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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58958	The Second and last collection of the late London ministers farewel sermons preached by Dr. Seaman, Dr. Bates, Mr. Caryll, [brace] Mr. Brooks, Mr. Venning, and Mr. Mead ; to which is added a farewell sermon preached at Dedham in Essex by Mr. Matthew Newcomen ; as also Mr. Lyes sermon at the conclusion of the last morning-exercise at All-hallows in Lumbard-street, being a summary rehearsal of the whole monthly-lectures.	Seaman, Lazarus, d. 1675.; Bates, William, 1625-1699.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.; Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.; Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699.; Newcomen, Matthew, 1610?-1669.; Lye, Thomas, 1621-1684.	1663 (1663)	Wing S2257; ESTC R41075	195,536	326

Pha●isees which is among you Oh that I had no cause to say the leaven of the Pharisees is among you I mean that there are many here that are but bare professors let me ask you that are only professors this one question Is Religion good or bad if it be not good what is the reason thou art not ashamed to profess it if it be good what is the reason thou dost but professe it by thy bare professing thou losest the love of man by no more then professing thou canst never gain the love of God so that on all sides thou art like to be miserable The world will hate thee for being so good and God will hate thee for being no better What a sad thing is it that thou losest thy comforts in this life by professing so much and thy comforts in the life to come by no more then professing Thus you have heard what I have to say by way of Caution I shall now speak to you by way of counsel The former ten were Negative these shall be Positive First I intreat you all that above all things you would mind the one thing necessary that you would not trouble your selves so much with many things of little concernment but mind the great thing for which you came into the world Oh my friends will you spend your time for that which will not profit you and your money for that which is not bread Look after Grace labour to get an Interest in Christ of which if you be unprovided you will be undone for ever and it will be better for you you had never been born Oh gain Christ and then you will be fitted for all times all troubles and all conditions that can happen unto you you will be endued with all wisdom and with all riches if you gain not Christ all that God doth to you and for you will n●ught at all avail you Secondly My second advice and counsel unto you is this That you would live as you would die live to day as if you must die to morrow Let me ask you would you be content to die in the state you are in if my soul doth not desire to be in a better state whe● I come to die then now I am in I may very well sit down satisfied if not then surely it greatly concerns me to look after a better would any man be content to die a Drunkard I ask you that are Drunkards I do believe you will answer no why then do you live in drunkennesse How know you that God will spare you when you are drunk until you are sober again we may read of many that have died in their drunken fits God doth not alwayes send his Herauld to warn thee before he sends his Serjeant to arrest thee how knowest thou but Death may strike thee on a sudden what will then become of thy Soul Oh Beloved I beseech you live not in that you are unwilling to die in Balaam wa● not such a wretch but he could cry out Good Lord let me die the death of the Righteous are so bad husbands but will lay up for a rainy day I mean against a time of sicknesse comes wherein you will be unable to work are you thus careful to maintain your bodies and will you be carelesse of your souls Oh be careful to provide for sto●my weathers you have winter garme●s for your bodies to preserve them from cold ●h let patience be your winter garment to preserve and keep your selves warm in afflictions I know that he that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and that through tribulation and sufferings we must enter into the K●ngdome of Heaven shall I not then provide for them but you may say what doth persecution attend all the godly a man may escape them as well as suffer them put case affliction should not come thou wilt be never the worse for the being provided for them for he that is fit to die is fit ●o live and that man that is fi● to suffer afflictions is fit to live without them It was Pauls exhortation to the Ephes 6.10 Finally my brethren put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand the wiles of the Devil And it is wisdome in a man to provide for a misery before is comes there is mention made of a Nation the Spartans I think that useth to chuse their King as we do our Lord May or every year and whilst they are in their annual Government they live in all abundance of state have all the sulnesse their hearts can wish but when their year is over all their pomp and glory is over too and they banisht into some obscure remo●e place for ever Where they spend the remainder of their lives in great want and misery One King knowing this being called to rule over that Nation made such use of his time wherein he reigned as King that by his provident living he heaped up so much treasure and sent it besore him to the place where he knew he should be sent as maintained him all his life time Thus it is God hath appointed to every one a time to live in and that but a short time too and in that time he hath appointed afflictions to attend us if we will live godly in Christ Jesus is it not wisdome in us then to provide for them Take heed then that to avoid suffering you do not commit sin ●o commit sin to avoid suffering is as if a man should run out of the mouth of a barking Dog into the mouth of a devouring Lion what is the wrath of man to the wrath of God Man can but dest●oy the body and no more but God can destroy both body and soul into hell fire to all eternity Fourthly My fourth word of counsel and direction is this be serious in serious things when you come to perform serious things do ●●em seriously I do not know that ever I saw a man fall a sleep while he was telling of mony for if he should how could he tell whether it were right or no Yet alas too too many sleep when they should be taking truth not only by natural sleep but also by spiritual sleep they are so ca●elesse in receiving the word they hear and so la●y withal that rather then they will try the word they ●ear they will take all for truth their Ministers tell them Beloved I believe you will scarce put so much coufidence in a man as to receive a sum of money without telling it because he saith it is right and yet will you receive all that your Minister tells you is truth for truth without trying it you must not be sluggish in your working for God but put forth your selves to the utrermost You must make the Kingdome of Heaven suffer violence and take it by force but then Fifthly The fifth Direction which I shall give you is about hearing the Word how you must behave your selves when you

Priests and Levites were forced to flee their own places and possessions 2 Chron. 11.13 14. 4. Sometimes by Suspension Thus a time there was When it was said to the Seers see not and to the Pr●phets prophesie not Isai 30.9 10. Thus a time there was when People would have Pastors but would not endure faithful Jeremiah and a time there was that there was a Law made Look ye speak no more in the name of Jesus Acts 4.18 And a time there was when Paul and Timotheus and Silvanus were forbid to preach to the Gentiles as 1 Thes 2.15 16. Thus we see the Lord hath inflicted this dreadful Judgement on a people and the Lord hath divers wayes and methods and meanes to in●●●● it 3. Consider The Church and people of the Lord hath been very sensible of the Lords hand in this Judgement as we may see in Psal 74.1 and 〈◊〉 verses compared Why what is the matter as if they have said God was wont heretofore to give us signes and tokens he would even work miracles for us the Lord would send us some Prophets to converse with and instruct us we had those that could tell us how long our troubles should last but now we see no sign the Lord leaveth us as it were to the wide world and how sensible was the Lords Church in this judgement as ver 1. of that Psalm This is the first endeavour We are to he duely sensible and deeply apprehensive of the inflicting cause of such a Judgement and that is the Lord himself 2. Of the meritorious Cause and that is Sin Say not we it is long of such or such but it is long of our selves we may thank our selves for this and we appeal to your selves whether this judgement may not be charged 1. From the general unflexiblenesse untractablenesse of people under the Ministry of the Word For this very cause the Lord plagued and poured his vengeance upon the Ten Tribes as in 2 Kings 17 from ver 13 to 19. The Lord testified against Is●ael by all the prophets and by all the Seers saying Turn you from your evil wayes notwithstanding they would not hear And for this very cause did the Lord afterwards plague all Judah as Jer. 29.17 18 19. And for this very reason did the Lord Jesus Christ remove Paul from Jerusalem because the people ware a st●ff necked people and they would not receive Paul's estimony concerning Jesus as Acts 22.18 Paul had a great desire to stay at Jerusalem as appeared by his reasoning with the Lord ver 19 20. But what saith the Lord Christ ver 21. N●w can England can London plead not guilty of this hainous provocation a generval unflexiblenesse untractablenesse under a Conscience-ransacking a Conscience-searching Ministry 〈◊〉 shall the Lord do with such a people under 〈◊〉 Ministry Is it not just with God to let them al●● that are prophane and superstitious let there be●● people like Priests let the blind lead the blind 〈◊〉 let the wicked rebellious Minister lead a wicked lo●●● people that both may perish together everlastingly 2. The unfruitfulnesse formality luke-warmnesse declining of Gods own people and for this the Lord threatens the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2.4.5 I have saith Christ somewhat against thee thou hast left thy first love though not absolutely for nature yet eminently for measure And can England can London plead not guilty of this sad provocation Now indeed we cannot but observe and approve of your flocking to the Lords Ordinances as Doves to the holes of a window but did you do so some moneths agon Oh your voluntary and fearful distractions avocations diversions from the worship and service of God! And is it not just with the Lord to take away that bundance and choice of spiritual helps a people had when they approved not of them yea when th●● undervalued and despised and abused them 〈…〉 Lord God help us all to affect our souls and to ●ay our selves low before his all-seeing Majesty for our provoking him to do this and endeavour to be duly apprehensive and deeply sensible of the inflicting cause and meritorious cause thereof 2. Take heed of a prophane delight in loose lewd wicked dissolute Ministers And here we will premise two or three things 1. Too many people are too ready to cavil at many M●●sters without a cause The life of our blessed Lord and Saviour was it not traduced did not some say that he was a friend to Publicans and sinners We 〈◊〉 Christ was cavill that and 〈…〉 And thus the holy Apostles their 〈…〉 they went through evil report as well as good report 2 Cor. 10.2 And thus Ath●nasius who was traduced for an Adulterer by the Ariant and so Auther and Calvin are represented and reported by the Papists as if they had been the vildest creatures in the world The wicked man cavils at and finds spots a● least do w●at he can to find spots in the Sun some who are not so wicked do look for an Evangelical perfection in Ministers and all their● their wives and their children and their Servants and their company how ready are people grosly and uncharitably to censure a Minister for any yea the least they discern in him or his and is this their vertue nay is it not their vice and corruption 2. It is no breach of the Churches peace no argument of a contentious and unquiet spirit in a Minister to speak vilely of vile Ministers and enemies of the Churches peace Why who are they John-Baptist tells us he calls them vipers a generation of vipers why were they not Preachers Mat 3.7 and will you say that John Baptist was a man of a contentious spirit of an unquiet spirit And who were they whom our blessed Saviour calls a generation of vipers as Mat. 12.34.38.39 who were they that our Saviour calls a generation of vipers and an evil and adulterous generation were they not Preachers it is very observable both John Baptist our Saviour did call those Preachers th●● even in the hearing of them who were their ordinary hearers and do but observe what strange tearms of disgrace S. Peter gives them 2 Pet. 2.12 to certain Preachers in his time ver 14. what strange tearms doth the Apostle give those Teachers whose pernicious wayes many would follow as in ver 2. of that chap. but did not the Scribes Pharisets sit in Moses Chair and did they not preach some good Doctrine 〈◊〉 much that Jesus Christ bids the people hear them and observe what they said though not what they did as Mat. 23.1 2 3. Therefore may some say It seemeth strange that Christ should thus disgrace the Scribes and Pharisees was not this the way to make their Ministry contemptible First It is very clear and undeniable that there were a generation of pitiful sorry Teachers as in Mat. 9.36 Why did not the people enjoy the teaching of the Scribes and Pharisees yes they did but the Scribes and Pharisees were

hear I take it for granted you will hear I hope you will for brown bread is better then none and a little is better then none at all yet I intreat you take these two words of Direction First Try the word you hear by the Truth Secondly Try your selves by the Truth First Try the word you hear by the Truth if it be not consonant to that believe it not let who will pre●ch it Paul exhorteth the Galatians so to do Chap. 1.8 9. But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other doctrine unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him he accursed How Paul accursed sure you speak too high what if an Angel must he be accursed Sure you will c●ll in your words again nay instead thereof he repeats them over again as we said before so I say again if any one preach any other Gospel then that which you have received let him be accursed If any man pretend a Revelation from Heaven and cannot bring Scripture for what he saith do not believe one syllable Take the noble Bereans for your example they would nor believe Pauls doctrine until they had searched to see whether it were so or no but then as you are to t●y the word you hear by the truth so try your selves by the word you hear as a truth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Now try your selves by this truth and see whether or no you walk after the flesh or after the Spirit I have likewise two Directions about the preaching the Word First Do not you receive the Word for the persons sake that brings it I am apt to think that many of you will receive a Truth of one mans bringing which you would not receive of anothers and thus ye receive the Word of God with respect of persons which you ought not but first receive the Word for its own sake and secondly receive the person for the Words sake 1 Thes 5.12 13. we beseech you brethren to know them which are over you to 〈◊〉 monish you and labour among you in the Lord and to esteem of 〈◊〉 very highly in love for their works sake Sixthly My direction in the sixth place shall be concerning 〈◊〉 times we live in and I shall tell you how you ought to behave 〈◊〉 selves in two particulars First Blame thy self most that the times are so bad there is a general complaint about the sadnesse of the times but no particular every one puts the cause away from him and instead of accusing themselves are alwayes accusing others Ahab he said to Elisha Thou art he that troubled Israel Elisha said to Ahab Thou art he that troubled Israel Adam said to God The Woman which thou gavest me did give to me and I did eat The woman she said The Serpent beguiled her Thus do we put it off from our selves to others No man saith with Jonas for my sake is this come upon you I am the cause of all this No man saith what have I done would you have the times mend Oh then every soul of you condemn your selves and amend your wayes the times would not be so bad if we were not so bad would you have the effect cease then seek to remove the cause But then Secondly Pray not so much for better times as better hearts for had you never so good times and not good hearts your blessings would be cursings good times without good hearts will but fatten you the sooner to the slaughter Seventhly If you cannot do the good you would then do the good you can many people are so sullen that because they cannot do all they would do they will do none at all I beseech you be not of this temper what though you cannot serve God in publick will you not therefore serve him in private why may you not do as S. Austin was bid to do tolle legit take up and read this will be a reading and praying time with you and now you cannot hear as formerly you have done oh pray more and read more and the less you have in Publick the more you may have in private you may read and pray we are not forbidden that yet let us then make use of them Eightly My intreaty is unto you all that you would be careful and circumspect in your conversation Ephes 5.15.16 See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the dayes are evil Walk as becometh the Professiors of the Cospel and labour to be blameless towards God and man O● what notice will there be taken when any Professor doth but 〈◊〉 aside and do any thing amiss it is the joy of wicked mens hearts to see it and how diligently do they watch for it and often wish i● We have a Proverb That one man may better steal a Horse then ●●●ther look on I am sure a wicked man may better commit sevon sins then a Professor one for it is the failings the bad lives of Professors that makes Religion ill spoken of and hinders many a weak soul from closing with it sure think they their Religion cannot be good their conversations are so bad let us therefore be wary and careful in all our actions Ninthly Mourn and lament for the sin you cannot hinder it was ●●id of Lot 2 Pet. 2.8 that his righteous soul was vexed with the wicked conversations of the Sodomites Oh that we were but so good as we should be then sure it would grieve us more then it doth to see the wicked and abominable lives of those among whom we live though thou dost not blaspheme God thy self yet it is thy God that is blasphemed and shall not that trouble thee how canst thou but reprove them whoever they be When a sick man seeth his Wife Children Friends and Physician lamenting his condition sure it will make him think his condition is worse then he thought i● or very bad at least or else why do they take on so if there was no cause of fear Thus it may be thy reproof may work upon a wicked man if when thou hearest him blaspheme God thou lamentest his condition and puts him in mind of his sad estate it may make him lay that to heart then which he never did before Tenthly The last thing that I have to beseech of you is That you would love one another I have not at all sought to proselyte you to my way but whatever you see in whoever it be that is of God oh love it be he of what profession he will he is a godly man Oh then love him you cannot love God if you do not love his people let brotherly love continue your Minister must not continue oh then let brotherly love continue 1 John 1.20 If any man saith he loveth God and hateth his Brother he is a lyar and the truth is not in him for if he

the saving Knowledge of Christ thy will subdued and brought into subjection unto Christ thy affections renewed spiritualized thy conversation such as becomes the Gospel of Christ 2. You that have made all things ready for his coming look out after his coming The Table is spread the Trencher laid the dinner ready the guest not come oh when will hee come I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ come Lord Jesus come quickly every Saint will eccho too Come quickly To every Beleever it shall be a most welcome coming hee shall come with a reward of absolution and pardon of all sin of vindication and clearing up of all names Beleevers bodies shall not only have a Resurrection but their good names It shall be a reward of Coronation all their Crowns of Thorns shall be turned into Crowns of Glory 3. Is Christ coming will hee come This should bear up Beleevers hearts in and under the sufferings they fear or feel Christ comes quickly therefore fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer This gives us advance into The Nineteenth Sermon Rev. 2.10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison that you may be tryed and you shall have tribulation ten daies be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of Life WHence observe 1. The people of God must suffer Through tribulation through many tribulations they must enter into the Kingdome of God From a cross into Heaven think it not strange no not of the fiery tryal thou shalt suffer 2. What ever sufferings the people of God either are or may be in they have no just cause ground or reason of fear i. e. of disponding distrusting distracting fear The Arguments for this point are in the Text. 1. The Consideration of who it is that brings the People of God into suffering Is it God God is the Disposer but who is the great Executioner The Devil whom God hates more than thou canst The Devil shall cast c. 2. 'T is the Devil in a Chain The Devil hath two sorts of Chains A Chain of darkness in which he is kept to the day of Judgement A Chain of providence he is restrained in that c. 3. The Quality of the suffering should keep them from fearing He shall cast some of you into Prison not into Hell 4. The Design to destroy you no but to try you 'T is well you are Gold else you would be presently destroyed and burnt 5. The Duration could the Devil have his design it should be for ever 'T is but for ten daies 6. God over-rules all that befalls us Christ alwaies stands by the Beleever to take notice of every stripe as well as of every hair of thy head to own thee in all thy sufferings to sympathize with thee to have a fellow-feeling and compassion unto thee to compose us and sanctifie all unto us to order the issue of all that it shall be sure speedy and good and by all these to make us as like God God-man as possible Vse Then do not fear Here we were forewarned and fore-Armed 1. Forewarned our suffering is like to be great nay it may be greater then we may suppose This to bee sure if our sufferings do but keep pace with our sinings I beleeve never such sufferings in England If God lay Righteousness to the Line and Judgement to the Plummet never such matter for his Justice in England 2. We should not fear because that is the spring of many other sins Fainting Running Lying Perjury and to do any thing in the world c. 3. The best of men in such bad times it will bee as much as ever they can doe to keep themselves steady 2. We were Fore-armed 1. In reference to the Church of God Do not fear the Church of God is dear to thee but 't is dearer to God The Interest of God is more concerned in the life peace and truth of the Church then in mine c. If the great God will not look to his own Interest can the Church be safe But doubtless hee will 2. In reference to our selves Suppose many sufferings yet the waies of God are in the dark as well as in the deep there 's no tracing of him let him alone where thou canst not trace him admire him God can and hath done and I bless God I can set my Seal to that word that tells mee God will do great things Babylon must sink his people must bee called the Kings of the earth must hate that Whore when God brings his people low 't is but making way for the bareing and magnifying his own mercy when the praise can be given to none now is a time for God to work Now will I arise and shew my self strong Therefore fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer Fear not oh ye Saints of the most high T is true if you were carnal natural unconverted sinful Idolatrous wretches well might you fear the wrath of the Lamb and him that sitteth on the Throne Wert thou a filthy drunken unrighteous intemperate Faelix thou might well fear thou hast no God to run to but being a Paul thou needest not fear No Paul can speak and act with so much confidence even when he stands before a great Tribunal ready to have a sentence of death passed on him that he makes his very Judge to Tremble And so you have it in The Twentieth Sermon Acts 24.25 And as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Judgement to come Faelix trembled IN these words you have the manner matter and effect of Paul's Preaching The manner why Paul was reasoning The matter 't is of Righteousness Temperance and Judgement to come the Effect Faelix trembled First for the manner of Pauls Preaching as he reasoned i. e. as he argued the matter he did propound it in a rational way and pursued it before Faelix and this he doth in a double capacity as he is a Convert and as he is an Apostle as a Christian and as a Preacher 1. As a Convert and Christian and so he had reason to do and make use of that reason he had to shew though he became Righteous yet Paul had not lost his reason Hence learn true Religion will consist with right Reason Blessed be God for this Truth We are apt to look upon men as mad men if they will be Righteous 'T is true before Paul was converted he had Reason but he used it madly but after Conversion he begins to be sober and make the best use of his Reason 2. Look upon Paul as a Preacher so he makes use of his Reason And True Reason may and must bee used in Preaching the Gospel yet with these two Cautions 1. Do not over-value Reason do not lift up the Servant above the Master Prize Grace more then Reason Piety is better then Parts though Parts are the Ring of Gold Piety is the Diamond in