The saints everlasting rest, or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory wherein is shewed its excellency and certainty, the misery of those that lose it, the way to attain it, and assurance of it, and how to live in the continual delightful forecasts of it and now published by Richard Baxter ...

* 1.1SECT. VIII.

DO not dawb, or deal sleightly with any; some will not tell their people plainly of their sins, because they are great men, and some because they are godly, as if none but the poor and the wicked should be plainly dealt with: Do not you so, but reprove them sharply (though differently, and with wisdom) that they may be sound in the Faith.* 1.2 When the Palsgrave chose Pitiscus for his Houshold Chaplain, he charged him, that without fear he should discharge his duty, and freely admonish him of his faults as the Scriptures do require; Such incouragement from great ones, would embolden Ministers, and free themselves from the unhappi∣ness of sinning unreproved. If Gentlemen would give no more thanks to Doegs and Accusers of the Ministers, then Wigandus his Prince did to that flattering Lawyer, who accused him for speaking to Princes too plainly, they would learn quickly to be silent; when they had been forced as Hamans themselves, to clothe Mor∣decai, and set him in honor. However, God doth sufficiently en∣courage us to deal plainly, He hath bid us speak and fear not; He promised to stand by us, and he will be our security; He may suffer us to be Anathema secundum dici (as Bueholtzer said) but not se∣cundum esse; He will keep us, as he did Husse's heart from the power of the fire, though they did beat it, when they found it among the ashes; they may burn our bones, as Bucers and Phagius his, or they may raise lyes of us when we are dead, as of Luther, Calvin, and Oecolampadius; but the soul feeleth not this, that is re∣joycing with his Lord: In the mean time let us be as well learned in the Art of Suffering (as Zenophon) as they are in the Art of Re∣proaching:* 1.3 I had rather hear from the mouth of Balack [God hath kept thee from honor,] or from Ahab, [Feed him with the bread and water of affliction] or from Amaziah [Art thou made of the Kings Counsel?* 1.4 forbear, why shouldest thou be smitten,] then to hear Conscience say, [Thou hast betraied souls to damnation by thy co∣wardize and Silence;* 1.5] or to hear God say [Their blood will I re∣quire at thy hands,] or to hear from Christ the Judg [Cast the un∣profitable Servant into utter darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth,] Yea, or to hear these Sinners cry out against me in eternal fire, and with implacable rage to charge me with their undoing.

And as you must be plain and serious,* 1.6 so labor to be skilful and discreet, that the maner may somewhat answer the excellency of the matter: How ought have I heard a stammering tongue, with rediculous expressions, vain repetitions, tedious circumlo∣cations, and unseemly pronunciation, to spoil most pretious spiritual Doctrine, and make the Hearers either loath it, or laugh at it? How common are these extreams in the Ministers of Eng∣land? That while one spoils the food of Life by Affectation, and new-fashioned mincing, and pedantick toys, either setting forth a little and mean matter with a great deal of froth, and gaudy dressing, so that ther's more of the shell or paring, then of the meat: or like childrens Babies, that when you have taken away the dressing, you have taken away all, or else hiding excellent Truths in a heap of vain Rhetorick, and deforming its naked beauty with their paintings, so that no more seriousness can be perceived in their Sermons, then in a School-Boys Declama∣tions; and our people are brought to hear Sermons as they do Stageplays, because Ministers behave themselves but as the Actors; On the other side, how many by their slovenly dressing, and the un∣cleanness of the dish that it is served up in, do make men loath and nauseate the food of Life, and even despise and cast up that which should nourish them? Such Novices are admitted into the Sacred Function, to the hardning of the wicked, the sadning of the godly, and the disgrace and wrong of the Work of the Lord; and those that are not able to speak Sense or Reason, are made the Ambassa∣dors of the most High God.

I know our stile must not be the same with different Auditories; Our language must not only be suited to our matter, but also to our hearers, or else the best Sermon may be worst; we must not read the highest Books to the lowest Form; Therefore was Luther wont to say, That Quipuerilitèr, popularitèr, trivialitèr, & simplicissimè docent, optimi ad vulgus sunt concionatores; but yet it is a poor Sermon that hath nothing but words and noise. Every Reasonable soul hath both Judgment and Affection, and every Rational Spiritual Ser∣mon must have both: A Discourse that hath Judgment without Affection, is dead, and uneffectual, and that which hath Affection without Judgment, is mad and transporting: Remember the Pro∣verb, Non omnes qui habent citharam, sunt citharaedi, Every man is not a Musitian that hath an Instrument, or that can jangle it and

make an noise on it: And that other Proverb, Multi sunt qui Boves stimulant, pauci aratores, Many can prick the Oxen, but few can Plow; so many Preachers can talk loud and earnestly, but few can guide their Flock aright, or open to them solidly the mysteries of the Gospel, and shew the true mean betwixt the extreams of con∣trary errors: I know both must be done; Holding the Plow with∣out driving the Oxen, doth nothing and driving without holding, maketh mad work, and is worse then nothing: But yet remember, that every Plow-boy can drive, but to guide is more difficult, and therefore belongeth to the Master Workman; The violence of the Natural motion of the Windes can drive on the Ship; but there is necessary a Rational motion to guide and govern it, or else it will quickly be on the Rocks or Shelves, either broke or sunk, and had better lye still in the Harbor, or at Anchor: The horses that have no Reason can set the Coach or Cart a going, but if there be not some that have reason to guide them, it were better stand still. O therefore let me bespeak you, my brethren, in the Name of the Lord, especially those that are more young and weak, that you tremble at the greatness of this holy Imployment, and run not up into a Pulpit as boldly as into the Market place; Study and Pray, and Pray and Study, till you are become Workmen that need not be ashamed,* 1.7 rightly dividing the Word of Truth, that your people may not be ashamed, or aweary to hear you; But that besides your clear unfolding of the Doctrine of the Gospel, you may also be Masters of your peoples Affections, and may be as potent in your divine Rhetorick, as Cicero in his Humane, who, as it is is said, while he pleaded for Ligarius, Arma de impe∣ratoris quantumvis irati manu excusserit, & misero supplici veniam impetrarit. Or as it said of excellent * 1.8 Bucholcer, that he never went up into the Pulpit, but he raised in men almost what af∣fections he pleased; so raising the dejected, and comforting the

afflicted, and strengthening the tempted, that though it were two hours before he had done, yet not any even of the common people were weary of hearing him. Set before your eyes such patterns as these; and labor with unwearied diligence to be like them. To this end take Demosthenes counsel, plus olei quam vini absumere. It is a work that requireth your most serious searching thoughts. Running, hasty, easie studies, bring forth blinde births. VVhen you are the most renowned Doctors in the Church of God, alas, how little is it that you know, in comparison of all that which you are ignorant of! Content not your selves to know what is the Judg∣ment of others, as if that were to know the truth in its evidence: Give not over your studies when you know what the Orthodox hold, and what is the opinion of the most esteemed Divines: Though I think while you are Novices, and learners your selves, you may do well to take much upon trust from the more judicious; yet stop not there; but know, that such faith is more borrowed then your own: An implicit faith in matters not fundamental, and of great difficulty, is o••t times commendable, yea & necessary in your people, who are but Scholars; but in you that are Masters and Teachers it is a reproach.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 8.
• * 1.2

  Poor Zegedine suffered many years captivity in misery and irons by the Turks, for one word in a Ser∣mon, which distasted a wo∣man without the least cause. As Latimer saith, We can∣not now say to great sin∣ners Vae vobis, but we shal be called Coram nobis.
• * 1.3

  Numb. 22.11. 1 King. 22.27.
• * 1.4

  2 Chron. 25.16.
• * 1.5

  Ezek. 3.18.20. & 33.8. Matth. 25.30.
• * 1.6

  Lege Knoxi orationem an∣te obitum ad Symmistas & Presbyteros.
• * 1.7

  2 Tim. 2.15.
• * 1.8

  Bucholcerus in rostra sua & mediae concio∣nis suggestum nunquam as∣cendit, quin de cordibus hominum ipsis quos fere vellet affectus excuteret. Templum ingrediebatur quis sensu irae di∣vinae perterritus? Deum immortalem! quantâ fidei voluptate perfusus domum redibat? Calamita∣tum angore & tentationum fluctibus quassabatur alius: non doloris tantum allevationem, sed propo∣situm etiam sibi ingenerari sentiebat, mala quaeque forti constantique animo perferendi. Erat omni vitiorum caeno contaminatus aliquis: flexanima orationis hujus suada, nisi planè desperatus esset corregibatur. Vivida nimirum in Bucholcero omnia fuerunt, vivida vox, vividi oculi, vividae ma∣nus, gesius omnes vividi: Adeo sese in illo divini spiritus virtutes consenuere. Hinc auditorium ejus ita commotum oratione Bucholceri constat, ut, licet non nisi finitâ horâ alterâ peroraret, nullum tamen audiendi taedium, vel è media cuiquam plebe obrepserit. Melch. Adamus in vita Bucholcer.