Chapter 1. The Reason Why the Apostle Renews the Same Exhortation, and What Truths Ministers Are Often to Preach to Their People

FIrst of the first, the repetition of the same exhortation, and that in so short a space. Sure it was not for want of matter, but rather out of abundance of zeal, that he harps the second time on the same string. Indeed he is the better Workman, who drives one naile home with reiterated blowes, then he which covets to enter many, but fastens none. Such Preachers are not likely to reach the conscience, who hop from one truth to another, but dwell on none. Every hearer is not so quick as the Preacher, to take a notion as 'tis first darted forth, neither can many carry away so much of that Sermon, which is made up all of varieties, (where a point is no sooner named, but presently pulls back its hand, and another makes a breach and comes forth, before the fist has been opened and hammered upon the conscience by a powerful application) As where the discourse is homogeneal, and some one necessary truth is clear'd, insisted on, and urged home with blow upon blow. Here the whole matter of the discourse is a kin, and one part remembred brings the memory acquainted with the other, whereas in the former one puts out the other in a weak memory. Short hints and away may please a Scholar, but not so profitable for others, the one more fit for the Schooles, but the other for the Pulpit. Were I to buy a garment in a shop, I should like him better, that layes one good piece or two before me that are for my turn, (which I may fully peruse) then him, who takes down all his shop, and heaps piece upon piece, (meerly to show his store) till at last for variety I can look wishly on none, they lie so one upon another.

Again, as it is profitable thus to insist on truths, so 'tis not unbecoming a Minister to preach the same truths again and again; Paul here goes over and over the same exhortation, v. 11. v. 13. and elsewhere tells us, this is not grievous to him, but to them it is safe, to hear the same things over and over, Philippians 3:1. There are three sorts of Truths must in our Ministery be preached oft.

First, Fundamental Truths, or, as we call them, catechise-points, that contain truths necessary to be known and believed. The weight of the whole building lies on these ground-cells, more than on superstructory truths. In a Kingdom there are some staple commodities and trades, without which the Common-weale could not subsist, as wool, corne, &c. in our countrey, and these ought to be encouraged above others, (which though they be an ornament to the Nation, yea, adde to the riches of it, yet are not so necessary to the subsistence of it) Thus here; there is an excellent use of our other Ministerial labors, as they tend to beautifie and adorne, yea, enrich the Christian with the knowledge of spiritual mysteries; but that which is chiefly to be regarded is the constant faithful opening of those main truths of the Gospel. These are the Land-marks, and show us the bounds of truth; and as it is in townes that butt one upon another; if the inhabitants do not sometimes perambulate, and walk the bounds, (to show the youth what they are) when the old studs are gone, the next generation may lose all their priviledges by their encroaching neighbors, because not able to tell what is their own. There is no fundamental truth, but has some evil neighbor, (heresie I meane,) butting on it; and the very reason why a spirit of errour has so encroach't of late years upon truth, is, because we have not walk't the bounds with our people in acquainting them with, and stablishing their judgements on these fundamental points, so frequently and carefully as is requisite. And people are much in the fault, because they cast so much contempt upon this work, that they count a Sermon on such point; next to lost, and only childes meat.

Secondly, those truthes are oft to be preach't, which Ministers observe to be most undermined by Satan or his instruments in the judgements and lives of their people. The Preacher must read and study his people as diligently as any book in his study; and as he findes them, dispense like a faithful steward unto them. Paul takes notice that the Galatians had been in ill handling by false apostles, who had even bewitch't them back to the Law in that great point of Justification, and see how he beas upon that point. Our people complain, we are so much, so oft reproving the same errour or sin, and the fault is their own, because they will not leave it; who will blame the dog for continuing to bark, when the thief is all the while in the yard? Alas, alas, it is not once or twice rowsing against sin will do it. When people think the Minister shows his lazinesse, because he preaches the same things, he may then be exercising his patience, in continuing to exhort and reprove those who oppose, waiting, if at last God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. We are bid ro lift up our voice like a trumpet, and would you have us cease while the battel lasts, or sound a retreat when it shou'd be a battel?

Thirdly, truths of daily use and practice. These are like bread and salt, whatever else is on, these must be on the board every meale. Saint Peter was of this minde, 2 Peter 1:12. I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them. He had (you may see) been speaking of such graces and duties, that they could not passe a day without the exercise of them, and therefore will be ever their Monitour, to stir up their pure mindes about them. All is not well, when a man is weary of his ordinary food, and nothing will go down but rarities; the stomach is sickly, when a man delights rather to pick some sallet, then eate of solid meat, and how far this dainty age is gore in this spiritual disease, I think few are so far come to themselves, as yet to consider and lament. O Sirs, be not weary as in doing, so not in hearing those savoury truths preach't you have daily use of, because you know them, and have heard them often; faith and repentance will be good doctrine to preach and heare to the end of the world; you may as well quarrel with God, because he has made but one heaven, and one way to it, as with the Preacher for preaching these over and over; if your heart were humble, and your palate spiritual, old truths would be new to you every time you hearest them. In heaven the Saints draw all their wine of joy, (as I may so say at one tap) and shall to all eternity, and yet it never tastes flat. God is that one object their souls are filled with, and never weary of, and can any thing of God and his love be wearisome to you in the hearing here? I am not all this while an Advocate for any Loyterer in our Lords vineyard; for any slothful servant in the work of the Gospel, who wraps up his talent in idlenesse, or buries it in the earth, (where (may be) he is digging and playing the worldling all the week, and then has nothing to set before his people on the Lords day, but one or two old mouldy loaves, which were kneaded many years before.) This is not the good Steward, here is the old, but where are the new things which he should bring out of his treasure? If the Minister labors not to increase by stock, he is the worst thief in the Parish. It is wicked for a man trusted with the improving of Orphans estates, to let them lie dead by him, much more for a Minister not to improve his gifts, (which I may call the town-stock given for the good of the souls of both rich and poor:) if that Preacher was wise, Ecclesiastes 12:9. who still taught the people knowledge, that is, was ever going on, endeavouring to build them higher in knowledge, and that he might, did give good heed, and sought out, and set in order many Proverbs; then surely he will be proved a foolish Preacher at last, that wastes his time in sloth, or spends more of it in studying how to adde to his estate out of his peoples, then how to adde to their gifts and graces, by a conscionable endeavour to increase his own.

First, concerning the repetition of the same exhortation in such a short space. Clearly the apostle repeated it not for lack of material, but out of an abundance of zeal — returning a second time to strike the same note. The better craftsman is the one who drives a nail home with repeated blows, rather than the one who tries to drive many nails and fastens none. Preachers who hop from one truth to another without dwelling on any are not likely to reach the conscience. Not every listener is as quick as the preacher to grasp a point the moment it is stated. And many people cannot carry away as much from a sermon that is full of variety — where a point is barely named before it is withdrawn, and another breaks in before the first has been driven home with a powerful application — as they can from one that is unified, where a single necessary truth is clarified, emphasized, and pressed home blow after blow. In a focused discourse, the whole subject is related, and remembering one part brings the memory toward the rest. In a fragmented one, each new point pushes out the last in a weak memory. Brief hints and quick movement may please a scholar, but they are far less useful for most listeners. One approach suits the lecture room; the other suits the pulpit. If I were buying cloth in a shop, I would prefer the merchant who laid one or two good pieces before me that suited my need — which I could examine carefully — over the one who pulled down his entire stock and piled piece on piece merely to show how much he had, until I could barely look closely at any of them.

Furthermore, just as it is profitable to dwell on truths in this way, it is also entirely fitting for a minister to preach the same truths again and again. Paul goes over the same exhortation repeatedly — in verse 11, in verse 13 — and elsewhere tells us this is no hardship for him, and that for his hearers it is safe to hear the same things over and over (Philippians 3:1). There are three kinds of truths that must be preached frequently in our ministry.

First, foundational truths — what we call the basics of the faith: the truths necessary to know and believe. The weight of the whole building rests on these foundation stones more than on anything built upon them. In any nation there are certain essential industries without which the country could not survive — grain, wool, and the like in our land. These deserve more attention than decorative trades that add ornament and even wealth to the nation but are not essential to its life. The same is true here. Our other ministerial labors have excellent value in enriching the Christian with knowledge of spiritual mysteries. But what deserves first attention is the consistent, faithful opening of the core truths of the Gospel. These are the boundary markers of truth. Consider how towns that share borders behave: the inhabitants periodically walk the boundaries together to show the young people where they are. When the old markers are gone, the next generation may lose all their rights because encroaching neighbors have moved the lines — and the people cannot say what belongs to them. Every foundational truth has an evil neighbor — I mean a heresy — pressing up against it. The very reason error has encroached so much on truth in recent years is that we have not walked these boundaries with our people, acquainting them with and establishing their understanding of these fundamental points as frequently and carefully as is needed. And the people themselves are much at fault, because they show such contempt for this work — treating a sermon on foundational truth as a near waste and fit only for children.

Second, those truths must be frequently preached which ministers see being most undermined by Satan or his instruments in the minds and lives of their people. The preacher must study his people as diligently as any book in his library, and dispense truth to them as a faithful steward would, according to what he sees they need. Paul noticed that the Galatians had been badly handled by false apostles who had nearly bewitched them back to the law on that critical point of justification — and see how he hammers on that point throughout the letter. People sometimes complain that we rebuke the same error or sin too often. But the fault is their own, because they will not leave it. Who would blame a dog for continuing to bark when the thief is still in the yard? Alas — one or two warnings against sin are not enough. When people think a minister is being lazy because he preaches the same things, he may in fact be exercising patience — continuing to exhort and correct those who resist, waiting to see whether God will at last grant them repentance and a recognition of the truth. We are commanded to lift up our voice like a trumpet. Would you have us stop while the battle is raging, or sound a retreat when the call should be to advance?

Third, truths of daily use and practice must be preached often. These are like bread and salt — whatever else is on the table, these must be there at every meal. The apostle Peter was of this mind (2 Peter 1:12): 'I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them.' He had been speaking of graces and duties that could not be practiced without needing to be stirred up every day — and so he committed himself to being always their reminder, rousing their sincere minds to attend to these things. Something is wrong when a person grows weary of ordinary food and will eat nothing but rarities. The stomach is sick when it prefers to nibble at delicacies rather than eat solid food. And how far this appetite for novelty has advanced in this generation as a spiritual disease — I think few have come far enough to themselves to see and mourn it. Do not be weary of hearing the very truths you have daily need of, simply because you know them and have heard them often. Faith and repentance will be good doctrine to preach and hear until the end of the world. You might as well complain to God for having made only one heaven and one way to it as complain to the preacher for returning to these truths again and again. If your heart were humble and your spiritual appetite sound, old truths would be fresh to you every time you heard them. In heaven, the saints draw all their wine of joy — if I may put it that way — from a single source, and they will do so for all eternity, and it never grows stale. God is the one object their souls are filled with, and never tired of. Can anything of God and His love grow tiresome to you when you hear of it here? Let me be clear: I am not defending any loiterer in the Lord's vineyard, any lazy servant in the work of the Gospel who wraps his talent in idleness or buries it in the ground — perhaps spending the week digging in his own worldly affairs and then having nothing to set before his people on the Lord's Day but a couple of stale loaves baked many years before. This is not the good steward. He has the old — but where are the new things he should be bringing from his treasury? If a minister does not labor to grow his own stock, he is the worst thief in the parish. It is wicked for one entrusted with a widow's estate to let it sit idle — and far more so for a minister not to develop his gifts, which are like public trust given for the good of all souls under his care. If the preacher described in Ecclesiastes 12:9 was wise — the one who continually taught the people knowledge, who kept pressing forward, working to build them higher in understanding, and who gave careful attention, sought out wisdom, and set his proverbs in order — then the preacher who wastes his time in idleness, or spends more energy on enriching himself at his people's expense than on enriching his own gifts and graces to serve them, will in the end be proved a fool.