Thirdly, It's a special mercy to be kept in the truth, because the Lord hath appointed Officers in the Church, for this end among others, 1to preserve and propagate the truth. If it be then of such esteem with God, ought it not to be also with us? And wherein doth Gods regard to his truth more appear, than in ordaining Officers in his Church, whose main work and employment should be to disseminate this pure seed wheresoever they come, Ephes. 4.14? There we have Offices given to the Church, and one end is, that believers be not tossed up and down with every wind of doctrine: And though Timothy, as some expound that place had prophesies concerning him, what a glorious instrument he would be in the Church of God, yet Paul doth again and again exhort him to keep the same doctrine he had delivered to him, (1 Tim. 9.20.) O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thee; That compellation is insinuating, and argueth much affection in Paul, and there is a reason even in the very expression of faith, he calls it depositum, as Aristotle observeth; it's a greater sin to embezzle, or alter that, than any thing we have borrowed, because this is committed to our Justice; but a depositum to our faithfulness. The Depositor doth rest upon us as trusty men; So that by this all the Ministers of God are to be awakened, Christian faith and doctrine is committed to you, as the preservers of it; The Priests lips are to preserve knowledge, and the people are to require it at their hands. The Apostle 2 Tim. 1.14. as if verbum sapienti sat est, were not true in this matter, doth again re-mind him, to keep the good thing committed to him; See with what esteem he speaks of the true Doctrine, and this is to be done by the holy Ghost. The matter is so great, that unless the Spirit of God enable us, besides all our study and learning we are not able to keep it; yea a Deacon must not be ordained, unless he hold fast the mystery of faith in a pure conscience, 1 Tim. 3.9. Oh then, let none have low thoughts about that, which God hath appointed an Office for, and therefore given them the titles of the light and salt, and nihil est sole sale utilius.
Thirdly, It's a special mercy to be kept in the truth, because the Lord hath appointed Officers in the Church, for this end among others, 1to preserve and propagate the truth. If it be then of such esteem with God, ought it not to be also with us? And wherein doth Gods regard to his truth more appear, than in ordaining Officers in his Church, whose main work and imployment should be to disseminate this pure seed wheresoever they come, Ephes. 4.14? There we have Offices given to the Church, and one end is, that believers be not tossed up and down with every winde of doctrine: And though Timothy, as some expound that place had prophesies concerning him, what a glorious instrument he would be in the Church of God, yet Paul doth again and again exhort him to keep the same doctrine he had delivered to him, (1 Tim. 9.20.) O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thee; That compellation is insinuating, and argueth much affection in Paul, and there is a reason even in the very expression of faith, he cals it depositum, as Aristotle observeth; it's a greater sinne to imbezil, or alter that, than any thing we have borrowed, because this is committed to our Justice; but a depositum to our faithfulness. The Depositor doth rest upon us as trusty men; So that by this all the Ministers of God are to be awakened, Christian faith and doctrine is committed to you, as the preservers of it; The Priests lips are to preserve knowledge, and the people are to require it at their hands. The Apostle 2 Tim. 1.14. as if verbum sapienti sat est, were not true in this matter, doth again re-minde him, to keep the good thing committed to him; See with what esteem he speaks of the true Doctrine, and this is to be done by the holy Ghost. The matter is so great, that unless the Spirit of God inable us, besides all our study and learning we are not able to keep it; yea a Deacon must not be ordained, unless he hold fast the mystery of faith in a pure conscience, 1 Tim. 3.9. Oh then, let none have low thoughts about that, which God hath appointed an Office for, and therefore given them the titles of the light and salt, and nihil est sole sale utilius.
- 13. Because the Lord hath appointed Officers in the Church for this end among others, to preserve the truth.
