Inf. 4. If Christ be the great Prophet and teacher of the church, We may thence discern and judge of doctrines, and it may serve us as a test to try them by. For such as Christ is, such are the doc- trines that flow from him : every error pretends to derive itself from him ; but as Christ was holy, humble, heavenly, meek, peaceful, plain and simple, and in all things alien, yea, contrary to the "wisdom of the world, the gratifications of the flesh ; such are the truths which he teacheth. They have his character and image engraven on them. Would you know then whether this or that doctrine be from the Spirit of Christ or no ? Examine the doctrine itself by this rule. And whatsoever doctrine you find to encourage and countenance sin, to exalt self, to be accommodated to earth- ly designs and interests, to wrap and bend to the humours and lusts of men ; in a word, what doctrine soever directly, and as a proper cause makes them that profess it carnal, turbulent, proud, sensual, fyc. you may safely reject it, and conclude this never came from Jesus Christ. The doctrine of Christ is after godli- ness ; his truth sanctifies. There is a Gustus Spiritual-is judicii, a spiritual taste, by which those that have their senses exercised, can distinguish things that differ. " The spiritual man judgeth all " things," 1 Cor. ii. 15. " His ear tries words, as his mouth " tasteth meats," Job xxxiv. 3. Swallow nothing (let it come never so speciously) that hath not some relish of Christ and holi- ness in it. Be sure, Christ never revealed any thing to men, that derogates from his own glory, or prejudices and obstructs the ends of his own death.
Inf. 5. And as it will serve us for a test of doctrines, so it serves for a test of ministers ; and hence you may judge who are autho- rized and sent by Christ the great Prophet, to declare his will to men. Surely those whom he sends have his Spirit in their hearts, as well as his words in their mouths. And according to the mea- sures of grace received, they faithfully endeavour to fulfil their ministry for Christ, as Christ did for his Father : " As my Father " hath sent me (saith Christ) so send I you," John xx. 21. They take Christ for their pattern in the whole course of their ministra- tion, and are such as sincerely endeavour to imitate the great Shepherd, in these six particulars following :
1. Jesus Christ was a faithful Minister, the " faithful and true
• Tnofaciunt theologum, meditatio, tenlatio et precatio* Luther,
BERM. IX. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 129
" witness," Rev. i. 5. He declared the whole mind of God to men. Of him it was prophetically said, Psal. xl. 10. " I have not " hid thy righteousness within my heart ; I have declared thy faith- " fulness, and thy salvation ; I have not concealed thy loving " kindness and thy truth from the great congregation." To the same sense, and almost in the same words, the apostle Paul pro- fessed, in Acts xx. 20. " I have kept back nothing that was pro- " fitable unto you ; and ver. 35. " 1 have shewed you all things." Not that every faithful minister doth in course of his ministry* anatomize the whole body of truth, and fully expound and apply each particular to the people : No, that is not the meaning, but of those doctrines which they have opportunity of opening, they do not out of fear, or to accommodate and secure base low ends, with- hold the mind of God, or so corrupt and abuse his words, as to subject truth to their own, or other men's lusts : " They preach " not as pleasing men, but God," 1 Thess. ii. 4. " For if we yet " please men, we cannot be the servants of Christ," Gal. i. 10. Truth must be spoken, though the greatest on earth be offended.
2. Jesus Christ was a tender-hearted Minister, full of compassion to souls. He was sent to bind up the broken in heart, Isa. lxi. 1. He was full of bowels to poor sinners. " He grieved at the hard- " ness of men's hearts, Mark iii. 5. He mourned over Jerusalem, <c and said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ! how oft would I have gath- " ered thy children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings P Matth. xxiii. 27. His bowels yerned when he saw the multitude, as sheep having no shepherd, Matth. ix. 37. These bowels of Christ must be in all the under shepherds. " God is my witness, " (saith one of them) how greatly I long after you all*, in [or " after the pattern of j the bowels of Christ Jesus," Phil. i. 8. He that shews a hard heart, unaffected with the dangers and mi- series of souls, can never shew a commission from Christ to autho- rize him for ministerial work.
3. Jesus Christ was a laborious painful Minister, he put a ne- cessity on himself to finish his work in his day ; a work infinitely great, in a very little time ; John ix. 4. " I must work the works of " him that sent me, while it is day : the night cometh, when no man " can work." O how much work did Christ do in a little time on earth ! " He went about doing good," Acts x. 38. He was never idle. When he sits down at Jacob's well, to rest himself, being weary, presently he falls into his work, preaching the gospel, to the Samaritaness. In this must his ministers resemble him; " striving according to his working, that worketh in them mightily,"
* la here is put for inflar, as, like unto, after the manner or pattern of, $c.
130 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. IX,
Col. i. 28* 29- An idle minister seems to be a contradiction in adjecto ; as who should say, a dark light.
4. Jesus Christ delighted in nothing more tlian the success of his ministry ; to see the work of the Lord prosper in his hand, this was meat and drink to him. When the seventy returned, and re- ported the success of their first embassy* " Lord, even the devils " are subject to us through thy name !" " Why, (saith Christ) " I beheld Satan fall as lightning from heaven* As if he had said, You tell me no news, I saw it when I sent you out at first • I knew the gospel would make work where it came. " And in " that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit," Luke x. 17, 18, 2L And is it not so with those sent by him ? do not they value the success of their ministry at a high rate ? It is not (saith one) the expence, but the recoiling of our labours back again upon us, that kills us. Ministers would not die so fast, nor be grey-headed so soon, could they but see the travail of their souls. " My little children, (saith P Paul) of whom I travail again in birth, caX;v w&va, till Christ be " formed in you3" Gal. iv. 19. As for those that have the name of shepherds only, who visit the flock only once a year* about shearing time ; who have " the instruments of a foolish shepherd," (forcipes et mulctra) the shears and pail, Zech. xi. 15. woeful will be their condition at appearing of this great Shepherd,