XXVIII sermons preached at Golden Grove being for the summer half-year, beginning on Whit-Sunday, and ending on the xxv Sunday after Trinity, together with A discourse of the divine institution, necessity, sacredness, and separation of the office ministeriall / by Jer. Taylor.

a recorder, how prudent an observer, how sedulous a practiser of holy discourses she was, and that there∣fore it was, that what did slide thorow her ear, she was desirous to place before her eye, that by those windows they might enter in and dwell in her heart But because by this truth I shall do advantage to the following discourses, give me leave (my Lord) to fancy, that this Book is derived upon your Lord∣ship almost in the nature of a legacy from her, whose every thing was dearer to your Lordship, then your own eyes, and that what she was pleased to beleeve apt to minister to her devotions, and the religions of her pious and discerning soul, may also be allowed a place in your closet, and a portion of your retirement, and a lodging in your thoughts, that they may incou∣rage and instruct your practise and promote that in∣terest, which is and ought to be dearer to you then all those blessings and separations with which God hath remarked your family and person.

My Lord, I confesse the publication of these Sermons can so little serve the ends of my reputa∣tion, that I am therefore pleased the rather to do it, because I cannot at all be tempted, in so doing, to minister to any thing of vanity. Sermons may please when they first strike the ear, and yet appear flat and ignorant when they are offered to the eye, and to an understanding that can consider at leisure. I remem∣ber that a young Gentleman of Athens being to an∣swer for his life, hired an Orator to make his de∣fence, and it pleased him well, at his first reading;

but when the young man by often reading it that he might recite it publikely by heart, began to grow wea∣ry and dspleased with it, the Orator bade him consider that the Judges and the people were to hear it but once, and then it was likely, they at that first instant might be as well pleased as he. This hath often repre∣sented to my mind the condition and fortune of Ser∣mons, and that I now part with the advantage they had in their delivery, but I have sufficiently answe∣red my self in that, and am at rest perfectly in my thoughts as to that particular, if I can in any degree serve the interest of souls, and (which is next to that) obey the piety, and record the memory of that dear Saint, whose name and whose soul is blessed: for in both these ministeries, I doubt not but your Lordship will be pleased, and account as if I had done also some service to your self: your religion makes me sure of the first, and your piety puts the latter past my fears. However, I suppose in the whole account of this af∣fair, this publication may be esteemed but like preach∣ing to a numerous Auditory, which if I had done, it would have been called either duty, or charity, and therefore will not now so readily be censured for va∣nity, if I make use of all the wayes I can to minister to the good of souls: But because my intentions are fair in themselves, and I hope are acceptable to God, and will be fairly expounded by your Lordship, (whom for so great reason I so much value) I shall not trou∣ble you or the world with an Apologie for this so free publishing my weaknesses; I can better secure my re∣putation

by telling men how they ought to entertain Sermons, for if they that read or hear, do their duty aright, the Preacher shall soon be secured of his fame, and untouched by censure.

1. For it were well, if men would not inquire af∣ter the learning of the sermon, or its deliciousnesse to the ear or fancy, but observe its usefulnesse, not what concerns the preacher, but what concerns them∣selves, not what may make a vain reflexion upon him, but what may substantially serve their own needs, that the attending to his discourses may not be spent in vain talk concerning him, or his disparage∣ments but may be used as a duty and a part of religi∣on, to minister to edification and instruction. When S. John reckoned the principles of evil actions, he told but of three, The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. But there was then also in the world (and now it is grown into age, and strength, and faction) another lust, the lust of the ear, and a fift also, the lust of the tongue. Some people have an insatiable appetite in hearing, and hear onely that they may hear, and talk and make a party: They enter into their neighbours house to kin∣dle their candle, and espying there, a glaring fire, sit down upon the hearth and warm themselves all day, and forget their errand, and in the mean time, their own fires are not lighted, nor their families in∣structed, or provided for, nor any need served, but a lazie pleasure, which is uselesse and imprudent. Hearing or reading sermons is, or ought to be in or∣der

to practise, for so God intended it, that faith should come by hearing, and that charity should come by faith, and by both together we may be saved. For a mans ears (as Plutarch cals them) are vir∣tutum ansae, by them we are to hold and apprehend vertue, and unlesse we use them as men do vessels of dishonour, filling them with things fit to be thrown away, with any thing that is not necessary, we are by them more neerly brought to God, then by all the sen∣ses beside. For although things placed before the eye affect the minde more readily then the things we usually hear, yet the reason of that is, because we hear carelesly, and we hear variety; the same species dwels upon the eye, and represents the same object in union and single representment, but the objects of the ear are broken into fragments of periods, and words, and syllables, and must be attended with a carefull understanding; and because every thing diverts the sound, and every thing cals off the understanding, and the spirit of a man is truantly, and trifling; there∣fore it is that what men hear, does so little affect them, and so weakly work toward the purposes of vertue, & yet nothing does so affect the minde of man as those voices to which we cannot chuse but attend, and thun∣der and all loud voices from Heaven rend the most stony heart, and makes the most obstinate pay to God the homage of trembling, and fear, and the still voice of God usually takes the tribute of love, and choice, and obedience. Now since hearing is so ef∣fective an instrument of conveying impresses and ima∣ges

of things, and exciting purposes, and fixing reso∣lutions, (unlesse we hear weakly and imperfectly) it will be of the greater concernment that we be cu∣rious to hear in order to such purposes, which are per∣fective of the soul, and of the spirit, and not to dwell in fancy and speculation, in pleasures and trifling ar∣rests, which continue the soul in its infancy and child∣hood, never letting it go forth into the wisdom and vertues of a man. I have read concerning Diony∣sius of Sicily, that being delighted extremely with a Ministrel that sung well, and struck his Harp dexterously, he promised to give him a great reward, and that raised the fancy of the Man, and made him play better. But when the musick was done and the man waited for his great hope, the King dismissed him empty, telling him, that he should carry away as much of the promised reward, as himself did of the Musick, and that he had payed him sufficiently with the pleasure of the promise for the pleasure of his song: both their ears had been equally delighted and the profit just none at all: So it is in many mens hear∣ing Sermons, they admire the Preacher, and he pleases their ears, and neither of them both bear a∣long with them any good, and the hearer hath as little good by the sermon, as the Preacher by the ayr of the peoples breath, when they make a noise, and ad∣mire, and understand not. And that also is a se∣cond caution I desire all men would take.

2. That they may never trouble the affairs of prea∣ching and hearing respectively, with admiring the

person of any man. To admire a preacher is such a reward of his pains or worth, as if you should crown a Conqueror with a garland of roses, or a Bride with Laurell; it is an undecency, it is no part of the re∣ward which could be intended for him. For though it be a good natur'd folly, yet it hath in it much danger, for by that means, the Preacher may lead his hear∣ers captive, and make them servants of a faction, or of a lust; it makes them so much the lesse to be servants of Christ, by how much they call any man Master upon earth; it weakens the heart and hands of others, it places themselves in a rank much below their proper station, changing from hearing the word of God, to admiration of the person and faces of men, and it being a fault that falls upon the more easie natures and softer understandings, does more easily abuse a man; and though such a person may have the good fortune to admire a good man and a wise, yet it is an ill disposition, and makes him liable to every mans abuse: Stupidum ho∣minem quâvis oratione percelli, said Heraclitus. An undiscerning person is apt to be cozened by every oration: And besides this, That Preacher whom some do admire, others will most certainly en∣vy, and that also is to be provided against with dili∣gence, and you must not admire too forwardly, for your own sake, lest you fall into the hands of a worse preacher, and for his sake, whom when you admire you also love, for others will be apt to envy him.

3. But that must by all men be avoided; for envy

is the worst counsellour in the world, and the worst hearer of a wise discourse. I pity those men who live upon flattery and wonder, and while they sit at the foot of the Doctors chair, stare in his face, and cry 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, rarely spoken, admirably done, they are like callow and unfeathered birds, gaping perpetually to be fed from anothers mouth, and they never come to the knowledge of the truth, such a knowledge as is effective, and expressed in a pru∣dent and holy life. But those men that envy the preacher; besides that they are great enemies of the Holy Ghost, and are spitefully evil because God is good to him, they are also enemies to themselves. He that envies the honours, or the riches of another, envies for his own sake, and he would fain be rich with that wealth which sweats in his neighbours cof∣fers, but he that envies him that makes good sermons, envies himself, and is angry because himself may re∣ceive the benefit, and be improved, or delighted or instructed by another. He that is apt fondly to ad∣mire any mans person must cure himself by conside∣ring, that the Preacher is Gods minister and servant, that he speaks Gods word and does it by the Divine assistance, that he hath nothing of his own but sin and imperfection, that he does but his duty and that also hardly enough, that he is highly answerable for his talent, and stands▪ deeply charged with the cure of souls, and therefore that he is to be highly esteemed for the work sake, not for the person; his industry and his charity is to be beloved, his ability is to be ac∣counted

upon another stock, and for it, the preacher and the hearer are both to give God thanks, but no∣thing is due to the man for that, save onely, that it is the rather to be imployed, because by it we may bet∣ter be instructed, but if any other reflexion be made upon his person, it is next to the sin and danger of Herod and the people, when the ••sine Oration was made 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, with huge fancy, the people were pleased, and Herod was admired, and God was an∣gry, and an Angel was sent to strike him with death and with dishonour. But the envy against a preacher is to be cured by a contrary discourse, and we must re∣member that he is in the place of God, and hath re∣ceived the gift of God, and the aids of the holy Ghost, that by his abilities God is glorified, and we are in∣structed, and the interests of vertue, and holy religi∣on are promoted, that by this means God who de∣serves that all souls should serve him for ever, is like∣ly to have a fairer harvest of glory and service, and therefore that envie is against him: that if we envie because we are not the instrument of this good to o∣thers, we must consider tha we desire the praise to our selves not to God. Admiration of a man sup∣poses him to be inferiour to the person so admired, but then he is pleased so to be, but envie supposes him as low, and he is displeased at it, and the envious man is not onely lesse then the other mans vertue, but also contrary: the former is a vanity, but this is a vice, that wants wisdom, but this wants wisdom and charity too, that supposes an absence of some good,

but this is a direct affliction and calamity.

4. And after all this, if the preacher be not despi∣sed, he may proceed cheerfully in doing his duty, and the hearer may have some advantages by every Ser∣mon. I remember that Homer sayes the woers of Pe∣nelope laught at Vlisses, because at his return he cal∣led for a loaf, and did not, to shew his gallantry, call for swords and spears; Vlysses was so wise as to call for that he needed, and had it, and it did him more good then a whole armory would in his case: so is the plai∣nest part of an easie, and honest sermon, it is the sin∣cere milk of the word, and nourishes a mans soul, though represented in its own naturall simplicity, and there is hardly any Orator, but you may finde occasi∣on to praise something of him. When Plato misliked the order and disposition of the Oration of Lysias, yet he praised the good words, and the elocution of the man. Euripides was commended for his fulness, Par∣menides for his composition. Phocilides for his easi∣nesse, Archilochus for his argument, Sophocles for the unequalnesse of his stile: So may men praise their Preacher, he speaks pertinently, or he contrives wit∣tily, or he speaks comely, or the man is pious, or chari∣table, or he hath a good text, or he speaks plainly, or he is not tedious or if he be he is at least industrious, or he is the messenger of God and that will not fail us, and let us love him for that; and we know those that love can easily commend any thing, because they like every thing: and they say, fair men are like angels, and the black are manly, and the pale look like honey and the

stars, and the cro•••• nosed are like the sons of Kings, and if they be flat they are gentle and easie, and if they be deformed they are humble, and not to be despi∣sed because they have upon them the impresses of divi∣nity, and they are the sons of God. He that despises his Preacher, is a hearer of arts and learning, not of the word of God, and though when the word of God is set off with advantages and entertainments of the better faculties of our humanity, it is more usefull and of more effect, yet when the word of God is spoken tru∣ly, though but read in plain language, it will become the disciple of Jesus to love that man whom God sends, and the publik order, and the laws have imployed, ra∣ther then to despise the weaknesse of him who deli∣vers a mighty word.

Thus it is fit that men should be affected and imploy∣ed when they hear and read sermons comming hither not as into a theatre, where men observe the gestures and noises of the people, the brow and eyes of the most busie censurers, and make parties, and go aside with them that dislike every thing, or else admire not the things, but the persons: But as to a sacrifice, and as unto a school, where vertue is taught and exercised, and none come but such as put themselves under disci∣pline, and intend to grow wiser, and more vertuous, to appease their passion, from violent to become smooth and even, to have their faith established, and their hope confirmed & their charity enlarged. They that are otherwise affected do not do their duty but if they be so minded as they ought, I and all men of my

imployment shall be secured against the tongues and faces of men who are ingeniosi in alieno libro, wit∣tie to abuse and undervalue another mans book: And yet besides these spirituall arts already reckoned, I have one security more, for (unlesse I deceive my self) I intend the glory of God sincerely, and the ser∣vice of Jesus in this publication, and therefore being I do not seek my self, or my own reputation, I shall not be troubled if they be lost in the voyces of bu∣sie people, so that I be accepted of God, and found of him in the day of the Lords visitation.

My Lord, It was your charity and noblenesse that gave me opportunity to do this service (little or great) unto reli∣gion, and whoever shall find any advantage to their soul, by reading the following discourse, if they know how to blesse God, and to blesse all them that are Gods instruments in doing them benefit, will (I hope) help to procure blessings to your Person and Family, and say a holy prayer, and name your Lordship in their Letanies, and remember, that at your own charges you have digged a well, and placed cisterns in the high wayes, that they may drink and be refreshed, and their souls may blesse you. My Lord, I hope this, even because I very much desire it, and because you exceedingly deserve it, and above all, because God is good and gracious, and loves to reward such a charity, and such a religion as is yours, by which you have imployed me in the service of God, and in ministe∣ries to your Family. My Lord, I am most heartily, and for very many Dear obligations

Your Lordships most obliged, most humble, and most affectionate servant TAYLOR.