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The parts of sanctitie are especially, 1. A good conscience. 2. Cor. 1. 12. For our reioycing is this, the testimonie of our conscience, that in simplicitie and godly sinceritie, and not in fleshly wisedome, but by the grace of God, wee haue had our conuersation in the world. 1. Timothie 1. 19. Keeping faith and a good conscience, which some hauing put away as concerning the faith haue made Ship-wreck. Act. 24. 16. And herein I endeauour my selfe to haue alway a cleere conscience towards God, and towards men. If this bee wanting, the mouth of the speaker is shut. Isai. 56. 10. Their Watchmen are all blind: they haue no knowledge, they are all dumbe dogges, they cannot barke, they lie and sleepe, and delight in sleeping. 2. An inward feeling of the doctrine to be deliuered. Wood, that is capable of fire, doth not burne, vnles fire be put to it: and he must first be godly affected himselfe, who would stirre vp godly affections in other men. Therefore what motions a sermon doth require, such the Preacher shall stirre vp priuatly in his owne mind, that hee may kindle vp the same in his hearers. 3. The feare of God, whereby, being throughly strucken with a reuerent regard of Gods Maiestie, hee speaketh soberly and moderately. 4. The loue of the people. 1. Thess. 27. But were gentle amongst you, as a nurse that cherisheth her children. And that this affection may appeare, the Ministers dutie is to pray seriously and feruently for the people of God. 1. Sam. 12. 23. God forbid that I should sin against the Lord and cease praying for you. 5. The Minister must also be ([…]) venerable, that is, such a one as is to be reuerenced for constancie, integritie, grauitie and trueth-speaking, who also knoweth how to performe reuerence to others either priuatly or publikely, as is befitting the persons of all his hearers. 6. Hee must bee ([…]) temperant, who restraineth inwardly his ouer vehement affections, and hath his outward fashions and gestures moderate and plaine, by the which dignitie and authoritie may bee procured and preserued. Therefore hee must be neither couetous ([…] a louer of siluer) nor ([…]) a follower of wine, nor litigious, nor a striker, nor wrathfull: And let the young men exercise themselues to godlines, and flie the lusts of youth. 1. Tim. 4. 7.
The grace of the ministerie is. 1. to be apt to teach ([…]) 1. Timothie 3. 2. Now Pauls meaning is, that it is not only decent and laudable if this gift be had, but also that it is so necessary, as that may not be wanting. For this consideration Nazianzene refused a bishopricke: and Theophylact vpon this place saith, that this dutie of teaching is especially of all other necessarie to be found in Bishops. In the Nicene and Miletian Councell, this was imposed in stead of a punishment, to hold the name of a Minister, but not to preach the Gospell. 2. Authoritie, whereby he speaketh as the Embassadour of the great Iehouah. Tit. 2. 15. These things speake and exhort, and rebuke with all authoritie. 1. Pet. 4. 11. If any man speake, let him speake as the oracles of God. 3. Zeale, whereby being most desirous of Gods glory he doth endeuour to fulfill and execute the decree of election concerning the saluation of men by his ministerie. Iob 32. 18. I an full of matter, and the spirit within me compelleth me. 16. Behold, my bellie is as the wine which hath no vent, and like the new bottels that brast. 2. Tim. 2. 25. Instructing them—prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance, that they may know the trueth. Col. 1. 28. 29. Admonishing euery man—that wee may present euery man perfect in Christ Iesus.
Gesture is either in the action of the voyce or of the bodie.
The voyce ought to be so high, that all may heare. Isai. 58. 1. Crie aloud, and spare not: lift vp thy voyce like a trumpet. Iohn 7. 37. In that last and great day of the feast Iesus stood vp and cried, Act. 2. 14. And Peter standing with the eleuen lift vp his voyce and said.
In the doctrine hee ought to bee more moderate, in the exhortation more feruent and vehement.
Let there be that grauitie in the gesture of the body, which may grace the Messenger of God. It is fit therefore, that the trunke or stalke of the bodie being erect and quiet, all the other parts, as the arme, the hand, the face and eyes haue such motions, as may expresse and (as it were) vtter the godly affections of the heart. The lifting vp of the eye and the hand signifieth confidence. 2. Chron. 6. 13. Salomon made a brazen scaffold, and set it in the middest of the court—and vpon it hee stoode, and kneeleddowne vpon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and stretched out his hands towards heauen. 14. And said, O Lord God of Israel, &c. Act. 7. 55. And Steuen being full of the holy Ghost, bending his eies vp to heauen beheld the glory of God. The casting downe of the eyes signifieth sorrow and heauines. Luk. 18. 13. But the Publican standing afarre off would not so much as lift vp his eyes vnto heauen, but hee smote his breast saying, God be mercifull to me a sinner.
Concerning the gesture other precepts cannot be deliuered; only, let the ensample of the grauest Ministers in this kind be in stead of a Rule.