The text, Acts 5, 33 verse, to the end.
Now when they heard it, they burst for anger and consulted to slay them.
Then stood there up in the Councell a certaine Pharisie named Gamaliel, a Doctor of the Law, honoured of all the people, and commanded to put the Apostles furth for a little space, and said—Men of Israell, take head to yourselves, what ye intend to do touching these men, &c.
The words that were spoken by Peter and the other Apostles, could give no just cause of provocation to the adversaries; for in their doctrine they insisted upon two innocent points: ane was faith in Christ—that since the Lord whom they crucified was now exalted to be a prince, that therefore they might believe in him and get remission of sinnes; and the other was obedience—they ought to obey God rather than man. Yet they resolved to kill them; and had done so, if the Lord had not raised up a man to save them, and he prevailed, that their furie was layed, wherein the Apostles rejoyced and doubled their zeale.
There is four particulars in the text very considerable: 1, The bad effects the Apostles preaching had in the peoples hearts. 2, The meane that God did use in saving of his servands. 3, The unjust proceedings of the adversaries. 4. The disposition and diligence of the Apostles, that ceased not; whereby you learne that oftentymes it comes to passe, that men in authoritie are provoked against religion. Whether in obedience to God, or in the tryell of their faith, yet the Lord hes many wayes to serve his aune children; and the end shall be joy to the Saints and advancement to the Gospell.
Let us returne to the first, [which] was the bad effects of the preaching, and that was twofold: ane in their hearts, another in their heads. They were cutt to the heart. The word is borrowed fra the cutting of a sword or saw. In the 7 Acts it is said, “they gnashed with their teethe;” and in the 2 Acts, 37, its said, “they were pricked in their hearts.” We find another effect, but its different. The ane and the other are verie like. 11 Rom, 8 v., he calles the spirit of slumber, the spirit of compunction. The godly have a pricking, and the wicked have a pricking, as in the place 2 Acts, 37, they were pricked and took councell; but they goe to them that wounded them, but they do not so here, but would slay them. The word of God hes very different effects in the godlie and the wicked. 1 Rev. 16, its like a two-edged sword; and 4 Heb., lyvelie and mighty in operation. It either pricks or cutts; its either a word to cure thee or to kill thee.
The Ministers of Christ, although they be other wayes of no reputation, yet if they could handle his sword aright, it should wound. The children of God, when they are wounded, should beare it patientlie: they are wounded because of their sin—the other because they cannot committ sin. So the ane prepaires for Christ, the other for destruction. The ane shall end in health, the other in woe. And it may seeme very strange, that all this tyme we should never have heard of a Letter from our Prelats that have beene wounded with the sworde.
Men and brethren, I will not insist in their guiltinesse; but we can say no more of them but what the text sayeth—which is, “they tooke councell to kill us.” And now we come to the councell they resolved to slay them. Counsell is good and excellent; neither hath it beene derogatorie to authoritie; for, as Solomon sayeth, “In councell there is stabilitie.” Them matters that are not agitat by councell are tossed upon fantacy. As Solomon felt the benefite of using it, so Rehoboam found the evill of not using it; first, because it was young; secondlie, because it was violent. Consider the councell of our adversaries. It was very violent; but it had not the other, for the men wanted not their yeares; yet they had this violence. They had another bad qualitie to supplie that, and this yow may learne from the 17 v. Many of them were Sadduces and so unmeit to be councellors; for in the 23 Acts, yow see they beleeve not the resurrection; and where such unbelievers and councellours are, their sentence will be, “cutt the throat of Church and Commonwealth.” They care not what violence they use to get preferment—but especially Kirkmen that are Sadduces; what crueltie shall be exercised by them—but especiallie when they are given over to the divell. Ministers, when they fall, are like angells that are divells. No men in Scripture are called divells but ministers; so they become incarnat divells. Give God thanks and his Majestie that hes given us this day to meet together; and no thanks to them, that either yow are hearing or I am preaching to yow.
Followes the meane—- the second thing—which was the man that spocke, and his speache. The man was a Pharisie. Next, he was learned, and a Doctor of Divinitie; for his good pairts of reputation, naturallie and politicallie wise; and upon such grounds, that he convinces them all. And further, he seemes to be a peaceable man, and does what he can to save innocent blood. But there was ane thing wanting—that was in Christ, and love to the word. 22 Acts, it is said, Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliell. As was the schollar, so was his master. He was ignorant, and so a persecutour. There is more requyred for the accomplishment of a man than the gifts of the mynd, which this man seemes to have. A mans natural pairts are like a vesture of gold; and the gifts of grace, are like the precious stones; but this faith is like a precious diamond in the middle—incomparably greater in worth. Judge of kings according to their qualitie. The best of these, beside the great jewall, are given to the wicked and to the godlie, and are bestowed on them for other mens good, and not for their owne: but this propper to thyselfe and for thyselfe, and this jewall shall make thee rich, and it concernes none more then ministers. It is requyred of ministers that they should be learned, and in reputation with the people; wise, peaceablie disposed, and learned—διδαπτιποι; although they cannot come to eminent, yet competent knowledge—1 Titus 5—to exhort, and comfort, and convince the enemy; not like these men that hes instruments—sheares and tubbes to cutt off the wool and to carry their milk away; but no care to feede them. I say they should be furnished with all thinges, both outwardlie and inwardlie; and it is a pittle that we have not a Lebanon for tries to grow in—a professour here and a professour there. All the planting will soone be destroyed, and there be not a place for them. We are all crying for good ministers to have a care of the good plants. That is not learning to read a sermon, or to spoil it in the telling. It is a pittie those that boasts so should be so vaine, and as great a pittie that we have not sound divinitie. Many gets other mens preachings, and these that are learned should be given to such alterculatiouns yet and although thow were als learned as Gamaliell, and thow have no more, thow art not to be a minister of Christ. Yow know what entertainment the Apostles gott at Athens: they mocked them. A man that hes a learned head and a graceles heart, he is unmeit for Christs worke. Let us joyne both together. Of all men that ever I was acquainted with, I saw none so prophane as ministers. What was good in this man let us stryve to outmatch it; and what he wanted, let us labour to have our soules filled with the love of Christ, and thinke more of grace then learning.
Before I come to his speach, see not onlie Gods mercies, but also Gods providence. He uses his providence which his wisdome had designed; and there is two pieces of his providence here seene: ane was first, the Lord brought them back from the doores of death when their soul was, as it were, in their hand; secondlie, by such a meane as they could not dreame of; and these two are very ordinarie with the Lord. When yow are in extremitie, he shewes himselfe and in such wayes, and we may truelie say, he hes done so with us—that when Episcopacie was deeplie rooted, even then God would cutt it downe. Wherefore doeth the Lord so? Answer, For three reasons—first, that when the Lord comes in extremitie, that his hand may be declaired, and he get the greater glorie—33 Isai 9. Lebanon is ashamed and cutt downe; secondlie, for the further confusion of the enemies—Obadiah 3, whose habitation is in the high rockes, who sayes in their hearts, who shall bring me down to the ground? thirdly, for our encouragement and our posteritie after us, that we should onlie put our confidence in Him who is only able to helpe us.