366 Chap.5. The Duties of Paffors and People. Com.S, deration herein that hath brought that confulion and difturbance into the World whichwe daily fee. For whereas this ought to be the thing, which we ought all anhelare, to breath Efay49.23. after ; and the Prophet fays, that Reges erunt nutritii& Regime nutrias tx.e, Kings pallbe thy nurfing Fathers, andieenstby nurfng Mothers, that is, of the Church ; and that their duty is nutrire, whereby the Churches eftate might be the more glorious. Ezek.rr.r,z, Some according to Ezekiels Princes, think, that when they are preferred to high 3' places, that the end for which they were fo preferred is, but to foak in the broth, to Kings z t. 7. 2 King.zo.r9 live at cafe, live what they to do he Y ,t> as lift, Jezebel faid, that all their care is but to have J l'faln 49.zO. pacem in dictum fuis, peace in their days, and that outward peace , that Invafions, Tumults, andBroils may not hinder them in their cafe and pleafures. And on the other fide, when SubjeEts are fuch as King David fpeaks of, men ( indeed ) made to be in honour, but become without undertlanding, that they know no other good Col. 3. 2. but bonumfenfibile, their bellies, tables,furniturefor their houjees.d7:. fet their afeetiens ( in the Apoftles phrafe ) on earthly things, ptbrery7zëar zs yñs, and fo make that Matth. 16. 6. Commutation whichour Saviour (peaks of gain the world, and lofe their fouls, they would foon bring this purpofeof God to none effea, ifhe laid not his helping hand to by the work ofthe Miniftry. And becaufe they look only at the bonum fenfibile, hence is their bafe,account they hold of this Miniftery, and that becaufe of the outward appearance by which 2 Cor. 4. 5, they judg : we fee, that after Saint Paul had given forth great words concerning 6, 7. the power of his Minifiery, that it was mighty throughChrift to call down ftrong holds, &c. yet as appears by his words after , the Corinthians contemn all this, becaufe they looked on things according to the outward appearance. In our Sa- Colof. a. 9e viour himfelf was all the fulnefs of the Godhead, this Power was in none fo full as in him ; yet becaufe, as the Prophet fpeaks, when he was feen, there was no beauty Efay 53. 2. inhim that be Jhould be deftred, in refpeâi of the outward appearance. We fee how he was handled on earth , fcornedand defpifed by the Scribes and Pharifces and Luke 23. It. the refit of the Jews, and by Herod, and his men of War, they did Waererr, fet him at nought, and stuwtuCeiv, fcoffat him, fo that this Calling which God had fo highly advanced, theWorld fet at nought and fcofft at it. And fo theProphets were ufed before; for Ahaziah's fervants in derifion called Eliab the man ofGod, elfe 2Kings r. 9; why fhould he have called for fire from Heaven to confume them ? And Ahab, 9 t I Courtiers were likewife pleated tovent their fcorn upon Eli?Jha : Why came this mad fellow to thee ? *. But in this point the comfort is, there is a good dihinCtion obferved by David, Pfalm sa. 9. I will hope in thy Name, faith he, for thySaints like it well (as the common tranf- lation bath it) but the new (which is better) faith , I will wait on thy Name, for it is goodbefore thy Saints. There is bonumcoramSanllis, ds bonum coram mun. do; the Saints have one thing good in their eflimation,and the world another. The World would think it an idle humour in a man to praife God by finging to him, but the Saints like it well. So that it is not the good conceit a man bath of himfelf ( as the Apoflle fpeaks ) that (hall help him, nor others commendations. a Cor. to. 18. of him, but he whom the Lord commendeth may comfort himfelf in Gods appro- bation. Wewill now come to the particular Duties of the Minifler. TheApoftle, when he fpeaks of TA' weds T elm, the things appertainiug to God, he thews the endof the Minifiry or Priefthood of theGofpel, viz. That he is to Eland and appear for us in the things which concern God, or when we have to Peb. s. 1. deal with God : therefore, he faith, that the Priefr is taken from amongmen, that is, being fitted by Education (of which before) he is feleded out of the ordinary fort of men, and ordained for men in things pertaining toGod ; that is, to execute the Offices of the Church in our Readbefore God : fo that this being a place of honour, no man ought to thruft himfelf into the Minifiry, but to ex- peét till he (hall be thought fit, and to be thereunto lawfully called. Noman sa- keab this honour upon him, but he that is calledof God as Aaron. NowGods Cal- ling is known by his Gifts, wherebybefits men, by the talent he bellows, which when we have, then we are inwardly called of God ; and then having the Gift Vieeveta, that is, the power to adminifter holy things, by iinpofrtion cf hands, as the Apoftfe
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