* John the abbot professeth that he had never taught others anything which he had not first practised himself.
* The souls of priests, I may say of ministers, must bo purer than the sunbeams, saith Chrysostom. Jewel, Bucer, and Bradford, were famous examples for holiness.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 217
the visages of Peter and Paul, tartly replied, that he painted them so, as blushing at the lives of those men who styled themselves their successors. Ah how do the lewd and wicked lives of many that are called and accounted ministers, make others to blush !
Salvian relates how the heathen did reproach some Christians, who by their ungodly lives, made the gospel of Christ to be a reproach : ' Where,' said they, ' is that good lav/ which they do beUeve ? Where are those rules of godliness which they do learn ? They read the holy Gospel, and yet are unclean ; they hear the apostle's writings, and yet are drunk ; they follow Christ, and yet disobey Christ ; they possess a holy law, and yet do lead impure lives." As this is veiy applicable to many professors in those days, so it is applicable to many preachers also.
I have read of a scandalous minister that was struck at the heart, and converted in reading those words : Rom. ii. 21, ' Thou which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?' If this treatise should fall into any such hand, oh that it might have the same operation ! Wicked ministers do more hurt by their lives than they do good by their doctrine.
I have read of a gentlewoman that turned athiest because she lived under a great learned doctor that preached excellently but lived very licentiously.
The heathen brings in a young man, who hearing of the adulteries and wickedness of the gods, said, ' What ! do they so, and shall I stick at it ?' So say most, when their teachers and leaders are lewd and wicked, what ! do they such and such abominations, and shall we stick at it ?
When one deboist^ in life among the Lacedemonians stept up and gave good counsel, they would not receive it ; but when another of a better life stept up and gave the same counsel, they presently followed it. The application is easy. Every minister's life should be a com- mentary upon Christ's life ; nothing wins and builds like this.^
[8.] Eighthly, Ministers must preach feelingly, expeHmentally, as well as exemplarily. They must speak from the heart to the heart ; they must feel the worth, the weight, the sweet of those things upon their own souls that they give out to others : 1 John i. 1-3, ' That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us) ; that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us : and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.'' The highest mystery in the divine rhetoric, is to feel what a man speaks, and then speak what a man feels.
Praxiteles exquisitely drew love, taking the pattern from that passion which he felt in his own heart.
It was said of Luther, that he spake as if he had been within a man. Ministers must so speak to the people, as if they lived in the very hearts of the people ; as if they had been told all their wants, and all their
' Salvianus de G. D. lib. iv. ^ Debauched.— G.
3 Chrysostom preached so feelingly and so affectionately that his hearers thought they had as good be without the sun in the firmament as Chrysostom in the pulpit.
218 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
ways, all their sins, and all their donbts. No preaching to this, no preachers to these.
Ministers should not be like Caesar's soldier, that digged a fountain for Cresar, and himself perished for want of water. Yet many such there be in these days, that dig and draw water out of the wells of salvation for others, and yet themselves eternally perish, by their non-drinking of the waters of life. If they are monsters, and not to be named among men, that feed and feast their servants, but starve their wives, then what monsters are they that feed and feast other men's souls, with the dainties and delicates of heaven, but starve their own ? No misery, no hell to this '
[9.] Ninthly, As ministers must preach the word feelingly, experi- mentally, so they must preach the word Hglitly. They must divide and distribute the word according to every one's spiritual estate and con- dition. They must give comfort to whom comfort belongs, and counsel to whom counsel belongs, and reproof to whom reproof belongs, and terror to whom terror belongs : 2 Tim. ii. 15, ' Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth ; ' or, word for word, ' Rightly cutting into parts the word of truth,' Isa. xl. 1, 2, 1. 4 ; 2 Cor. v. 10-12. Some say [Gerhard, Perkins, &c.] the metaphor is taken from the priests of the Old Testament, who having slain the beasts that were to be sacri- ficed, did joint and divide the same in an accurate manner. Others say [Chrysostom, Bullinger, Theophylact, &.C.] it is a metaphor taken from a cutter of leather, who cutteth off that which is superfluous, when he cutteth out reins and thongs. So in the handling of the word, questions that are superfluous and unprofitable, ought to be cut off ; and that only is to be held forth that makes for the hearer's instruction, edification and consolation. Others say the metaphor is taken from the cutting and squaring out of the streets and highways, and setting out the bounds of men's lands and possessions. Others by cutting the word of truth aright, understand the raising of right instructions, by following the rule of the word, only as a ploughman that draweth or cutteth a right furrow in the ground.'
To divide the word ariofht, is to cut out, saith Calvin and others, to every one his portion, as a parent cutteth out bread to his children, or a cook meat to his guests. A general doctrine not applied, is as a sword without an edge, not in itself, but to the people, who by reason of their own singular senselessness and weakness, are not able to apply it to their own estates and conditions ; or as a whole loaf set before children, that will do them no good. A garment fitted for all bodies, is fit for nobody ; and that which is spoken to all is taken as spoken to none. Doctrine is but the drawing of the bow, application is the hitting of the mark. How many are wise in generals, but vain in their practical in- ferences ! Such preachers are fitter for Rome than England. Souls may go sleeping and dreaming to hell before such preacliing, ere such preachers will awaken them and shew them their danger. Oh that therefore the people were so wise as, that when sin is reproved, judg-