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that bo hath hedged us and fenced us about with government, and authority, and good laws, and hath taken out of us the stones and thorns of popeiy, and profaneuess ; and yet \vc bring forth wild grapes. And might he not break down the wall ; and that justly, and suil'cr us to be devoured. Surely 3'es ; and yet must needs we acknowledge him to be just. But it follows, the apostle calls Epaphroditus here his,
Felloir-hihourer. It is observable here, concerning God's goodness, that ho sufi'ers not his faithful labourers to be alone. Christ sends them out by ' two and two,' before his face, Mark vi. 7 ; and this he doth that they might be a mutual aid, strengthening and comforting one another. Thus did Christ in old time, and thus he doth also in later times. He sent Augustine and Jerome, Luther and Melancthon ; where, by the way also, observe God's wisdom in sending men of diversity of gifts : Jerome, severe and powerful ; Augustine, meek and gentle ; Luther, hot and fiery ; Melanc- thon, of a soft and mild spirit ; one to temper the other's over forwardness, and thereby to prevail with some that liked not of the strictness of the other. And by this means God sent teachers suitable to the natures and fitting the several humours of men, among whom some desire to hear the ' sons of consolation,' others the ' sons of thunder.'
Felloiv-soldier,
Every man's life is a warfare, but most of all and above all, the minister is continually in war and strife. They are soldiers, leaders ; they carry the standard, but they of all others are in the most danger, they stand in the brunt of the battle. The reason hereof is : the devil, having malice against the whole church in general, specially aimeth at them that pull men out of his service into the church, even as beasts do rage against such as take their young away from them. It is the minister that treads on the serpent's head : no marvel, then, if the devil endeavoureth to bite them by the heel. Thus dealt he with Christ, when he first set upon his office of mediator ; and thus did he with Moses and Paul, in the main plots contrived against them. Such as those are great eyesores to him, and this is it that makes them soldiers and captains. But how ? I answer, even as Paul, 1 Cor. x. 4. So the ministers do fight against the strongholds of corruption within us, against natural reason, corrupt afi'ec- tions, proud conceits ; they fight against these imaginations, and in them, against the devil himself, who doth* use these instruments to bring his pur- poses to pass. In ministers, therefore, it is required principal^ knowledge in the stratagems of the devil, in especial manner in those amongst whom they should converse ; by observing the corruptions of the times, places, and the corrupt customs, and also tlae general corruptions of callings. He, therefore, that would be a good soldier, had need be continually resident in his charge ; for the devil having gotten hold once, he seeks to sing them asleep with ' Soul, thou hast much goods,' &c., Luke xii. 19. This is dangerous. The minister had need look to it ; for men do soothe them- selves up in pleasure, thinking that religion may well stand with the love of the world. The watchman must tell them plainl}^ ' You cannot serve God and mammon.' If these false conceits, this false divinity that is in us, were once removed, we should easily resist the devil. Our enemies are within us, and therefore what saith Christ ? ' The prince of this world Cometh, and hath found nothing in me,' John xiv. 30, and therefore he got nothing. ' Be not deceived,' saith St Paul ; thereby shewing that their * Misprinted ' doe.' — G.
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offence did arise of a false conceit and an error in judgment. If tlien tho ministers be soldiers under Jesus Christ our general,
Use 1. Then all hij nature are in an opposite kiinjilom. We have natural lusts in us against every commandment, and there is no act of faith in us, but we have false conclusions in us to fight against them. We are by nature not only void of all goodness, but we have a nature opposite to all goodness.
Use 2. The second use is for instruction. If we would bo brought and redeemed out of this estate, let us not hold forth az/ainst the 'ministry of the ffospel. Some will have such carnal conceits, that do what we can, they will not see ; they are wilfully blind. Such as these are by the ministry of the gospel hastened to hell. Their course is made more swift, their fall more desperate. Let it not be with us so ; but let us come with yielding hearts to the word, not resisting the Spirit. God will not always strive with us, but will give us up to our own courses, to live and die under the dominion of the devil, and so will glorify himself in our confusion. For the word is as the man on the white horse which is spoken of in the Reve- lation, it goes forth conquering, it condemns men already. Rev. xix. 11. It is like Jonathan's bow, it never returns empty from the blood of the slain, * 2 Sam. i. 22. Christ he continues to preach to us here by his Spirit, as he did to those in the time of Noah, 1 Pet. iii. 19. If we will not hear, we shall into prison, as they are now without redemption, for blood shall be upon our own heads.