they that take pleasure in it, like thē that cannot eat, but still must have wine. Timothy might d • nke wine, not for pleasure, but for his health, & for pleasure too, so it be not ordinarily. Secondly, he must be no striker, if he cannot overcome his people by exhortation, & instruction in his public function, he may not strike them. In his family he may strike his servants and his children when they deserve correction, yet with discretion, for there he is both minister and master. And in wars also he may strike the enemy, when by the magistrate he shall be thereunto lawfully called, for he is both a minister and a subject. Thirdly, he must not be given to filthy lucre, as they that live of the gain of usury; or of cards and dice, and other gaming, or by any gains that come by hook or by crook (as the proverb goeth) against the law of God & man. The reasons are taken from the contrary causes, for strokes come from anger, & he must be a man that can bridle his anger: and covetousness is • he cause of filthy lucre, as it is the root of all evil, which must not be in the man of God.

It is required of God's minister in respect of his family, he be such a one that can govern his family well. For the government of a family is a great stay of a church, and common wealth, that is, when by the example of the minister others govern well, yet there is sufficient doctrine in the word to govern by. Then doth the minister govern well, when his whole family is in subjection, and obedience of the magistrate, and willing to suffer when they offend: now if any look for liberty, it is children; therefore the apostle putteth children for all, & saith that they must be in subjection; therefore much more servants: & that this may not seem a small matter, he saith that it mast be in all honesty, or come • ines, to show that there is decen • ie in that family, when every child doth his duty, and great comeliness is in subjection; the reason is, if a man cannot rule his own family, how can he rule God's church? therefore he is not a minister after the Lord's heart, that bringeth up his children dissolutely: and here by the way we may see, that God doth not require of the minister either a single life, or a monkish life nor a whorish, & adulterous life, which whoso leadeth in popery is better accepted then he that liveth in holy estate of matrimony.

In regard of his calling to the faith it is required that he be not a young plāt or a novice, gods church is compared to a vineyard those which are converted are as it were brought out of the field & planted in the vineyard: now if if these be but as of a years growth or so, they are not fit to be ministers, lest they being puffed up (as many are) fall into temptatiō of the A man newely converted, hath not sound knowledge, & so falleth by ignorance of his mind to error, and so to heresy by pride, and so is in the same sin with the devil: nay, the apostle saith, in the condemnation of the devil, that is, to be without a savior, or not to be saved: therefore we ought to take heed, for the danger is great, pride and liking of heart, will bring a man to the devils sin; if it puff us up, then are we gone; pride keepeth out humility, which must needs receive Christ. He that can ascribe confusiō to himself, keepeth out pride, or at the least fighteth against it.

The last property that is required to be in a minister, is in respect of strangers. He must have a good testimony of thē that are without, even of infidels, who are not yet converted. So he must behave himself, that even frō the wicked (if it be possible) he may have a good report. He must be courteous to all, good, and bad, not courteous to the faithful, & austere to the wicked, but courteous to all: the reason is, lest he fall into reproach, & the snare of the devil. The reason of this duty is drawn frō the inconueniēce that will follow the contrary; for whom must he convert? the wicked: then if he come into hatred with them, he shall be able to do them no good, if they blaspheme God and him. And thus by reproach, he is cast into the snares of the devil, either to be dissolute, & not to care what he doth, or else desperate of very grief and sorrow of heart: by which we may see what danger it is to raise up slander of any man: it is as much as a man's soul is worth, for this giveth the devil occasion to work upon a man. And a man may speak that which may make another man come to destruction, so much as lieth in him that so speaketh. The world is a place where sathā hath all snares on ech side, therefore we must take heed. They that lie in the snares, it may be, see nothing of all this, but those who have been in, and are gone out, do see them, therefore it is needful to pray, Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And thus much for the duties and qualities of a minister in respect of his own person, of his family, of his calling to the faith, and of strangers, by which (together with that which hath been said of his doctrine) it may easily appear who be ministers according to the Lord's heart or liking, and who be not: It followeth in the text.

Which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. Now the Lord showeth what benefit they shàl reap by their pastors, namely knowledge and understanding; they shall not only be to God's liking, but also for their souls good: nay, they cannot be pastors to God's liking, except they be also for the benefit of God's people; for God liketh well, when his church th •• ueth well, & the church thriueth well when it groweth in knowledge and understanding; for that is the way to grow strong in faith & repentance, & love, and in zeal, and in patience and in all the • auing graces of the spirit of God, to know and to understand the ways of the Lord. This knowledge is the knowledge of God's will revealed in his word, which showeth both what his purpose is concerning all men, both good and bad, wicked and godly, the faithful and unfaithful, the elect and the reprobate, the salvation of the one, and the damnation of the other, the assurance of both, the means and the causes of both. It showeth also what is required of all men to be believed, & what to be practiced, for the advancement of his glory. This is called the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, wherein standeth eternal life, John chapter seventeen verse 3. This knowledge of God is the first and chiefest principle in Christian religion, because without it, it is not possible for any man to worship him, as he ought to be worshipped of us, for the Apostle saith, how shall we call on him, on whom we have not believed? and how can we believe in him, of whom we have not heard? and how shall we hear without a preacher? as if he should say, we can do none of these things without knowledge; for knowledge is the end of hearing and of preaching: therefore do we preach and hear, not to make the scriptures better (as some senseless idiots do immagine) but to bring men to the knowledge of the truth. Now as the apostle speaketh of faith and prayer, which be two especial parts of God's worship, we can neither believe aright, nor pray aright without knowledge, so may it be said of fear and love, and all other points of the true worship and service of God, that men can neither fear God aright, nor love God aright, nor confess him aright, nor acknowledge his government aright, without the knowledge of those things.

And for the better bringing up of men in this holy knowledge of God, the Lord hath given his statutes unto Jacob, and his ordinances unto Israel, which he hath not vouchsafed upon all nations, for the heathen have not the knoledge of his ways; Psalm a hundred forty and six. And these statutes of God are contained in the books of the old and New Testament called the holy Scriptures, by the way of excellency, which being rightly understood of us do bring us directly to the true knowledge of God, and of our selves. And because there are in the scriptures some things that be hard and dark to our understanding: therefore the Lord hath ordained pastors & doctors, whom he hath also furnished with gifts of knowledge and utterance, and learning, and sanctification, that they may teach the Lord's people the true meaning of the scriptures, and so train them up in the knowledge and obedience of the Lord.

By this then it appeareth how necessary it is for all God's children to have the knowledge of GOD, the understanding of the scriptures, and the preaching of the word amongst them by a painful, faithful, and learned ministry. And on the other side, it be wrayeth the pestilent danger of ignorance and ignorant ministers, and also the barrenness of bare reading, without the tillage of expounding, of catechizing, of doctrine, of exhortation, and of application, the which is the life of doctrine; by which holy means, as it were, with the Lord's ploughs the fallow grounds of men's hearts are broken up, whereas otherwise the seed is but cast amongst the thorns, as Jeremiah speaks. When the Queen of Ethiopia her chamberlaine was reading the prophet Isaiah in his chariot, Philip asked him if he understood what he read, to show that a man may read and read again, and be never the nearer without an interpreter, as that noble man confessed; for how can I understand (said he) without a guide? Therefore Ezra (when he had read the scripture,) he also gave the sense, and caused the people to understand the reading, to show, that bare reading is not sufficient to bring men to understanding. And therefore our savior Christ also, when he had read a place of Isaiah that concerned himself, he closed up the book, and opened the text, making application thereof to his hearers: whereupon it followeth in the same place, that all that heard him bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth, to show, that preaching giveth grace to reading. And when the word read is opened, and applied, then men bear witness of the truth, that is, they know what to hold and believe for truth, and not before. This the apostle Paul knew very well, and therefore he did not only teach the Ephesians openly, but privately also in every house, going from house to house, warning, and exhorting everyone as he had occasion, to show what course those sheepeheardes must take that would bring their flocks unto the green pastures of heavenly comforts, and the living waters of eternal happiness, both growing and flouring out of the lively fountains of knowledge and understanding in the holy word of God. And further, for the necessity of knowledge & understanding, what could the lord say more to show the greatness thereof, then to call them by the name of food, or meat and drink, for so he doth; I will give you pastors, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding; as if knowledge and understanding were food of the soul, and so they be to teach us; as there is nothing more necessary for the strengthening of the body, then meat and drink, so there is nothing more necessary for the saving of the soul then knowledge and understanding. Take away from the body ordinary sustenance long, and it starueth. And take away knowledge and understanding from the soul, and it perisheth: Therefore as Christ said when he raised up Jairus daughter, give hir meat, so the Lord saith, when the soul is raised up to the life of God; give it meat; but that must be knowledge and understanding.

Again, as knowledge and understanding are here called food, so pastors are called feeders, as if they were nurses, & the people as babes & children, which neither know what is good for them, nor howe to dress their meat nor how to feed themselves. And therefore many do not unfitly compare the bare reading of the scripture unto a whole loaf set before children, which must be cut in pieces, and be d • uided before it can profit them. The preachers are also called feeders, to show that they must be like nurses in ability, in affection and discretion. Some have wherewith to feed their children, but they are unkind and unnatural, like cruel harlots that kill their children, that they may not be troubled with thē. Some bear a good affection to their children, but their breasts are dry, and they have no meat to give them when they cry for it; as in the great famine of Samaria. Som have wherewith to feed, but for want of discretion to observe the childes nature and constitution, as also the weakness, or strongnes of the stomach, the frowardness & tenderness of thinfant, and the causes of all, it happeneth that much is given, and little digested, & great pain is taken to little purpose, because the child is either misdieted or distempred, or handled too tenderly, or too rigorously. Therefore in the feeders of the soul there ought to be sufficient store of knowledge, there ought to be a loving & tender affection, tempered with wisdom and discretion, that everyone may have his due portion faithfully distributed unto him, and that in due time and season. It is a lamenble hearing to hear the children cry for bread, and it shall be answered again by the Nurse, I have none for thee, thou must starve, for I have none to give thee. But it is a thousand times more lamentable to hear the souls mone for want of spiritual food, oh what accompt have they to make unto God that take the place of spiritual nurses, and have no milk in their breasts, that is, know nothing to any purpose? is it nothing to starve the Lord's people? Is the murthering of men's souls no sin before the Lord? O that the smoky Kemarius of this our age, as unpreaching ministers and non-residents, and such like did consider well of this point • then would they not leave their occupations and trades, as many have done, and betake them to the ministry, as their last refuge, for living and maintenance sake, but they would leave the ministry as fast: and betake themselves to some other trade of life again, and wish that their heads were fountains of tears, that they might weep day and night for the slaughter and destruction which they have made of the Lord's people. Which they were better to do now while the Lord doeth allot them a time of repentance, then hereafter in hell, from whence there is no redemption. Oh that our Patrons, and Bishops likewise did enter into the due consideration of this point, then should not so many symonaicall and unworthy worldlings be presented and admitted, nor so many godly and painful pastors be dismissed as there are, to the great woe and sorrow of many poor souls that have received most sweet comfort from their blessed ministry and painful endeavours in the Lord.

But now it is time to enter combat and encounter with our adversaries the Papists: nay the adversaries of Christ and his church about this point, who would bear the world in hand, that Ignorance is the mother of devotion, and that there is no necessity of the scriptures for the common people, but that everyone must believe as the church believeth without any further trial or examination had of the matter by the word of God. Which bloody doctrine, and uncomfortable assertion we shall see (by God's grace) to fall down and break his neck at the sight of the truth, as Dagon the idol of the Philistines did at the presence of the Ark.

Ignorance (say the Papists) is the mother of Devotion. And Ignorance (say the Protestants) is the mother of damnation. Now there is great odds between Devotion and Damnation; as much as is between ignorance and knowledge, or between light and darkness. Indeed of Popish devotion, whose fruits are idolatry, and superstition, and sacrilege, and blasphemy, and pride, and ambition, and covetousness, and treason, and all abominations, and in the ende, eternal damnation. Ignoraunce is the mother, but not of true devotion which pleaseth God. Knowledge and Ignorance be contrary one to another; and as they be contrary causes; so their effects must needs be contrary, and that by the rule of contraries; for, Contrariorum contraria est ratio. Now if knowledge be the root of faith, and of love, and of zeal, and of obedience, and of all virtue and goodness, as it is then is not ignorance the root of faith, but of unbelief, not of love, but of hatred, not of zeal, but of rashness and coldness, not of obedience, but of rebellion, not of goodness, but of mischief; and therefore not of devotion neither, but of damnation.

In the ninety five Psalm the Lord accuseth the Jews of hardness of heart, tempting of God, and continual rebellion against the Lord for the space of forty years, and addeth this withal as a reason of all their wickedness, that they knew not the ways of the Lord; for which cause, the Lord sware in his wrath, that they should never enter into his rest, to show us what be the fruits of ignorance; which if it be the mother of devotion, it is of such devotion as bringeth forth all manner of iniquity, and shutteth men out of eternal felicity.

In the fourth Chapiter of the Prophet Hosea, in the first, second, third and fourth verses, the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of Israel, because there was no truth; nor mercy, nor knowledge of God amongst them, but swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and whoring, and oppression, for which things the Lord telleth them that the land shall mourn, and everyone shall be cut off, to show what is to be looked for where the knowledge of God is wanting.

When the Prophet Isaiah reproved the Israelites idolatry, and hypocrisy, he said; Knowest thou nothing? as if he should say; these are the fruits of ignorance. In Philip. the first chapter and the ninth verse the Apostle prayeth God, that the church might abound in knowledge and judgment, which he would not have done, if ignorance were the mother of devotion. Our Savior Christ commandeth his church to search the Scriptures, adding this as a reason, that they bear witness of him, and show the way to eternal life, to show that ignorance is not the mother of devotion. By this may we see how much we are beholding to the papists for shutting up the doors of knowledge against the church of God. They are like the Philistines that put out the eyes of Sampson, that so they might the better make sport with him, and when the Papists had put out the right eye of knowledge in the church, they might then make them do what they list themselves. They are like the cruel Nahash the Ammonite that would make no covenant with the Israelites, but upon condition that every man would put out his right eye. The rauen when he falleth upon a sheep, the first thing he doth, is to pick out his eyes, that so he may the more easily devour the body; so when the Papists fall upon the sheep of Christ, the first thing they labor to effect, is to put out their eyes of knowledge, that so they may the more easily prey upon their body and goods too. They tell us forsooth that the searching of the scripture is the cause of error. And our savior Christ saith, therefore you err because you know not the scriptures, which of these must we believe, the Papists or our Savior Christ? They tell us that the scriptures are hard to be understood, but the Lord saith. Al the words of my mouth are righteous, there is no lewdness, nor frowardness in them. They are all plain to him that will understand, and straight, to them that would find knowledge. The papists say, they are hard, and the Lord saith, they are plain and straight; which of these now shall we believe, the papists, or the Lord? Indeed saint Peter saith, that in the writings of his brother Paul, there are some things hard to be understood, which ignorant and unstable men do pervert as they do all other scriptures to their condemnation: now if they be hard, we see to whom they are hard, to the ignorant and unstable, but not to those that desire knowledge, to them they are made easy by the Lord. Therefore it must stand us in hand to be well repaired, and sanctified by faith and prayer, when we deal with the scriptures, and be truly resolved to be reformed thereby, or else we may fall into error, as a just recompense of our pride & presumption. When the Israelites should come before the Lord, they must be sanctified today and tomorrow saith the Lord: when we come to the handling of the scriptures, we come before the Lord, and therefore we must be thoroughly sanctified, and with Moses, we must put off the shoes of our carnal affections when we come to deal with the book of GOD, for the scriptures are the mount, from which God doth show himself, and the bush out of which goeth a flame of fire. In them the Lord speaketh to us, and we hear the words of everlasting life, we must therefore strip off all our affections, and fall down before the Lord with fear, and know who it is that speaketh. His word is holy, let us take heed therefore into what hearts we put it; we may not receive it to puff up our hearts, & to wax proud with knowledge, we may not use it to maintain debate, and contention, to vaunt our selves, or to make show of our cunning. His word teacheth lowliness of mind to know our selves. If we learn not humility we learn nothing. The scriptures are God's mysteries, therefore be not too curious: they are God's sea, therefore take heed that we be not drowned in them. They are God's fire, therefore take we heed that we be not burned in them. They are the glorious sun of the Lord, to give light to them that sit in darkness and shadow of death, but they that gaze over hardly upon the sun, take blemish in their eye sight. Now if we come to the word of God with that fear. and reverence, & paier, and faith, and repentance, and love, & zeal, and humility that should be in us, we shall easily prove the papists liars, in saying the scriptures are hard, & above the reach of the people, as Julian the heretic said, whom Saint Augustine therefore reproveth very sharply in writing against him. And great reason had he for it, for God himself tells us otherwise. In Deuteronomy chapter 30. 11, 12, 13, 14. verses he saith. This commandment which I give thee this day, is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it us, and cause us to hear it, that woe may do it? Neither is it beyond the Sea, that thou shouldest say, who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it us, and cause us to hear it, that we may do it? But the word is very near unto thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart for to do it. And in the nineteenth Psalm he saith, that the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, the testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple, the statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart, the commandment of the Lord is pure, and giveth light unto the eyes: David saith, The word of the Lord is a lantern unto his feet, and a light unto his paths, and he and we must go all by one light. Now if the light be dark, then what is clear? or what can he see that cannot see the light. It is expedient (saith a reverend and learned Father,) that something should be covered to make us more diligent in reading, more desirous to understand, more fervent in prayer, more willing to ask the judgment of others, and to presume the lessse upon our own judgment. It causeth a man to take that profit by pains, which he could not take by negligence. And all things (saith he) are plain to him that hath sound knowledge, but to fools the most easy places seem hard; for how can wisdom enter into a fools heart, or a wicked man's heart, both which are enemies unto wisdom? They are like the Owl that cannot see the brightness of the sun, not because the sun beams are dark, but because his eyes are weak, and cannot abide so clear a light. But the Papists tell us that they are not for the common people, as though forsooth the common people were none of gods people, or had no souls to save. The scriptures be bread and drink which nourisheth unto everlasting life, (saith the same father) & great cruelty it is (saith he) to starve God's people to death; But what, are they unfit to have the scriptures because they be poor? why Christ saith, the poor receive the gospel, and blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; if the kingdom of heaven be theirs, why should they not have the scriptures, as their evidence to show for the said inheritance? What then? Are they unfit to have the scriptures, because they are unlearned? why the apostle saith, I esteem to know nothing but Christ, and him crucified: & our savior Christ saith, that his father hath hid these things from the wise & learned of the world, and revealed them unto babes, and simple ones. And the Apostles were sent to all creatures, learned, and unlearned, poor, and rich. There is none too poor, nor too rich, nor too old, nor too young, but whosoever hath ear to hear hath learning enough to be a hearer. The wisest, and the learned men in matters of this world, have not always proved the readiest to set forth the glory of God; for who resisted Moses and Aaron? not the people, but the king & the chief of Egypt. Who stood against Elias, but the priests of Baal? who stoned the prophets, but the wisest in Israel? who crucified Christ, but the Scribes and Pharisees, not the common people? wherein we may see that fulfilled which the apostle alleged out of the prophet, speaking in the person of God, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will cast away the understanding of the prudent; where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made the wisdom of this world foolishness? for seeing that the world by wisdom knew not God in the wisdom of God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe, whether they be poor or rich, learned or unlearned, that is no matter, so they believe they shall be saved, by the means of preaching, which by the wisdom of the world is condemned for foolishness. And thus we see the Papists condemned of most horrible cruelty and murder, for that they would of their chari • ie starve God's church, by withholding the food of knowledge and understanding from them.

It is further to be observed, that those pastors are promised of the Lord to come as a gift, both to show how unworthy we are of such a blessing, as also to teach us how thankfully we should receive it at the hands of the Lord that is the giver. I will give you pastors, &c. as if he should say; when you have them you must not take them as due unto you for your deservings (for you deserve no good thing of me) but I will freely bestow them upon my church. Amongst temporal benefits there is none like a good wife: and amongst spiritual benefits there is none like a good pastor: And both are sent from God, to those that fear him with this posy upon them, donum Dei, the gift of God; that if a mā should ask, Who giveth this woman to be married to this man? the Lord doth reach his hand as is were from heaven, saying, that do I; so if any man ask, who gave this pastour to this congregation? and other such to the rest of his church; the Lord doth answer from heaven and saith, that do I: he is my gift. And to those that turn unto me, I will give pastors according to my heart; for house and riches are the inheritance of the fathers, saith Solomon, but a prudent wife cometh of the Lord Pr. 19 14. So a good pastor comes not as house and land, by inheritance, but as a good wife comes, and that is of the Lord. Such pastors and teachers are sent as special love tokens to the godly, whereby they may know how the Lord doth love them. But ignorant ministers, and Non-residents, and time-seruers, & idol shepherds, and such like are sent of God to the wicked. as Saul was given to Israel in his wrath to plague them withal, and to strengthen them in their sins, and so to seal up their condemnation, as Solomon saith of a harlot; The lips of a strange woman are as a deep pit and he with whom the Lord is angry shall fall into the same; so may it be said of wicked pastors and blind guides, they and their people go together into the ditch, and they whom the Lord is angry with, shall be plagued with such. The Apostle Paul saith, that Christ ascending up on high gave gifts unto men, some to be apostles, some to be pastors and doctors, &c. and those he gave to his church, for the gathering together his saints, to teach us that they are not sent of God like merchandise for our money (as Simen Magus thought of the gifts of the holieghost) but they are sent as gifts, and are to be received as the gifts of the Lord. The only way to obtain such gifts, is by prayer, The harvest is great (saith Christ) and the laborers are few, pray ye therefore to the Lord of the harvest, and he shall send forth laborers, to show that God will have his gifts drawn from him by prayer, that is, he vell be known and acknowledged to be the giver of them, as men will say, if he had asked it of me, I would have given it him; so doth the Lord say; if they had asked such pastors of me, I would have given them such. This therefore is the cause why there are so few true laborers in the Lord's harvest, and so many wicked loiterers, because the church in general, and congregations, and Christians in particular, are not earnest enough in prayer unto God for them; for (as Isaiah saith) We should not give the Lord any rest, but, as it were, weary him with our prayers, until he repair the decayed places of Zion, and build up Jerusalem in her perfect beauty, which is the praise of the world: Neither are good pastors gotten, nor bad ones displaced, by railing and libelling against Bishops, and the governors of the church, (as some have thought) nor by factious and seditious drawing of multitudes to practice against the sword of authority, nor by robbing the church of her children, nor by scismaticall separating of our selves from the church, as heretical schismatics do think, nor by withdrawing of their livings as covetous worldlings imagine, but by humble suing to God with prayer and supplications, for so are his gifts obtained; so that if men would leave their scurrilous libelling, and their unseemly railing, and their vain talking, and their scismaticall separating, and their seditious banding, and their cruel dealing, and now another while try the Lord by turning unto him, as here he requireth us, and plie him with our humble prayers, as Christ hath commanded us, there is no doubt, but it would go better with the poor church of Christ then it doth; for if we do that which is required of us, most certainly the Lord will perform that which he hath promised. Now where the Lord hath bestowed such pastors, and planted the means of salvation, there is much (no doubt) required again. Two things doth the Lord expect and look for at their hands which have received such gifts of the Lord; namely, love and obedience: for love requires love again • and seeing these gifts are sent frō the Lord as special tokens of his love & favor toward us, his majesty looks for great love again of us towards the gift for his sake that gave it, & towards the giver for his own goodness sake, which only moved him to give the gift. And since he giveth them to feed us with knowledge & understanding, he laboreth that we should grow and thrive thereby, that is, to be the better reformed, both in judgments & also in our manners. But that it may appear the better what love we owe to the Lord in this respect, we ought to consider the greatness, goodness, & value of the gift, whereby we shall all see the great love and goodness of him that is the giver. Every man is friend unto him that giveth gifts; then every man should love the Lord, for none giveth so many gifts as he doth; yea for the gifts which men give, the Lord is to be loved, because they had neither what to give, nor will to give, until the Lord give both. Al the gifts of the Lord are either bodily or spiritual, temporal or eternal, general or special; some are common to man & beast & some are common to good and bad, to the reprobate & the elect, as meat, & drink & apparel, appetite and digestion, houses and lands, cattle and corn, gold & silver, health and wealth, wife & children, beuty & honor, peace and plenty, learning and wit, wisdom and policy, friends and promotion, and many such like, the least whereof deserveth and requireth that we should love and fear the Lord with all our harts, with all our strength: but besides these, the daily gifts which the Lord giveth to man, and to the earth, & the sea, and the heavens; yea the whole world for man's use they are infinite, that to go about to mumber them, were to measure the sea with a spoon; for which we return nothing but our sins, which are mo then his benefits: yet such is his goodness that giveth all, & forgiveth all. But amongst all the Lord's gifts, there is none comparable to pastors that feed men's souls with knoledge & understanding. When David would set out the greatness of this gift, he reherseth many works of god shown in his church, for which he is to be praised; Praise the Lord, O Ierusalē, praise thy God O Zion, for he hath made the bars of thy gates strong & hath blessed thy children within thee, [ 18] he setteth peace in thy borders, & satisfieth thee with the flour of wheat. When he considereth the benefit of God's word, he saith; [ 19] He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and judgments unto Israel: he hath not dealt so with every nation; [ 20] to show that the word of God is a special blessing, and not to be reckoned amongst such things as are common to all nations of the world.

When the Apostle saint Paul would set out the greatness of this gift, he saith, that the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared, meaning the gospel, to show that men cannot be saved without it; so great, so good, so excellent, and so necessary it is. All other blessings are of the grace of God; there is an enriching grace, a healthy grace, and a wealthy grace, and a healing grace, &c. But this is called the saving grace of GOD. David preferreth it before his kingdom, because it did comfort him in his affliction; if thy word (saith he) had not been my comfort in my affliction, I had perished, to show that the word of God is better then a kingdom. This may make the children of God the more to love such messengers, as bring such tidings of peace, and to fear such a God, as giveth such gifts unto men; but as for the wicked whose eyes the god of this world, that is, Satan, hath blinded, to them it is but as a tale of a foolish thing, for they are like the swine, which find more savor in the mire, then in sweet perfumes; or like the dunghill cock, that had rather find a grain of corn, then a precious stone. If sweet flowers be given to him that hath his senses, they will smell sweet, but a dead man feels no sweetness in them, though they be put to his nose; so the spiritual and regenerate man shall feel the sweetness and goodness of this gift, but the carnal man, in whom is not the life of the spirit, shall never make any account of it. Again, the faithful do not only love the giver for his gift, but also maketh much of the gift, for the givers sake; as men will say of their friends gifts or tokens, I will not part withal, I will keep it full daintily (though they have no use for it) for his sake that bestowed it on me: much more do the faithful reverence the ministers of Christ, and their pastors which labor amongst them in word and doctrine, and are over them in the Lord; they make much of them, yea they have them in singular account for their works sake, and keep them very carefully, both because the Lord gave them, and they have a marvelous comfortable and heavenly use of them to eternal salvation. Whereas the wicked who never knew the worth or want of good Pastors, nor the necessity of knowledge and understanding, do they take them to be sent of God as tokens of his love, or as the only means of salvation, or do they fear the Lord ever the more for such gifts? or do they love and reverence the gifts for the givers sake? or do they account of them for their sake? No, no such matter, they know not what these things mean, they take them rather for their enemies, as Ahab did Elijah who said, hast thou found me O my enemy? they take them as men sent of the Lord, or rather come out from the devil to plague them, and to •• ouble them, as Herod and Jerusalem thought of Christ: and after that rate do they use them, with all reproaches and mocks that can be devised, with all disdain, with all manner of injuries and slanders, and thus do the wicked reward their pastors which feed them, which they would not do, if they did take them as the gifts of God: but all this ought not to discourage pastors and preachers of the word, because base persons do basely account of them, but rather confirm them in the faithful execution of their office, taking the hatred of the world as a sure token of their ministers effectual working, and let them learn to play the parte of a nurse with their people, who hath many a foul hand with the child before she can bring it to any perfection. And let them be content to become like torches, which burn out themselves while they give light unto others, not feareing the faces of men because the Lord is a brazen wall between them and their adversaries, and though they be ill rewarded of the world, yet let them be glad, for as much as they look for their reward from the lord who hath set thē a work.

I will give.] The last thing we have to observe here, is, that the Lord doth not only say you shall have pastors, but I will give you pastors according to my heart: if his people will repent, he will perform that which is promised & none other for him; this is greatly for the confirmatiō of the churches faith, when the lord himself doth promise a thing, & undertake the performance of it himself. If a mā had made such a promise the performance remaineth doubtful, because he wantoth power, or skil, or constancy, his mind may alter, or means may fail, or he may be crossed with some higher power; but with the Lord is no such thing, for he hath both power and skil, and is always the same and changeth not, neither is there any power above him to cross his majesty. If an angel from heaven had made such a promise, yet the performance is doutful, because he is but a creature, & is subject to the check, & controlment of the Lord; but if god say he will, it shall be, as the Centurion said, Lord do but speak the word & my servant shall be whole; whē the power & will of god do meet, then there wants nothing to let the matter, but our sins, Lord if thou wilt (saith the leaper) thou canst make me eleane. I will (saith Christ) be thou clean, and immediately the leprosy was cleansed.

But this people were in captivity, & their enemies had dominion over them: how will the Lord restore them? very well; for the lord is able to do it either by force of angels, as he delivered Peter out of prison, or by men, or by other creatures, as he dealt with Pharaoh, or by turning their enemies hearts, as he turned Saul's heart, when he followed David to kill him, according to the saying of Solomon. When a man's ways please the Lord, he will cause his foes to become his friends, or without means, only by that word, whereby he made heaven and earth and all the world, when matter was wanting. Hereof we have many examples: God said he would make Israel a mighty people, could Pharaoh prevent it? no, though he said, Come and let us work wisely with them, lest they multiply &c. God said David should be king, could Saul prevent it? no, though he said, I will give him my eldest daughter upon condition that he bring me a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, thinking by this policy to make a riddance of him. God said Elizabeth shall reign, could any defeat her? no, though first they sifted her for treason, as conspiring with Wiat, and then Gardener the wolf cried still, stub up the root, stub up the root: then how many ways have been devised since to subvert her by papists, and traitors, and • esuites, and the unholy league, and all with • he devil himself, having sworn & vowed • rdeath; yet she reigneth, thanked be God, • nd long may she reign O Lord we bseech • he for thy mercies sake, in despite of all •• y enemies: here we may see that verified • hat is in the Proverbs, There is no counsel, • or wisdom, nor strength, against the Lord. And in another place he saith, Many devises • re in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord •• all stand. If anything hinder good things • rom us, it is our sin, but no devise of man • or devil, they shall do no more then the • orde hath appointed. Our sins are the • hiefe cause, and the wicked are instrumen • all causes, and used by the Lord like Ashur, • who was called the staff of the Lord) to • lague his church withal. And therefore • any take a wrong course to have the chur • hes estate bettered, they cry out upon the •• me, and the state, and the Bishops, and pa •• ons, and the dumb ministers (I speak not • ow in defense of any man's fault or corrup •• on) but their own household are vnrefor • ed, they and their families are ignorant and • rofane, they abuse the good gifts of god all • eady bestowed, and yet they find fault they • aue no more, like children that cast their • eat to the dogs and then cry for more: • hey say, so long as such and such bear sway in the church, never a good minister shall be long at rest, and I know not what, never looking what hurt their rashness and preposterous blind zeal doth procure: but they are much deceived, for let those that call upon the name of God depart from evil, and turn unto the Lord, and then look what his majesty hath promised, it shall surely be performed, though the time be prolonged for the exercise of our faith, & patience. It is sufficient for us, if the Lord saith he will do it, though he do not tell us when, and howe he will do it, he hath ways enow to bring his counsel to pass. With this [I will] or promise of God let us learn to arm our selves against all temptations, all fears, all doubts, and all lets whatsoever, let men take heed how they enterprise anything against the will of God, what means soever they have to effect their purpose, for if they say, they will, and the Lord say, he will not, or if they say, it shall not be, and the Lord saith, it sha • be, all their murmuring & banding and consulting, and practicing will be in vain; Sen • charib said he would come against Jerusalem with a mighty host, and make them t • eat their own dung and drink their ow • pisse, but the Lord said he should not shoo • an arrow into Jerusalem, and it came to pas • as the Lord said. Esau said he would kill 〈◊〉 brother Jacob, but he did not, the Jews vowed neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul, but if they had kept their vow they had starved. Herod though to have killed Christ, but he could not, and many others have purposed many other things, but the Lord hath disposed of them according to his own will and pleasure; and all to show how truly Job spake when he said, The hand of man is not able to accomplish the devise of his heart. As this is a singular consolation at all times, so now in this hard time of dearth and scarcity, the Lord doth promise upon the true repentance of his people, to bless the earth, with plenty, & to satisfy the poor with bread, let the wretched cornemongers, and covetous caterpillars say, the price shall not fall, the Lord that hath said the word will do it manger their beards, and cause them to fall too, with shame enough if they repent not: let no man say as the noble man of Samaria said, Though the Lord should open the windows of heaven and rain down wheat, &c. I will not believe the words of the prophet, lest he see it, but enjoy it, not as he did that was trodden down in the gates of the city. And to conclude, seeing as we are ready to take a man's word for anything, if he be an honest man, and of any credit or ability, and think our selves safe, if the prince, or a meaner person say; I will give thee this or tha • how much more ought we to take the Lord • word for anything that he promiseth, wh • is all sufficient and faithful? yea if we do • doubt of the matter when he saith, I will, o • presume when he saith, I will not, we offe • his majesty that injury, which we our selve • would hardly let go unrevenged at any man's hand, if it lay in our power to revenge the same.