A learned Sermon of Instructi­ons to the Ministerie.

THE occasion of these wordes of our Sauiour Christ (right reuerende and dearely beloued) is that which is set downe in the verse last goynge before, how the Lord appointed. 70. Disciples, and sent them two & two before him into euerie cittie & place where he himselfe should come: wherein we haue first to consider, how all the dooinges of our Lord and Sauiour, were not onely fore-toulde, by the Prophesies, but also fore-shadowed by the deedes of the Pa­triarkes and holy Prophetes of God. For, as, the posteritie of Iacob had the twelue Patriarkes, Apoc. 21.14. Gen. 46.27. Num. 11.16. as the chiefe foun­taynes, from the which their offspringe was deriued, euen so, hath Christe sent forth his Apostles to the foundation of his church, & as Iacob went down into Egipt with seuenty soules & as God cō ­maunded Moses to chuse out seauentye [Page] of the Elders of Israel to beare the bur­then of the people with him: which go­uernment was in a maner afterwarde renewed, when the people were retour­ned from Babilon: for they had their [...] which was afterward cor­ruptly called Sanedrin, consistinge of 71. Seniors, whiche had the hearing of most waighty affaires: euē so, our Saui­our Christ,Colos 2.16. Heb. 10.1.doth here sēd forth 70. disci­ples before him, into euery citie & place where he himselfe should come: & thus is our Sauiour become the truth of al fi­gures & the body of all shadowes.Gen. 2.22.He is y^e secōd Adam which was as it were cast on sleepe for a time, when he lay in the Sepulchre, vntil the Spouse his church was framed out of his side. He is y^e A­brahā,Gen 13.16.whose seed is as the stars of heauē & as the dust of the earth in nūber. He is y^e Priest for euer after the order of Mel­chizedec.Psal. 110.4. Exod. 12.13.He is y^e pascal lamb the lamb of god,Iohn. 1 29. Na [...]. 21.9. Iohn. 3.14. Gen. 28.12.slain frō the begīning of the world. He is the Brasen Serpent, which was lift vp vpō the cros, to cure all our maladies. He is y^e Ladder which Iacob saw, wher­by only,Gen. 1 [...].17. &. 22.9.we must ascēd into heauē. He is that Isaac which being born against the course of nature, was sacrifised vpon the [Page] Alter of the Crosse, Gen. 37.28. & 43.30. &. 45.3 & yet remained safe and sounde. He is that pitifull Ioseph which was soulde of his Brethren, & yet so louingly affected, that he afterwarde being aduaunced in glorie, was not a­shamed to confesse his Bretheren: Iohn. 1.13. He is that valiāt Iosua, which leadeth vs into the Land of Canaan, flowing with milk and hony. He is that Dauid, which be­ing persecuted by Saule & his enemies became a worme and not a man, Psal. 22.1.14.15.16.18. a very shame of men, and the contempt of the people, whose harte was molten lyke waxe in the middest of his bowels, and his strength dried vp lyke a potsharde, whose handes and feete they pearced, and cast lots vpon his garments, so that he was compelled to crie out, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken mee? 1. Reg. 10.23. Iud. 16.30. He is that wise Salomon which ruleth his people with peace and tranquillitie. He is y^e couragious Sampson, who by his death ouerthroweth all his enimies. Num. 11.17.

And héere hee is that carefull Moses, which for the profit and comfort of his people, doth chuse out seuentie Disci­ples, to beare the burthen with him, & sendeth them out two and two, into e­uery Cittie and place, where hee him­selfe should come.

Héere also, we haue to learne the v­nity and louing agréement which ought to bée amongst the Ministers and Prea­chers of the Gospell of Christ. Our Sa­uiour sedeth sorth his Disciples by two and two: signifiyng vnto them, the mu­tual agréemēt which they ought to haue one with another, how they ought one to aide and assist another and in al their dooinges, to goe as it were hand in hand togeather. So the Euangelist Saint Marke sheweth how Christ sent foorth his Apostles also by two and two, Mark. 6.7. and when hee chose his Apostles, hee called them two and two. For, first, he called Simon Peeter and Andrew his Brother. Mat. 4.18. And going a litle farther, he saw two o­ther Bretheren, Iames the sonne of Ze­bedaeus and Iohn his Brother, mending their Nets in a Ship With Zebedaeus, their Father, and he called them. Wher­by wee are admonished of a Brotherlye loue which ought to bee (as amongst all mē) so especially amongst the preachers of the Gospell of Christ. Let vs then of the Ministerie, learne héere to lay aside al hatred and malice, not to enuy or ma­ligne our fell [...]w brethren, not to seeke to supplant one an other, not to deuide our [Page] selues one from another, with vaine & vnprofitable contentions, as many doo, to the great slaunder of the Gospell, but to goe all as it were hand in hand toge­ther, with one hart and one voice to glo­rifye God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Let vs say one to another as Abraham sayde to Lot: I pray thee, Gen. 13.8. let there bee no strife betweene thee and mee, neither betweene my Heardmen and thy Heardmen, for wee are all Bre­thren. We are all Bretheren, Brethren by nature, Brethen by callynge, Bre­thren in Religion: all made by one God, al redéemed by one Iesus Christ: all cal­led to the same office and ministerie, all braunches of one vine, all shéepe of the same shéepfold, all members of the same bodye, all fellow seruantes of the same housholde, all partakers of the same bap­tisme, of the same faith, of the same hope of euerlasting lyfe, and all shall be iudg­ed at the last day of the same Iudge w^t ­out respect of persons: And therefore, let there bée no contention amonge vs, wée are fellow-seruantes, we are Bre­thren. Dauid compareth Loue to the precious oyntment, which was powred vpō Aarons head, Psal. 133 2. running downe vpon [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] the Bearde, and from thence vnto skirts of his clothing. Signifiyng there­by, that loue can neuer be in the borders of the Garment, that is in the common people, vnlesse it first be in y^e heads, y^t is in y^e Maiestrats & Ministers, & therefore y^t it ought first to be powred vpō Aarons head, vppon the Rulers of the common wealth, and vppon the Ministers of the Church of God, least the heades beinge infected, the whole body be the worse for it, we especially ought to take héede that wée agrée one with another, comfort one another, assist one another, & as it were goe hand in hand together in the worke of the Lord. Againe, in that the Disciples were sent out by two and two, we are to consider the equalytie, which ought to be in the Ministers of the word of God. Christ graunteth to none of them any prymacie or supremacye, but sendeth thē forth with equall authoritie, two by two.Apoc. 21.14. The Church is said to haue twelue foundations, the twelue Apostles, of the Lambe, where Peter is made no head corner stone, but all the Apostles equa­ly,Eph. 2.22. foundations, as Paul sayth, Ye are built vpon the foundation of the Apo­stles and Prophets, Iesus Christ himselfe [Page] being the chiefe corner Stone. And our Sauiour seemeth to signifie an equallity when he saithe,Math. 19.28. that they shall sit vpon twelue Thrones, iudging the twelue Tribes of Israell. And a little after when the rest of the Apostles beganne to dis­daine Iames and Iohn, he reprooued thē saying.Math. 20.25. The Lords of the Gentils haue dominion ouer them, and they are great and exercise authoritie, but it shall not be so among you, but whosoeur will be great among you, let him be your ser­uaunt: and whosoeuer will be chiefe a­mong you, let him be your Minister, e­uen as the sonne of man came not to be serued, but to serue, Mat. 28.19. and to giue his life for the raunsome of many. And when he gaue vnto them the commission and authoritie of their Apostleship, he gaue it equally and generally to them all say­ing. Go therefore and teach all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Fa­ther and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost. And Saint Iohn saithe,Ioh. 20.19.22. that Christe stoode in the midst of his Dis­ciples and sayde. Receaue the holy Ghoste, who so euers sinnes ye remitte they are remitted, and who so euers sinnes ye retaine, they are retayned.

He leaned not to Peter, nor to Iames, nor to Iohn, but stoode in the midst of them, neither did hée giue the authoritie of binding, and loosinge (particulerly) to Peter, but (generally) to them all: and when the holy Ghost came doune in clo­uen tongues,Act. 2.3. like fyre, the Text sayeth, It sate vpon ech of them, and they were all filled with the holy Ghost, and be­gan to speake with diuers Languages, euen as the same spirite gaue them vt­teraunce. It hath bin taught in times past, that the absoluing of sinnes did consist in the worthynesse of the person: a simple Priest might absolue but certen small sinnes, other greater, did belong to the Byshop, the Archbyshop claymed an other higher sort, but the greatest and fowlest sinnes were reserued to be for­giuen onely by the Pope and his Cardi­nals: But this deuision was brought in by their greedy coueitousnesse, to enrich them selues, and not by any warrant of the worde of God. For we know assu­redly, that the authoritie of binding and loosing by the word of God, the admini­stration of the Sacramentes, and the e­fectuall operation of the spirit by the preaching of the Gospell is equally com­mitted [Page] to all Ministers, whether they bee Archebyshops, or Byshops, or Pa­stours, by what name or title so euer they be called. Ministers haue better knowledge and vtteraunce, some, then other, but their Ministerie is of equall dignitie: And therfore, the Priuiledges and superiorities which Byshops haue aboue other Ministers, are rather gran­ted by man, for maintaining of better order & quietnesse in common wealthes, then chalenged by the office of their Mi­nisterie. They may haue some thing in commission from the Prince, which wée are bounde to obay, not for feare, but for Conscience sake, and how so euer, for the auoyding of disorder and confusion, there may be some Bishops and Super­intendents, as it were particuler heads of certene congregations, yet this dooth nothing prooue,1. Pet. 5.4. Eph. 1.22, & 4.15. that any man may chal­lenge to him selfe the name of vniuer­sal Byshop, or head of the whole Church which is only proper to our Lord & Sa­uiour Iesus Christ: And therfore, who­soeuer dooth arrogate to him selfe this name or title, he must néedes be that ly­ing Antichrist,2. Thesa. 2.4. whiche as Saint Paule sayth, Doth exalte him selfe against all [Page] that is called God, or that is worship­ped, so that he dooth sit in the Temple of God, as God, shewing himselfe, that he is God:Greg. Mag. Epist. 30. ad mauritum Imper. and therefore it was well sayde of Gregory, Ego confidenter dico quod quisquis se vniuersalem sacerdotem vo­cat vel vocari desiderat in elatione sua, Antichristum proecurrit, quia superbiē ­do se coeteris praeponit. In that our sa­uiour Christ dooth sende forth seauentie Disciples, where as before he sent foorth but twelue, we haue moreouer to consi­der that the multitude of Ministers is bounde to no certaine number. Some af­firme, that there ought to bée no more Ministers then there are Congregatiōs: and indéede, to haue any vacabound Mi­nisters, to wāder about without charges I fynde it altogether repugnaunt to the worde of God: yet notwithstanding, sée­ing that the Congregations and Pari­shes in this Countrie, are so vnequally deuided, that some may be better gouer­ned by one, then others may bee with ten, it is necessarie that many pastours amōgst vs should haue many assistants, and therefore good people maruaile not though there be many Ministers at this time to bee ordained before you, to whō [Page] I am now to giue their charge, but ra­ther séeing that there are none admitted, but such as are called to their seuerall flocks, as I my selfe dare auouch beinge oculatus testis, & hauing séene the same testified by the Letters of diuers wor­shipfull, who as my Lord is perswaded, will in no wise abuse him. I beséech you praye to god together with vs that he will prowre vpon them, the dew of his holy spirit, and so blesse them with the heauenly giftes of knowledge, with wis­dome, zeale and vtteraunce, that they may become profytable labourers in the Lords Haruest: for the Haruest is great, and the Labourers are but few.

Moreouer, in that Christe did sende foorth his seauētie Disciples before him, into euery Cittie and place, where hee himselfe should come, it appeareth, that our Sauiour dyd not shew himselfe like these corner créepers,2. Tim. 3.6. these Howletes & Night Birdes, whiche doo créepe into Houses and lead captiues Women la­den with sinnes, but he would haue hys commyng to be openlye knowne to all the Countrie.

Omnis qui peruerse agit, odit lucem. E­uerie one that doth euil, hateth the light: neither commeth he to the light least his déedes should be reproued: but he which dealeth trulye commeth into the light, Vt manifesta fiant facta ipsius quod se­cundum Deum fiant, That his deedes might be made manifest, that they are wrought according vnto God. And therefore, if there were nothinge els to cōdemne these popish shauelings, which beinge disguised, doo créepe about from place to place, to perswade the people to withdrawe their obedience from their natural Soueraigne, to whom it is due, and to giue it to a forraine Prelate a Priest of Rome: this one thinge were sufficient to bewray them and to discre­dit their cause, for that they are asha­med to shew their faces, and doo vse such harde shiftes, such subtill practises and sleightie deuises, to kéepe them selues close, that thei may not be called to their answer, whereas most certenly, Trueth seeketh no corners: as héere you see how our sauiour Christ dooth send his seuen­tie Disciples, as it were forerunners to make proclamation of him in euery Cit­tie and place, where hee himselfe should [Page] come, whiche though it were perillous, for, according to the wordes of our Sa­uiour, in the thirde verse, It was nothing els, but to sende Lambes among wolues, Luk. 10.3. yet was there more respect to be had of the trueth, then of any daunger of death what so euer. When our Sauiour hath thus sent foorth his seauentie Dis­ciples before him into euery Citie and place where hee him selfe should come, he beginneth now their charge, in these wordes whiche I haue reade vnto you, The Haruest is great, and the Labou­rers are but few, pray therfore, the Lord of the Haruest, to sende Labourers into his Haruest: whiche peece of Scripture might fitly bee deuided in two partes: the first is, An exhortation to prayer, that we pray to the Lorde of the Har­uest, to send foorth Labourers into his Haruest. The seconde contayneth, The reasons of the Exhortation, whiche are two: first, because, the Haruest is great, and secondly, because, the Labourers are but few. But I think it best at this time not to inuert the words of our Sauiour but to intreate vpon them orderlye, as they lay in the text: First, of the greatnes of the Haruest. Secondly, of the small [Page] number of the Labourers. Thirdly, of the meanes wherby that small number shall be encreased, if we perfourmed our dutie to praye vnto the Lorde of the Haruest to sende foorth Labourers into his Haruest.

Firste, our Sauiour Christe, telleth them, that the Haruest is great, where­by hée signifyeth, the number of the faithfull, which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, and haue an earnest de­sire to heare, to receaue, and to imbrace the heauenly treasure of his most holye and blessed word. And thus doth our Sauiour, oft name the Congregation of his faithful people, by the name of Har­uest, Ioh. 4.35. when he saw the Samaritanes com­myng to him out of Sichem, he sayd: be­hould, lift vp your eies, & looke on the Regions, for they are white already vn­to the Haruest: Math. 9.37. And in the Gospell af­ter Saint Mathew, he sayth, Surely the Haruest is great &c. where he dooth vse the selfe same wordes, which he dooth in this place, although to another purpose. For, there he hath especially respect vn­to the people, on whom he had compassi­on, when he saw them dispersed and scattered abrode, as it were Shéepe hauing [Page] no Shéepheard, and therefore he sayde: Surelie the Haruest is great, but the la­bourers are but few, pray, &c. But héere he hath respect, not so much vnto y^e flock as vnto the Disciples themselues, that although they sawe but few among the Iewes which fauoured his doctrine, and therefore might hardly conceaue any hope of dooing any good, yet they should not dispaire, For the Haruest was great, howsoeuer in their iudgemēt the nūber of the faithfull was but small,Rom. 11.2. yet they should not be discouraged, For the Har­uest was great. Elias being in a Caue in y^e Mount Horeb, 1. Re. 19.10.18 was in a māner discou­raged, when he saw all the Prophets of God slaine, & his Altars broken downe, and he left alone, whose life they sought also. But the Lord appeared vnto him and comforted him saying.Rom. 11.4. I haue reser­ued vnto my selfe in Israell 7000. men, which haue neuer bowed their knees to Baal, nor kissed him with their mouthes. Here then, we that are Ministers are to learne, not to be dismayed, although we sée but small fruite of our labours, but to go on forwarde diligently and paineful­ly in the worke of the Lorde, knowing that the Haruest may be greater then [Page] we do imagine & although in our iudge­ment ther be few or none which returne vnto repentaunce, yet there may be sea­uen thousand in the sight of God, & ther­fore although we may say with Peter: I haue trauailed all night, Luke. 5.5. and haue taken nothing, yet we must remēber y^t we say also, Neuerthelesse at thy cōmaundemēt O Lord I will still let downe the Net.

The Church is called an Haruest, and therefore we must not looke that it should increase and growe to perfection all at once, but by little and little, and that with much a doo: for as the seede is first cast into the ground, then couered with cloddes, afterward kept vnder with Frost and Snowe, and when it is growen vp it is parched with heate, almost choa­ked with briars and weedes, and beaten downe with stormes and tempests, & at the last with much labour it is brought into the Barnes: Euen so, the Séede of Gods worde, when it is sowen in the hearts of men, it is longe before it take any déepe roote, and hardly dooth the fruit appeare, and when it is spronge vp, it is parched with y^e heate of many troubles [Page] and miseries, it is almost choaked with y^e briers & brambles of voluptuous liuing, and the thornie cares of this world, it is beaten downe with the stormes & tem­pests of sundry temptations, & at the last with much a doo, it dooth make vs fit to be receaued into the Barnes of euerla­sting ioyes, & then onely is the Haruest perfectly purged, for so lōg as we remain heer in this vale of misery, we must looke for nothing els but to haue y^e tares mingled with the wheate, the chaffe with the graine, y^e wicked with the good, y^e goates with the shéepe, & therefore the church is cōpared to a family or household, which conteineth not only sons but slaues also, Rom. 9.21. 2. Tim. 2.20. not all vessels to honor, but some to dis­honor: it is cōpared also to, a draw Net, Math. 13.47. which being cast into the Sea, dooth ga­ther all kinde of Fish, good & bad. And our Sauiour saith, that the kingdom of heauen is like vnto a man which sowed good seed in his field, Math. 13.24. but while mē slept the enemy came & sowed tares amōg the wheate, & wēt his way, & whē the blade was sprōg vp & brought forth fruite, thē appeared the tares also: thē came the ser­uāts of the housholder & said vnto him. Maister, sowedst not y^e good seed in thy field?

from whence then hath it Tares and he sayde, the Enuious man hath done this. Then the Seruants saide vnto him, wilt thou then that we goe and gather them vp? But he said, naye, least while ye goe about to gather the Tares ye pluckt vp the Wheate also: Let bothe grow toge­ther vntill the Haruest, and in the time of the Haruest, I will say vnto the Rea­pers, gather ye first the Tares and binde them in sheaues to burne them, but ga­ther the Wheate into my Barne. And therefore vntill the Haruest doo come, that is the consumation of all things, and the end of the world, we must looke for nothing but to haue the wicked mingled with the godly, and the Tares with the good Graine. Some haue ga­thered out of this place, that obstinate Heretickes and Idolators ought not to be punished with death, because the Householder dooth commaund his ser­uaunts to let the Tares and the Wheate growe together vntill the time of the Haruest. Mat. 13.24.30 But we must vnderstande that as by the good Corne is mēt all the faith­full, all which are sowē of God, all which shall be gathered into the Barnes of e­uerlasting life: so by the Tares are mēt [Page] not onely Hereticks and Idolaters, but also all which are sowen of the Deuill, all Hipocrites & Infidels, and all which shall be cast into the Furnace of euerla­sting fier. And therfore, if by this Para­ble, our Sauiour did forbid the punish­ment of Idolaters, by the ciuill Maie­strate, it would follow also that neither Traitours, Whoremongers, Théeues, nor Murderers, were to be punished with death, which were too absurde, and too grose to be Imagined. For by the Tares are signified all the wicked, and all which are sowen by the enuious mā. Math. 13.28. And therefore this commaundement of Christ, giuen to his Seruaunts, dooth not concerne the ciuill Magistrate, but as by the Field, is signified not the Church where the Gospell is purely preached, nor our minde, as some do ex­pounde it, but the whole world, contey­ning all bothe graine and chaffe, wheate and Tares. And as the Haruest in that place is taken, not as it is héere, for the company of the faithful which glad­ly receaue the word of God, but for the vniuersall consummation of the world, so by the seruaunts are ment not ciuill nor Ecclesiasticall Magistrates, but the [Page] Angels of God, by whose Ministery, the haruest, that is the consummation of the world, shalbe accomplished: And there­fore, as in the beginning of the Historie of Iob, God is set foorth consulting with his Angels, as a Kinge with his honou­rable Counsell, that thereby the incom­prehensible prouidence of God, which gouerneth all things, by his Ministring spirites, might be, as in a liuely table set foorth before our eyes: so héer is the Lord set downe as it were, talking with his Angels, of the state of the Ghurch, and of the end of the worlde, when there shall be an vniuersall purging of the Church of God: And this may appeare bothe by the wordes of the seruaunts. Num vis, vt colligamus Zizania? They do not say, shall we gather this or that Tare, shall we punish this or that Idola­ter, this or that Murderer, but wilt thou that we shall gather the Tares, that is, that we shall make an end of all things, and purge the good seede which thou hast sowen from all offences? and also by the words of the Housholder, for he dooth not commaunde his seruaunts to suffer the Tares to growe, least they chaunce to pluck vp Wheate for Tares, but, [Page] least with the Tares they pluck vp the Wheate also, signifying thereby that he gaue the commaundement, not to pro­uide for the Tares, but to prouide for the good Corne: and therefore, neither dooth the generall gathering of the good Corne into the Barnes, any thing hin­der, but that God may particularly by death euery day, gather some of his Saints into Abrahams bosom,Exod. 32.27. Deut. 13.9. 2. Par. 15.13. 2. Reg. 23.20. 1. Keg. 18.40 2. Reg. 10.1. neither dooth the vniuersall burning of the tares any thing hinder, but that they may par­ticulerly be pluckt vp by the Magistrate according to the word of God. And there is no reason, but if they may be put to death, which murther the bodye and spoile men of their goods, much more they which murther the soules of many, and disturbe the quietnesse of the com­mon wealth, and robbe God of his ho­nour, whose name be blessed for euer and euer.

Then the meaning of that Parable of our Sauiour Christ, is, that so longe as this wicked worlde continueth, we must looke for no perfect purging of the Church of God. Let the Ma­gistrate execute neuer so much, and the Preacher teache neuer so muche, [Page] there will be Heathen, Infidels, Iewes, Turkes, Papistes, Atheists, Hipocrites, continually troubling the church of God. But all our comfort is that the Lorde dooth tell vs, that there will come an Haruest time, wherein he will seperate the Tares from the wheate, & the sheep from the Goates. The wicked doo pro­uoke the wrath of God to burne and consume them presently, and to throw them headlong into the bottomles pit of Hell: notwithstanding, for the elects sake God dooth spare them for a time, vntill the Haruest, that is, vntill the number of the elect shalbe accomplished, which shall neuer be, vntill the consumation of all things, and the end of the worlde be brought vpon vs: and therefore, if in the meane time, in the Haruest of the people of God, the Tares be mingled with the Corne, we must not fret our selues be­cause of the vngodly, neither be enuious for the wicked dooers,Psa. 17.1.2.35. For they shall once be cut downe like grasse, and as the greene Herbe shall they wither away: though for a time they be lustie and stronge, & spread themselues like greene bay Trées, yet shall they sodainly passe away so that we may saye with Dauid. [Page] O how sodainely are they destroyed, Psalme. 73.19. perished and come to a fearefull ende, euen as a dreame when a man awaketh. And though for a time the Tares doo flo­rish, amids the Wheate, yet shall the Haruest at the last be ripened, & thē shall the Lord send his Reapers to gather the Corne into his Barne, but the Tares shall they binde together, and cast into vnquencheable fier. Héere then learne good people, to shew foorth the fruite of your profession,Math. 7.16. for by the fruite shall the Trée be knowne. Euery, good Tree bringeth foorth good fruite, and a cor­rupt tree bringeth foorth corrupt fruite. Doo men gather Grapes of Thornes, Gala. 5.6. or Figges of Thistles? Paule will haue the faith of euery Christian to woorke tho­rough charity. For if the faith of a Chri­stian be compared to a Trée, then euen as the roote of a Trée, sucketh Iuice out of the earth, the body receaueth of the roote, the braunch taketh of the body, and the fruite shooteth out of the braunche: euen so the faithe of a Christian, must firste be rooted and grounded vpon the death and passion of Iesus Christ, then must it send vp the Sap of loue, and loue must blossome foorth in good woorkes. [Page] And thus if our faith be not a dead faith, but a liuely faithe, not a barren faithe, but a fruitfull faith, not an idle faith but a working faith, a faithe working tho­row charitie: then are we pure spiritual Wheate for the Barnes of the Lorde. The Church héere ye sée is compared to a Haruest, thē if we bring foorth nothing but Tares of sinne and wickednesse, we can looke for no other, but to be gathered by the Reapers,Math. 13.30. into a bundell, and to be throwne into the Furnace of euerla­sting fier.Isa. 5.2. It is compared also to a Vi­niarde which the Lord hath hedged and gathered out the Stones, and planted it with the best Plants, and built a Tower in the midst thereof, and made a Wine Presse therein: then if in stéede of the swéete Grapes of holynesse and righte­ousnesse, we bring foorth nothing but the wilde Grapes of sinne and wickednesse, that the Lorde may saye vnto vs, as he saith vnto the Iewes: Isa. 5.4. what could I haue done to my Viniarde, which I haue not done, and beholde now, when I looke for Grapes, it bringeth foorth nothing but wilde Grapes: then haue we a seuere iudgement denounced against vs, by God himselfe, he will breake downe the [Page] Hedge of y^e Viniard, he wil lay it waste,Math. 7.19. he will let in the wilde Boare, to deuour and spoile it, yea he will hew downe the trees, and cast them into vnquencheable fier. We are compared also to ground on which the sower doth sowe his seed, Luke. 8.5. then if we be that harde ground, where­into the Seede of Gods woorde cannot enter, but that it is pluckt away by Sa­than, euen as seede by the high wayes side, is snatcht away by the Fowles of the ayre, or if we be that drie grounde whervpon the fruite dooth wither away, because it wanteth the moysture of the dew of Gods holy spirite, or if we be the thorny grounde whereupon the fruite is choaked, with the bryers and brambles of cares, and ritches, and voluptuous li­uing, then are our hartes euill and vn­fruitfull ground,Mark. 11.13. [...] & therefore before God accursed, euen as the Fig tree which had florishing leaues without fruite, was by our Sauiour Christ accursed, & dried vp by the rootes for euer: but if we desire to be blessed of y^e Lord, we must indeuor to be good groūd, y^t is,Luke. 8.15. as our sauiour dooth himselfe expoūd it, with a good & honest hart, to heare the word of god, & to keep it, & to bring forth fruite with patience, [Page] not to be idle and fruitlesse hearers, to let it in at the one eare and out at the other eare, to heare it in the Church, and leaue it in the Porche, but to heare it, to kéepe it,Rom. 2.13. and to bring foorth fruite with patience, for not the hearers of the woord but the dooers, shall be iustified. Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord, Math. 7.21. shall enter into the kingdome of heauen, but he that dooth the will of my Father in heauen. Luke. 11.28. Blessed are they which heare the woord of God and keepe it. So then, with hearing, ye must ioyne kéeping, with talking, we must ioyne walking, with professing, expressing, with exhortation, conuersation: with science, conscience, with faithe, charitie. For it shall not be asked in the dreadfull day of iudgement, what we haue heard, nor what we haue learned, nor what we haue read, but how we haue belée­ued,Math. 7.19. and what we haue doone, and that same Tree which hath not brought forth good fruite, shall be hevven downe and throwne into vnquencheable fier, & they which in the haruest do prooue to be tares, shall be bound together by the Angels of God, Math. 13.30. and cast into the Furnace of eternall death, where the [Page] worme neuer dyeth, and the flame ne­uer goeth out. We are called also by the Apostle Paul, Gods Husbandrie. 1. Cor. 3.9. Vos estis Agricultura dei: ye are Gods Hus­bandrie. Whereby we are admonished of our dutie, that the more that we are husbanded by the worde of God, the more plentifull ought we to be in good workes, or otherwise, our condemnati­on will be the greater. We cannot al­ledge the ensample of our forefathers, nor of any others in this time, which haue not the like Husbandrie bestowed vpon them. For,Mat. 25.20.22. to whom the Lord committeth but two Talents, of him he will looke for but the increase of two. But to whomsoener he committeth fiue Talents, of him he will looke for the in­crease of fiue. The Scholemaister will not require Latin of him that neuer learned any, but he which hath learned it, he must giue an accoumpt for it.

When a Maister dooth sende foorth his seruaunt in the night time, if he haue missed his way a little, he will not deale so rigorously with him: but when hee sendeth him in the day time, if he misse his way, then he shall more hardly be excused. Where the Husbandman dooth [Page] take great paines in husbandrie, there will he looke for much fruite, but where he neuer tooke any paines, there, it will greeue him the lesse to haue some thornes and thistles, briars and bram­bles. And therefore, consider (good people) how the Lord hath dealt more merciful­ly with you of this Towne of Manche­ster, then euer he did with your forefa­thers, or then now he dooth with any place about you. He hath giuen you a large Talent, he hath reuealed his holy will most plainely and plentifully vnto you, he hath sent you foorth in the daye time, euen in the light of his glorious Gospell, he hath sent his seruaunts ear­ly and late, to husband your hearts, and to sowe therein the seede of his most ho­ly and blessed worde, take héede therfore that your fruites be aunswerable there­vnto, or otherwise assure your selues that your cōdemnation shall be the grea­ter:Luk. 1 [...].47.48 for, he that knoweth the will of his Maister, and will not doo it, he shalbe beaten with many stripes: and to whom soeuer, much is committed, of him shall much be required. And thus dearely be­looued, ye see how these allegoryes so of­ten vsed in the Scriptures, of Haruest, [Page] Trées, Viniarde, Grounde, Séede, Hus­bandrie, doo all admonish you of Gods great mercy towards you, how he dooth accompt you for his owne Haruest, for his Trées, planted with his owne hand, for his owne Viniarde, for his owne Husbandrie, for his owne grounde, sow­en with his owne séede, the worde of his euerlasting trueth, to the end, that if ye will be aunswerable to these vnspeake­able mercies, & shew your selues plenti­full in all good works, ye may at the last be also brought into his owne Barnes, of euerlasting ioyes, there to be heires of God, & fellow heires with Iesus Christ. The Haruest (saithe Christ) is great. The Haruest that is the Church of God may be called great, either for the price and excellencie thereof, because Christe dooth more estéeme one fafthfull mem­ber of his misticall body, thē all the wic­ked reprobates in the world, and make more accompt of his Church, be it neuer so small, béeing purchased with his owne most precious bloud, then all the num­ber of the Infidels and Atheists, be they neuer so many and so glorious in the sight of the worlde: or therefore may the Haruest now be called great, [Page] because it is indéede dispersed farre and wide ouer the face of the whole earth. It is not now tyed to the familie of Iacob, as the Iewes would haue it nor to Affri­ca, Iohn. 4 23. Apoc. 21.12.13 as the Donatists would haue it, nor to Rome as the Papists would haue it, but God hath chosen for the seede of Abra­ham, all which haue the faithe of Abra­ham, and for the familie of Iacob, all which worship the Lorde in spirit and trueth. And therefore in the Apocalips, the Church is called a Cittie, hauing twelue Gates, three into euery corner of the world. Ephe. 2.14. And Saint Paule sheweth that Now the Wall of partition is bro­ken downe: so that all the world is e­quallie the Church of God, all countries are Iuda, all Citties are Ierusalem: all are the seede of Abraham, which haue the faithe of Abraham. All the world is the Haruest, the Field, the inheritaunce of the Lorde, all houses are the house of God, where the Lorde is worshipped in spirit and trueth: And thus is the Har­uest great, being now not bound to any particuler place, but Catholique, and ex­tended ouer the face of the whole earth. I must néedes confesse, that if we com­pare the small number of the faithfull, [Page] with the great multitude of the wicked: the haruest will not appeare to be great, but the aboundaunce of wéedes will be more then of the good Corne. And in this respect, Christ dooth call his flock, a little flock: Feare not my little flock, Luke. 12.3 [...]. it is your Fathers pleasure to giue a king­dome. Gen. 8.16. There will be for Noah and his familie, béeing but eight persons, all the world, drowned and ouerwhelmed in wickednesse. For Lot and his two daughters, all Sodom and Gomorrha, Gen. 19.24. with the Citties round about, destroyed with fier and Brimstone from heauen: For one thankefull Samaritane, there will be nine Leapers vnthankefull:Luke. 17.17. so that of ten, scarce one will acknowledge Gods benefits, and fall downe at the féete of Iesu, and glorifie God.1. Reg. 18.19. For one Elias, there will be foure hundred and fiftie Prophets of Baal, and foure hun­dred Prophets of the Groues which eate at Iezabels Table. For one Prophet of God, Micheas, 1. Reg. 22. [...]. there will be foure hun­dred false Prophets, to prophecie lyes vnto Achab. There will be but one of a Cittie and two of a Tribe, which shall enter into Sion the true Church of God:Ierem. 3.14. in stéede of the two legges or the péece of [Page] the eare,Amos. 3.12. which the Shéepeheard shall saue from the mouthe of the Lion, the whole body shall be deuoured:Apoc. 3.4. there will be but a few names founde in Sardis which haue not defiled their garments, For wide is the Gate, and brode is the way, Math. 7.13. that leadeth to destruction, and many enter into it, but straight is the Gate, and narrow is the way, which lea­deth to life, and few there be that finde it: and therefore, if we compare the nū ­ber of the faithfull with the wicked, we shall finde more Chaffe then Graine, more Tares then good Corne: so that the Haruest of the pure Wheate, shall be found to be very small,Isa. 24.13. and therefore the Prophet Esay dooth compare the Church to the shaking of an Oliue Trée, and to the Grapes when the vintage is ended, that euen as when the fruite of the O­liues and the Grapes of the Vines are gathered, there remaine but a few hang­ing héere and there vpon the branches, euen so is the Church of God, as it were the glening of the Corne, when the Har­uest is ended: And yet déerely belooued, howsoeuer the Haruest of the godly be­ing compared with the aboundance of the Tares, is but as Christ saith, a little [Page] flock, yet surely it is farre greater then can be perceaued with the eyes of man.Aug. in Ioh. Hom. 45. & cap. 20. For as Augustine saithe, there are very many Sheepe without, and very many Wolues within. Where we accompt all to be Shéepe, there are many Wolues, and where we accompt all to be wolues, there hath Christe his Shéepe and chosen people: and therefore we must not take vpon vs to iudge our bretheren, but to commit iudgement vnto the Lorde. For as Saint Paule saith.2. Tim. 2.13. The foundation of God remaineth sure, and hath this Seale. Dominus nouit, qui sunt sui, the Lord knoweth who be his. Let euery one that calleth vpon the name of Christe, depart from iniquitie: there is no place, no Region in the worlde, no state of people, no degrée of men, where­in the Lorde hath not some of his chosen people.Gen. 41.42. The Courte of Pharao was very wicked, yet therein did floorish a godly Ioseph. Achab was a bloudy Tyrant, and his wife Iezabell sought by all meanes she could, vtterly to destroye the Prophets of God:1. Reg. 18.4. yet Obadiah the Ruler of their house, feared God and hid an hundred Prophets, by fiftie in a Caue, and fed them with bread & water. [Page] The King of Aram serued strange Gods and committed Idolatrie in the house of Rimmon, 2. Reg. 5.18. 2. Reg. 5.15.17. yet Naaman the Captaine of his Hoste, serued onely the Lord God of Israel. Who was there a more deadly enemie to our Sauiour Christ, then Herode? yet was there Manahem his companion,Actes. 13.1. Luke 8.3. Ioanna, the wife of Cura, Herodes Stewarde, and the Ruler at Capernaam, vnder him, which all feared God. Who was there a more bloudie persecutor of all the godly, then Nero? yet were there in his house many saints, as Paule saith,Phil. 4.22. all the Saintes salute you but especially, they which are of Caesars house. Who are more giuen to iniurie, violence,Actes. 10.3. and oppression, then Souldiers? yet Cornelius a Captaine of a band, fea­red God, and all his Household, and gaue much almes to the people, and prayed to God continually. Who more wretched sinners then Publicanes? Math 9.9. Luke. 19.6. yet were Ma­thew and Zacheus the faithfull children of God. Who more blinde and obstinate then the Pharisies? yet was there amōgst them a godly Nicodemus, Ioh. 3.3. &. 7.50. &. 19.39. which was desirous to be instructed by Christ, and resisted his companions the Pharisies, and thought nothing to déere to be be­stowed [Page] to the honouring of his Lord and Sauiour. Who were more wilfully bēt to withstande Christ the true Messias, then were the Iewes to whom he was sent? As the Scripture saithe,Iohn 1.11.47. he came vnto his owne, and his owne receaued him not: Yet were there some Nathani­els, true Isralites, Lu. 2.25.37.38 in whom there was no guile: some Symeons which feared God and looked for the consolation of Israel, and some godly Annas, which serued God day and night, with fastings and prayer, and confessed the Lord Iesus, to all that looked for redemption in Ierusa­lem: so that, howsoeuer the seuentie Disciples might imagine the Haruest to be but small, yet indéede, as Christ tel­leth them héere, the Haruest was great. Then dearely belooued, we are héere to learne, not to measure the Haruest of Christe according to our owne fancies,1. Re. 19.10.18. (for if the spirite of Elias could not dis­cerne one, when in déede there were se­uen thousand: how much lesse are we able to perceaue the greatnes of Gods Haruest, whose eyes are nothing so bright, nor iudgement so cléere, nor knowledge so perfect, as was in the ho­ly Prophet of God?) But rather we [Page] ought to prayse God continually, for the great increase which hee dayly ad­deth vnto his Haruest, and for the blessing which he giueth to the course of his holye worde, making the same to fructifye and increase to hundreds and thousands, and to praye vnto him incessantlye, that as he hath alreadye drawne a great parte of Christen­dome, from vnder the Yoake of Anti­christe, so it would please him to conti­nue his goodnes, and to increase his Har­uest daily more and more, to the glorie of his holy name, and the aduauncement of his kingdome, which the Lorde of his infinite mercy graunt, for the merits and intercession of his dearely belooued sonne Iesus Christ: and thus much for the first part, how, the Haruest is great.

Now that our Sauiour Christ hath told his Disciples of the greatnesse of the Haruest, he sheweth them in the next place, of the small number of the labou­rers, the Labourers, saith he, are but few. By this worde Labourers, he meaneth true and faithful Pastors: for otherwise, of other labourers the Iewes did want no store they had their Leuits, they had infinite Sinagogues, and therin a great [Page] company of Lawyers and Scribes, they had their Priestes which challenged to sit in the Chayre of Moyses, they had their Pharesies the expounders of the Lawe, which were in great estimation of learning and holynesse, and how then were the Labourers but fewe? Wee must vnderstande that our Sa­uiour speaketh not of false Hierlings, but of true Pastors, not of those which beare an ydle name and title of Pastoures, beeing, Pastores a pascendo, tanquam montes a mouendo, that is, feeders of feeding, as mountaines of moouing: but of those that doo care­fully and painefully feede the flock of Christe. And of these the number is very small, so that God may still say, as he saithe in Ezechiell. Ezech. 34.6. Dispersus est grex meus. &c. My flock is scattered through all the earth, and there is none that doth seeke and search after them. This phrase of spéeche, to call the Ministers, Labou­rers, and their Office a labour, is often vsed in the holy Scriptures: Nos sumus cooperarij Dei, saythe Paul, 1. Cor. 3.9. We together are Gods Labourers. I am in feare of you, Gala. 4.11. least I haue bestowed on you my labour in vaine. [Page] Si quis Episcopatum desiderat, 1. Tim. 3.1. bonum opus desiderat: If any man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth a good worke. It is a worke, non honos, sed o­nus: not an honour, but a burthen: or if it be an honour yet hath it alwayes a burthen annexed.1. Tim. 5.17. The Elders which rule well, are worthie of double honour, Maxime, ij qui laborant verbo & doc­trina, especially they which labour in worde and doctrine. By all which pla­ces, we of the Ministery are admonished of our dutie, that we ought to be labou­rers, not loyterers, not to liue idely and securely, but to be painefull workemen in the Haruest of the Lorde. Saint Paul had no better reason to perswade the Elders of the Church of Ephesus, Actes. 20.28. to take heede vnto themselues, and to all the flock whereof the holy Ghost had made them ouerseers, then to tell them, that, the Church which they had the charge of, was the Church of Christe, which he had purchased with his owne bloud: neither can there be any thing, which ought more to stirre vp vs which be héer present, to painefull labour, and carefull diligence, then to remember that we are appointed labourers to worke in the [Page] Haruest, not of men but of the Lord, and in that Field which Christ hath purcha­sed with his owne most precious bloud. We are called the Salt of the earth, Math. 5.13. and therefore we ought to season the people of God, with the knowledge of his holy word, we are called,Math. 5.14. Math. 6.22. Apoc. 1.20. the eies of the body the stars of heauē, the light of the world, & therefore we must séeke to driue away all ignoraunce and darkenesse, not put­ting our lightes vnder a Bushell, but setting them vpon a Candlestick,Isa. 56.10. to giue light to all the housholde. We are called Watchmen, and therefore we must not let the enemie come in while we sléepe and delight in sleeping, for as God saith by the Prophet Ezechiel. Ezech. 33.6. If the Watch­man see the Sword comming, and blow not the Trumpet, and the people be not warned, and so they perish with the Sworde, they are perished for their ini­quitie, but their bloud will I require at the watchmans hand. We are called heere Labourers, and therefore we ought to labour in the Lordes Haruest dilli­gently and faithfully.Ier. 48.10. For as the Pro­phet saithe, Cursed is he that dooth the worke of the Lorde negligently: if this be the worke of the Lorde, to punish the [Page] wicked and destroye them with the sworde, as the Prophet dooth in that place describe, then howe much more shall we accompt it to be the worke of the Lord, to edifie the soules of the sim­ple, to sowe in their hearts the seede of Gods worde, to bringe them to repen­taunce and amendmēt of life: this is the worke of the Lord, and cursed is he that dooth the worke of the Lord negligently. We are called the Angels and Messen­gers of the Lord of Hoastes, Math. 2.7. the Mini­sters of Christ, 1. Cor. 4.1. and dispensers of the se­crets of God, and therefore, we ought to dispense the word faithfully, in season and out of season,2. Tim. 4.2. knowing that if any doo perish thorough our default, a seuere accompt shall be required at our hands. We are called builders, to edifie & build the body of Christ, Isa. 49.17. Ephe. 4.12 15. that is, his Church, and to ioyne it vnto the head, Christ: and therefore we muste labour painefully and take heede where we laye our foun­dation, that we build not vpon the sand, but vpon the foundatiō of the Prophets and Apostles,Ephe. 2.20. Iesus Christ himselfe bée­ing the chiefe corner Stone. We are cal­led,Luke. 6.39. the leaders of Gods people, to leade them into all trueth, and therefore we [Page] must take héede that we haue alwayes the word of God a Lanterne to our feete and a light vnto our pathes,Psal. [...]19.105. for other­wise, if the blinde leade the blinde,Math. 15.14. they shall bothe fall into the Ditche: we are called Sheepeheards and Pastors, and therfore we ought to feede the stock com­mitted to our charge, or otherwise there is no loue of Christ in vs.Iohn. 21.15. For our Sa­uiour mooued the question thrife to Peter Simon, thou sonne of Iona, doost thou loue me? his aunswer was, Lord I loue thee, Lorde thou knowest that I loue thee. Then feede my Sheepe, feede my Lambes: And therefore, it is vnpossible that there should be any sparckle of the loue of Christ in our hearts, except we haue a care to feede those Lambes, for when he shed his bloud,Ezech. 34.4. to strengthen the weake, to heale the sick, to binde vp the broken, to bring home that which is driuē away, to seeke that which is lost, and to defend thē frō being deuoured of the wild beasts of the field, which we c [...] ̄ neuer do, vnlesse we be able to interpret the scriptures, & to apply them to the in­struction & comfort of the people, & there­fore, [...] [...]3.2. [...] 2.24. Paul requireth in the Minister that he be [...], sit to teache, al [...] [Page] commaūdeth Timothy to shew himselfe [...] rightly deuiding the worde of trueth, 2. Tim. 2.15. not onely and barely reading (for that were to giue whole loaues vnto Chil­dren, for the which they should be neuer the better) but cutting and deuiding the worde of trueth,Math. 4.19. Luke. 5.5. and as it were, brea­king vnto them the bread of life. We are Fishers of men, and therefore we must at Christes commaundement, continu­ally let downe our Nets. We are called Gods Stewards, Luk. 12.42. &. 16.1. and therefore, we ought to be faithfull and wise, and giue vnto the Household of God, their portion of meate in due season. Happy is the Ser­uaunt, whom the Maister when he cō ­meth shall finde so dooing. We must e­uery one of vs be as it were,Gen, 41.57. another Io­seph, that when the Aegiptians are pin­ched with famine, they may finde reliefe at Iosephs hande. The first thing then that is required in a Minister, is, that he haue knowledge and vnderstanding, how to doo his Embassage, how to feed with discretion, first with Milke, and thē with stronge meate, how to labour in the Lords Haruest, how to builde, how to leade the people of God, how to watch [Page] ouer them, how to lighten their hearts, and to season them with the knowledge of Gods holy worde. The Prophet saith,Math. 2.7. that, the lippes of the Priest must pre­serue knowledge, that the people may seeke the lawe at his mouth: For, he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hoastes, and not onely should their lippes pre­serue knowledge, but they must euen eate the rowle of Gods booke, Ezech. 3.2 3. Apoc. 10.9. and fill their bowels with the volume thereof, whereby is signified, the profounde and deepe knowledge, and inward digesting of the worde of God, which ought to be in euery Minister. Esai. 56.10. The Prophet dooth greatly complaine of the blinde watch­men which cannot sée, and the dombe Dogges which cannot barke, and God denounceth a seuere iudgement against them, saying.Ezech. 13.3. Woe be vnto the foolish Prophets, which follow their owne spi­rite, and haue seene nothing. Exod. 28.33. About the skirts of the robe of Ephod, were goul­den Bels alwayes sounding, to signifie, that the Priest wheresoeuer he went, should be able to found out the worde of trueth, and therefore, we which are called to be labourers in the Lords Har­uest, to instruct the people in the worde [Page] of God. Let vs first learne how we must doo it, for labour wee neuer so painefully,2. Tim. 2.5. yet if wee labour not as we ought to doo, our labour is all in vayne. The labouring Husband­man, must firste be able to choose good Seede, and then to Sowe it with discrescion: euen so, the Mini­ster must first be able to disseuer the trueth from falsehood, light from darkenesse, and meate from poyson, and then to vtrer his Doctrine, ap­plying it to the profit and comfort of the hearers. The Husbandman must fyrste Plowe the Soyle, and bruse the Cloddes, before hee commit the Séede vnto the ground, euen so must the Minister, fyrst bruse the cloddes, and knotty affections of mens hearts, by the Preaching of the Lawe, and then Sowe therein the sweete promises of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ. Some are of this iudgement, that onely the lawe and the threatnings of God a­gainst sinne, ought now to be preached, bothe because the manners of men are growen to be so wicked and desperate, that they haue néede of a sharpe and des­perate remedie, and also because that [Page] Christian libertie, the more it is prea­ched, the more it is abused. I con­fesse these thinges to be true, and too true, the Lorde be mercifull vnto vs: But how so euer sinne be increased and Christian libertie abused, yet good bre­thren, we must so procéede in teaching, that rather Christe be framed in the hearts, then Moses, and that rather by acknowledging Gods benefits, men may be drawen to loue him, then be driuen by feare to flie from him. For if Christe doo come into our hearts, it is vnpossible but that he should bring with him new vertues, new actions, new motions, and a spirite sanctifying all thinges: and where Christe is not receaued, there is it in vaine to speake of any morrall vertue or vice what­soeuer.Eph. 3.17. If Christe doo dwell in our hearts by faythe, then must it néedes follow, that wee should bee rooted and grounded in looue, and saye with the Apostle.2. Cor. 5.14.15. The loue of Christe constrayneth vs, for this wee knowe, that if Christe dyed for vs, wee which liue should not liue vnto our selues, but liue vnto him which dyed for vs, and rose againe: [Page] that as he gaue his body and bloud vp­on the Crosse for vs, so we should giue our bodyes and soules to serue him, and shew our selues thankfull for the worke of our redemption, knowing that he did not therefore die for vs, that we should wallow in sinne and wickednesse,Tit 2.14. but that he might redeeme vs from all ini­quitie, and purge vs a peculiar people vnto him, zelous of good workes. And thus our especiall care ought to be, to frame Christ in the hearts of men. 2. Cor. 3.6. And therefore Saint Paule saithe that God: Idoneos nos fecit Ministros noui Testa­menti: he hath made vs able Ministers of the new Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirite: for the letter killeth, but the spirite giueth life.Luke. 16.16. Lex et pro­phetae vs (que) ad Iohannem, ab eo tempore regnum dei annunciatur. The Law and the Prophets continued vnto Iohn, and from that time the kingdom of God is Preached: whereby we are giuen to vnderstand, that we are especially the Ministers of the new Testament, to Preache the kingdome of God, that is, the Gospell of Iesus Christ: not that we ought not to Preache the Lawe also, for the teaching of y^e law is very necessary. [Page] Firste,Rom. 3.20. & 5.20. &. 7.7. Gal. 3.21. &. 4.1 Psa. 1.2. & 19.7 & 119.105. Math. 5.17. to make vs acknowledge our owne wretchednes and miserie: Second­ly, to be as it were our Schoolemaister, to leade vs vnto Christ: And last of all, to reueale vnto vs, the will of our hea­uenly father: whereunto, euery Christi­an must indeuour, to the vttermost of his power, to frame his life and conuer­sation. But for that our chéefest labour ought to be, to sprinckle the soules of men, with the bloud of Iesus Christ, 1. Peter. 1.2. Heb. 9.14. and by his death and passion, to purge their consciences from dead workes, to serue the liuing Lorde. What though some doo abuse the liberty of the Gospell, and of the doore of saluation, doo make vnto themselues a window vnto all wicked­nesse? what though some by abusing Christes benefites, doo shew themselues vnworthy of the same? what though many come to the Supper, without their wedding garment? yet we must follow the ensample of our heauenly Father, who,Math. 5.48. maketh the Sunne to shine vpon the good and bad, and the Raine to fall vpon the iust and vniust: we must fol­low the seruants, Luke. 14.17. which were sent to bid men to the Mariage, we must bid all, bothe worthie and vnworthy, and if any [Page] doo come which are vnworthy, hauing not their wedding garments, God will not condemne vs, but them, he will not saye to vs, why did yee bid him, why did ye let him enter? Math. 22.1 [...]. but he will saye vnto the vnworthy guest: freend, how cammest thou heather, hauing not thy Wedding garment? take him, binde him hand and foote, and cast him into vtter darkenesse, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Wee must followe the good Sheepe­heard, Luke. 15.4. which if he haue but one Sheepe lost, will leaue ninetie and nine in the Wildernes, and go and seeke that one which is lost. And therefore, if in the whole congregation, there be but one, which with Dauid, Ps. 6.3. &. 38.4 dooth grone vnder the burthen of sinne, and therefore née­deth comfort, and all the rest be abusers of Christian libertie, there is no reason, that for the great multitude of the abu­sers, he should be depriued of comfort, for whom Christ dyed. And thus ye sée, first, the wisdom which is required in them that will be profitable labourers in the Lords Haruest, that they know how to labour, how to chuse the Séeds, how to Sowe it with discretion, how to bruse [Page] the cloddes and knottie affections of mens hearts, by the threatenings of the lawe, but especially, how to molli [...]ie them and water them, with the swéete dew of Gods mercies, and with the com­fortable promises of the Lorde Iesus Christe.

Then, yee which are nowe to take the Office of the Ministerie vpon you, are héere to trie and examine your selues, whether ye be able thus to la­bour in the Lordes Haruest, or no: and if ye be not, assure your selues, the Lorde dooth not send you: ye respect the liuing to féede your selues, and not your know­ledge, to féede the flock: and therefore,Iohn. 10. [...]. are ye Hierlings, ye are theeues and murde­rers, ye come in at the windowe, and not at the doore, Christ Iesus. And as for you, which now either for want of knowledge, or otherwise, for want of age, are not admitted at this time, into the Ministerie: be not therefore dis­couraged, but rather accompt it to be a token of the mercifull prouidence of God, that he would haue you to tarie the time, vntyl he himselfe shall call you, and make you fit for that function, and with this persuasiō apply the scriptures, [Page] and no doubt the Lord will blesse bothe you & your studies the better. Paul will haue the Minister to bee no [...] no young Plant, 1. Tim. 3.6. not greene timbered, but to be seasoned for a time, with the knowledge of Gods worde, and with grauitie and integrity of life: For, if the chéefe beames and Rafters of the house, be made of gréeue Timber, there is great daunger, least the Timber shrinke, and so the fall of the house be great. The Minister must be one of the Beames to vpholde the house of God, and therefore, séeing ye are yet but gréene wood, as I am sure your owne conscience dooth wit­nesse vnto you: let it not gréeue you to be seasoned for a time, that ye may be made fit for the building of the Lorde. And héere by the way, I am to make my humble petition to you my Lorde, that as your Lordship hath had a godly care, and taken a good course, that none should be admitted at this time, but such as for their learning and knowledge, are of great hope and towardnesse: So also an order may now be taken, that they may be driuen to some godly exercises, wher­by not onely, the good gifts of God may be continued and increased in them, but [Page] also,Isa. 56.10. the blinde guides and dombe Dogges, which are already crept in, may be in time reformed. You must deale with all these Ministers, as the Eagle dooth, with her young Birdes, as many as can looke stedfastly vpon the Sunne, so many dooth she nourish, the rest she turneth out of the Nest, as vnfit to be kept. You must set before them all,Math. 4 2. 1. Cor. 14.29. 1. Tim. 4.13. the beames of the sunne of righteousnes, Iesus Christ, appoint them godly exer­cises, to the increase of their knowledge, and as many as cannot abyde thus to looke vpon the sunne of righteousnesse, so many should be turned out of the nest; as vnfit to serue in your Lordships Di­oces. And thus if their Talent be exer­cised, then no doubt their Talent shalbe increased,Math. 25.20. and God will double his holy spirite in them, so that in short time they shall be able bothe to exhort with whole­some doctrine,Tit. 1.9. Act. 1.4. & 6.3 Luk. 24.49. and also to improoue the gainesayers, and except they haue these giftes and graces of the holy spirit, and be endewed with power from an high, they are not fit Pastors, for the Church of Christ. This then is the first thing which is required in vs, that are appoin­ted to be labourers in the Lordes Har­uest, [Page] that, we vnderstand the misteries of God, [...] Tim. 2.5.6.7.15. and know how to labour. For as Paul sheweth Timothie, as he which striueth for a Maisterie, is not crowned, except he striue as he ought to doo, no more can the Husbandman reape any fruite, vnlesse he labour as he ought to doo: and therefore, he prayeth the Lorde to giue him vnderstanding in all things, that he may be able to shew himselfe a workeman, that néedeth not to be asha­med, rightly deuiding the word of truth. For if the Ministers be not able thus to deuide the worde of trueth, then are they nothing els but, labourers without tooles, Stewards without Talents, Tea­chers without doctrine, Sheepeheards without Pastures, Bels without Clap­pers, Cryers without voyces, Watche­men without eyes, builders without handes, Captaines without weapons, Fi­shers without Nets, Lanternes without lights, Embassadours without tongues, Fe [...]rs without meate, Sowere without Seede, leaders without sight, Sal [...]e, with­out sauour: and therefore good for no­thing; but to be troden vnder foote, to be cast out of none, and throwen vpon the Dounghill. The second thing which is [Page] required in a Labourer, is,Luk. 12.42. 1. Cor. 4.2. that he doo his worke faithfully, without all fraude and deceit: Who is a good and faithfull Steward? say the Christe? and Paule af­firmeth this to be required in all the dis­pensers of Gods worde,Colos. 1.7. Hebr. 3.5. that euery one be found faithfull: such alone was Epa­phras, a faithfull Minister of Christ, such a one was Moses, who was faithfull in all his house, and such ought all Mini­sters to be, to doo the worke of the Lord faithfully. Saint Paule teacheth vs,2. Cor. 2.17. not to make marchandise of the worde of God, 2. Cor. 4.2. but to speake of Christ in sinceri­ty as of God, in the sight of God, and to cast from vs the cloakes of shame, not to walke in craftines, neither to handle the worde of God deceitfully, but in the de­claration of the trueth, to approoue our selues to euery mās cōscience in the sight of God. Hereby then is condemned, all wresting of the holy scriptures, to satis­fie our owne humours, & also all ouercu­rious hādling of the word of God, 2. Cor. 12.3. 2. Cor. 4.5. 1. Cor. 2.1.2.4.15. wher­by the minds of mē are corrupted frō the simplicity that is in Christ. And there­fore, we ought to preache, not our selues, but Christ, & to preach him not in excel­lēcy of words, nor in painted eloquence, [Page] nor in the intising speach of mans wis­dom, but in plaine euidence of the spirit and power, confessing that we knowe nothing, but Iesus Christ, and him cru­cified. Saint Paule will haue the Mi­nisters not to be [...],2. Cor. 2.17. Cauponantes vel adulte­rantes verbum Dei, not to mingle it as Vintners doo their Wine, and as false Huksters doo their wares, but to preach it in sinceritie and trueth. Héereby then is condemned, the vnaduised mingling of prophane writers, and inuentions of men, with the heauenly worde of God, as many nowe a dayes doo, running vp and downe from Scriptures, to Doctors from Prophets, to Poets, from Peter to Ouid from Paule to Horac [...] from Christ to Virgil, to the great derogating from the authoritie and maiestie of our Saui­our Christ, and his glorious Gospell, whereas,Heb. 4.12. [...]phe. 6.17. [...] Cor. 10.5. indéede, onely, the woord of God is the Sworde, whereby we must cut downe sinne and wickednesse, and bring into captiuitie euery thought vn­to the obedience of Christ▪ and the c [...]use why there appeareth so small fruite of many of our Preachings, is because, wee trust not to that weapon [...] which [Page] God dooth deliuer vs. Ierem. 23.22. For so sayeth God by the Prophet, If they had stood in my counsell and had declared my words vnto my people, thē they should haue turned them from their euill way, and from the wickednes of their owne inuentions. And therefore, why the la­bour that we take in the Lords Haruest is often in vaine, is because we labour not with the right toole and instrument, the worde of God, which, as it is there set downe by Ieremy, is onely,Ier. 23.29. the Ham­mer to bruse the stonie heart. I confesse that to illustrate and make plaine the trueth, the Preacher may vse what com­parisons he can, as Christ drew his Pa­rables from the Haruest, the ground, the Seede, the Viniarde, and such other things as are moste familiar and best knowne vnto the common people, he may also vse the sayings and sentences of Doctours and Fathers, yea and of prophaine Philosophers & Poets, some­times as Saint Paul dooth alledge, som­times halfe verses, sometimes whole verses, out of Aratus, Menander, Acte. 17.28. 1. Cor. 15.33. Tit. 1.12. Exod. 3.22. and E­pimenides, which were all prophane and Heathnish Poets: and by this meanes we may as it were, spoile the Aegipti­ans [Page] of their Iewels. But this must be doone sparinglie, seldome, and with great iudgement, not so much to establish and confirme the trueth, as to illustrate and make plaine the trueth.Iohn. 20.31. Rom. 1.16. 2. Tim. 3.16.17 For otherwise, for the confyrmation of any doctrine we ought to leane onely to the authoritie of the word, which dooth fully & perfectly cō ­taine althings necessary to our saluatiō, & is the power of God to saluation, to all beleeuers. And therfore, they are no faith­ful Embassadors; which wil do y^e message which their Prince neuer gaue them in cōmissiō, neither are they faithfull labou­rers, which will neglect that which their Maister cōmaundeth, & doo what séemeth good in their own phantasies: Héere then the Papists are condēned for vnfaithfull Stewards; whose doctrine is altogether, either a cleane cōtrary alteration; or els a wicked additiō, vnto the word of God? so that God may say vnto thē, as he saith by the propher Esay. Isa. 1.12. Acte. 8.28. &. 17.11. 2. Peter. 1.19. Who required these things at your hands? Who required this at your hands, y^t ye should cause my holy & blessed word to be locked vp, & the de­crées of Antichrist to be placed in stéede therof? Who required this of you; to take your obediēce frō your naturall Prince,Rom. 15.1. [Page] to whom it is due,Tit. 3.1. 1. Peter. 2.13. & to giue it to a proud Prelate of Rome, that he by his pensions and Pardons, and Peterpence,1. Cor. 14.14.15.16. may im­pouerish the whole lande? Who required this at your hands? to patter vp prayers, in an vnknowne tongue, which ye vn­derstād as well with your héeles, as with your hearts, and to make your prayers not to me, the Father of Heauen,Psal. 50.14. Io [...]. 2.32. whō am onely to be called vpon, but to giue mine honour to Angels and Saints, to Idols and Images, to stocks and stones, to blockes & Bones?Math. 26.27. 1. Cor. 11.25. Who required this at your hands, y^t ye should take the sacra­mēt of my bloud (which I shed for al mē) frō the common people, & so to make my supper, rather an excōmunication then a Communion? who required this at your hands, that ye should rather thrust your children into Abbeis & Couents, there to liue an idle & a Swinish life, being pam­pered vp with all dilicious fare, which may stir thē vp to all filthines, thē to set thē to some homest occupatiō,Gen. 3.19. 2. Thes. 3.12. to get their liuing with the sweate of their browes, to the profit and furtherance of the Com­mon wealth? Who required this of you, that ye should accompt it a more meri­torious work, to gilde an Image their to [Page] cloathe a poore naked man? and a better déede, to go a gadding on Pilgrimage to séeke dead bones, then to tarie at home and visite the poore members of Christ, which laye sick and bedred, lame and impotent:1. Iohn. 1.7. Eccle. 12.7 Luke. 23.49. Actes. 7.59. Apoc. 14.13. who required this at your hands, that ye should make any other Purgatorie, then the bloud of Iesus Christ, which dooth purge you from all your sinne? or that ye should place your holynesse in kissing of Reliques, créeping to crosses, choyce of meates, contempt of mariage, sprinkling of holy water, cēsing of Herbs & boughes, auricular shriuing, in consecrated war, Agnus Deis, Cruci­fyres, Palmes, Creame, Spittle, Salte, Oile, Ashes, Bels, Beads, Ladies Psal­ters, Portuises, Legēdaries, Mās merits, work of supererogatiō, Shrines, Roodes, Tapers, Frankencense, Masses, Dirges, Trentals, Buls, Pardons, Indulgences, and all such trashe and trumpery, wher­of there is no mention at all, in my holy worde? Who required these things at your hands? & if I neuer required them, but rather forbad them, and commaun­ded the cleane contrarie, then are ye no faithfull labourers, 2. Peter. 2.3. ye labour for your owne gaine, to make Marchandise of [Page] soules, for Lukers sake, but ye are no la­bourers in my Haruest, Apoc. 22.19. to bring increase into my Barnes: and therefore ye are ac­cursed, and haue no part in the booke of life. Thus good brethren ye sée how we shall be faithfull labourers, we must,Deut. 4.2. &. 12.32. Pro. 30.6. adde nothing to the woord, and take nothing from it, neither to decline vnto the right hand, nor to the left: for, if it be vnlawfull to adde or to chaunge,Gala. 3.15. or to abrogate any thing in the Will and Testament of men, how much lesse shall it be lawfull to put too, or to diminish, or to disanull any thing in the Will and Testament of the euerliuing God: and if in making of the Tabernacle,Exod. 25.40. 2. Cron. 8.14. or buil­ding of the materiall Temple, it was not lawfull for the workemen to doo any thing, but what the Lorde appointed: how much lesse may the builders of the spirituall Temple, the Church of God, decline from that rule which God hath prescribed in his holy worde. Moreouer that we may be faithfull labourers, this is required of vs, that we auoide all flat­terie, and without respect of persons, doo bouldly that Message,Gala. 101 whereunto the Lorde shall send vs, knowing that, if we seeke to please men, Ezech. 13.12. we cannot be the [Page] seruaunts of Christ. [...]ech. 13.18. The Prophet de­nounceth an woe against those, which sowe Pillowes vnder mens elbowes, and crie, peace, peace, where as no peace is, and God dooth threaten by Ieremie, that, hee will come against those Prophets, which haue sweete lips, Ie [...] 10. and flatter men in their sinnes. Woe be to them which speake good of euill, and euill of good, which put darkenes for light, and light for darkenes, which put bitter for sweete find sweete for sower. Pro. 12.2 Disperdat Domi­nus omnia labia adulationum: the Lord [...]ut out all flattering lips, saith the Pro­phet Dauid: and as flattering lippes are abhominable in all mē, so especially they ought to be abhorred of vs, which are the Messengers of the Lord of Hoasts. We must all,Ephe. 6.19. open our mouthes bouldly, to publish the secret of the Gospell: How­soeuer it be a daungerous thing, for Lot to reprooue the filthy and beastly Sodo­mites, Gen. 19.7. assaulting his house, yet he must not cease still to say I pray you my bre­theren,Pro [...]. [...]0.2.doo not so wickedly. Howsoeuer the wrath of a King be the roaring of a Lion, and he that dooth prouoke him to anger, dooth hazard his owne life: yet if Princes offend, y^e Prophet of God must [Page] say, the Princes are rebellious, Isa. 1.23. & compa­nions of theeues: euery one loueth bribes they iudge not the fatherles, nether doth the widdowes cause come before the: Ezech. 22.27. the Princes of Iuda, are like rauening wol­ues, sucking bloud and destroying soules for couetous Lucre. Although it must cost Iohn Baptist his life, yet must he not cease to say to Herod. Math. 14.4. It is not lawful for thee to haue thy brother Phillips wife. And not onely the wicked, but the godly also, whē they fall, they must be bouldly & sharply reprooued, so that Nathan must say vnto Dauid, thou art the man, 2. Sam. 12.7. it is thou that hast done this deede, & doubt not but the Lord will so worke with it, that thy smiting shall be taken for a be­nefit,Psa. 141.5. and thy reproouing for a precious balme, which will not breake his head, & howsoeuer the wicked doo kick & spurne against thy godly admonitiōs, yet no vn­thankfulnes of the world, ought to driue them frō performing thy duty, but that the more stormy tempests that the wea­ther dooth bring, the more painefull thou shouldest be in the Haruest of the Lord: What though thou be sent, as Christe héere sent foorthe his seuentie Disciples, as Lambes among VVolues? Luke. 10.5.

What though thou be Sawde in péeces, with a Sawe of wood, as the Prophet Isay was? or haue a Naile of Iron dri­uen into the Temples of thy head, with Amos? or be beheaded, with Iohn Bap­tist? or be Stoned with Steuen? or slaine with the Sworde, with Iames? or most cruelly put to death with Peter & Paule, and the rest of the Apostles? or haue thy portion among the blessed Martirs of God, whereof some were deuoured with wilde Beasts some burnt with fier and Faggot, some broyld vpon hoate coales, some hanged, some drowned, some torne in péeces with wilde Horses: yet must you alwayes remember the comfortable promise of Christe,Math. 5.10. that, great shalbe thy rewarde in Heauen. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, Iam. 1.12. for when he is tryed, he shall receaue the Crowne of life, which the Lorde hath promised to them that loue him. Thus must the Mi­nisters labour faithfully, and not onely faithfully, but willingly, as Peter sayth, feede the flock of Christ, 2. Peter. 5.2. which depen­deth vpon you, caring for it, not by con­straint, but willingly, not for fylthy lu­ker, but of a ready minde: For if the la­boring Seruaunts, which are hyred to [Page] doo the worke of men, be bound to doo it,Titus. 2.9. without murmuring and grudging, and to serue their bodily Maisters, with feare and trembling, with singlenes of heart, Ephe. 6.5. not with eie seruice, as pleasing men, but as the seruaunts of Christ, dooing the will of God from the heart. How much more ought the labourers in the Haruest of the Lorde, to shew all faithfulnesse, in dooing that worke willingly, where vnto the Lord hath sent them? The third pro­pertie, which is required in those that wil be good labourers in the Lords Har­uest is, Dilligence, for otherwise they be not labourers, but loyterers, and there­fore Saint Paul dooth charge Timothy, 2. Tim. 4.1.2.5 before God, and before the Lorde Iesus Christ, which shall iudge the quick and the dead at his appearing, & in his king­dom, that he preache the worde, and be instant, in season and out of season, that he improoue, rebuke, and exhort, with all longe suffering and doctrine, wat­ching in all things, & dooing the worke of an Euangelist. Salomon saith,Prou. 27.29. be di­ligent to know the state of thy flocke, and take heede vnto thy Heards. Isa. 58.1. God commaundeth the Prophet, to crye a­loude and spare not, to lift vp his voyce [Page] like a trumpet, to shew the people their transgressions, and the house of Iacob their sinnes. Colos. 4.17. Tell Archippus (saith Paul) take heede to the Ministerie, that thou hast receaued in the Lord, that thou ful­fill it. Right terrible is the woe, which is so often denounced in the holy Scrip­tures, against the slouthfull and negligēt Pastor,Ezech. 34.2. as by the Prophet, wo be to the Sheepeheards, which feede themselues and feede not the flock, and by the Apo­stle, Ier. 23.1. [...]. Cor. 9.16. vae mihi nisi Euangelizauero: Woe be to me, if I preach not the Gospell. If the consideration of this woe, that is of the horrible iudgements of God, were laide vp in our harts, it could not be that so many of vs should sléepe in the Cradle of Securitie, & vtterly neglect the charge which is layde vpon vs: it could not be, that so many of vs should leaue the stu­die of the Scriptures, & giue our selues to lewde pastimes, as though we were called to cast a Bowle, to prick a Carde, to trip a Die, and not rather to féede the flock of Christ, which he hath purchased with his precious bloud. Neither could it be, that so many of vs should depart from the flockes, ouer the which the holy Ghost hath made vs ouerséers, and lye [Page] continually, either in y^e Vniuersities, or in Cathedrall Churches, not once inde­uouring to fulfill y^e Ministery, which we haue receyued of the Lord: & it could not be, that so many of vs, by ioyning liuing to liuing, should heap charge vpō charge, without any care to discharge: for, if they which discharge their office by substitu­tes, would cōsider how y^t he which féedeth his flock, only by a Substitute, may per­aduenture, go to Heauen by a substitute, but he shall surely, feele his woe in Hell, in his own proper person, & if they which lye away for learnings sake, would cōsi­der how lamētable y^e case is, y^t, the Steed should sterue, while the Grasse dooth grow, & how that before God this excuse will not stand, liue Horse and thou shalt haue Grasse, & if all we which are care­lesse & negligent, would continually set before our eies, y^e woe so oftē pronounced against vs, & the heauy accompts which we are to make at the dreadfull daye of iudgement, when the secrets of all harts shall be opened, it could not be but we should haue more care to fulfil the Mini­stery which we haue receiued of y^e Lord, and when we haue vrgent occasion to go abroade (as often times it falleth out) [Page] and so for a time to be absent in bodyes, yet it would make vs alwaies to be pre­sent in hart,1. Reg. 19.20. and in prayer: and againe, to remember the Counsel of Elias, to go, but, with speede to returne: For, when Elizaeus the Prophet asked leaue of him to go to his Father and Mother, he saide, go, returne, for what haue I done vnto thee? I haue anoynted thee to be the Prophet of God, and that is the charge which thou must now attend vnto, not­withstanding goe to thy fathers house, but with all speede, returne. As for those which continue from their flockes, and suffer the worde to cease amongst them, so that their soules doo perish for want of foode, they haue a seuere plague denoun­ced against them, by the Prophet Zacha­rie. Zach. 11.17. O idole Sheepheard, that leaueth the flock, the sworde shall be vpon his arme, and vpon his right eye, his arme shall be cleane dryed vp, and his right eye shalbe vtterly darkened, his arme, that is, his strength, and his right eye, his know­ledge, and memorie, shall all consume, perrish, and vanish away, and he shall come to a fearefull end. But thou wilt say, that thou art resident vpon thy li­uing, and therefore thou doost not flye a­way: [Page] Augustine saithe,Aug tract. 47. in Ioh. Fugisti quia ta­cuisti: Thou hast holden thy peace, and therefore thou art fled away: thou art present in body, but thou art absent in minde and voice, and what will thy bodily presence profit, when thy heart and thy tongue, wherby thy office should be discharged, is altogether absent? Thē ye which are now to enter into the Mi­nisterie, and so to be sent foorth as la­bourers into the Lordes Haruest, learne how to shew your dilligence, not by i­dle presence of the body, but by painefull presence of the hart and voyce: for other­wise,Zach. 11.17. the Prophet Zachary doth accompt you to be nothing but Idols, not Pastors indéede, but Idols, Psal. 135.16. such as the Psalmist speaketh of, which haue mouthes and speake not, eyes and see not, eares and heare not, neither is there any breath in their mouthes. Math. 25.20 If your Talent be but small, yet exercise the same with prayer and dilligence, and the Lord hath pro­mised, that, he will increase it, and dou­ble it, and when ye shall shew your selues faithfull in little, he will make you Maisters of much. But if ye haue any Talent, be it neuer so small, al­though it be but, one Talent, yet if ye [Page] hide it, Mat. 25.28.30 it shall be taken from you, and ye shall be cast as vnprofitable seruaunts into vtter darkenesse, where shalbe wee­ping and gnashing of teethe. But other­wise, if ye perceaue euidently that ye haue no Talent at all, and that ye are able to doo no good at all, in the Church of God, I require and charge you, before the Lord Iesus Christe, and as ye will aunswer at his appearaunce, that ye pre­sume not rashly, to enter into so high a function,Luk. 12.42. to be Stevvards of the Lords Household, hauing no portion of meate to giue them in due season. Remember the accompts which euery Stewarde is to make at the last day, when that dread­full voyce shall be pronounced. Giue an accompts of thy stewardship, Luk. 16.1. thou maist be no longer Steward. The Texte saith, that, the euill Stewarde [...] he was first accused to his Maister, that he wasted his goods, and then he was called to his reckoning. Euen so shall all blinde guides, dombe Dogges, vnfaithfull Stewards, Idole Sheepheards, & slouth­full loiterers, first be accused to God, and then called to their accompts: who shall be their accusers euery slothfull and vn­faithful Steward, of what calling soeuer [Page] he be, shall haue thrée accusers.Rom. 2.15. The first is, their owne conscience, for that will be as good as a thousand witnesse,Iuuenal. Nocte die (que) suum gestare in pectore testem. A corrupt conscience is called a continuall Hangeman:Gen. 4.7. it is sinne laying at y^e doore of our hearts, it is called of the Prophet Esay, a Worme that neuer dyeth, and a Sea which alwayes rageth without rest: Isa. 66.24. 1. Tim. 4.2. of Paul, a fearing with a hoate Iron: and in the Epistle to the Hebrewes, Hebr. 10.26. a terrible looking for of iudgement, and violent fier to deuour the aduersaries: and there­fore, as often as they call to minde & re­member, how, they haue eaten the fat, Ezech. 34.3.4. & cloathed themselues with the Woll, but that they haue not fed the Sheepe, nor strengthened the weake, nor healed the sick, nor boūd vp the broke, nor brought againe that which was driuen away, nor sought vp that which was lost, but haue ruled their slocks with rigor and cruelty: this corrupt conscience,Rom. 2.15. wil be as good as a thousād witnesses, to accuse & cōdemne thē before the throne of God.Isa. 57.21. 2. Tim. 1.7. Sap. 17.10.11. There is no peace to the wicked, y^e Lord hath sayd it, but they shal cary in their brests feare & terror, & tormēting furies, cōtinually ci­ting thē before y^e tribunall seat of Christ. [Page] And if there be any which with vayne pastimes and pleasures of this worlde, doo driue away the remembraunce of Gods iudgements for a time, yet are they neuer the better for it: for, although they séeme to reioyce, yet as Salomon sayeth,Pro 1.14.13. & 20.17. Euen in the laughing, the hart is sorrowfull, and the mirth dooth end in heauines. Although the bread of de­ceipt be sweet in the mouth, for a while, yet in the end, the mouthe shalbe filled with Grauell: although for a time, they liue without remorse of conscience,Luke. 11.21. and the stronge man dooth so possesse all things, that all things seeme to be quiet, yet in the end they shall be neuer the better for it, no more then the stall fedde Oxe is the better, because he knoweth not that he is taken out to the slaughter house, for a sodaine death will haue the greater fea [...]e.1. Cor. 1.12. And therefore good bre­thren, let euery one of vs endeuour as much as we can, to kéepe the testimonie of a good conscience, for as of all the treasures and pleasures in the worlde, a quiet conscience is the greatest, Pro. 15.15. as Sa­lomon saith, a good conscience is a con­tinuall feast, so it is the greatest horrour in the world, to make Shipwrake of a [Page] good: conscience: 1. Iohn 3 21. for if our hart con­demne vs, God is greater then our heart, and therefore let euery one of vs labour faithfully and painefully in the Lords Haruest, let vs as good stewards, giue vnto the household their portion of meate in due season, that whensoeuer we must leaue our flocks, we may eue­ry one of vs, in the testimonie of a good conscience, say as Paule saide to the El­ders of Ephesus. Act. 20.26.27 I take you all to re­corde, this day, that I am pure from the bloud of all men, for I haue kept no­thing back, but haue shewed you all the counsell of God. The second witnesse which shall accuse thée, if thou be an euil Steward, is, the crie of the poore peo­ple, which by thy negligence, are pinched with the famine of the worde of God:Amos. 8.11. for if in plaging of the body of goods, that be true, which the wiseman saith,Ecclc. 35.15. that the teares which runne downe from the Widdowes cheekes, go vp into heauen, and the Lord which heareth them doth accept them: and that which Iames saith.Iam. 5.4. the crye of the poore dooth enter into the eares of the Lorde of Hoastes, and that which Dauid affirmeth, that,Psal. 56.8. God dooth put the teares of his Saints in his [Page] bottell: how much more shall the teares and the cry which commeth by the plag­ing of the soule, go vp into the eares of y^e Lord of Hoasts? when the People shall hūger & thirst, for the foode of Godsword, & thou hast none to giue them? when they shall crie for their portion of meate, and thou hast none, neither for thy selfe nor for them. This crie goeth vp into heauē, and the Lord which heareth it, dooth ac­cept it, & when he calleth thée to thy rec­koning, he will one day remember it. The thirde witnesse which shall accuse all euill Stewards, is, the hurt & dam­mage which is done in the Lords Har­uest by their negligence: Gen 4.10. for, if the voice of the bloud of Abell, did crie out of the earth for vengeance, and if in building of houses, with y^e oppressiō of y^e poore, one stone doo crie vnto another, [...]bac. 2.11. & one beame crie against an other, woe be to him that buildeth of bloud: How much more shal the bloud of the soules of mē, & the main­taining of our wealthy estates, by the perishing of so many soules, cry continu­ally out of y^e earth, to the Lord for venge­ance And thus, if thou be an vnfaithfull and negligent Steward, thou hast three accusers, continually citing thee, before [Page] the throne of God, and the Lord which heareth their accusations, will one day call thee to thy reckoning, when he him­selfe shall descende from heauen with a showte, 1. The. 4.16.17. and with the voice of the Arch­angell, & with the trumpet of God, and thou shalt meete him in the Cloudes, where thou shalt see heauen aboue thee: ready to receaue the saints of God, Hell beneathe thee, gaping to deuoure thee, round about thee, the world burning, & the Elements melting with heate: thine owne sinnes on the one side of thee, and the sinnes of all those which haue peri­shed by thy negligence, on the other side of thee: behinde thee the Deuill, ready to accuse thee: within thee a conscience al­ready condemning thee, and before thy face, the terrible Iudge, accompanied with thousands of Angels, calling thee to giue an accomptes, of thy Steward­ship. And if it be founde, that,Luke. 12.48.45.46. thou hast not giuen to the Househoulde of God, their portion of meate in due sea­son, but hast smitten thy fellow seruaūts and giuen thy selfe to eate and drinke, Math. 25.30. and to be dronken, then moste assu­redlye thou shalt be cut off, and haue thy portion with the vnbeléeuers: [Page] thou shalt be cast as an vnprofitable ser­uaunt, Mark. 9.44. Ezech. 34.1. 1. Cor. 9.16. Luk. 16.26. Apoc. 14.11. into vtter darkenesse, where shall be weeping & gnashing of teeth, where the worme neuer dyeth, and the flame neuer goeth out, where woes thou shalt finde on euery side, and nothing but woes, and of all woes this is the greatest, that there shalbe no ende of thy woes. Where thou shalt alwaies consume, and yet neuer be consumed, alwayes burne, and yet neuer be burnt away, alwayes die, and yet neuer giue ouer to death, but haue paines vnquencheable, intolle­rable, easelesse, endlesse, and hopelesse, from the which the Lord of his infinite mercy, for his sonne Christ his sake, de­liuer vs all, and giue vs grace so to vse our Talents, in this vale of miserie, that when our accompts shalbe made, we may be founde acceptable in his sight, and héere that ioyfull saying: O ye good and faithfull seruaunts, Math. 25.21.23.34. yee haue beene faithfull in little, I wil make you May­sters of much: enter into the ioyes of your Lorde, come ye blessed of my fa­ther, possesse the kingdome prepared for you, frō the beginning of the world.

Thus deerely belooued, ye see the thyrde propertie which is required in him that [Page] shall labour in the Lords Haruest, that,Luk. 12.46.45 he must be dilligent, and that if he let any perish, for want of foode, then doth he smite his fellow seruaunts, and mur­der them with a murder, which before God is of all others most horrible: and therefore, if when we haue murdered a man, although it be but by chaunce med­ley, yet the remembraunce of it dooth gréeue vs, vexe vs, terrifie vs, torment vs, and make our flesh to quiuer, shake and tremble: how much more ought ye to auoyde the wilfull murder of so ma­ny thousand soules, which perishing by your wilful negligence and ignoraunce,2. Thes. 1.8.9. because they know not God, are thrown headlong into euerlasting perdition? and if the bloud of mē that are slaine, béeing behoulden with the eies of the body, dooth moue pitty and compassion, howe much more ought it to gréeue the eyes of your hearts and spirits, to sée the bloudshed of the soules,2. Sam. 22.15. which bringeth death eter­nall? When Dauid in the Haruest time, being in the Caue of Adullam, did great­ly longe to drinke of the water of Beth­lehem, & sayd, O that some man would giue me to drinke of the waters of Beth­lehem, there could not well any water [Page] be fetched, because the Garrison of the Philistines, which were Dauids enemies were then in Bethlehem. Notwithstan­ding, when thrée of Dauids mighty Cap­taines, saw how greatly their King lōg­ed for that water, they valiauntly brake thorough the Hoaste of the Philistines, and drew water out of the Wel of Beth­lehem, and brought it vnto Dauid: when Dauid sawe what they had done, he refu­sed to drinke of it, and sayde. O Lord be it farre from me, that I should doo this, Is not this the bloud of the men, which went in daunger of their liues? And so he would not drinke of it, but powred it out for an offering vnto the Lorde.

Now if Dauid would not drinke once of the water of Bethlehem, because it was brought vnto him, with the ieopar­die of thrée mens liues, how much lesse ought ye not onely to eate and drinke, but also to cloathe your selues, yea and delight your selues in pastimes and ple­sures, not once, but euery day, not with the daūger of thrée mens liues, but with the manifest murder of so many hundred soules?

And therefore as in the Solemni­zation of Matrimonie in this Church [Page] of Englande, the Minister dooth firste charge the parties that are to be maried, as, they will aunswer at the dreadfull day of iudgement, when the secrets of all hearts shall be opened, that if either of them doo knowe in themselues any impediment, why they may not lawful­ly be joyned together in Matrimonie, that they confesse it. Euen so I am to charge you, before the Lord Iesus Christ, and as you will aunswer at his appea­raunce, that, if any of you doo know in your selues any secret impechment, that either ye want the inward calling, not to respect the liuing, but to doo good in the Church of God, or els that ye haue not the giftes of Nature, fitte for that function, or that yee feele not your selues so mortified with the spirite of sanctification, that ye haue good hope to liue according to your profession, to despise the worlde, and painefully to discharge your duties, that ye vtter it, or at the least wise withdrawe your selues from rashelye entring into so high a calling. Otherwise assure your selues, that ye doo nothing els, but plucke the vengeaunce of God vpon your owne heads.

But some of you say, that, ye haue no o­ther way to liue, and therefore vnlesse ye [...]e nows made Ministers, ye must néedes he brought to extreame beggerie. I aunswer,Ps. 33 19. & 34 8. & 112.1. [...].3. that if the Lord be willing to deliuer you from pouertie, he is able to deliuer you, and he will deliuer you by a farre more lawfull meanes, if ye will serue him and feare him,1 Tim. 1.5. 1. Pet. 3.16.21. Tit. 1.15. and al­though he should neuer bring you out of it, yet how much better were if for you, to liue here in perpetuall begger is, with a quiet conscience, then with the best be­nefice in this Realme, to haue a hell in your consciences, in this worlde, and e­uerlasting death in the worlde to come; for then,Mar. 8.36.37. what will it profit a man, to win the whole world, and loose his own soule, or what shall a man giue for his soule? ye must remember the counsell which Paul giueth to Timothie: 1. Tim. 5.22. Psalm. 38.4. not to be partakers of other mens sinnes: our own sinnes are a burthen, too heauie for vs to beare, and altogether intollerable, then what a desperate case are we in, if we doo also charge and loade our selues with a heape of sinnes committed by o­ther men?Ezech. 3.18. whose bloud must be requi­red at our hands, if they be not dilli­gently [Page] lye warned and reclaymed from their wickednes, that they may repent & liue.

The fourth propertie, which must be in the labourer, is, that, he labour with bothe hands, that is, both with life and doctrine, for otherwise, if he be pain­full in teaching, and haue no care to ex­presse the same in life and conuersation, then dooth he but build with the one hand, and pluck downe with the other: with the one hand he gathereth toge­ther, and with the other hand he scatte­reth abroade, and then he is no good la­bourer in the Haruest of the Lorde, and therefore Saint Paul biddeth Timothy, 1. Tim. 4.15. Act. 20.28. take heede vnto himselfe, and to his doctrine, and continue therein: for, in so dooing, he should saue himselfe, and thē that heard him. And he willeth Titus, Tit. [...].7. abooue all things, to shew himselfe an ensample of good workes, with vncor­rupt doctrine, with grauitie and integri­ty, and with the wholesome word which cannot be reproued, that he which with­stood him, might be ashamed, hauing nothing against him to speake euill of: and for this cause, there was placed in the breast Plate, vpon Aarons heart, V­rim and Thummim, that is,Exod. 28.3. light and [Page] perfection: to signifie, that, he should not only haue light in knowledge, but also integrity in conuersation: for this cause also, God giueth the Lawe in Leuiticus, that,Leuit. 21.7.14 18. the Priest shall in no case, take to wife an Whore, neither mary any wo­man that is polluted, but that, he shall take a Maide to wife, and so be holy vn­to his God: and in the same Chapter, he will haue his Priests to haue no blemish in their body, neither any mishapen mē ­bers: whereby is foreshadowed and sig­nified, the perfectnes which ought to be in their liues and conuersations: for o­therwise, if they preache the worde of God, and haue no care to reforme their liues thereafter, then are they not gathe­rers, Luk. 11.23. Psal. 50.16. but scatterers, and God will say vn­to them, as he saithe by the Prophet Dauid. What hast thou to do, to declare mine ordinaunces, that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouthe? see­ing thou hatest to be reformed, and hast cast my words behinde thee. When thou seest a Theefe, thou runnest with him, and hast been partaker with the adulte­rers, thou giuest thy mouthe to speake e­uill, and with thy tongue thou forgest deceipt, thou sittest and speakest against [Page] thy brother, and slaunderest thine owne Mothers sonne, and therefore what hast thou to doo to preache my lawes, or to take my couenaunt in thy mouthe? A Wall hath on either side great squared stones, and in the midst small pibbles, & grauell, if one of the great stones which vpholde the building, doo slip away, then all in the midst will soone clatter after. The square stones, of the Wall of Gods building, are on the one side the Magi­strates, and on the other side the Mini­sters: if one of these doo fall away, then are they guiltie not onely of their owne condemnation, but also of the bloud of as many as perish by their fall and euil en­sample, and therefore we ought all to pray vnto God continually, that he will giue vs grace so to reforme our lyues, that we may euery one of vs, say vnto our flockes, as Saint Paul said vnto the Phillipians. Brethren, Phil. 3.17. be ye followers of men, and looke on them which walke so euen, as ye haue vs, for an ensample, for many walke, of whom I haue tolde you often, and now I tell you wee­ping: that they are enemies of the crosse of Christ: assuring our selues, that although we talke neuer so much, [Page] yet vnlesse with our talking, we ioyne walking, and so by our liues and con­uersations, giue ensample to our flocks: we are nothing but enemies of the crosse of Christ, we cause the Gospell of Christ to be euill spoken of, we drawe from Christ bothe our selues and others, and throwe bothe them and vs, into the pitte of perdition, and then are we like vnto that Idiot, which standing on the Sea shore, and seeing straungers passing by, dooth crie aloude vnto them, away, a­way, the tide is at hande. The Trauay­lers looking backe, and seeing the Foole to stand still, they begin to say amongst themselues. Surely, the man dooth but iest, if this were the time of the tide, he would surely pack away himselfe, we neede not to make any such haste: but by and by, the Tide commeth indeede, and ouerwhelmeth bothe the negligent foole, and the carelesse Horesemen. Euen so, if we say vnto the people: The Tide commeth, doo this, or thou canst neuer be saued, doo this, or els thou art damned for euer: and in the meane time, stirre no foote our selues, the common people séeing our carelesse negligence, they straight way murmure amongst them­selues. [Page] If these heauie iudgements of God were true, they would amend them selues, and thereupon they beginne to be carelesse also, and so in the end, bothe are ouerwhelmed,Apoc. 21.8. Isa. 30.33. not with the waues of the Sea, but with the Lake burning with fier and Brimstone, which is the seconde death, and with Tophet, the burning whereof is fier and much woode, and the breath of the Lord, like a Riuer of Brim­stone dooth kindle it. (Then dearely be­looued) If we teach well, and liue wel, Chris. in Math. 23. we are become Iudges of all men: but if we teache well and liue ill, we are become condemners, Rom. 2.1. bothe of our selues and o­thers, for by teaching well, and liuing well, we teach other men how they shall liue, but by teaching well, and liuing ill, we teach God how he shall condemne vs, and therefore, let euery one of vs, en­deuour to follow, not the ensample of the Pharisies, which binde heauy burthens, Math. 23.4. and laye them vpon other mens shoul­ders, but they them selues, will not so much, as put too, one of their least fing­ers: but the ensample of the holy Apostle Saint Paule, 1. Cor. 9.27. to beate downe our bodies & to bring them into subiectiō, least by any meanes, after we haue preached vn­to [Page] to others, we our selues become repro­bates, 1. Pet. 5.3.4. that we may be ensamples to the flocke (as Peter saith,) that when the chiefe Sheepeheard shall appeare, we may receiue the incorruptible crowne of glory, which Christ Iesus hath prepared for them which loue him. I speake not this good brethren, to accuse any man, nor yet to excuse my selfe, the Lorde is my witnesse. For I acknowledge my selfe aboue all others, to be a most mise­rable and wretched sinner, the Lord be merciful vnto me, and to vs all, and giue vs all grace héereafter, so to a mend our liues, that by our euill ensample, none be compelled to start back from the Gos­pell of our Lord Iesus Christ. But how­soeuer we of the Ministerie are not able fully to expresse our doctrine in our liues and conuersations, as, we are not An­gels, but men, and therefore béeing flesh and bloud, may fall and doo fall, and haue sundrie imperfections, yet good people, this ought to be no cause, why ye should challenge vnto your selues any more li­berty, to wallow in sinne and wicked­nesse. For although the Minister were most wilfully bent to worke all vnclea­nesse, euen with greedines, yet, if he sit in [Page] Moyses Chayre,Math. 23.3. Chris. in Math. 23. if he be called to be your Pastor, ye must follow the ex­hortation of Christ himselfe, to obserue whatsoeuer by Gods worde they com­maund you, but not to doo after their workes. For, as Chrisostome saythe, vpon that place, Si bene vixerent, &c. If they shall lyue well, it is their owne gaine, if they shall teach well, it is your gaine, then take ye yours, and doo not curiouslye meddle with that which appertaineth vnto others. The Earth is vile, the Gould is precious, wil any man despise the precious gould, because the earth is vile? No, but as the gould is taken, and the earth left, so take ye the doctrine, and refuse the manners. The Bees haue no neede of the stalke, but of the floure, so take ye the Flower of exhortation, and let the vnprofitable stalke of conuersation wither awaye. If thou thirste for the Heauenlye foode of Gods worde, refuse not the good and comfortable Wine, because it commeth out of a Tréene or Earthen Vessell. Although the Rose be com­passed about with many Briers and Net­tles, yet doo not thou therefore refuse the swéete Rose, the sauor of life vnto life, [Page] to those that shalbe saued: if thou tra­uaile in a waye that thou knowest not, yet if a Criple by the high waies side doo shew thée which waye thou shalt turne, refuse not thou to go thy way, although the Criple be not able to remooue an intche from his place. Although the Car­penters which make the Arke be drow­ned, yet doo thou, with the faith of Noah, enter into the Arke, and thou shalt be saued. Math. 2.6. Although, neither Scribe nor Pha­risie, nor Herode, nor any of the people in Ierusalem, wil beare thee company to Bethlehem, to worship the Babe Iesus: yet if the Priests doo shewe thée where thou shalt finde him, followe thou the wisemen, Luke. 10.34. and go alone. Although, bothe Priest and Leuit, passe by the wounded man, and shew no mercy at all, yet be thou that poore Layman, that pittifull Samaritan, which bound vp his wounds and powred in Oyle and Wine, and brought him to an Inne, and made pro­uision for him. 1. Cor. 13.1. Although, thy Teacher, speaking with the tongue of an Angel, and hauing no loue, be nothing els, but as sounding Brasse, and as a tinkeling Simball, and therefore doo nothing pro­fite himselfe, for a Simball or Harpe, [Page] heareth nothing it selfe, yet may he com­fort thée, when thy minde is in heauines, if thou hast a liuely faith, to beléeue and apprehend the sweete promises of Iesus Christ, which by him shall be vttered.Aug. lib. 3. contra donat cap. 10. Contra Cres­ce lib. 3. cap. 6 de fide ad pet. cap. 36. Etsi aquae fluxu canatis, nihilo fit faecun­dior, hortus tamen per eum irrigatur, et fructificat. Although, by the running of the water, the Chanel is made, nothing more fruitfull, yet the Garden which is watered by it, dooth bring foorth fruite more plentifully. Although the Scribes and Pharisies, will put no finger to the burthen, yet take vp the Yoake of Christ and learne of him, that he is meeke, and lowely in heart, and thou shalt finde rest for thy soule. Aug. contra litteras petili­ani Donatistae cap. 27. tom. 7 Pag. 71. Pontifex Caiphas perse­quutor vnius, et verissimi Sacerdotis, quamuis ipse non sit verax, quod dat ta­men verum est, si non suum det sed Dei. What though Caiphas be a wicked high Priest, a persecutor of our Lorde and Sauiour? yet if he speake not from himselfe, but from God,Iohn. 11.51. &. 18.14. and Prophecie of Christe, that he must dye for the peo­ple. We must not therefore despise, or renounce Christ, because God dooth com­pell euen the wicked, to confesse him: Nay, what though it be Sathan him­selfe, [Page] which confesseth Christ to be the sonne of God, Luke. 4.34.41 and calleth him Iesus of Nazareth, the holy one of God? yet we must not contemne or refuse the sonne of God, because he compelleth the Deuill and his Angels, to acknowledge him. But rather muche more we ought to feare that omnipotent God, which so ru­leth all things, with his mightye hand, that euen those whom he dooth not go­uerne with his spirit, yet he dooth bridle them with his power.

Math. 11.29.Although, thou be taught or Bap­tized by Iudas, yet doo thou laye houlde vpon the bloud of Iesus Christ,Marke. 16.16. and thy sinnes are forgiuen thée. Quos Baptizauit Iudas, Aug. baptizauit Christus. Whom Iudas Baptized, Christ Bapti­zed, for the dignitie of the worde and Sacraments, dooth not depend vpon the person of the Minister, which may be wicked, but vpon the promises of God, which cannot deceaue. But thou wilt say peraduenture, they which liue ill be Thornes, and how can a man gather Grapes of Thornes, or Figges of Thi­stles? Aug. de pact. cap. 10. tom. 9. Pag. 731. Augustine dooth aunswer very well. The Grape dooth hange indeede amongst the Thornes, but not of the [Page] roote of the Thornes, for it hangeth on­ly of the roote of the Vine. Euen so the doctrine which is taught vnto them, al­though it hange amongst the Thornes of many vices, in the Minister, yet it groweth not on the roote of those vices, but on the roote of the worde of God, and the Gospell of Iesus Christ: then if thou desire to taste the swéete grape of the Gospell of Christe, Lege vnam inter spinas pendentem, sed de vite nascētem: Gather the Grape, hanging indeede a­mong the Thornes, but growing on the Vine Iesus Christe. It is a lamenta­ble case to consider, how in these our dayes, the Deuill hath so bewitched the heartes of so manye, that in all their assemblyes, Feastes and méetinges, they haue nothing almoste in their mouthes, but the lyues of the My­nisters, the lyues pf the Preachers: And yf they can espye anye faulte in the worlde, then of a Moate, to make a Bearne, and of a Hillocke a Mountayne: And looke who of all men, are, the fylthyest VVhoore­mongers, the moste blasphemous swea­rers, the moste dissolute Gaymesters, the ranckest Ruffyans, the moste [Page] cruell oppressiours of the poore, the gre­test spoilers of the goods of the Church, wherewith the Ministers should doo good and kéepe Hospitality, they are of all o­ther most busie, in displaying the faults of the Ministerie, which is onely the de­uise of Sathan, to drawe them from the consideration of their owne sinnes, least they should repent and liue: whereas in­déede they should first,Math. 7.5. pluck out the beame out of their owne eyes, and then should they better see to pluck out the Mote out of their brothers eye. We haue a Wallet cast ouer our shoulders, in the ende before vs, we put the sinnes of our Ministers, and of our neighbours, in the end behinde vs, we put our owne sinnes,Psalm. 38.4. &. 51.3. and then, Non videmus manticae quod in tergo est. But good brethren, if ye will be true Christiās, ye must learne to turne the Wallet, setting your owne sinnes before your face, and casting be­hinde your backes, the offences of your neighbours and Pastoures, and although some of your Ministers haue not the grace to liue as they ought to doo, yet ye must rather honor the bad for the good, then despise the good for the bad: And if any thing be amisse in them, the waye [Page] is not to amende it, with vile and re­prochefull slaunders: but your remedie is onely to flie vnto God, by feruent and harty prayer, praying alwayes the Lord of the Haruest, that he will powre vpon them the dew of his holy spirite, and make them fruitefull labourers in his Haruest, that they may not gather with the one hand, and scatter with the other, but labour profitably with bothe hands, bothe with worde and life,Tit. 2.7. 1. Tim. 4.16. Exod. 28.3. with Vrim and Thummim, with light and perfecti­on, with exhortation and conuersation: And héere cōmeth in the last part, which conteyneth the dutie, bothe of Minister and people, to flie vnto God by prayer, that séeing the Haruest is great, and the labourers are but few, we should praye vnto the Lorde of the Haruest, to sende foorth labourers into his Haruest: where firste we must learne, what those labou­rers were, for whom our sauiour would haue them pray, to be sent foorth into the Lords Haruest. They are set downe all in one verse, by Saint Paule, Ephe. 4.11. some A­postles, some Prophets, others Euange­lists, others Pastors, to the knitting to­gether of the Saints, to the worke of the Ministrie, and to the building of the bo­dy [Page] of Christ. The seauen Popish or­ders. Then to be a labourer in the Lordes Haruest, is not, to chaunt 1 and bleat in Quiers: it is not, to iangle 2 the Bels, and to looke to the Vestery, as was in time past the office of the Porter: 3 it is not, to reade and singe lessons, and to hallow bread, and all greene fruite, as 4 was the charge of the Reader: it is not, 5 to Charme or to Coniure, as was the office of the Exorcist: it is not, to carye Candlesticks and light Tapers, as the A­colites: 6 it is not, to prouide water against Masse, to wash the corporasse clothes, to vow chastity, to giue the Chalice & co­uer to the Deacon, as the Subdeacons: 7 it is not, to serue at the Altar, & to read the Gospell, for the quick and the dead, as was wickedly placed for the office of Deacons: it is not, to mumble vp Mas­ses, and to offer vp sacrifice, for the quick and the dead, as the shaueling Priests: it is not, to sit Imperiously, with the Ma­iesty of a Triple Crowne, and to dispose kingdoms, nor to beare a Crosier staffe, and blesse, and challenge power to giue the holy Ghoste, & remit sinnes at their owne pleasure, as the Pope and his Bi­shops: it is not, to weare a Cardinals Hat, nor to lyue vnto themselues, and [Page] their own bellies, as the swimish Cloister mē, Abbots & Priors, Munkes & Friers: it is not, to serue mēs humors, as elbow Chaplaines, but, to be a labourer in the Lords Haruest, is,Phil. 2.25. Act. 14.14. 1. Cor. 11.4. Actes. 13.1. Actes. 21.8. 2. Tim. 4.5. to feede the flocke of Christe, with the heauenly foode of his blessed worde, as did the Apostles, Pro­phets and Euangelists, in the primitiue Church & as is now required of Pastors & such Elders or Bishops, which are ap­pointed as watchmē ouer certain flocks & congregations, to rule and gouerne the same, by the preaching of the Gospell, Tit. 1.5.7. Actes. 20.28. by the administring of the Sacraments, & by the exercising of Ecclesiasticall dis­cipline, & of the Doctors, whose charge is especially to expound the right sence & vnderstāding of the Scriptures, & to in­struct those which are Catechumenoi in y^e points & principles of christiā religiō.

But what néede we of these Pastors & Doctors, Obiectio. 1 séeing y^t the holy ghost is promi­sed to be our Doctor,Iohn. 16.13. Ioel. 2.28. to leade vs into all truth? I answer, y^t although it be the pe­culiar office of the holy Ghost, to lighten vs within, & to lead vs into all trueth, yet the outward Ministerie of y^e word, is ne­cessary, because God vseth the same as an inferiour, & a secōdary mean to bring vs therunto. The light of the sū cā nothing [Page] helpe blinde eyes, nor the lowdenes of the sound, profit deafe eares, no more cā the word, pearce the hardnes of the hart, vnlesse it be mollified, by Gods holy spi­rite: but bothe must goe together, firste, to haue the eyes opened, and then the Sunne to shine and giue light: and ther­fore, the spirite of God and his word, are by Christ, bothe ioyned together, when he saithe to his Disciples,Iohn, 15.26. the Comfor­ter shall come, and teache you all things, Quaecun (que) dixi vobis: whatsoeuer I haue tolde you: where you sée how with the working of the holy ghost, he ioyneth his worde, No Text, no glose, no Scrip­ture, no spirite. What then shall we say, to that place of Saint Iohn: Ye knowe all things, Obiectio. 2 1. Ioh. 2.20.27. the annointing which ye haue receaued, dwelleth with you, and you neede not that any man should teache you, therefore it should séeme to be néedelesse, to haue any labourers in the Lords Haruest. But Iohn writeth not this vnto them, to signifie that they had no néede of teaching, (for then to what purpose should he haue written his E­pistle vnto them, if they had no néede of teaching?) but he sheweth them, that, they were not rude Scholers, and altoge­ther [Page] ignoraunt, but well skilled, and of great knowledge in the matters which he propounded vnto them: and there­fore, that he did not so at large set foorth these points, as though they were alto­gether vnknowne vnto them, but that he did onely bring these things to minde, that they might remember them, as Pe­ter saythe.2. Peter. 1.12. I will not be negligent to put you alwayes in remembraunce of these things, though that ye haue knowledge and be established in the present trueth. Another doubt may arise of that place in Ieremie, where the Lorde saithe thus:Obiectio. 3 And they shall teache no more euery man his neighbour, Ierem. 31.34. and euery man his brother: saying. Know ye the Lord: for they shall know me from the least, euen to the greatest, this is ment of the state of the Church, vnder the new Testamēt, & therefore there néedeth no labourers in this haruest. I answer, that indéede God maketh there a comparison, betwixt, the people vnder the Lawe, and the other vnder the Gospell, that, the light of the Gospell of Christe, should be common and familiar vnto all, whereas in the law it was darkely figured by tipes and sha­dowes. But he sayeth not, simplye, that [Page] there shall neede no more teaching: but he addeth saying: Know the Lord, they shall no more néede to be taught the first A.B.C. and first Principles of Christian religion, Gala. 4.1. as the old fathers, which were as yonge Children, ignorant of the first rudiments: but they shall haue greater knowledge, and yet notwithstanding, di­ligently indeuour to go forwarde more and more,Isa. 2.3. and say, as is in the Prophet, Come and let vs go vp into the Moun­taine of the Lorde, into the house of the God of Iacob, and he will teach vs his wayes: then this is a perpetuall decrée and ordinaunce of Christ, vnder the Gos­pell, that, his people should be taught from time to time, Rom. 10.14. that, so [...], faithe may come by hearing, and hearing, by the worde preached: and because none can preache, vnlesse they be sent, we must continually beare in minde, this cōmaū ­dement of our Sauiour Christ that, we praye vnto the Lord of the Haruest, to send foorth Labourers into his Haruest.

Which cōmaundement, because Christ gaue it in this place, to his 70. Disciples, Let vs of the Ministery, firste apply it to our selues, and learne heere our dutye, which is, that with all laboures, we [Page] ioyne our prayers, vnto the Lorde of the Haruest. For, if in temporall things, no­thing can prosper, without the blessing of the Lorde, as the Prophet Dauid saithe.Psal. 127.1. Except the Lord build the house, their labour is but lost that builde: except the Lorde keepe the Cittie, the Watchemen watcheth but in vaine. It is in vaine for you, to rise vp earely, and to lye downe late, and to eate the bread of carefulnesse, as we sée by experience euery day, many rise early, and lay downe late, and eate the bread of carefulnesse, but they pros­per not, because the Lord doth not build the house: & if worldly riches be the bles­sing of the Lord, as Salomon saith: it is the blessing of the Lorde which maketh men riche, & if in fishing in the Sea,Luke. 5.5. Pe­ter may fishe all night, & catch nothing, vntil our Sauiour Christe, voutchsafe to come into the barge: thē how much lesse shall we think y^t we can build the Lords house, or watch ouer y^e flock of Christ, or gather a rich haruest vnto y^e lord, or catch y^e soules of mē w^t the spiritual net of gods word, vnlesse w^t our rising early & lying downe late, & eating y^e bread of careful­nes, we alwaies, let our praier & suppli­catiō be made to God, with thāksgiuing. Phil. 4.6. Iob. 31.27. [Page] Iobe saithe: If my heart did flatter me in secret, or if my mouthe did kisse mine hand, this had bin an iniquity, to be con­demned, for I had denyed the Lorde a­boue: where Iob maketh the ascribing of our temporall goods, to our owne handie worke and saying. Haec sunt opera ma­nuum mearum: these are the workes of mine owne hands, to be nothing els, but a denying of the Lord aboue: How much more then doo we deny the Lorde aboue, if in spirituall graces we doo not confesse and acknowledge, that it is no­thing for Paul, 1. Cor. 3.6. 2. Cor. 3.5. to Plant, and Appollo to water, except the Lord doo giue the encrease, that we are not sufficient of our selues, to thinke one good thought, as of our selues, but all our sufficiencie commeth of God, who hath made vs a­ble Ministers of the new Testament: that,Isa. 6.5.7. Ierm. 1.6.9. the Prophet Isay is a man of pollu­ted lippes, bēfore the Lorde doo purge them: that Ieremie is but a Childe and cannot speake, before the Lord doo put his woords into his mouthe: and there­fore, that in all our endeuours, we trust not to our owne wisdome, to our owne learning, to our owne pollicie, to our owne gifts of nature, but that in all our [Page] laboures, we doo in feruencie of spirite,Psalm. 51.1 [...]. pray with Dauid, O Lorde open thou my lippes, and then my mouthe shall shew foorth thy praise. Héere also, in that our Sauiour dooth commaund his Disciples, to pray the Lord of the Har­uest, to send foorth labourers into his Haruest: we haue to consider, the tender care which euery Minister ought to haue of the Church of God, still to pray vnto God for the same, and not onely to pray vnto God, but also with great griefe of hart, to remember, as well, the small number of the faithfull labourers, as also the great number of the peoples sinnes? This vehement zeale and tender care for the Haruest of the Lord, was in Moyses, when he prayed so earnestly for the people, that he sayde:Exod. 32.32. O Lord pardon their sinnes, or els raze me out of the booke which thou hast written. Gen. 18 24. This was in Abraham, for when he saw how the sinnes of the Sodomites had prouo­ked the scourge of God against them, he prayed vnto the Lord, and sayd. Lord if there be but fiftie righteous in the Ci­tie, wilt thou destroy the place, and not spare it for the fiftie righteous? and a­gaine, behould I haue begonne to speake [Page] vnto the Lord, and am but duste and As­shes. If there lack fiue of fiftie, wilt thou destroy them for fiue? And againe, what if but fortie? And againe, what if thir­tie? what if twentie? And againe, let not my Lord be angrie, if I speake once a­gaine? what if but ten: shewing thereby sufficiently, the earnest zeale which he had,2. Pet. 2.7. for the saluation of the people. This was in Lot, who was vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the wicked, for béeing righteous, and dwelling among them, in séeing and heareing, vexed his righteous soule from day to daye, with their vncleane and foule déedes. This zealous care for the Lords Haruest, was also in Samuel, 1. Sam. 7.9. Psal. 119.136. who cried vnto the Lord for Israell: And in Dauid, whose eyes gusht out with Riuers of water, because his people kept not the Lawe of God. This was in the Prophet Isay: Isa. 22.4. who in the aboundance of looue, bewayled his bretheren, which would needes perishe: saying, Turne away from me, I will weepe bitterly, labour not to comfort me, for the destruction of the Daughter of my people. Ierm 9.1. Ierem. 14.17. This was in Ieremy, who cryed out: O that my head were full of Water, and mine eyes a Foun­taine [Page] of Teares, that I might weepe day and night, for the slaine of the daughter of my people. Let myne eyes droppe downe teares night and daye without ceasing. Dan. 9.7.16.18.19. This was in the Prophet Da­niel, who when he heard out of Ieremie, that the Captiuitie should continue sea­uentie yeares, he turned his face vnto the Lord, with fasting, with Sackcloth and Ashes, and prayed: saying. To thee O Lorde, belongeth righteousnes, to vs open shame and confusion. O Lord I beseeche thee, let thine anger be turned away from thy Cittie Ierusalem, thine holy Mountaine. We doo not present our selues vnto thee, trusting in our owne righteousnesse, but in thy great and tender mercyes. O Lorde heare, O Lorde forgiue, O Lord con­sider, and doo it, not for our sake, but for thyne owne sake, O my God.

This was in the holye Apostle Sainte Paule, Actes. 20.31. Phil. 3.18. Rom. 9.1. who ceased not to warne euery man, bothe daye and night, with Teares, and hee cal­led God to wytnesse, that hee spake the trueth, howe hee had great heauynesse and contynuall sor­rowe of heart for hys Bretheren, [Page] and that for their sakes, Luk. 19.41. he wished him­selfe to be seperate from Iesus Christe. This was also in the chéefe Shéepheard, our Sauiour Christ, who when he be­held the Citty Ierusalem, and the iniqui­tie thereof, he wept ouer it, and cried out with gréefe of heart. O if thou hadst knowen, at the least, in this thy day, these things which belong vnto thy peace, but nowe they are hidde from thine eyes: and this ought to be in all the Ministers of Christ, to haue a zealous and a tender care of the Church of God, which Christ hath purchased with his moste precious bloud, and therefore our Sauiour dooth héere commaund his seuentie Disciples, that in all their prayers, they should not haue so much respect vnto themselues, as vnto the Haruest of the Lorde, and biddeth them pray the Lord of the Har­uest to sende foorth labourers into his Haruest: And this is the dutie, not one­ly of the Minister, but generally of all men,Psal. 137.5.6. to pray, for the peace of Ierusalem, and the prosperous estate of the Church of God, Ephe. 6.19. to pray, for the Ministers, that vtteraunce may be giuen vnto them, that they may opē their mouthes bould­ly, to publish the secret of the Gospell: [Page] to pray,2 Thes. 3.1. that the word of God may haue free passage, and be glorifyed among them: to pray, for their Pastors, Colos 4.3.4. that God wyll open vnto them the doore of vtte­raunce, that they may so speake the Mi­steries of Christ, as it becommeth them to speake, to pray with Dauid, that the Lord will be fauourable vnto Sion, Psa. 51.18. and build vp the walles of Ierusalem: And fi­nally, to praye heere with the seuentie Disciples that the Lord of the Haruest, will send foorth labourers into his Har­uest, and this shall euery one of you per­forme a great deale more carefully, if ye will call to minde, either the great com­fort which commeth vnto you by the paines of faithfull Labourers, or els the miserable estate that ye stande in, if ye want these Labourers. For first, what greater comfort can there be, to a tra­uayler, béeing in a straunge place, and a­mong his enemyes, then to be well ar­med, and to haue a good weapen to defēd him? Neither can there be any greater comfort to vs, that,Psalm. 39.12. are straungers and Pilgrimes, in this vale of misery, and continually assaulted with most cruell e­nemies, the world, the flesh, and the De­uill, then to be well weaponed, with the [Page] sworde of the spirite, Ephe. 6.17. Hebru. 4.12. the word of God, which shall cut downe sinne in vs, and enter thorough, euen to the deuiding a sunder of the soule, and of the spirite, of the ioyntes, and of the marrowe. Then we ought alwayes to pray with Dauid. I am a straunger vpon earth, Psal. 119.19. O hide not thy commaundement from me. What greater comfort to a man, which wal­keth in darkenesse, and in a daingerous place,Ephe. 5.8. Psa. 119.105. 2. Pet. 1.19. Ephe. 5.8. then to haue a light to be brought vnto him? Neither can there be anye greater comforte to vs, which of our selues are nothing but darkenesse (as Paule saythe, then to haue the worde of God, a Lanterne to our feete, and a Can­dle shining in a darke place: whereby we may be made light in the Lorde, and walke as the children of light. What greater ioye vnto a poore man, then to shrowde himselfe vnder the winges of some Nobleman or Gentleman, and to weare his Liuerie and Cognisance? ney­ther can there be any greater ioye to a true Christian, then to weare the Badge of a Christian, which is a zeale to heare the worde of God,Iohn. 8.47. 1. Ioh. 4.6. Iohn, 10.27. that hearing Gods worde, he may be knowne to be of God, and hearing the voyce of Christ, may be [Page] knowne thereby, to be one of the Sheep of Christ, and therefore such a one, as cā neuer perrish. There is no man, but he would willingly be reconciled to his Landlorde, or any other, which is able to hurt, either his body or goods: The Gospell of Christ is called,2. Cor. 5.19. Math. 10.28. the worde of reconciliation: whereby we are reconci­led to him, which is able to destroy bothe body and soule, and cast bothe into Hell lier. No man but he would willingly be saued:Iam. 1.21. Rom. 1.16. Isa. 12.3. it is called the worde of salua­tion, which is able to saue our soules, and therfore, we ought with ioy, to draw water out of the Wels of saluation: as the Prophet speaketh, ther is no mā but he would willingly be preserued frō er­rours & falshood: it is called,2. Cor. 6.7. Iohn. 17.17. the word of truth. No mā but if he haue any spar­kle of grace, he would willingly be deli­uered frō the bondage of sinne & iniqui­tie. It is, the Law of God, Psal. 19.7.11. &. 119.9. which is per­fect, & conuerteth the soule: the Testimo­ny of the Lord, is sure, & giueth wisdom vnto y^e simple: by thē is the seruāt of God made circūspect: by teaching, improouing,2. Tim. 3.16. correcting & instructing, they make y^e mā of god absolute & perfect in al good works There is no mā, but if he haue enemies, [Page] suing him at Lawe, for a péece of Land, he would gladly haue the aduise of good and learned Counsellers: our enemyes séeke to pluck from vs, the kingdome of Heauen, and therefore our delight ought to be in the statues of God, for, they are our Counsellers, Psal. 119.24. saith Dauid: if we haue any suite, we are desirous to know the end, how that iudgement shall passe. Christ saithe, If any man receiue not my woords. Ioh. 12.48. Sermo quem loquutus sum, iu­dicabit eum in nouissimo Die: the word which I haue spoaken, shall iudge him the last day. There is no man, but if his Father haue made a Will and Testa­ment, and therein bequeathed vnto him, any worldly goods or possessions, he wyll read the Will ouer and ouer againe, to see what his father hath bequeathed vn­to him. But the Minister dooth bring vn­to you, not the Testament of any mortal man, but, the Will and Testament of our Lord Iesus Christ: Rom. 11 27. 2. Cor. 3.6. Hebru. 8.8. &. 9.15. 1. Pet. 1.18. wherein he hath bequeathed vnto you, not, temporall ri­ches, but, the euerlasting ioyes of Hea­uen, purchased, not, with Siluer nor Gould, but, with his owne precious bloud: How much more then, ought ye to héere, marke, and commit vnto me [Page] morie, this Will and Testament, of our Lorde and redéemer? When the Market day commeth, that we must prouide for foode and rayement for our bodyes, we wyll applye it dilligently, to our great costes and charges. Behoulde the Lorde hath appointed many dayes, especially, the Sabbaoth dayes, to be the Market dayes of our soules, wherein we may fréely prouide for some thing, to the nou­rishment and comforte of our soules. What a great care then ought wee to haue, to resort vnto the Church, Apoc. 3.18. Isa. 55. [...]. to buy Gould tryed by the fier, that we may be riche, and white rayment, that we may be cloathed, and as the Prophet saythe, to buie Wyne and Mylke without Sil­uer: and not so, to care for the body, which shortly shall be Wormes meate, that we haue no care of the soule, which shortly shall be in the companye of An­gels. There is none of vs, but he would willingly conceaue some hope of eter­nall life: and this can neuer be, vnlesse we haue a desire, to sowe in our hearts, Luke. 8.11. the Seede of Gods worde. for, therefore, is the worde of God called Seede, be­cause in the Séede is all the hope of the Haruest. Sowe litle, reape litle, sowe [Page] sparingly, reape sparingly, sowe nothing reape nothing, and therfore let vs neuer thinke, that we can reape the Haruest of euerlasting life, vnlesse we haue a care to sowe in our hearts the Seede of Gods worde: for without faith, no man can be saued, neither can any man haue faithe, but,Rom. 10.14. by hearing the worde of God: for how shall they beléeue on him of whom they haue not heard? or how shall they heare without a Preacher? Vnlesse the ground doo giue Sap vnto the Tree, the Tree must needes wither: Iohn. 4.14. Math. 25.8. Vnlesse the Springe doo Minister Water vnto the Riuer, the Riuer must needes be dryed vp. If Oyle be not still powred into the Lampe, the Lamp will go out, take Fish out of the water, it wil dye: to be briefe, there is no liuing thing, but if ye take from it, the foode and nourishment due vnto it, it must of necessitie dye and per­rishe: euen so, the faithe of a Christian: vnlesse it receaue Sap continually from the ground of Gods worde, and be wa­tered with the Fountayne of lyfe, and haue the Oyle of the sweete promises of Christ, often powred into it, and be day­ly fedde with the bread of God, Iohn. 6.33. which commeth downe from Heauen and gi­ueth [Page] lyfe vnto the world, it must néedes be wythered, dryed vp, & extinguished: it must néedes die perrish, and vtterly con­sume for euer: If these things were duly considered, they would make vs to hun­ger & thirste for the word of God,Psalm. 19.11. and to accompt it, as Dauid did, more to be de­sired then Gould, yea, then much fine Gould: sweeter also then the Hony and the Hony Combe: they would make vs to say with the Prophet Isay, Isa. 52.7. Rom. 10.15. O how beautifull are the feete of them, which bring glad tidings of peace: And accor­ding to the commaundement of Christe in this place, to pray to the Lorde of the Haruest,Colos. 3.16.to send foorth Labourers into his Haruest, that, the worde of Christe may dwell plentifully in vs, in all wis­dome: Hebr. 6.1. wherby we may not onely learne the Doctryne of repentaunce from dead workes, and the firste instructions of of faith towards God, but also to go on forward to perfection, and to go thorowe all the chiefe principles of religion, so y^t we may be able alwaies,1. Pet. 3.15. to giue an an­swer to euery mā that asketh vs a reasō of the hope y^t is in vs, for, this dooth the word of God require of euery Christiā. If these reasons cānot stir vp our harts, [Page] so many sweete odours, and pleasaunt Flowers, more gorgeously cloathed then Salomon in all his royalty. The ground yeelding foorth Grasse for the Cattell, and Hearbe for the vse of man, Psalm. 104.10 and Wine that maketh gladde the heart of man, and Oyle to make him a cheerefull countenaunce, and bread to strengthen mans heart. The hiding of the treasures of the Snowe, and bringing foorth the hoarie Frostes, Psa. 147.8.16. the couering the heauens with Cloudes, and bringing foorth the winds out of their places. The wonder­full woorkemanship of God in man, which is as it were [...] a litle world: Wherein the glory of the worke­man dooth most appéere, the mighty ope­ration of God, bothe in man and Beast, as well in the sharpnesse of their senses, as in their stomacke which digesteth all things,Iob. 12.7. Isa. 10.42. and yet dooth not digest it selfe, and sundrye other such workes of God: doo shew his power and Godhead, [...] to make them in excusable which are Gentils and know not God,Rom. 1.20. and therefore the Prophet Dauid saith. The Heauens de­clare the power of God: and the Firma­ment sheweth the woorke of his hands: Psal. 19.1. [Page] daye vnto daye vttereth the same, and night vnto night teacheth knowledge, there is no speach, nor language where their voyce is not heard. Whose voyce? the voyce of the heauens, the Firmamēt, the vnchaingeable course of daye, night, Summer & Winter, their voice is heard euery where, they preache the power of God. So that we cannot say: If we had known God, we would haue feared him & serued him: for the Heauēs as Dauid saith, are as it were, a line, & capitall let­ter, to set before vs the power & wisdom God: that knowing there is a God, if we will not feare him as God,Psal. 19.4. we may be made all inexcusable: an other reason which Saint Paule vseth, is, the lawe of nature, which God hath ingrauen in the hearts of men, whereby their owne cons­cience, dooth heare them witnesse, and their owne thoughts either accuse or ex­cuse, for, Nulla est tam barbara natio, Rom. 2.14.15 Cic. de nat deor. nulla gens tam efferata cui non insideat haec persuasio, esse Deum.

And therefore, the moste wicked, howsoeuer sometimes, they (foolishlye) saye in their hearts there is no God: Psalm. 14. [...] yet doth the feare & terror which they conti­nually cary in their brests, & y^e iudgmēts [Page] of God which they dayly sée before their eyes, compell them, will they, nill they, to confesse that there is a God in heauen, whom they haue contemned. As we read of C. Caligula, Suetonius. although he was a bloody tyrant and a moste dasperate contenmer of God, yet when as by the terrible thū ­dering and lightnings, he saw a token of Gods wrath, he couered himselfe in corners, and crept vnder the Beds, for the feare and terrour thereof. Whereof came this same but that his owne cons­cience tould him that there was a God aboue, whose voice he heard, and whom he had despised, & who in the end, would surely be reuenged? By these reasons (good people) ye sée that if ye wāt faithful labourers in the Lordes Haruest, yet your ignoraunce shall not excuse you, but that,Prou. 29.18. where prophecie ceaseth, there the people perrish, and the Lorde will powre out his vengeaunce, euen vpon them which by his worde haue neuer knowne him. For he saith by the Pro­phet,Ezech. 3, 18. &. 33.6. If thou doo not warne the wicked man of his sinnes, his bloud will I re­quire at thy hand, but he saythe there­withall, that, the wicked shall die in his iniquitie, the wicked is taken away for [Page] his sinnes, but his bloud I will (also) re­quire at the Watchemans hands, so that bothe shall perrish, bothe the negligent watchmen, & the ignorant people, bothe the blinde leader, & the blinde follower, as Christ saithe,Math. 15.14. If the blinde leade the blinde, they shall bothe fall into the Ditche. And therefore, séeing your ig­noraunce dooth not onely not excuse you,2. Thes. 1.8. [...] but also throw you headlong into the pit of destruction, there to be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of God, and from the glory of his power, great cause ye haue to lift vp your harts vnto the Lord earely and late, and con­tinually to praye vnto the Lorde of the Haruest, to sende foorth labourers into his Haruest, and not onely to praye for labourers, but also to praye that the la­bours and paines of the labourers, may be profitable vnto you.Actes. 16.14. For except the Lorde doo open the hart of Lydia, she cannot so much as marke those things, which Paul speaketh: Neither can the word of God any thing profit you, vn­lesse, with the planting of Paul, 1. Cor. 3.6. and wa­tering of Appollo God doo giue the in­crease: and as the Prophet saith,Ezech. 11.19. put a new spirit within your bowels, and take [Page] away your stonie hearts, and giue you hearts of flesh. And therfore whensoeuer the séede of Gods word is sowen in your hearts, praye vnto God, that he will so water it with the dew of his holy spirit, that it may take such déepe roote, that Sathan be neuer able to plucke it a­waye: assuring your selues, that the Diuill dooth goe about nothing so dil­ligently, as to keepe you in ignoraunce and blindnesse, [...] and to snatche the seede of the worde, Luke. 8.12. out of your heartes, least ye should beleeue and be saued. When a mā hath taken away the wea­pon from his enemy, then may he worke his pleasure, and use him as he will Euē so, if Sathan can pluck away our wea­pon, The sworde of the spirit, out of our hands, then may he handle vs as he wil, & when we know not the trueth,Ephe. 6.17. he may intangle vs in his snares, & at his owne will, drawe vs vnto all wickednesse and mischiefe,1 Tim. 2.25.26 and therefore, his chéefe ende­uour hath euer béene, to kéepe the people vnarmed, and to maintaine his Bul­warke of ignoraunce & blindenesse: & for this cause, he sendeth his Messengers to sowe this doctrine in the hearts of men, that, Ignoraunce is the mother of deuo­cion: [Page] that, the Bible ought to be lockt vp, and nothing to be heard, but the tra­ditions of his sonne the Pope: that, it is Heresie to heare the word of God: that, the people may indeede, come to the Church to be Christened, to be Maryed and to be buryed, but in no case, to pray, or to heare the Gospell of Christ: And thus the God of this world hath blinded their eies, y^t,2. Cor. 4.4. the light of the glorious gos­pell of Christe, which is the Image of God, should not shine vpon thē. Others thinke, that, if they come to the Church orderly & customably to pray, that then they haue gon far enough, & as for hea­ring the worde of God, they make small accompts of it: & therefore if they can get such as can read thē morning & euening prayer, they care for no other labourers in the Haruest.

But these doo not consider that which Salomon saithe. Hee which tur­neth awaye his eare from hearing the law, euen his praier shalbe abhominable: Prou. 28.9. although hee patter vp neuer so many prayers, yet vnlesse he shew therwithall a zeale to héer the word of God, his prai­er is abhominable in the sight of God, & this is a plague of all plagues, that, that [Page] prayer whereby we should aske all good things at Gods hands, that prayer shall be come abhominable. An other spiritual plague is: the taking away of the foode of our soules, and the depriuing vs of the Gospell of Christ, which the Lorde dooth threaten to all the contemners of his word.Amos. 8.11. Behould the dayes come, sayth the Lorde God, that, I will send a famine in the Lande, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the worde of God, and they shall wan­der from the North vnto the West, from one Sea to another, they shall runne too and fro to seeke the worde of God, and shall not finde it: Math. 21.43. And Christ dooth threa­ten the Iewes, that, for their vnthankful­nesse, the kingdome of God, the prea­ching of the Gospell should be taken from them, and giuen to an other nation which should bring foorth the fruite thereof. And surely if we consider our owne vnthankfulnesse, in this Realme of England, we shalbe compelled to con­fesse, that we haue deserued long a go to haue this plague to be brought vpon vs, that, the worde of God should be taken from vs, and giuen to an other nation, which shall bring forth the fruite therof. [Page] For what one among a thousande hath any care for the heauenly foode of his soule? what one among a thousand, doth praye earnestly to the Lord of the Har­uest, to sende foorth labourers into his Haruest? Naye we are rather glutted with it, it is but a vile meate thinke we,Numb. 11.5. we had rather, returne into Aegipt to feede on our Onyons. Leekes, and Gar­leeke, then to taste of the sweet Manna, the worde of the euerliuing God. Iohn. 1.10. The light came into the world, and men loo­ued darkenesse more then light. The Lorde of his aboundant mercy,Luk. 19.42.44 open our eyes, that we may once sée those things which belong to our peace, and know the time of our visitation, that by our vnthankfulnes wee neuer deserue to haue the glorious Gospell of Christ to be taken from vs. Alas, déere brethren, we consider not the heauie iudgements of God, which hange ouer our heads, and shall moste certainely be powred vpon vs, vnlesse we repent vs of this our vn­thankfull contempt of the word of God. It did nothing gréeue the Sodomites, Gen. 19.16. when Lot was departed from them. The olde world made no accompt of it,Gen. 7.1. when Noah the Preacher of righteous­nesse, [Page] went from them, & entered into the Arke.Amo [...]. 7.10. Exod. 32.6. 1. Cor. 10.17. All the lande of Iurie was not a­ble to abide the words of Amos: when Moses was away, then were the people of Israell all merry, they sate downe to eate & drinke, and rose againe to playe: And so also it is with vs, we rather wish that these labourers which we haue al­ready, should be taken away, then that the number of them should be increased: we had rather haue their absence, then their presence, their roome then theyr cō ­pany. But I beséech you consider how in y^e end they were all most miserably pla­gued: The Sodomites with fier & brim­stone from Heauen. The old world, with the floud ouerwelming the whole earth. Exod. 32.27 2 [...]. The Isralits with a lamentable murther, staying euery man his brother, and euery man his companion, and euery man his neighbour. The Iewes with a miserable captiuity in Babilō. for the cause of their destruction was onely, the despising of the Prophets of God, as the Lord shew­eth by his Prophet.Ierm. 29.18. I wil persecure them with the sworde, and I will make them a terrour for all Kingdoms of the earth, and a curse and astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproche, among all nati­ons, [Page] where I shall cast them, because they haue not heard my words, saith the Lorde. When I sent vnto them my ser­uaunts the Prophets, rising vp early, and sending them, but yee would not heare, saith the Lord. But while they mocked the Messengers of God, and despised his worde, and misused his Prophets,2. Chro 36.16 be­holde the Kinge of the Chaldaeans com­ming with a fearce and terrible Armie, brake downe the Walles of their Cittie, fiered their Temple, burnt all their Towers, destroyed Man, Woman and Childe, so that none escaped death, but such as were ledde into Captiuitye, and all the Goulde and Treasures bothe of the Temple and of the Noble men was all caryed awaye into Babilon. The Lorde knoweth whether the like Captiuitye be reserued for vs or no: and, the Lorde graunt that the dayes of our Gracious Prince Elizabeth, be not shortened for our vnthankfulnesse. There was neuer Countrey, that e­uer despised the Prophetes of God, but it afterwarde felte the scourge of God, and shall wee, which are most guiltye of this synne, be onelye frée from the punishment?

No, no, it cannot be, but either we shall taste of a miserable Captiuitie in this world, or els of a farre greater Captiui­tie,2. Thes. 1.8.9. when Sathan shall lead bothe body and soule, into the bottomlesse pit of Hell, there to be punished with euerla­sting perdition, from the presence of God, and from the glory of his power.

These things good people, if they were well pondered in our minds, they would make vs continually to flie vnto God, with feruent and hartie prayer, and to say with Dauid. Blessed art thou O God, Psalme. 119.12 18 19 33 35 97 135. O teach me thy Statutes: open mine eyes, that I maye see the wonders of thy Lawe, teache me O Lord the way of thy Statutes, and I will keepe it vnto the ende, direct me in the pathe of thy commaundements, for therein is my de­light. O how I loue thy law, it is my me­ditation continually, shew the light of thy countenaunce vpon thy seruaunt, and teach me thy commaundements: and they would make vs carefully to performe this which our Sauiour dooth commaund his seauentie Disciples: To prave the Lord of the Haruest, to sende forthe Labourers into his Haruest, and not onely to pray for faithfull Labou­rers, [Page] but also to put to our helping hands and to indeuour by all lawfull meanes possible, to prouide for such as shall painefully labour in the Haruest of the Lord: for otherwise, if we will in words seeme to pray for them, and then indéede can not finde in our harts to bestow any peny vpon them, that the Labourers may haue their hier, that, they which sowe vnto you spirituall things, Math. 10.10. 1. Tim. 5.18. 1. Cor. 9.11.14 Gala. 6.6. may in like māner reape of your carnall things: that they which preach the Gospel, may liue of the Gospell, as the Lord hath or­deyned: then are our prayers nothing els but mockeries, and plaine Hipocri­sie before God: for outwardly we praye for them, but inwardly we are not tou­ched with the want of the thing that we desire. Héere then is a Lesson for all La­trones (as they are,) but Patrones, as they should be, that in bestowing their liuings, they séeke not to enritche them­selues by Sacriledge and Church robbe­rie, nor yet to prouide for such as will flatter them in their sinnes, and sowe Pillowes, vnder their Elbowes, and crie: Peace, peace, where as no peace is, Ezech. 13.18. Ierem. 23.30. nor such as haue sweete lippes, and will passe and repasse, vnder their armes, at [Page] their own pleasure, nor such as are domb Dogges and cannot barke, blinde guides and cannot see: Isa 56.10. but that they trauaile to the vttermost of their power, to place faithfull labourers in the Haruest of the Lord, or otherwise they are accessarie to the murder of so many soules as perish. And héere also is a lesson for you of the inferior sorte, that séeing our liuings are so spoyled by impropriations, that they are not able to maintaine Preachers a­mongst you, for ye know, that we haue but the chaffe, and others the corne, we the parings, and other the Aples, we the shels and others the Kernels: and ye sée how euery day it waxeth worse & worse, so that, he now dooth account him hap­piest, which can pill the Church moste, yet ye must not follow their wicked and desperate ensample, but euery one con­tribute something to the maintenaunce of some learned Pastor, to instruct you in the word of God, which is able to saue your soules. Set not your mindes so vpō worldly things, Luke. 14.18. as vpō your Oxen, your Farmes and your Wiues, that in y^e meane time,Math. 13.46. ye neglect the Heauenly Supper which is prepared for you by Iesus Christe Ye must accompt the Gospell of [Page] Christ, to be that Precious Pearle, which when a Marchaunt man hath found it, he selleth all he hath to bine it,Phil. 3.8. Math. 6.33. ye must accompt all things but doonge, so that ye may win our Lord Iesus Christ. Seeke ye firste the kingdome of Heauen, and then all things shall be giuen vnto you. Spend not your substaunce in pride, ri­ot, drunkennesse and excesse, to the de­struction both of your soules and bodies, but bestowe it to the glory of God, to the comfort of your brethren, to the godly re­léeuing of your familyes, and to the sal­uation of your own soules. Dauid saith,Psalm. 69. [...] O Lorde the zeale of thy house hath ea­ten me vp: but we may say the zeale of our owne houses, the pride and excessiue riotousnesse of our owne houses, hath eaten vs vp: but few of vs can say with Dauid. O Lord, the zeale of thy house hath eaten me vp. Especially, ye that are Landlordes, and haue all the swéete and fatte of the earth, ye are to looke vn­to it, that there be prouision made for Labourers in the Lords Haruest, and that ye bestowe your portion liberally thereunto, for, what a great shame is it, that ye whom the Lord hath blessed with so great aboundance, should prodigally [Page] spende it, all vpon your owne backes, all vpon your owne bellyes, all vpon your owne Kitchins, all vpon your owne Sta­bles, all vpon Hanking and Hunting, all vpon Whores and Hounds: and nothing vpon the Church of God, nothing vpon the honour of your cheefe Lord in Hea­uen, nothing vpon the common wealth, nothing vpon your brethren in Christe deerly bought with the bloud of Christ? And what a shame is it, that ye should accompt the liuings of the Church to be your owne, to giue them, to buie them, to sell them, to farme them, at your owne pleasures, & in the meane time, to thinke that the care of the Church dooth nothing appertaine vnto you? As the Prophet requireth of Princes,Isa. 49 23. so also all inferior Maiestrates, ought to be Nurcing Fa­thers & Nurcing Mothers, to the church of God. Now the dutie of a Nurce, is not onely, to nurture and correct, but al­so to feede the Childe. Then if Iustices of Peace, and Magistrates, will punish the people for their sinnes, as their mur­ders, Thefts, and such other crimes, and in the meane time neuer sée them fedde with the sincéere Milke of Gods worde, then they are not Nurcing Fathers, and [Page] Nurcing mothers: but Stepfathers & step­mothers, for they beate, but they doo not feede. Pharao was a cruell tyraunt, yet when all his people were so oppressed with hunger, that they were compelled to sell their Cattle and groūd for Corne, whereby all the Countrey was come into the Kings hands, yet he would not onely not suffer the Priests to sell their possessions, nor séeke any gaine by their hinderaunce, but also of his owne costes, he prouided for them:Gen. 47. [...] for the Text saith. The Priests had an ordina­rie of Pharao, and they did eate the ordina­ry which Pharao gaue them, and therefore they did not sell their ground. Iezabell, 1. Reg. 18.9. so prouided for the Préests of the Groues, that she kept foure hundred at her owne Table. The papists haue thought nothing too much to be bestowed on the maintenaūce of their foolish superstition, and all the Heathen peo­ple in the world are bountifull and liberall vnto their Priests and Southsayers: how much more then ought we Christians to be carefull to prouide not for idolatrous Mas­sing Priests, nor Heathenish Southsayers, but for faithfull labourers in the Lordes Haruest to feede the flock of Christe which he hath purchased with his bloud? for other­wise moste certainely, the blinde deuotion [Page] of the Papists and Infidels, will condemne vs, and it will be more easie for them, then for vs, at the dreadfull daye of iudgement: for as nothing ought to be more deare to the Minister, then his flock, that he may say vnto them,Phil. 1.8. &. 4.1. as Paul saith vnto the Philippi­ans. God is my record how I long after you all, frō the verye hart roote, in Iesus Christ, my brethren belooued and longed for, ye are my ioy and my crowne, continue in the Lord my belooued. So on the other side, the people should haue ioy in nothing, so much as in the Ministers, and therfore God saith to the Church,Isa. 49.17.18. 1. Thes. 5.13. by the Prophet Esay. Thy builders make hast, as I liue saith the Lord, thou shalt surely put them all vpon thee, as a Garment, and girde thy selfe with them as a Bride: shewing thereby that the ioye and Crowne of the Church, ought to be the good and godly estate of the builders therof, that they may be able according to y^e word of God,1. Cor. 9.4.5. 1. Tim. 3.2.4. [...]. Cor. 9.14. not onely, to sustaine themselues with meate and drinke, but to maintaine a wife being a sister, as Paul saith, to keepe Hospitallity to the credit of their calling, to prouide for their children, liuing vnder obedience, with all honesty, & in all points wel and honestly, to liue of the Gospel, and not to be brought to such miseryas they are [Page] now, in a maner, to beg from dore to dore. And thus ye see it is your dutie, not onely, to pray for faithfull labourers, but to seeke by al meanes possible, to maintaine faithful Labourers: and likewise, to keepe out all Hierlings, theeues, and murderers: And ther­fore, you my Lorde, are here also admoni­shed, not to regard the pittifull and lamen­table complaints of those which alledge their charges heeretofore, and their present pouertie, that vnlesse their sonnes be nowe admitted, they must needes take them from the Schole, and set them to the Plowe and Carte, but to aunswer them, as Vlisses an­swered Andromache, intreating for her boy Astianax: Thy teares O woman, moue me much, but the teares of my countrey-women ought to mooue me more: your cō ­plaints, indeede, are lamentable, but muche more pittiful are the teares of the Church the spouse of Iesus Christ. And last of all ye y^t are y^e parents are here to learne, to weigh the gifts & ability of your childrē before ye seek to bring thē into the Ministery. It is a common vse & custome among you, if your children haue any good gifts of nature, or any great token of towardlinesse, then to set thē to some occupation, or to place them in seruice with some Gentleman: but if they be good for nothing, then to seeke by [Page] countenaunce of letters, to make them Mi­nisters to serue the Church of God, so that with the best ye will serue the world, and God must take that which is left, whereas indéede, ye ought to thinke none to good to serue the Lorde: although, ye had but one, 1. Sam. 1.22. and him as deere vnto you as Samuell was to Elcana and Anna: but to accompt it as King Dauid did, a more honorable thing, to be a dorekeeper in the house of his God, Psalm. 84.10. then to dwell in the tabernacles of wicked­nesse: what more vile office then a dorekee­per? Yet Dauid béeing a King, had rather be a doore keeper in the house of his God, then to dwell in the Palaces and Tents of vngodlinesse. The scornefull kéeping back of the worthy, and the carelesse and impu­dent thrusting in of the vnworthy is a ma­nifest signe, that ye haue not that care for the Lords Haruest, which ye ought to haue, séeing that ye séeke to place therein loyte­rers, thrust in by your selues, and not la­bourers sent from God. Ye sée by the words of Christ in this place, that none ought to labour in the Lords Haruest, vnlesse he be sent of God, which is the Lorde of the Har­uest,Rom. 10.15. & therefore Paul saith: How shall they heare without a Preacher, or how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent? No man taketh [Page] this honour vnto him, but he that is called of God, euen as Aaron was.Heb [...]. 5. [...]. Now they on­ly are truely sent and called of God, which inwardly, haue God the Author of their calling, and be fully perswaded in hart, that God hath chosen them to be fit Labourers, for the profit and benefit of his Church, & outwardly haue the Church, or the Elders therof, by the ordinance of God, to lay this office vpon them. If any doo thrust in them selues before they be thus sent of God, & doo preache the worde, or Minister the Sacra­ments, being either men which are not cal­led, or women which may not be called to that publique function,1. Tim. [...] 11.1 [...]. Numb. 16.31. they are no better then Core, Dathan and Abiram, who with two hundred & fifty men, offered Incense to the Lorde, without calling, but the earth claue vnder their feete, and opening her mouthe, swallowed vp, both them and their Tabernacles, and a fier comming foorth from the Lord, consumed the two hundred & fiftie mē, which offered the Incense: and therefore, although there be great want of Labourers in the Lords Haruest, and few to Preach the word of God, yet none ought to intrude themselues,1. Thes. 5. [...]1. Iam. 5.19. Deut. [...].7. before they be called and sent of God, not onely with the inward calling, but also with the outward. I speake [Page] this of the publique office of the Ministe­rie, Gen. 18.1 [...]. Iosu. 24.15, Isa. 38 19. Ephe. 6.4. for otherwise, euery Christian is bound priuatly, to instruct his brother, and especi­ally, euery parent & houshoulder is bound by the word of God, to be a Bishop in his owne family, & hath charge not onely of the body, but also of the soule. But in the pub­lique office of the Ministery, there is requi­red an other manner of outwarde calling: first,Hebru. 13.17. 1. Thes. 5.11. to be approoued and allowed by the iudgemēt of the Church, especially of those whome the Apostle doothe call [...] which be ouer y^e people & haue the ouersight of the people, & therefore Paul wil haue in the Church a Seniory, or Elder­ship, which he calleth [...], when he saith to Timothy: 1. Tim. 4.14. Despise not the g [...]if [...] that is in thee, which was giuē thee by pro­phesie, with the laying on of hands of the company of the eldership: Actes. 6.2. & whē the Dea­cons were chosē, the twelue called the mul­titude of Disciples together. For the which cause good people, ye see how my lord at this time hath done nothing of his own priuate iudgement, but hath ioyned with himselfe a Seniory of the Preachers round about you, who haue altogether in this church exami­ned these which are now to be admitted for the space of these two or three daies, and for [Page] that the consēt of the common people is not to be neglected for (before the Deacōs were chosen, the whole multitude was pleased:Actes. 6. [...]) therfore, there is none at this time admitted but he is approoued & cōmended by y^e letters of sundry worshipfull and others, which are best thought of, testifying bothe his good & godly conuersation, & also the good liking which the people haue of him in that place whereunto he is already called. And as for the rest, if any in those parishes can alledge any cause, why any of these are not to be admitted, if they will speake, they shalbe heard, & if they speake not, then their silence is to be taken for a consent, especially seeing they haue had knowledge so longe before, as this businesse is not now taken in hand of a sodayne, but longe before knowne to all the Countrey.

And héere, as in Matrymonie, the con­gregation standing by, is déepely char­ged, that, If any man can shew any iust cause why the partyes that are to bee marryed maye not lawefullye be ioyned together, that hee nowe speake, or els for euer heereafter houlde his peace.

Euen so, that I maye as it were, aske the Banes, betwixte these that are to be made Ministers, & their charge and office, [Page] I most earnestly request you all, as you will aunswer before the Lord Iesus Christ, and as ye tender the Church of God, that If any of you can laye any thing to any of their charges, or shew any iust cause why they may not be receiued into the office of the Ministerie, that he speake now, or els for euer heereafter hould his peace, from speaking any ill of theyr admission.

Now after their election, ther must follow their ordering, which that it may be accor­ding to the worde of God, there are two things required.Luke. 6.12. Actes. 1.24. &. 6.6. First, fasting and prayer, and therefore our Sauiour Christe before that he sent foorth his Apostles, he went in­to the Mountaine to praye, and spent the night in prayer to God. The Apostles in the choosing of Matthias, and in the appoin­ting of the Deacons, made their prayers vnto God:Actes. 13.3 &. 14 23. Paul & Barnabas, were sent foorth with fasting & praier. And the second thing is,Acts. 8.1 [...]. &. 13.2 &. 14.22. the laying on of hands, wherby they are as it were seperate from priuate men, and sent foorth vnto the worke, wherevnto the Lorde hath called them: which manner of ordeyning, as it is plainely commaunded and appointed by God, so is the number vncertaine by whom it must be done, for that the Scriptures doo make mention, [Page] sometymes, but of one, 2. Tim. 1.6. 1. Tim. 5.22. Actes. 6.2.6. &. 13.1. 1. Tim. 4.14. althoughe (no do [...]bt) there were no more adioyned: some­times of the twelue, sometimes, of certaine Prophets & Teachers, and somtimes of the Seniorie or eldership, which seemeth moste to appertaine to the state of the church now present. But héere a question may be moo­ued: how the calling of the first reformers in the Church in this last age can be good, seeing they had no imposition of hands, but onely of Popish Priestes, which are no true Seniorie? I aunswer, that, the manner of calling, must be considered according to the visible estate of the Church, which is ei­ther altogether corrupt, or els abiding safe and sound. If it be pure, then is the ca [...]ing ordinarie, but if it be altogether corrupt, thē an extraordinary vocation may haue place, euen according as it shall please God to rayse vp his seruaunts, and to imploye thē, to reforme the Church, and to bring her to her olde purity. God is not alway bound to ordinary meanes:1. Reg. 18 19. for when the ten Tribes of Israel, were altogether corrupted thorow their Idolatries: God did extraordinarily raise vp vnto them Elias, to reforme them, and to endeuor to bring thē vnto the right seruice of God▪ who notwithstanding) was not a Priest, neither had he in that respect a­ny [Page] succession. That this generall corrupti­on shall be in the Church, in the last age, and that God shall rayse vp witnesses to speake against it, it is sufficiently shewed in the Apocalips. Reuel. 11.2.3. Againe I may aunswer, that, the most part of the first reformers of the Church, in this last age, had after a sort an ordinary vocation (as they count a vo­cation) for they were called by the Priests, and by them established and setllin their charges: and therefore by consequent, had authoritie and right, to goe vp into the Pulpit, and to teach in the Church, as Lu­ther, Zwinglius, Ecolampadius, Bucer, and before them, Wicliffe, and Iohn Hus, and so many Bishoppes in England, Scotland, Denmarke, and els where, which haue re­ceaued, and do preach the Gospell of Christ, haue succeeded the Popish Priests, in suc­cession of the Chaire and place, although in Doctrine, they haue onely succeeded our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ. And there­fore as we allowe their Baptisme, so also their imposition of hands, vntill the time came, that the Lorde in his mercie tooke a­way the corruptions of them bothe. And thus you see, how by the word of God, Mi­nisters are to be publiquely ordeyned with laying on of hands, and with prayer, not [Page] with shauing and besmearing with Oyle, not with, Tapers, Basins, Towels, Chalices, singing Cakes, Wine and Water, Flower, Crosses, Linens, bands: not with, breathing on them, as though it were in mans powre to giue the holy Ghost: not with, Amicks, Albes, Sto [...]les, Girdles, Mamples, Crosier staues & Miters: not with sundrie such sot­tish ceremonies, & foolish gestures, as haue bin vsed héeretofore, in the creating of po­pish Bishops and Priests, greasie shaue­lings, and Idolatrous Massemongers: but simplye and plainely, with laying on of hands, and with prayer. And for this cause, my Lorde hath thought it conue­nient, at this time, not to ordayne the Ministers secrety in his Closet, as hath beene wickedly practised of others heereto­fore: but, to bring them into the face of the congregation, to the end that we altogether, might, with one heart and one voyce, praye vnto the Lorde of the Haruest, that hee will make them profita­ble Labourers in his Haruest. And nowe therefore, deare brethren, let vs not accoumpt this busynesse, A Spec­tacle to bee gazed vpon, but let vs all with one accorde, lifte vp our mindes vnto the Father of Heauen, thorough the [Page] merits and intercession of his welbelooued sonne Iesus Christ. Let vs pray vnto the Lorde of the Haruest, that hee will graunt not onely to these, which are nowe to be sent foorth, but also, to all vs which are sent already, the grace of his holy and com­fortable spirite, Luke. 24.49. that he will endew vs with power from an high: that he will so powre out vpon vs, the spirite of wisdom and vn­derstanding, Cor. 4.3.4. Ephe. 6.19. that we may know the myse­ryes of his will, that he will so open vnto vs the dore of vtterance, that we may bouldly publish the secret of the Gospell, that we may with discretion, wisely, painefully, faythfully and dilligently, feede the flocke of Christe, which he hath purchased with his bloud, so that no vnthankfulnesse of the world may discourage vs or driue vs from the performing of our dutie, that we may fulfill our Ministerie, Colos. 4.17. 1. Tim. 4.16. and continue in doc­trine: not to put our handes to the Plough and then to looke backe againe: as many in these our dayes, preach dilligently for a time, while they haue nothing, but when they haue gotten good liuings, then the fat [...]ennes laye no Egges. For, if we thus looke backe agayne, Luke. 9.62. then we haue our iudgement denounced against vs by Christ him selfe: that, we are not fit for the king­dom [Page] of God. Let vs also pray vnto God that he will roote out all rauening Wolues, all Hierlings, Timeseruers, and dombe Dogges, 2. Thes. 3.1. Psa. 51.18. which hinder the course of the Gospel, that he wyl giue his word free pas­sage, and builde vp the walles of Ierusalem, that, he wil giue vnto vs al the spirite of sanctification, that, we may let our light so shine before men, Math. 5.16. that they may see our good woorkes and glorifye our Father in Heauen: that, so we may labour with both handes, in the Haruest of the Lorde, with exhortation and conuersation, with life, & doctrine, whereby there may be plentie, of pure spirituall Wheate, to the lawde and prayse of God, and great heapes of true be­leeuers, to be gathered into the Barnes of euerlasting ioyes. And finally, that, he wyll blesse all Schooles of Learning, with in­crease in all godly knowledge: and graunt vnto all Students, that, they may alwayes haue his feare before theyr eyes, and make this the chéefe end of all their Studyes, the glory of his holy name, the profit of the Church, and the maintenaunce of the com­mon wealth, whereby the number of true Labourers may be increased: for, the Har­uest is great, and the Labourers are but few.

And thus good people, that I may nowe draw to an end, yée haue heard out of this charge, giuen by our Sauiour Christe vnto his seuentie Disciples, all such profitable Lessons as my slender Tallent would suf­fer me, at this tyme, to delyuer vnto you. Much more might be spoken heare,Math. 21.22. Ephe 3.12. Iam. 1.6. Hebr. 4.16. Luke. 11.9.10 of the manner how we ought to pray to the Lord of the Haruest: that, we must pray in faith, grounded vpon Gods promises, with full assuraunce that our request shall be graun­ted, and that he will not forsake his church: and againe, that, we should be touched in­wardly, Rom. 8.26. Iohn, 4.24. 1. Ioh. 5.14. Psalm. 25.1. with the want of the thing that we desire, and therefore, that we praye in spirit and trueth: & in heart, lament as well the small number of true and faithfull Labou­rers, as also the great aboundaunce of Wolues and Hierlings,Luke. 18.1. Rom. 12.12. 1. Thes. 5.17. Colos. 4.2. and that we ought to continue in praier although we haue not our requests at the first, but that Théeues & murderers doo dayly créepe in more & more, and that we must pray onely,Iohn. 1 [...].13. 1. [...]im. [...].5. 1. Iohn 2. [...]. Math. 3.17. for the merits and intercession of Iesus Christ, who is on­ly the mediator betwixt God and Man, in whome the Father ir well pleased: that, the Flocke may not perrishe, for which he shed his bloud: Psalm. 50.15. Iam. 1.5. and finallye, that, we ought to direct our prayers onely to the Lord of the [Page] Haruest: who is onely able to heare vs,Ioel. 2.52. Actes. 10.26. Apoc. 19.10. Rom. 1.25. and onely of power to helpe vs, and not to any Saint or Angell in Heauen, ascribing that to the Creature, which is due vnto the Creator, who be blessed for euer and euer. But because these matters require a lar­ger discourse, then the weakenesse of my voyce wyll nowe permitte me to vtter, I haue thought good, rather, to passe them o­uer bréefely, then by continuing my speach, either to weary you and my self, or to with­hould you any longer, from a far more lear­ned exhortation, which shall immediatly be giuen you. The Lord of his infinite mercy giue vs grace so to laye vp these profitable Instructions, in our hearts, that as we haue heard them attentiuely, so wee may bring foorth fruite accordingly, that we of the Ministerie, maye with all wisdome and discretion, feede the Flocks commit­ted to our charge, that we may labour so dilligentlye, faithfullye, and paynefully, in the woorke of the Lorde: that, no vnthank­fulnesse of the worlde, may driue vs which haue now put our hands to the Plowe, to looke back againe: that, wee maye take heede vnto our selues, and to our doctrine, and continue therein, whereby we maye saue our selues, and those that heare vs: [Page] that, we may not gather with the one hand and scatter with the other hand, but labour with bothe hands, with worde and lyfe, as well by our agreeing together with bro­therly looue, and gooing hande in hand to­gether, in the woorke of the Lorde, as also, by all integritie, holynesse and purenesse of liuing least while we preach vnto others [...] selues become reprobates. And the [...] [...]e out the dew of his holy spirit, [...] you that are the hearers, that the séede which we sawe amongst you, may neither [...] out of your hearts by Sathan, as the seede by the high way side, is deuoured by the Powles of the ayre, nor choaked with the Briars and Brambles of voluptu­ous liuing, and the Thornie cares of this worlde, nor burnt vp with the heate of per­ [...]ion: but that, it may battle, as in good grounde, and bring forth fruite an hundred foulde: that so ye may be a plentifull Har­uest vnto the Lorde not bringing foorth the Tares of sinne and wickednesse, but in the fruite of good workes, aunswerable to that husbandrie, which the Lorde hath bestowed vpon you. And the Lord pardon both in you and in vs, all our offences, and all our sins, so especially our dull spirits in prayer, and giue grace héereafter, bothe to Pastoure [Page] and to people, that we may pray earnestly from the hart vnto the Lorde of the Har­uest, to sende foorth Labourers into his Haruest, that so wée may be taught, and so wee may liue in this world, that at the last daye, when wée shall appeare beefore the Throne of Christ, the Angels of God may gather vs, not as the wicked, which shall be collected as faggots, and cast into the Fyre, but as pure Wheate which is gathered into the Barnes of euerlasting rest, that we may inherit the heauenly Ierusalem, the Lande of Canaan flowing with Milke and Hony. where there shall bee no more Tares nor Wéedes, nor Thornes, nor Thistles, nor heate of Sunne to parche, nor stormes, nor tempestes, but wée shall remaine (for euer) a glorious Haruest vnto the Lorde, where there shall be no more hunger, nor thirste, nor colde, nor sicknesse, nor temptation, nor torment, nor myserie, nor mischife, nor en­uye, nor malice, nor griefe, nor paine, but the Lorde shall wipe away all teares from our eyes, where we shall enioy suche ioyes, as eye neuer saw, eare neuer harde, neither euer could enter into the harte of man To the which ioyes, the eternall God and Fa­ther of our Lord Iesus Christ, both happy­lye [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] and spéedely, bring vs all, for the mea­rites of his deare Sonne our most mercy­full Sauiour: to whom with the Father and the Holye Ghost, thrée parsons and one true and euerlyuing god be all honor, glorye, maiestie, power and Dominion, both now and euer. Amen.