14:23, And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a
(6.) That you may have bodily strength allowed for the work, that your indisposition disturb you not.
Lastly, That God would countenance you in the work with his presence and power in ordinances, to make the word spoken a convincing and converting word to them that are out of Christ; a healing word to the broken; confirming to the weak, doubting and staggering ones, etc.; that God himself would drive the fish into the net, when you spread it out. In a word, that you may be helped to approve yourself to God, as a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2. After preaching, Christ was taken up in this work, Mark 6:46, Matt. 14:23, And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray. Follow Christ in this, O my soul. It is better to do this, than go away with the great people in the afternoon; which I shun as much as I can; and when at any time I do it, it is a kind of torment to me; which I have shunned, and do resolve to shun more; and if at any time I be necessitated to go, that I shall spend more time alone through grace. Pray to God, O my soul, that your labours be not unsuccessful; that what you have delivered, may not be as water spilt on the ground. Pray for pardon of your failings in public duties; and that God may accept of your mite which you give with a willing mind; that he would not withdraw his blessing because of your failings; but that he would be pleased to water with the dew of heaven the ground wherein you did sow the seed, that it may spring up in due time; that the word preached may be as a nail fastened by the Master of assemblies, so as the devil may not be able to draw it out. Think not, O my soul, that your work is over, and you have no more to do when the people are dismissed. No, no; it is not so. Think with yourself, that the devil was as busy as you were, when you were preaching; and that afterwards he is not idle. And shall he be working to undo your work, and you unconcerned to hold it together? O no, it must not be so; God will not be pleased with this. And alas! I have been too slack in this point before this: Lord, help me to amend. If a man had a servant that
would go out and sow his seed very diligently and faithfully; but would come in, and sit down idle when it is sown, and forget to harrow it, and hide it with the earth; would the master be well pleased with him? yea, would he not be highly displeased, because the fowls would come and pick it up? So, O my soul, if you should be never so much concerned to get good seed, and never so faithful and diligent in sowing it; yet if after you turn careless, and take not the way to cover it, by serious seeking to the Lord, that he may keep it in the hearts of people, and make it to prosper, the devil may pick it all up; and where is your labour then; and how will the Lord be pleased with you! Therefore pray more frequently, cry more fervently to God, when the public work is over, than you have done; and endeavour to be as much concerned when it is over, as when you were going to it. I do not doubt, but many times, when you preach, some get checks and convictions of guilt; some perhaps are strengthened; but both impressions wear off very soon. I fear you must confess, and take with a sinful hand in this, in that you do not enough labour to get the seed covered when it is sown, and the nail driven farther in when it is entered. Though many times your body is wearied after the public work, yet sure you may do more than you do; and if your soul were more deeply affected, the weariness of body would not be so much in your mind; but you would trample on it, that you might get good done by your work, and souls might not always thus be robbed by that greedy vulture and roaring lion, the enemy of your own salvation, and the salvation of others. Although he has been as busy to do harm all the day to souls as you have been to do good, yet he will not complain of weariness at night. Take courage then, O my soul, and be strong in the Lord; and do not give it over to this enemy; endeavour to hold him at the staffs end. You have a good second; Christ is concerned for his own seed as well as you. Go on then, and be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, and let that ravenous fowl never get a grain away as long as you can get it kept from him. Thus then, O my soul, follow Christ, in being taken up in this so necessary an exercise. Thy Lord and Master had no wants to get made up, there was no fear of his failing in this work of the gospel; yet he prayed, to give all, and especially preachers of his word, an example. Lay not aside the
pattern then, but write after his copy even in this.
Sixthly, Christ contemned the world. He slighted it as not meet for any of his followers. He became poor, that we might become rich, Matt. 8:20. He gave himself entirely, at least after his inauguration, to matters that concerned the calling he had to the work of the gospel, John 9:4. All, especially preachers, are to follow Christ in the contempt of the world. Yet we must beware of imitating him in those things which we are not commanded to follow, as voluntary poverty, this being a part of his satisfaction for the sins of the elect. Neither doth this exempt the preachers of the gospel from a lawful provision of things necessary for themselves, or others they are concerned in; for the apostle tells us, that he is worse than an infidel, who doth not provide for his family, 1 Tim. 5:8, where church-men are not excepted. Yea, it is clear that the ministers of the gospel may sometimes work with their hands for their maintenance, either when the iniquity of the times wherein they live does not allow them what may be for their maintenance, or when the taking of it will hinder the propagation of the gospel, as is clear by the practice of the apostle Paul. So that that in which, with respect to this, you are to follow Christ, O my soul, is, that you do not needlessly involve yourself in worldly matters, to the hindrance of the duties of your calling and station. As you are a preacher of the gospel, other things must cede and give place to that. This is what our Lord teaches us, Matt. 8:22, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead: and the apostle, 2 Tim. 2:4, No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life. Which was a thing not observed by some, especially our bishops, who acted as magistrates, as well as ministers; a thing which our Lord absolutely refused; Who made me a judge or a ruler? says he; yet digested by them, being an infallible sign of their ignorance of the weight of that work. And in my opinion it is not observed either by some ministers now-a-days, who when they have their glebes and stipends sufficient for their maintenance, do notwithstanding take more land a-farming. For my part, I see not how such can be said not to entangle themselves with the affairs of this life, and go beyond what doth become them as ministers of the gospel. Neither of these are my temptation now, being
a probationer. But seeing I am unsettled, a corrupt heart and a subtle devil may take advantage of me, if I be not wary, and by their arguments from my present state may cast me off my feet, if I take not heed. Therefore, O my soul, Beware of preaching smoothly upon the account of getting a call from any parish. Have a care, that the want of that, viz., a call, do not put you upon men-pleasing. No, no; that must not be your business. Remember, God provides for you even now liberally, as he sees fit. You do not want even so much of the world as is very necessary; and he who has provided for you hitherto, yea, took you, and kept you from the womb, will not forsake you as long as you do not forsake him, but remains faithful. Remember, God has set the bounds of your habitation, and determined the time. Though men and devils should oppose it, they shall not be able to hinder it. It is God himself that sets the solitary in families; and why should you go out of God's way to procure such a thing to yourself, or to antedate the time which is appointed of God; Go on in faithfulness, fear not; God can make, yea will make a man's enemies to be his friends, when his ways please the Lord. And though their corruptions disapprove of your doctrine, and yourself for it, yet their consciences may be made to approve it, and God may bind them up, that they shall not appear against you. And what though you should never be settled in any charge at all? Christ and his apostles were itinerants. If the Lord see it fit, why should you be against it? If the Lord have something to do with you in diverse corners of his vineyard, calling you sometimes to one place, sometimes to another, you are not to quarrel that. Perhaps you may do more good that way than otherwise. If you had been settled at home, then some souls here, which perhaps have got good of your preaching, would have been deprived of it at least as from thee; and God will always give you meat as long as he gives you work; and go where you wilt, you can not go out of your Father's ground. Further, if you should take that way, and transgress for a piece of bread, you may come short of your expectation for all that, and lose both the world and a good conscience. But suppose you should by that means gain a call and a good stipend, you lose a good conscience, which is a continual feast. For how can such a practice be excused from simony? and it is a certain symptom that a preacher seeks not them, but theirs;