CHAP. I. upon the Epiffle of JAM ! s. ViR. S.I9· I 59 the in!l:ruetion and comfort of the A!fembly. · · 6. Th1lt there are many cafes \'therein We mufl he fl ow toJPea/z: Ohfervat, 6. This claufe mufl: alfo be treated of; according to the rdl:rirhon of the Context ; !low in fpeaking of the 'Nord ofGod,and that in feveral cafes. 1. It reacheth men not to adventure upon the preaching of the \1\7ord, till they have a good fpiritual furnirure, or are fiored with a fufficiency of gifts: T isnot for every one that can fpeak an hour to adventure upon the work of Teaching. [oh'! was thircy years* . old when he preached firfr, Lu~ ~ . J, In the fifteenth year of TiStapyld. tn berim*, that was Johnr thirtieth year; Auguftt"A n:1gncd fifty promp.Mo– five years, and John was born in hi11 fourtiech year, and preached rat. tn 'Dom, in the fifteenth of Tiberim his next (uccdlor. Every one itcheth 3• Advent. after the dignity of being aTeacher in I{rael; There is fomewhat of fuperioriry in ic, (upon which reafon the ApofHe forblddech Women to teach, 1 Cor, 1 4• ~ 4· becaufe by the Law of their Cre-:: ation they cannot be fuperiors;) and fomewhat of profit, and therefore the time is hafrened and precipitated ; Few fiay till their youthful heats be fpent, and .thirty years experience hath fitted them for fo great a work and burthen. ~ris obfervable, that J efus * Chrift,had alfo fg\filled thirty years ere he entred upon his publique Horttttur Miniilry. Though I do not rye it meerly to the years, either too Magnefia– youngor too \'\'eak._, ' cis all one to me; There are (as Ignatim faith nos; Mt} Xct· in his Epifrle to the Magneflans) Tnv '7/'or..ictv p.Jmv rpte;v1:,, fame ?ctrprpovE;v Tn~ that in vain hang o~t the Bufh of ,gray hair~, when the)bhave no J!Aixlct> ~ goodwine to vend or ,utter: Indeed the drift of that whole Epill:le ~rrxh~ ~ is to -l< perfwade them to reverence their Bilhop, though bur of 71'fot Tnv rpcu~ fmall years; where he infianceth in Daniel, Solomon, Jeremiah, vsp.~vnv dpc.J– Samud, Jojiah, whofe youth was feafoned with -knowledg and fc;v?ct> v:hn piety; and concludeth, that ' ris nof age bur gifts make aMini!l:er<:~ 7;, rl.J...Ad 7fJol and through the abundanceof Spirit, there may beanold minde in Ttlv ev .:ru., a young body: and Tinnthy, though younger in years, was an rpeivn,.,v. Elder in the Church. For my own particular, I mu!l: fay, as Ph~z- Ignat. Epift. roahs chief ~utler faid, * l remember my faults thu d~~ty ; I can- ad Magnef. . not excufe my fdf from much of crime and fin in it ; bur I have f ub initio been :i~ t~e Minifi.ry, thefe ten years, and yet not fully cornpleated Bpi/f. . the Th1rtteth year-of my age ; the Lord forgive my rafh intrufion : * Gen. 4'~ ·.9· ~hat ~ver help or furtherance I havecomributed to the faith and JOY of the .Saint.r~ by .. myfo~mcr pub.lique Labr;rs) or my private ,Minifterial
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