LECTƲRE XL.

FOr all seeke their owne, &c.] Touching the meaning of which words it is first to bee vnderstood, that the Apostle doth not speake in this place generally of all men, but of such Ministers of the Gospell as were then at Rome with him. What then? Did all the Ministers of the Gospell that were then with him, Timothee onely excepted, seeke their owne, and not that which was Iesus Christs? No, the Apostle I take it is not so to bee vnderstood, that hee speaketh vniuer∣sally of all them, but because very many did so, therefore he saith all seeke their owne &c. euen as wee in our common phrase of speech are wont to say, that all the world is set vpon couetousnesse, because so many runne after riches; and all the world is set on mischiefe, because so many delight in wicked∣nesse. And this manner of speech is not vnusuall in the Scrip∣tures.* From the least to the greatest euery one is giuen to couetous∣nesse, saith the Prophet, and from the Prophet to the Priest all deale falsly. Where the Prophets meaning is, that very gene∣rally these faults raigned, and that very many had thus cor∣rupted their wayes, not that all vniuersally were such without exception. And not to instance in moe Scriptures; this wee may often obserue in the Scriptures, that in reproofes of sinne all are accused, if many haue offended. When therefore the Apostle here saith, all seeke their owne, &c. his meaning is, that it was growne to be a very generall fault amongst those Ministers of the Gospell that were with him, that very many of them sought their owne, &c. Againe, touching the fault noted in them, it is to be vnderstood that the Apostles mea∣ning Page  478 is not, that they sought their owne, but not that which was Iesus Christs at all: for it is very likely that the Apostle doth not here compare Timothee with those that had fallen from the faith, and turned aside after the world, but with those that did sincerely preach the Gospell of Christ, yet were fur∣ther in loue with the world than they should haue beene. The Apostles meaning therefore I take it is, that many of those that were with him sought their owne; their owne, what? their owne ease, their owne profit, their owne honour, more than the glory of Christ Iesus. They did not simply not seeke that which was Iesus Christs, but they did not seeke that so much as they did seeke their owne. They looked more vnto their owne ease, and pleasure, and profit, than they did vnto those things which might be for the glory of Christ Iesus, and for the increase of his kingdome. For it is very likely that the Apostle had dealt with the rest to goe to Philippi, to see them, and to comfort them, and to confirme them in the faith: and finding them vnwilling to vndertake that iourney in diuers respects, he dealt with Timothee to that purpose. Vpon whose prompt minde thereunto aboue the rest, hee giueth him this commendation aboue the rest. They then whom the Apostle doth here note, yee see are of those Ministers of the Gospell of Christ that were then with him. The thing which he noteth in them, is, that they sought and regarded more the profit, and pleasure, and ease, and honour of themselues, than the glory of God, and the building vp of the Church of Christ Iesus.

Here then first the Apostle descrieth a notable fault in the Ministers of Christ Iesus, which is to seeke their owne, and not that which is Iesus Christs, to regard more their owne ease, or pleasure, or profit, or honour, than the honour of God by preaching the Gospell of Christ Iesus. A grieuous fault in them that both by integritie of life and vncorrupt doctrine should draw others vnto God, that they should seeke any thing rather or sooner than the honour of God: for as our Sa∣uiour saith,* If the light that is in thee be darknesse, how great is that darknesse? so I say, If they that should be principall light, in Gods Church, and by the light that is in them should bring Page  479 others out of darknesse into light, if they shall turne aside af∣ter the world, or preferre any thing before the doing of their heauenly Fathers businesse, how great and how grieuous must needs their fault be? And yet as grieuous as the fault is, how faultie this way haue the Priests of the most high God in the old Testament, and the Ministers of Christ Iesus in the new, beene at all times? The sonnes of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas, Priests of the Lord,* they so turned aside after the loue of their bellies, and after the loue of their pleasures, that they forgat, or else cared not for the Law of their God. And how often doe the Prophets complaine of such Shepheards as feede themselues, and not their flockes? In the new Testament the Apostle noted it in Iohn Marke,* that hee departed from him and Barnabas from Pamphilia, and went not with them to the worke; in Demas, that hee forsooke him, and embraced this present world; and in this place hee notes (it seemes) many, that they sought their owne, and not that which was Iesus Christs. And if here this fault had staied, the harme had beene the lesse. But both alwayes there haue beene, and still there are euen to this our day, many tainted with this fault: for not to speake of those monsters of men, rather than Ministers of Christ, that intrude themselues into this holy calling, not with any purpose to worke in the Lord his vineyard, but only to feed vpon the portion of the Leuites, making of the mini∣sterie no more but a plaine occupation; not to speake, I say, of these, because these are not worthy to liue; Of those that doe sincerely preach the Gospell of Christ Iesus, are there not many that doe more seeke their owne than that which is Iesus Christs? How many are there that doe withdraw their shoul∣ders from this burden as much and as often as they can, and take as little paines in this worke as they can? And doe not these seeke their owne ease more than that which is Iesus Christs? Againe, how many are there whose mindes being bewitched with the loue of the world, are so carefully occu∣pied about the things of this life, that they doe not intend the worke of their ministerie as they should? And doe not these seeke their owne profit more than that which is Iesus Christs? Againe, how many are there that preach themselues rather Page  480 than Iesus Christ, seeking rather their owne praise than that which is of God, and studying rather to speake vnto the eare than vnto the heart? And doe not these seeke their owne cre∣dit and praise rather than that which is of Iesus Christ? Againe, how many are there which preach Christ rather through strife and enuie, than of good will; rather in hope of preferment for their paines, than of desire to gaine them that heare them vnto Christ; rather for any other respect almost, than in any zeale of the glory of God? And doe not all these seeke their owne rather than that which is Iesus Christs? Well, it is a fault, and a grieuous fault in the Ministers of Christ Iesus, in any respect to preferre any thing before the glory and increase of his kingdome whose Ministers they are, to seeke either their owne ease, or their owne pleasure, or their owne profit, or their owne honour, or any thing else rather or more than the building vp of Christ his Church in faith, and in loue, and in euery good worke of the spirit.

Now if this be a fault in them, hereby wee are taught what dutie is requisite in the Ministers of Christ Iesus, namely so to seeke their owne, as that first and principally they seeke that which is Iesus Christs. And what is that? That is the glory of Christ Iesus, the increase of his kingdome, the buil∣ding vp of his Church vnto a spirituall Temple, the turning of many vnto righteousnesse, the saluation of mens soules. This is that businesse which they must first and principally in∣tend, and then such other things as may be fur•herances, or at least no hinderances thereunto. Our calling and commis∣sion is to preach the Gospell of Christ Iesus: a woe is vnto vs if wee preach not the Gospell; and our Apostle most straitly doth adiure vs vnto this dutie,* saying, I charge thee before God, and before the Lord Iesus Christ, &c. The worke then of our ministerie is the thing that wee haue to looke vnto; the thing wherein we must spend our strength and our studie, is to doe our heauenly Fathers businesse in begetting men vnto the faith, and teaching them the way that leadeth vnto saluation and life euerlasting. Wee must not seeke our owne, but that which is Iesus Christs. Our Sauiour, when his mother Mary came and expostulated the matter with him, why hee staied Page  481 behinde them in Ierusalem, Know yee not, saith he,* that I must goe about my Fathers businesse? Whereby hee plainly teacheth vs, that the principall thing wee are to regard is the principall end of our being and calling. So that this being our calling, and the thing whereunto wee are set apart, to preach the Go∣spell of God, wee are by Christ his example to minde this aboue all things else whatsoeuer.

What then? Must a Minister so wholly intend the worke of his ministerie, as that he may not care for his familie? must he so weyne himselfe from the affaires of this life, as that hee may not at all meddle with the things of this life? No, not so, he may and ought to care for his familie,* otherwise he is worse then an Infidell. And againe the Apostle declaring in parti∣cular the office of a Minister, saith,* he must be one that can rule his owne house honestly, hauing children in obedience with all hone∣stie: For (saith the Apostle) if he cannot rule his owne house, how shall be care for the Church of God? Out of which words yee may obserue the clearing of two points; whereof the one is, that they may haue house and familie, wife and children; otherwise how should the Apostle say that the Minister must be such a one as hauing children vnder obedience, can rule his owne house honestly? The other is, that an honest and godly care ouer his owne house, and the things that belong thereunto, is very requisite in the Minister of Christ Iesus. All care then, and all seeking of his owne, all intermedling with the things of this life, is not simply forbid the Minister of Christ, but such onely as doth withdraw him from that •hereon his principall care should be set. Hee may seeke his owne, so that principally he seeke that which is Iesus Christs: for that is the fault here noted, that they seeke their owne m•re then that which is Iesus Christs; and that is the dutie here implied, that they ought first and principally to seeke that which is Iesus Christs, and then that which is their owne. This then is generally to be concluded, that neither ease, nor pleasure, nor profit, nor honour, nor any thing else should withdraw them from the worke of their ministerie, neither in the worke of their ministerie should their eye be set vpon any thing, but only vpon the glory of God, and the edification of Page  482 the Church of Christ Iesus: and hereon should their zeale be so set, that they should be euen eaten vp and consumed there∣with.

The second thing which I note in these words, is touching the time when the Apostle noted this fault in the Ministers of Christ. It was a fault, and a generall fault then in the time of the Apostles, in that golden age of the Church, when they that were immediately called by Christ Iesus, and put apart to preach the Gospell of God, taught the wayes of God most perfectly. Then euen those Ministers which had beene taught and instructed by the Apostles themselues, those whom the Apostles ceased not to put them in minde of their holy cal∣ling, and of the duties belonging thereunto, euen they sought their owne more then that which was Iesus Christs: they loo∣ked some after their ease, some after their profit, some after their pleasure, some after their honour, more than after the high price of their calling in Christ Iesus. Which note I doe the rather obserue in particular, because of those that are al∣wayes complaining, as of all things in generall, that they were neuer worse, so of the ministerie in particular, that it was ne∣uer worse then now it is. For as this is the humor of very many, alwayes to mislike the present state the most, and to commend former times, though a great deale worse, yet a great deale more then the times wherein they liue; so if once we come in talke of the Ministerie, oh Ministers neuer worse, neuer more idle, neuer more couetous, neuer more ambiti∣ous then now they are. Yea enter this discourse, and yee shall haue many will neuer want matter, but the more they talke, the more they may of this argument. And I wish wee were able to stop their mouthes when they so willingly ob∣serue the generall corruption in the ministerie in our dayes, I wish wee were able to say truly that simply they speake an vntruth. But I cannot, neither is it my purpose to excuse the the faults of our times in the ministerie. Bee it therefore true, which indeed is true, that very many of our coat and calling doe more seeke their owne then that which is Iesus Christ•, is this fault now more generall in the Ministers then euer it was? What, are Ministers now more idle, doe they now Page  483 seeke their owne ease more then euer they did? Doth not the Apostle in his day note Iohn Marke for this fault?* Are they now more couetous, doe they now seeke their owne wealth more then euer they did? Doth not the Apostle in his day note Demas for this fault? Are they more ambitious,* doe they now seeke after and loue preeminence more then euer they did?* Doth not the Apostle Iohn in his day note Diotrephes for this fault? Oh, but if a note were now taken of those that are faultie these wayes, not one, but very many should bee found faultie each of these wayes. As though because the Apostle noted no moe, there were then no moe. Nay, in that the Apostle noteth these of these faults, wee know that euen then the Ministers of Christ were tainted with these faults, but how generally wee know not. But tell me ye that presse this point so hard, that Ministers are now worse then euer they were: say the most and the worst ye can, can yee say more or worse then this, that all seeke their owne, and not that which is Iesus Christs? And said not the Apostle thus much in his day, as here we see? The Apostle in his day meant it not vniuersally of all, neither can yee say it at this day vniuersally of all, that all seeke their owne, and not that which is Iesus Christs. Nay if wee shall speake vnto the point, that which the truth is in∣deed, I am perswaded that neuer in any age the number of faithfull Ministers was greater then our age hath and doth af∣foord; neuer moe that with lesse selfe-respects, and more zeale to Gods house, laboured in the worke of their ministerie, then now there doe. I• may be that the graces of Gods holy spirit were powred downe in greater measure and abundance vpon some in some times heretofore, then now they are, and that the word hath beene more powerfull through a greater operation of the holy spirit in the mouthes of some hereto∣fore, then now it is, as it was (no doubt) in the time of the Apostles, with whom the Lord wrought most powerfully and wonderfully, and as happily it hath beene in some since that time; yet, as I said before, I am perswaded that neuer in any time there were moe, more enflamed with the zeale of Gods spirit, faithfully, painfully, and sincerely, without selfe respects, to labour in the worke of their ministerie, and to Page  484 build vp Christ his Church in faith, and in loue, and in euery good worke, then now there are. For if we should looke into all succeeding times after the time of the Apostles, especially if we should looke into the times since the mysterie of iniqui∣tie beganne to worke in and vnder that man of sinne, what else should we finde but idlenesse, and couetousnesse, and licenti∣ousnesse, and ambition, and what wickednesse not? Hee hath lifted vp himselfe on high,* and hath exalted himselfe against all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that hee doth sit as God in the Temple of God, shewing himselfe that he is God. And what else doth his whole Clergie seeke, but the abetting of his pride, and the maintaining of his triple Crowne, together with such ease, and pleasure, and profit, as followes thereupon? So that if euer it were truly said of any, that they sought their owne, and not that which is Iesus Christs, then in my iudgement may it as truly be said of them as of any. Thus then yee see that it is not the fault of our time alone, that now Ministers seeke their owne more then that which is Iesus Christs, but that euen in the Apostles time it was so, as also that how ge∣nerall soeuer the fault now be, yet is it not more generall then euer it was, but rather the number of them that seeke that which is Iesus Christs more then their owne, is now greater then euer it was. Take heed therefore, men and brethren, lest at any time ye be deceiued. The Ministers of Christ they ate as beacons on the top of an hill, in euery mans eye, and euery mans tongue talking of them, and what talke of them more common, then of branding them with some fault or other, thereby to discredit that truth which they preach? It is no new thing, yee see, that Ministers haue their faults, and hee is the best that hath the fewest. And howsoeuer they tell you that Ministers are now worse then euer they were, beleeue them not: for if the worst be said that can be, there cannot be worse then this, that all seeke their owne, and not that which is Iesus Christs; and thus much said the Apostle in his time.

The third and last thing which I note from these words, is, that howsoeuer properly, and in the meaning of the Apostle, these words in this place be onely affirmed of the Ministers of Christ Iesus, yet may they truly be affirmed euen of all men Page  485 in generall, that all men for the most part doe seeke their owne more then that which is Iesus Christs, first looking vnto the things of this life, and then afterwards vnto the things that belong vnto their peace in Christ Iesus. This is a point which needs not long to be stood vpon, being so plaine a truth in our owne experience, that which way soeuer we cast our eyes, vnto high or low, rich or poore, it cannot be denied. For looke into the delights and desires of men, and see what it is that they principally hunt and seeke after. Are there not many that are so ambitious, that they seeke by all meanes possible to be great, and to be had in honour of all men? And yet how many of them,* remembring that promotion commeth nei∣ther from the East, nor from the West, nor yet from the South, but that God alone putteth downe one, and setteth vp another, doe first seeke the Lord and his strength, and doe first honour him, that so he may honour them before all peo∣ple? Nay euery plot is sooner and oftener cast then this, and this comes seldome or neuer within their thoughts, or if it doe, yet this is too slow a course for them, God must giue them leaue to climbe vp another way, and then when they are where they would be, they will serue him perhaps when they thinke of him. Againe, are there not many that are so coue∣tous, that they seeke by all meanes to be rich, and to be Lords (if it were possible) of the whole earth? And yet how many of them remembring that the Lord maketh poore and ma∣keth rich, doe first seeke the Lord, so to become rich by him? Nay if fraud, oppression, vsurie, or the like will make them rich, they will not wait vpon the Lord, but thus they will be∣come rich. Yea but these, and such like, as seeke and delight only in pleasures, and idlenesse, and riches, and honour, and the like, they seeke these things altogether, they seeke not the Lord at all, neither is God in all their thoughts: but thou see∣kest the Lord, and delightest in his Law. And so doe many, which yet seeke their owne more then that which is Iesus Christs. Wilt thou then see whether thine owne things or the things of Christ Iesus be more sought of thee, whether in some things thou preferre not thy selfe before thy Christ and his will? Aske thine owne heart, and see whether if thy God Page  486 should bid thee doe as Zacheus did,* giue halfe of thy goods to the poore, and if thou hast taken from any man by forged ca∣uillation, to restore him foure-fold, whether (I say) it would not grieue thee so to doe. See whether if thy Christ should say vnto thee as he said to the young man in the Gospell, Goe sell that thou hast,* and giue to the poore, and thou shalt haue trea∣sure in heauen, and come and follow mee, whether (I say) thou couldest be content to doe so. See whether in thy care for thy health, for thy wealth, for thy life, &c. thy first and chiefe care therein be that thereby thy God may be glorified. See (I say) and looke into these and the like things with a strait eye, and this shall be a good rule for thee to know whether thou seeke thine owne more then Iesus Christs. And howso∣euer you shall finde your selues in the examination of these things, guiltie or guiltlesse, this you must know, that Christian dutie requireth this of vs, that first and principally we should seeke the glory of God, and the things that belong vnto our peace, and then afterwards the things that belong vnto this life. Wee are carefull for many things, what to eat, what to drinke, wherewith to be clothed, how to liue and pay euery man his owne, how to prouide for our wiues and our chil∣dren, how to maintaine our state and calling, &c. and so wee may, and so wee ought to haue a godly care of these things, without diffidence or distrust in Gods gracious prouidence: but the rule which our Sauiour Christ giueth, that must wee still keepe,* first to seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnes, and then all these things (which are outward meanes of liuing and well liuing) shall be cast vpon vs. Christ must bee vnto vs health, and wealth, and life, and all things else. We must cast our care vpon him, and he will care for vs. Aboue all things wee must submit our selues vnto his will, and walke after his Law, and whatsoeuer things are needfull and meet for vs, hee will minister vnto vs. Let euery man therefore so seeke his owne things, that first and principally hee seeke the things of God; let him so minde earthly things, that his affections be principally set on the things that are aboue; let him so regard his body, that he principally looke vnto his soule.