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A42096 The resigned & resolved Christian, and faithful & undaunted royalist in tvvo plaine farevvell-sermons, & a loyal farevvell-visitation-speech, both deliver'd amidst the lamentable confusions occasioned by the late forreign invasion & home-defection of His Majesties subjects in England / by Denis Granville, D.D., deane & archdeacon of Durham, (now in exile) chaplaine in ordinary to His Majestie ; whereunto are added certaine letters to his relations & freinds [sic] in England shewing the reasons and manner of his withdrawing out of the kingdom ... Grenville, Denis, 1637-1703. 1689 (1689) Wing G1940; ESTC R41659 109,381 177

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vvich hee feared Heb. 5. 7. Our Blessed Lords Practice is the best warrant for ours hee himselfe being the Architype of all righteousnesse whose life ought to bee the Canon Rule of his Disciples These two Ioined in CHRIST JESUS our Grand Exemplar who is the VVay the Truth and the Life serve as tvvo stars to direct his followers unto him Feare stirres us up to seek all possible meanes for the prevention of Evills Faith keeps us from dispaire Feare is linked with the beginning of vvisdom without which your best actions are but as th●se Apples of Sodome which being toucht vanish into smoake or as Trees without fruit or shells without kernell As an ignorant Carelesse Marriner without his Compas wee should be driven upon all the shoales and rocks of temptation were not this feare placed in our Hearts as a watchman to forewarne our drowsy soules of approaching danger And as Gideon on Zeba and Salmunna Iudg. 3. 11. Sathan would surprise us unawares and rob us of our very Hearts Consciences while wee sleep in security But where the Heart is well fraught with feare there is no roome for Sathan and his traine It quickly espies prevents his most cunning Plotts putting to flight those armies of temptations with which hee useth to beseige mans wounded Conscience The holy Psalmist doth well informe us of the Povver and Force of Feare when hee tells us that it fights with Angells strength Ps 34. 7. The Angell of the Lord saith David standeth round about them that feare him delivereth them So that wee may here without crime presume to crosse our Saviours speech in another Case of servile feare understand mee of an holy feare O men of little faith vvhy are yee not afraid VVhensoever the Grace of God shall begin to increase in thee Feare VVhen it shall depart from thee Feare And vvhen it shall returne to thee Feare Saith S. Bernard When thou first feelest Gods holy Spirit to move within thee feare thine ovvn unvvor thinesse that thou receive it not in vain A Gift not used at all or not well imployed is a dishonour to the Donour When thou feelest any decay or suspension of the Operation of Grace within thee feare Gods displeasure who for some Cause or other suffers thee thus to fall But most of all must thou feare when Gods Grace is revived vvithin thee for the relapse is worse than the former disease Therefore thy Feare must increase with thy danger least being made cleane thou shouldst sin againe and a vvorse thing happen unto thee In adversity let us humbly acknowledge with Iob the punishment of God is fearefull In prosperity with David there is mercy vvith God that hee may be feared In all estates let his Essentiall presence beget an awfull Feare and Reverence in all our Actions since there is nothing more fearefull in the Saints and Servants of God than not to feare Jer. 32. 40. However scruple not hence yee sincere tho imperfect Christians ●ver subject sometimes to despondency the certainty of your Salvation An holy feare doth not make us more scrupulous but more certain saith S. Bernard in his 15 Sermon upon the Psalmes For this Feare as Hope is the fruit of an holy Faith and S. Paul joynes it with Faith. Rom. 11. 20. as an Antidote to a high Mind thou standest by faith be not high-minded but feare and indecd is the ground of our assurance of Salvation which wee cannot have but by faith I say by faith not as if that were not certaine but to exclude that certainty of Evidence sense which requires an absolute assent both in respect of the truth of the thing of our knowledge because it is so because wee can demonstrate it to be so As when wee say 4. is more than 2. the whole is greater than part perfect knowledge of sense Experience absolutely conclude it most certain The certainty of our Salvation is a faithfull cleaving to the sure promises of CHRIST JESUS Tho this in respect of it selfe be more absolute than that of sense as faith is more certain than any science yet mans mind not throughly purged from the foggy Mists of Original pollution cannot clearly determine CHRIST indeed hath broken downe the Partition VVall between God his people yet hath hee set the Register of his Elect beyond the ken of any mortall eye Neither can wee assure our selves any otherwise of our Salvation than by trusting in him by applying particularly what hee that cannot lye hath spoken in Generall VVhosoever believeth in mee shall be saved And this is in no man so perfect but that the best may still pray adjuva me Domine Lord helpe my unbeleife Hee that doth not thus feare hath no faith and then no certainty As the Spirit of God vvitnesseth vvee are the sons of God so Feare testifieth wee have the Spirit No man more surely relyes on his Saviour than hee that most feares to Offend him so is it no paradox at the same time to tremble and rejoyce in the Lord. The frailty of our nature the subtilty of the Divell conspire for our Ruine here is good Cause to fear But JESUS CHRIST is our Castle Defence here is greater Cause to rejoyce A man on the top of an high tower looking downe considering the danger of a fall trembles to thinke thereon but looking back on his feet seeing himselfe environned on every side with battlements rejoyceth that hee is so secure of the danger So the most steddy beleiver tho hee know that under the protection of the Allmighty hee cannot miscarry yet hee sometimes trembles to reflect on the deplorable Estate of Falling away Allbeit his principle bee true the Word of God cannot faile in any tittle VVhosoever beleiveth shall bee saved yet is hee Iealous of misapplying it to himselfe Tho hee thinketh hee standeth hee must take heed least hee fall For it is the Condition of Grace Faith as of Nature still to desire encrease perfection which necessatily requires earnest prayer and this implies a sollicitous Feare So then wee may say of a Christian as scipio sometimes spake of Rome it was more secure when it stood in awe of Cartbage The Church was never freer from Herisies than in the time of Persecution and the End of Persecution was the beginning of Herisy Wee are most certain when wee are most tempted When Sathan desires to vvinnovv S. Peter as vvheat then Christs prayer assures him of Salvation Christs Intercessions are more prevalent than any temptation and unlesse wee render them ineffectuall by impenitency they are never in vain Neverthelesse his Prayer may not hinder ours nor his Allsufficiency exclude our labours Wee must pray to him hee will pray for us Let us fullfill his Commandements hee will fullfill his Promises If wee Love him let us feare to offend him If wee have Confidence of our Election in him then let us use all diligence to make
Gods Children just like Billowes in the sea follow one on the neck of another The GOOD FATHER is not lesse troubled vvith this Nevves than at the sight of Iosephs Bloody Coat And Cruell Famine pressing violently on him vvee may Conceive him to take up his son Reubens note in the 27. ch of this Book and at the 19. v. The Child is not vvhither shall I goe What shall I doe miserable man that I am My Dearest Rachel is dead my beloved Ioseph is not Simeon is not and can I leave Benjamin also I remember my sons What newes you brought mee of Ioseph and Should you Doe the like of Benjamin too You vvould bring dovvn my Grey haires vvith Sorrovv to my Grave And yet vvoe is mee I must send him or perish no redemption of Simeon no food vvithout Benjamins going into Egypt and vvithout food no life I had better venture one than dravv destruction upon my vvhole house Thus then my sons seeing it must bee so On God vvill I rely for your safeties his Providence bee your Guide Benjamin shall goe vvith you Hovever Gods Providence must not stop your diligence nor his Care for you prevent yours for your selves but use all possible meanes to excuse your selves content the Ruler v. 11. If it must be so novv do this take of the best fruits of the Land in your Vessels and carry dovvne the man a Present c. v. 14. And God Almighty give you Mercy before the Man that hee may send avvay your other Brother Benjamin IF I BE BEREAVED OF MY CHILDREN I AM BEREAVED I need not stand long on the vvords the Story is vvell knovvne and it gives you some light in to the sense Occasion of them The Difference betvven Interpreters is more in vvords than substance Ari●● 〈◊〉 nearest to the Originall doth translate them Et Ego qu●modo Orbatus sum Orbatus sum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Septuagint Near this S. Ambrose others Ego autem quasi orbatus absque libetis ero ●●ni●● as allso our late English Translation to the same sense but more fully render it Quum Orbatus fuero Orbatus fuero IF I BE BEREAVED OF MY CHILDREN I AM BEREAVED A speeeh much like to that resolute speeech of Queen Hester Hest 4. 16. Quum periero periero If I perish I perisch S. Chrysostom in his 64. Homily on Genesis makes Iosephs absence the cause of this speech as if Iacob had accounted hee had in a manner lost all his Children when hee had lost him Another will have Benjamin the Cheife motive Calvin Musculas put all the brethren for the ground of it Who seeing their Fathers great care and sorrovv might themselves be the more carefull in their Journey Hovv probably soever these seem reasons of his former complaints in his discourse vvith Reuben at the 36. v. of the ch immediately before and vvith Iudah at the 6. v. of this chapcer Yet they are no certaine grounds for this Speech It is the voice of a faithfull soule saith Luther and not of a desperate man complaining for wee shall find on Enquiry that it savours more of Constancy than fear Affection laments but Faith rejoyceth Though hee seems to doubt yet the Event tells us his Prayer was not without Faith. True indeed a great combat theve was for a tyme Affection fighting with Discretion Nature with Necessity but all this was but ad Luctam no Conquest ensued Hee doth but dispute the cause and forecast the worst Extreame Power is here conjoyned with Extreame infirmity VVhen hee vvas vveake like the Apostle then hee vvas strong Gods never failing Spirit contents him at the last hee puts off all further Care to Gods Providence resolving to endure what ever happend As if hee should say Gods vvill be done Benjamin shall go with the rest and I IF I BE BEREAVED OF MY CHILDREN I AM BEREAVED You see Brethren my text is a faithfull submission of a Resolved Patriarch to the VVill of God A meditation which I recommend to all your most serious thoughts as suitable to this Day of Calamity State of Affaires To improve the same by rendring it Exemplary to us Christians in Generall more particularly by so authentick and Godly a Patterne to perswade you who heare mee to imitate the laudable Resolution of this Man of God in parting with your Beloved Benjamins that is your Dearest Delights in tymes of Temptation rather than Forsake your Integrity shall bee the Designe of my remaining Discourse By the Godly Example of the Good Father Iacob we may learne in all Adversity to rely faithfully on Gods merey to hearken to the voice of right Reason to Keep a Good Conscience without giving eare to Flesh Bloud not doubting if wee doe so but that we allso in the Conclusion like old Iacob here shall receive a Revvard The best men are as hee was lyable to all manner of Afflictions even to Poverty Scorn Contempt yea they may be cast downé but if they can in Patience ●ossesse their soules and will wait Gods leasure they shall rise againe God backs their Conflicts with irresistable Power Though Sorrovv Extreamest Sorrow endure for a night Yet Ioy says the Psalmist shall come in the Morning When Israell laments for the absence of all his other sons hee is comforted with the recovery of them Ioseph A Ioy as far beyond his sorrow as that before Exceeded his exptession That I may the more effectually perswade you to such Pieus Resolutions and faithfull Submissions to the vvill of God. CONSIDER 1. THe Necessity of them wee must submit our selves to the will of God according to the Example of Jacob whensovever wee are as hee was afflicted or Tempted 2. The Quallity or Nature of them How wee must Submitt our selves 3. The Benefit Redounding from them why wee ought to doe it Which last head the two first affording matter enough for one Discourse I shall reserve for another Sermon Of these particulars by Gods assistance which I beg at this instant in an Extraordinary manner I intend to treat at this time Part. I I Shall first shew the Necessity of them and here I must take my Rise from Nature So carefull is Nature in providing for her owne safety that every shaddow of Danger affrights her and too Iealous of Adversity oftentimes becomes most dangerous to her selfe like the Partridge in the nett entangles her selfe the more by her own flutterring Man is never more plunged into the troubled sea of Calamity than when in his owne strength hee most struggles to get out of it It is in vaine for him to fight against Nature Her degenerated weaknesses beget our greatest miseryes and they having so neare a Relation to her she cannot put them off Man may discover not Expell them but which is the cheifest misery the nearer hee pries into them the worse so doing hee makes a new wound by too deep
Operations following 1. They increase our knovvledge both of our Creatour our Selves 2. They increase our Devotion making us allso more conformable to Christ our Head so fitter subjects for his Pitty Compassion First they increase our knovvledge c. While our Outward man is consumed the inner man is renewed For as long as the body triumphes in his strength the soules whole imployment is to furnish the corporeall organs with vigour power for their more base Exercises But those parts disabled by Adversity to receive those Faculties they returne to the soule and united worke more strongly in a weightier matter even in a divine Contemplation There is now no fewel for Lust no shews for Pride every sense failes to bring in those delightsome species which in the time of bodily health overloaded the fainting soule This Prison therefore of the soule thus once broken she becomes active in her businesse runs the vvay of Gods Commandements Whereas before she only heard of God as Job speakes by the hearing of the Eare The Vail of the Temple once rent by sickness or other adversity now her Eyes see him The Eye of her understanding shee more clearely apprehends his Povver The Eye of her Faith shee more confidently relyes on his mercy Secondly This knovvledge inflames her Devotion and renders us fitter subjects for his pitty Wee most Earnestly sue for a Remedy of Danger from him whom wee best know cares most for us While wee are in our Jollity just like the Prodigall in S. Lukes Gospell wee look no further than our selves And that I am afraid hath been one of the sins of this Nation of this Place A litle cross may drive us to our Neighbour but when wee are driven to eat Huskes with the swine in our greatest Extremity then humiliatio in humilitate our minds are humbled with our Bodies then not till then Necessity becomes a vertue I vvill because I must go to the Father God deales with his Children as a Nurse with hers suffers them to stagger now then that they may looke the better to their feet There is a Hand behind which the Child sees not that holds him up Our Heavenly Father indeed plunges us if I may so speake here into the depth of Sorrow that wee may dive into the depth of our own Heart and to make us more sensible punishs us by degrees as hee did Iacob first with the loss of Rachel then of Ioseph aftervvards with famine feare of Benjamin Even as Ioseph dealt with his brethren but as Ioseph also tho hee began in wrath hee ends in Peace Mercy follows Judgement and nothing but impenitency doth make a separation If God at any time be long in punishing it is to teach his people more sensibly the guilt of their sin that so by the better knovvledge of their guilt they may be driven the sooner to repentance the seat of mercy Both which methods of Allmighty Gods dealing vvith his servants have been often experienced by the People of this land Rough hevvn timber and unpolishd stones are unfit for any Princely Building therefore God savves us as it were in pieces by Adversity smoothes our inordinate affections hevvs dovvn our Rebellious lusts before vvee can become a meet Temple of the Holy Ghost God vvell knovvs vvee have lost that image superscription vvhich hee stampt us in and therefore melts us anevv as the Prophet speakes Jer. 9. 7. and purifies us in the fire of Affliction that vvee may bee made fit materialls in that day in the vvhich hee maketh up his Jevvells Mal. 3. 17. In a Christian life then as in the Almond tree vvee must expect a hard shell tho there be a svvee kernell Hardness all knovv by Experience thus many times conteines svveetness and sundry other usefull quallityes as comfortable Health often follovves after an unpleasant Potion Let us approve our selves therefore the servants of God in much Patience as dying but behold vvee live as chastned but not killed as sorrovvfull yet allvvay rejoycing 2. Cor. 6. 9. 10. Our Sorrovv is but Quasi tristitia transitory it seems as there noted by the Apostle a dreame or shaddovv of sorrovv But the Ioy of a true Christian is other vvise there is Ce●tum gaudium it is not said as Ioyfull but allvvay rejoycing Hath then God taken avvay our Worldly vvealth from any of us It is vvee may conclude because it should not deprive us of Eternall Happinesse Hath God bereaved any of us of our Children or Freinds It is because vvee should put the more Trust in him Hath hee brought any of us to Dishonour here It is because vvee may bee more fit for Glory hereafter Externall Benefits none can deny are Gods Blessings but so is the vvant of them also All things vvorke together for the best to those vvho Love God. Rom. 8. 28. Christ is to his faithfull servants both in life Death advantage Would not any vvise man vvillingly sovv in teares that hee might reape in ●oy Would not a man be content vvith a vvet spring so that hee might bee certaine of a good harvest And thus much the Holy Prophet David assures us of Ps 120. 6. Hee that goeth on his vvay vveeping bearing forth good seed shall doubtlesse come againe vvith Ioy bring his sheaves vvith him The Keeper of Israell may sometimes seeme to vvink but indeed hee neither slumbers nor sleeps If hee suffer a storm for a tyme vvherevvith vvee are at this instant dreadfully threatned hovvever the ship shall not sink God is most povverfull oftentimes vvhen vvee seem most neglected Mans Extremities are Gods opportunities hath allvvayes ben the observation language of Holy men When ABRAHAMS hand is up for the Stroke then an Angell stops the svvord When MOSES lyes spravvling in the River then hee is most safe from the Egyptian cruelty And our Iacob here most comforted in his sons when hee supposed hee had lost them They are to him as the Red sea threaten destruction but prove safety While hee complains they will bring dovvn his gray haires vvith sorrovv to the Grave they revive his old age with good tidings of Corne Ioseph Let us then in in the name of God without farther inlargement take up Iacobs Resolution in our distresses to perswade which is the cheif design of this and my former sermon and for which wee had never more cause and wee may justly Expect Iacobs Revvard Let us use all meanes with Feare faithfullnesse Diligence and Courage to prevent those evills which threaten us and leave the Event to Gods Good pleasure still ready with Patient Constant Iob in the extremest misery to cry out Though thou Killest mee yet vvill I put my Trust in thee So shall wee approve our selves faithfull servants to God the King. And at last receive that Crovvne of Eternall Bliss vvhich is laid up for all those that feare him But I shall not proceed any further in