the desire and the care of speaking the mystery of Christ. Thus Demas forsook the ministry, 2 Tim. iv. 10. They who become indolent and avaricious, stifle the gifts bestowed upon them, and for the most part cast aside the office of preaching the Gospel: they who become turbulent or vain, preach to be sure, but yet in such a manner that these latter sow discords, the former, nonsense, whilst neither speak the mystery of Christ, that is, urge not the doctrine of salvation offered to all who believe and repent through faith in Christ crucified: And this is that mystery which Paul determined alone to know and to preach, 1 Cor. ii. 2. Ye perceive, therefore, how necessary it is to pray, that ministers after they are furnished with all necessary helps, should exert these gifts conferred upon them in preaching the mystery of Christ.

Instructions.

1. We must pray not only that learned ministers may be given to us, but further, that they may be encouraged daily by God to discharge their office with alacrity and constancy for the declension from labour to indolence is easy.

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2. Ministers often fail in the work of their vocation, because the people fail in the duty of prayer for them to God. For most truly said Gregory; Because the people are evil, utterance is taken away even from good teachers, Hom. 12. upon Ezek. on those words of the prophet, Chap. iii. 26, I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, and thou shalt be dumb: for they are a rebellious house.

3. Whereas Paul is urgent that they should pray to God, not that he might obtain the honours or the riches of this world, but that he might speak and preach the Gospel; we infer from thence, that nothing is to be so desired by a pious minister, as the exercise of his ministry; nothing to be so bewailed, as to be kept back from this work.

4. When he adds, to speak the mystery of Christ, he shews that they are but little mindful of their office, who having the faculty and the opportunity of preaching, yet rather affect to pass off their own wit, than to preach the

mystery of Christ.

The people should desire to hear nothing else, the minister should preach nothing else, than the mystery of Christ, that is, the doctrine of salvation obtained through Christ.

For which I am in bonds.] These words are inserted by the way, but not unnecessarily for they have their use, whether you look to the people, or the pastors.

1. They excite the people to love this Apostle, who, for the sake of the edification of the Church sustained so many afflictions.

2. They also stir them up to prayer for his liberation, who shews himself so desirous of their salvation, even in bonds.

3. Lastly, they excite to a true estimation of this treasure, namely, the Gospel; for the sake of which, the Apostle refuses neither bonds nor death itself.

Corollaries.

1. It is the duty of all the godly, not to shew that they are unmindful of ministers, as often as they sustain persecution for the sake of the Gospel; but to help them by their counsel, their assistance, and their prayers.

2. It behoves us to love, yea, to honour ministers afflicted for the sake of piety in a greater degree. For crowns and chains of gold do not more adorn the great ones of the world, than bonds and chains do the ministers of God: forasmuch as to suffer for Christ is the distinguished honour, with which only eminent soldiers are wont to be presented by their General. Thus in Philip. i. 29, we read: For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake.

Now if you regard Paul himself and other pastors, the aforesaid words have indeed their scope and utility. For they shew that Paul was not deterred from duty by these bonds or other inconveniences, but rather was thereby inflamed with a greater desire of discharging his duty; for which cause he desires their prayers so ardently.

Corollaries.

1. It behoves ministers to love their office and to value it much, not only when the Gospel flourishes, but when

both they and it are despised and trampled upon by the ungrateful and wicked.

2. They are unworthy men in this spiritual army who are reckoned slothful in it, and weary of their labour; who soon grow tired or ashamed of their function, and bring their ministry to be hated or despised in the world.

3. Hence we infer, that although preachers of the Gospel may often be subdued and afflicted, yet the Gospel itself can never be either bound or extirpated: for as Chrysostom says, as they cannot enchain the rays of the sun, so neither can they those of the Gospel. The word of God is not bound, 2 Tim. ii. 9.

Vers 4. That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

In the last place, he wished it also to be urged in the prayers of the godly, not only that ministers might and should preach the word, but that they might do it as they ought, that is, in a suitable and the best manner. For in all duties which are rendered to God, not the mere action, but the mode of doing it is even mostly regarded. Hence that saying of Luther (as I conceive) That adverbs have the force of verbs with God, that is, that the Mode of doing any thing, which is designated by adverbs, makes more for the praise or shame of the doer, than the action itself, which is expressed in that place by the term verb. For as in natural things the form is more becoming than the matter, so in morals the manner is more commended than the action itself. Hence Cyprian (De sing. cler.) says, That is not holy which appears holy, except it be performed in a holy manner. But to come to the words themselves; this little clause, as I ought, embraces many things in its compass: we shall be content with these three.

1. He ought to preach the word of God freely or confidently. I think we must put this in the first place, be

cause the Apostle, in Ephes. vi. 20, (where these things are accurately described) expressly mentions this mappпoras, or liberty of speaking. Neither can the legitimate preaching of the word consist without this liberty; because the end of preaching is, to cast down and subvert every thing that exalts itself against the Divine truth, or will, by the spiritual weapons of the Gospel, as says the Apostle, 2 Cor. x. 5.

Therefore, we ought not to preach smooth things, and, from a certain cowardly fear, withhold salutary ones: but those errors and sins which especially reign even in and among the greatest, are to be reproved. So God commands, Isa. lviii. 1, Lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgressions. Thus the prophet Hosea freely censured the vices of the princes and priests, Chap. v. 1. Well and piously said Prosper, De vita contempl. lib. 3. cap. 23, We ought to be more willing to restrain their enmities, who are unwilling to be amended, than to incur the displeasure of God whilst we flatter sinners. For they cure and heal those bitters, although they exasperate the passions, as Clemens rightly remarks in Protrept.

Neither ought we, either in the doctrines themselves, or in the forms and modes of speaking, to accommodate ourselves to the errors of others to the prejudice of known truth which timorous persons often do against their conscience, especially among those whom they imagine to incline some little towards the Popish errors. But this is opposed to that liberty which is required in Christian ministers; who ought not only to retain the very substance (so to speak) and possession of the truth, but even to defend its remote bounds and confines as it were. Hence the Apostle commands us to retain, not only sound doctrine, but also the form of sound words. And prudently does Gerson advise theologians to avoid extraneous terms in the doctrine of truth, part. 1. De exam. doctr. consid. i. For that oft repeated saying of Jerome is true, Heresy arises from words inappropriately used. Thus much of this appnoia-this liberty of speaking.

2. We ought to preach the word of God constantly and diligently. So says the Apostle, Rom. xii. 7, He to whom

the ministry is committed, let him wait on his ministering; he who is a teacher, on teaching: and 2 Tim. iv. 2, Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season, &c.

We ought not, therefore, to be withdrawn from discharging this office, either on the ground of our own advantage, or of pleasure and ease; nay, it ought to be the most desired and fruitful gain to a minister, that by his constant labour he may win souls to Christ; this ought to be his most delightful and acceptable pleasure, that by his ministry he daily renders many pleasing and acceptable to God the Father by Christ, as the Apostle insinuates, 2 Cor. ii. 2, Col. i. 28. Some one of the Roman emperors formerly said, that an emperor ought to die standing; we should no less boldly declare, that a minister of the word ought to die preaching. Thus much of sedulity or diligence.

3. A minister ought to speak the word of God sincerely and faithfully. It concerns this fidelity not to tack human figments to the Divine word, and to thrust those things upon the people as dogmas necessary to salvation. 1 Cor. xiv. 1. For the Apostles themselves were dispensers of the mysteries of God, not maintainers of their own inventions; they helped, were not lords over the faith of Christians. And the successors of the Apostles in the ministry, if they would shew themselves faithful, ought to propagate Apostolic doctrine, not to draw out a new one: If we or an angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed, Gal. i. 8. This was the opinion of all the pious Fathers: who, although they admitted the authority of the Church in determining rites, yet thought that in matters of faith it should be bound to the rule of the Scriptures alone, and to add any thing to this rule they thought to be perfidious. I will add some testimonies from the Fathers, because the perfidious Tridentines have thrust so many dogmas upon the Church, and that under an anathema, most of which (by the confession of Papists themselves) have not a firm foundation in Scripture. Hilary, lib. 6, De Trin. upon those words HEAR HIM, says, I will hear by all means, nor will I hear any one else except him who hears him, or teaches