He will take his information from the mouth of God; teach

ing us,

That the faithful Minifter of God muft fpeak only in the Dect.. Lords meffage; he must fee before he fay: he must be first a Seer and then a Speaker, and he must not go from the instructions which God fhal give him to speak more or leffe.

This is our wifedome and understanding, to take our light from the father of lights, to gather our wifedome from him that is wileft, whose foolishnesse is wiser then man, as the Apostle telleth us.

1. Because of our nature which is corrupt, fo our reafon and Reaf. 2. judgement; fubject to errours and mistakes; as we fee in Nathan who encouraged David in his purpose of building a Temple, which in his humane reason feemed a good intention, and David a fit perfon to undertake it.

But God directed him to repeal that Commiffion, and to af figne that work to Salomon Davids fonne.

2. Because we are Ambassadors from God; and Ambaffadours Reaf.z. go not of themselves, but are fent; and they muft remember whofe Perfons they beare, and be careful to speak according to their inftructions.

1. This as it is a direction to us to limit our Ministry, that Ufe." we may not do more or leffe then our erand;

2. So it is a rule for you to whom we are sent, to receive or refuse our Ministry, accordingly as you shall justifie our Preach ings by the Will of God, revealed in the facred Canon of Scripture; fearching the Scriptures as the men of Berea did, whether those things which we teach be fo or not,

And if any fhall in the name of God broach or vent the doArines of men, you may fay to him as Nehemiah did to San ballat

There are no fuch things as thon sayst, but thou feineft them out of thine own heart.

But take heed you exceed not this example of Nehemiah; for he did not charge Sanballat thus, till he perceived that God had not fent him,but that he pronounced this prophecy.

For many hearers are fo feafoned with prejudice against their Teachers, that if any thing found not to the just tune of their

Nehem. 6.

8.

I Ther. z.

13.

own fancies, they will fuddenly quarrel it. Yet as Gamaliel faith, If the Counsel be of God, it will stand, whosoever oppose it.

3. This reproveth thofe forward intruders into the Lords harveft, who come unfent, and bring not their Sickle with them, they will work without tools, and they will teach before they

have learnt.

Like the foolish Virgins, they would spend of the wife Virgins oyle, they do fapere ex Commentario, and take their Sermons upon truft, hearkning what God hath faid to others, and not tarrying till God fpeak to them.

It is no wonder if these Merchants do break who fet up with. out a stock: they be but broken Cifterns,though fome water run through them they hold none.

The faithful Minifter muft not only obferve quid dicit domi nus what the Lord faith, but quid dicit mihi, what he faith to me: he must have the wariant of his own miffion from a special illu mination of his own understanding, or elfe his Trumpet will never give a certain found.

4. This bindeth the hearer to affection.

For if the spirit fpeaketh to the Churches,then qui habet aures audiendi audiat; he that hath ears let him hear: Eft Deus in nobis, God is in us; they do not flatter us as they did Herod, and we fhall never die of the wormes for receiving that teftimony of our Ministry, if we deal faithfully, that fay of our pteaching;The voice of God and not of man; for Saint Paul teftifieth of the Theffalonians;

For this caufe alfo thank we God, because when ye received the Word of God which yee heard of us, yee received it not as the Word of men, but as it is in truth the Word of God, which effectually worketh alfo on you that believe.

Beloved, it is true that we that are now the witneffes of God, have not that open accefle to him, that the Prophet had to receive immediate inftructions from his own mouth: But Chrift faith,

Sicut mifit me Pater: ita & ego mitto vos, as the Father feat me, fo fend I you.

And he telleth his Father how he hath provided for hisChurch till his fecond coming...

I have given them the word which thou gavest me, and they lohn.17.8 have received them; and having fo done, he said unto them, Ite

docete, Go and teach.

When thou comeft then to Church,and hearest Moses and the Prophets, and the Pfalms,which was the Manna wherwith God fed the fathers before the incarnation of Chrift, when the Veile of the Temple was up: remember what Abraham faid to the rich man, Habent Mofen & Prophetas, audiant cos, They have Mofes and the Prophets, let them hear them; that is the way to keep out of hell.

When thou heareft the voice of the Sonne of God in the Gofpel, the Veile of the Temple being torn from the top to the bottome, Chrift now reveiled to thee with open face,

Take heed thou despise not him that fpeaketh to thee in the Miniftry of a mortal man: this is a treasure which is brought unto you in earchen veffels; value the veffels at their own worth in themselves, but yet regard them above their worth for their use, for they bring you the treasures of wifedome and knowledge;

Enough to make you wife unto falvation, fufficient to beget faith in you, by which you may overcome the world; enough to make you perfect, throughly perfect to all good works.

This is done by our Miniftry,if you will hear God in us; and what would you defire more then to be taught how to become wife and honest? for such are not afraid of the Parliament: and

lay witin Saint Paul,

ر

With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or I Cor.4·3. of mans judgement.

2. The vigilancy of the Prophet, I will stand upon the watch. Amongst the great titles of honour and fervice that are given to the Ministers of the Word in Scripture this is one'; they are called Watchmen; It is Gods word to Ezechiel,Ezek 3. 17.

Sonne of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Ilrael: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me, which is repeated in the fame words, chapt. 33.7.as the Margent of the Kings Bible directech you.

This correfpondence must be between God and his Minister; for if God do make us watchmen over the houfe of Ifrael, ther with Habakkuk we must ftand upon the watch..

Let

Let not us plead the truft of God committed to us, except we can plead our faithfulneffe in the discharge of that traft.

This is indeed an honour done to the Prophets and Ministers of the Church, to commit the Church of God to our care; but the burthen of this care to keep watch is exceeding great.

A neceffity is laid upon me, and wo be to me if I preach not the Golpel,

1

Here be two things in this office.

1. To watch, 2- To give warning.

1. Some can watch, but they can give no warning. Ministers of good and preaching lives, but not apt to teach, which Saint Paul requires in his Ministers. Of whom Saint Hierome faith, Innocens fine Sermone Conversatio,quantum prodeft exemplo,tantum nocet filentio.

2. Some will fometimes give warning, but they cannot always watch. Preach learnedly when they preach, but they have not learnt out all their leffon of the Apostle: Cave tibi & doctrine: in his Perfta wipers Continue in these things, it requires incumbency as the Law calleth it.

3.But if we will do our duties; we must do both; fome would fain do both, and cannot get a watchmans place, there is none void. For be the People never fo empty, yet Ecclefia eft plena, the Church is full.

All is not well that way;the Church complains; and they that have laboured abundantly, to enable themselves for this watch, are too much searched, and examined too narrowly for their gifts.

Others have a watch, but they do not with the Prophet ftand upon it; either they fit at eafe, or they fleep it out foundly: this Prophet promifeth to ftand in readineffe for action and execution of his charge.

Beloved, many will not beleeve it, but we feel it, if we make confcienceof our duties in our calling that our vocation is laborious;this watching in all weathers, and this robbing of our tem ples of their timely reft,to attend the watch over your fouls, as thofe that must give an account toGod for our felys and for you, is an honourable burthen, vis ixavas, Who is sufficient?

1. Vigila: hoftis, The enemy watcheth, he compaffeth the earth

to

to and again, he goeth about like a roaring Lyon; he is ever either reaching out an Apple of temptation, as to Eve, or stretching out an arme of provocation, as to the blessed Virgin : gladius pertranfibit animam tuam.

1

We must keep you waking, that he bring not upon you the fpirit of flumber; we muft awake you, if you fleep in fin, that he furpize you not.

Cuftos Ifraelis non dormit, the keeper of Ifrael flumbreth not. Alexander lies down to fleep without fear,becaufe he leaves Parmenio his faithful counsellor waking. David will lay him down in peace, and take his reft, feeing God doth make him dwell in fafety.

Dominus dat dilectis fuis fomnum.

Yet let us obferve two things concerning our fleep, for the Apostle faith, Therefore let us not fleep as do others. ws où xoradi, as 1 Thef. 5.6 unbeleevers, Lyranus, qui funt increduli; xool, fuch as are left

out of the Church, and out of Gods fold to the world, let us not fleep fo: how then?

1. Before our sleep let us take Davids example for our Donee antil. I will not give fleep to mine eyes, nor flumber to mine eye

lids, untill I finde out a place for the Lord, that is, faith Auguftine Pl. 132. Donec inveniam locum Deo meo in me, till I finde a place for God 4, 5. in me; for God doth delight to dwell with the humble,and fuch Isag 66, as are of a contrite heart.

And Chrift faith, Behold, I ftand at the doore and knock; if any man open to me, I will come into himnoas

In the letter,David sweareth to take no reft till he have found out a place for the building of the Temple; that was Davids

care.

This is our Donec, untill till we have done our efpecial fervice to God, which concernes us in our Calling; let us not think of fleep till we have confecrated our felves as temples for the Holy Ghoft to dwell in.

Cant., 2

2. Let us in fleep take the example of the Church, I fleep, but my heart waketh, it is the voyce of my beloved, faying, open to me. That is, let our fleep be moderate, lo fanctified by our prayer, that we may say with the Church. By night on my bed I fought him Cant.3.1. whom my foul loveth.

Thus