But I shall not be so minute in my discourse, as in the division; the duties, and the manner or degrees of the duties, I shall handle together, and give you the best measures I can, both for institution of life and excellency of doctrine:it is required of every one of you, that in all things you show yourselves a pattern of good works. That is the first thing required in a minister: and this is, upon infinite accounts, necessary: 1. In general. 2. In particular. 1. In general. The very first words of the whole psalter are an argument of this necessity: "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the chair of the mockers," the seat of the scornful. The doctor's chair or pulpit must have nothing to do with the irrisores,' that mock God, and mock the people; he must neither walk with them, nor stand with them, nor sit with them; that is, he must have no fellowship with the unfruitful workers of darkness, but rather reprove them;" for they that do preach one thing, and do another, are r, 'mockers;' they destroy the benefit of the people, and diminish the blessings of God; and "binding burdens on the people's shoulders which they will not touch with the top of their finger," they secretly laugh and mock at the people, as at the asses of Issachar, fit to be cozéned into unnecessary burdens. These words are greatly to be regarded: the primitive church would admit no man to the superior orders of the clergy, unless, among other prerequired dispositions, they could say all David's psalter by heart; and it was very well, besides many other reasons, that they might in the front read their own duty, so wisely and so mysteriously, by the Spirit of God, made preliminary to the whole office. To the same purpose is that observation of St. Jerome made concerning the vesting of the priests in the Levitical ministrations; the priest put on the humeral, beset with precious stones, before he took the xóyov, or the rationale' upon his breast, to signify, that first the priest must be a shining light, resplendent with good works, before he fed them with the váha λoyixov, the rational milk' of the word: concerning which symbolical precept, you may please to read many excellent things to this purpose, in St. Jerome's epistle to Fabiola. It will be more useful for us to consider those severe words of David; " But unto the wicked God saith, what hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth; seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee?" The words are a sad upbraiding to all ungodly ministers, and they need no commentary; for whatever their office and employment be to teach God's people, yet, unless they regard the commandments of God in their heart and practice, themselves, they have nothing to do with the word of God,—they sin in taking the covenant, a testament of God, into their mouth. God said to the sinner, vw Raschaah, that is,' to him that had sinned and had not repented of his sins;' so the Chaldee paraphrase reads it; "Impio autem, qui non agit pœnitentiam et orat in prævaricatione, dixit Deus." Indeed, if none could be admitted to this ministry but those who had never sinned, the harvest might be very great, but the labourers would be extremely few, or rather none at all; but, after repentance, they must be admitted, and not before; " "Iniquitas opilabit os eorum," "iniquity shall stop their mouths," saith David "; that ought to silence them indeed: and this was David's care, when he had fallen into the foul crimes of murder and adultery; he knew himself unfit and unable, though he were a prophet, to teach others the laws of God; but when he prayed to God to restore him to a free spirit, he adds; "Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee :" till then it was to no purpose for him to preach. "But thou, when thou art converted," said Christ to Peter, "strengthen the brethren."-The primitive church had a degree of severity beyond this; for they would not admit any man, who had done public penance, to receive holy orders: to which purpose they were excellent words which P. Hormisda spake in his letters to the bishops of Spain, in which he exhorts them to the observation of the ancient canons of the church, telling them that, "They who are promoted to the clergy, ought to be better than others;" nam longâ debet vitam suam probatione monstrare, cui gubernacula committuntur ecclesiæ; non negamus,' etc. we deny not but amongst the laity there are many whose manners are pleasing to God, but the faithful laws of God Psal. I. 16, 17. Psal. cvii. 42. iPsal. li. 13. seek for him soldiers that are approved; and they ought rather to afford to others, by themselves, an example of a religious life, than require it from them; ideoque nullus ex pœnitentibus debet ordinari; quis enim quem paulo ante jacentem viderat, veneretur antistitem?' None of the public penitents must be ordained, for who will esteem that priest venerable, whom a little before he saw dishonoured by scandalous and public crimes?' But this is to be understood of them only, as the prophet Amos expresses it," qui corripiuntur in portâ," "who are rebuked in the gate," condemned by public sentence, and are blotted with the reproaches of the law. But in all cases, Turpe est doctori, cum culpa redarguit ipsum. The guilt of the sin which a man reproves, quite spoils his sermon: "ipsam obmutescere facundiam, si ægra sit conscientia," said St. Ambrose; "a sick conscience spoils the tongue of the eloquent, and makes it stammer." For how shall any man preach against sin, or affright his people from their dangers, if he denies God's justice? and if he thinks God is just, why is not he confounded, that, with his own mouth, pronounces damnation against himself? Nothing confounds a man so much, as to be judged out of his own mouth : "Esse munda studeat manus, quæ diluere sordes curat," said St. Gregory; "the hand that means to make another clean, should not itself be dirty." But all this is but in general; there are yet considerations more particular and material. 1. A minister of an evil life cannot do so much good to his charges; he cannot profit them, he is not useful ɛis oinodouny, he pulls down as fast, or faster, than he builds up. "Talmud absque opere non est magnum Talmud," said the Jews' proverb: a good sermon without a good example is no very good sermon.' For, besides that such a man is contemptible to his people, contemptible, not only naturally, but by Divine judgment, (according to that of the prophet, "Propter quod dedi vos contemptibiles omni populo," for this very reason I have made you to be scorned in the eyes of all the people '):' but besides this, it is very considerable "for what St. Chrysostom says: "Si prædicas et non facis, opus proponis tanquam impossibile :" he that preaches mortification and lives voluptuously, propounds the duty as if it were impossible' for certainly if it be good, and if it be possible, a man will ask, why is it not done? It is easy for him that is well to give a sick man counsel: "Verùm tu si hic esses, certè aliter sentires;" when it comes to be his own case, when the sickness pinches, and when the belly calls for meat, where's the fine oration then? "Omnia quæ vindicâris in alteo, tibi ipsi vehementer fugienda sunt: etenim non modo accusator, sed ne objurgator ferendus est is, qui, quod in alteo vitium reprehendit, in eo ipse deprehenditur :" ' whatsoever you reprove in others, must be infinitely avoided by yourself; for no man will endure an accuser, no nor so much as a man to chide, for that fault in which himself was taken"? But if your charges see you bear your sickness patiently, and your cross nobly, and despise money generously, and forgive your enemy bravely, and relieve the poor charitably, then he sees your doctrine is tangible and material; it is more than words, and he loves you, and considers what you say. In the East the shepherds used to go before their sheep, to which our blessed Saviour alludes, "My sheep hear my voice and follow me:" but our shepherds are forced to drive them, and affright them with dogs and noises: it were better if themselves did go before. 3. A minister of an evil life cannot preach with that fervour and efficacy, with that life and spirit, as a good man does; for besides that he does not himself understand the secrets of religion, and the private inducements of the Spirit, and the sweetness of internal joy, and the inexpressible advantages of a holy peace; besides this, he cannot heartily speak all that he knows; he hath a clog at his foot, and a gag in his teeth; there is a fear, and there is a shame, and there is a guilt, and a secret willingness that the thing were not true; and some little private arts to lessen his own consent, and to take off the asperities and consequent troubles of a clear conviction. To which if we add, that there is a secret envy in all wicked men against the prosperities of goodness; and if I should say no more, this alone were enough to silence a Boanerges, and to make his Cic. in Verr. Act. ii. lib. 3. Beck. T. i. p. 357. thunder still and easy as an oaten pipe: "Nonne id flagitium est, te aliis consilium dare, foris sapere, tibi non posse auxiliari?" That's a burning shame and an intolerable wickedness, that a minister shall be like Marcotis, or the statue of Mercury, show the way to others, and himself stand still like a painted block; to be wise abroad, and a very fool in his own concerns, and unable to do himself good.'- "Dicit Reslakis, 'orna teipsum, postea ornate alios:"" first trim thyself, and then adorn thy brother,' said the rabbins: but certain it is, he that cannot love to see others better than himself, it cannot be that he should heartily endeavour it. Scilicet exspectas, ut tradat mater honestos, Atque alios mores, quam quos habet? utile porro It is not to be expected that a diseased father should beget wholesome children: like will come from like, whether the principle be good or evil. But, secondly; for this is but the axǹ adivav; this is but the least evil; there is yet much worse behind. A wicked minister cannot with success and benefit pray for the people of his charges; and this is a great matter; for prayer is the key of David, and God values it at so high a rate, that Christ is made the prince of all intercession, and God hath appointed angels to convey to his throne of grace the prayers of the saints; and he hath made prophets and priests, even the whole clergy, the peculiar ministers of prayer: "Orabit pro eo sacerdos ;"the priest shall pray for him,' the priest shall make an atonement for his sin, and it shall be forgiven him°. And God's anger is no where more fiercely described, than when things come to that pass that he will not hear the priest or prophet praying for the people: "Pray not thou for this people, neither lift up prayer nor cry for them, neither make intercession to me; for behold mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place "." When the prayers of the gracious and acceptable persons, the presidents of prayer, are forbidden, then things are desperate; it is a greater excommunication; the man sins a sin unto death; and I say not that thou pray for him, that sins unto death.' This, I say, is the priest's office, and if the people lose the ■ Juvenal. vi. 240. Rupert. • Numb. xv. 5. Lev. iv. 35. |