A42767:41
A sermon preached before the right honourable the House of Lords in the Abbey…
A sermon preached before the right honourable the House of Lords in the Abbey Church at Westminster, upon the 27th of August, 1645 being the day appointed for solemn and public humiliation : whereunto is added a brotherly examination of some passages of Mr. Colemans late printed sermon upon Job 11.20, in which he hath endeavoured to strike at the root of all church-government / by George Gillespie, minister at Edinburgh.A sermon preached before the right honourable the House of Lords in the Abbey Church at Westminster, upon the 27th of August, 1645 being the day appointed for solemne and publique humiliation : whereunto is added a brotherly examination of some passages of Mr. Colemans late printed sermon upon Job 11.20, in which he hath endeavoured to strike at the root of all church-government / by George Gillespie, minister at Edenburgh.
London: printed by F. Neile for Robert Bostock, 1646
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
In reference to Ministers, the Doctrine is most clear. The next words after my Text, tell you; that this refining fire is specially intended for purifying the sons of Levi. The same thing we have move largely, though more obscurely, in 1 Cor. 3.12. to ver. 15. I do not say, that the Apostles there meaneth only of times of Reformation: But this I say, that it holdeth true, and most manifestly too, of times of Reformation; and that this is not to be excluded, but to be taken in as a principal part of the Holy Ghosts intendment in that Scripture.1 He is speaking of the Ministers of the Gospel and their Ministry, supposing always that they build upon Christ, and hold to that true foundation: Upon this foundation Some build gold, 2silver, precious stones, that is, such Preaching of the Word, such administration of the Sacraments, such a Church-Discipline, and such a life as is according to the Word, and favoureth of Christ: Others build wood, hay, stubble, whereby is meant whatsoever in their Ministry is improfitable, unedifying, vain, curious, unbeseeming the Gospel; for the Ministers of Christ must be purified, not only from Heresy,3 Idolatry, Profaneness, and the like, but even from that which is frothy and unedifying, which favoureth not of Gods Spirit, but of mans. Now saith the Apostle, Every mans work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is. The Church shall not always be deluded and abused with vanities that cannot profit . A time of Light and Reformation discovereth the unprofitableness of those things wherewith men did formerly please and satisfy themselves. There is a fire which will prove every mans work, even an accurate trial and strict examination thereof, according to the rule of Christ:4 A narrow enquiry into, and exact discovery of every mans work (for so do our Divines understand the fire there spoken of) whether this fiery trial be made by the searching and discovering light of the Word in a time of Reformation, or by Afflictions, or in a mans own Conscience at the hour of death. If by some or all of these trials, a Ministers work be found to be what it ought to be, he shall receive a special reward & praise;