likewise satisfie any other person who are worthy of and willing to receive satisfaction concerning this matter As 1. Lest by my silence I should deprive very many of a more then ordinary pattern for their holy imitation Her conversation which lay open to publick view was very considerable but there were many remarkable things in the more retired part of her life which were not commonly known and yet the knowledge of them might be of singular use to direct and quicken many to like profitable exercises of piety This copy of her life was freer from blots then the lives of many other worthy women 2. A discourse of this nature may be of use for the comfort of her near Relations although the more evidences of her remarkable piety are brought to their remembrances the greatnesse of their own losse is thereby the more clearly discovered Yet such self-love as makes them confine their thoughts wholly to their own losse neglecting the needful meditation of her incomparable gain is certainly liable to reproof Many that follow their gracelesse Relations to the Grave which did greatly love them and were dearly beloved by them are greatly dejected chiefly upon this ground because of their great fears touching their everlasting state But I can with confidence bespeak the friends of this deceased Gentlewoman in like words to those of our dear Saviour to the daughters of Jerusalem Weep not for her from Luke 23. 28. whose eyes all tears are wiped but weep for your selves weep for your surviving Christlesse Relations and over the afflicted daughter of Sion and the more of these tears the better 3. If I should forbear to speak concerning the holy life of this our deceased Christian friend how is it possible that the great duty of duly laying to heart this sad visitation we are now under should be performed by many of you Who can be sadly affected proportionably to a great losse when for want of information the losse is only apprehended as ordinary Now God takes it very ill at their hands who live carelesly under such sad Providences Es 57. 11. The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come A great many think their whole duty is performed if for two or three days after the hearing of such news their table talk be to this purpose Such a good Gentlewoman is dead she did much good in her place I am sorry for it When it may be in a fortnight or moneth after 't is almost utterly forgotten that there was any such person The Scripture last mentioned tels you That God many times snatcheth away his people by death when some great evils are approaching to the places where they lived I love not to conceive or utter doleful prophecies but my earnest prayer to God is that we may all walk penitently under this stroak that greater displeasure then we are at present aware of do not flow in upon us through this very great breach I now addresse my self to the last general head I propounded to speak to viz. A brief account of some things and but some things for haste which were remarkable in the holy life of Mrs Anne Petter And here I might speak of her in a threefold capacity 1. Natural 2. Civil 3. Spiritual But I call to mind the rule observed by Basil the Great in the praise of Gordius the Martyr It is said he or to this purpose the vain-glorious fashion of the world when they would praise any person to speak of his Family to derive his pedigree through many discents to enlarge upon his natural disposition parts education learning and such other accomplishments Sed Ecclesia haec tanquam supervacua dimittit The Church looks only at those things which may glorifie Christ in his Saints and thereby do good to them that remain alive According to this rule I shall forbear to speak of her very loving humble and ingenuous temper 2. Of the Family whereof she was a Branch although in it self very considerable according to the worlds account These were not the things she did or had cause over-much to value My Discourse therefore concerning her will be wholly confined to her spiritual endowments and operations for in reckoning up the estate of rich persons small matters are not mentioned their estates are not reckoned by pence or shillings but by pounds by hundreds and thousands we shall do proportionably in this undertaking And here also she might be considered personally and relatively but I shall not stand upon any curiosity of this nature What I shall mention as observable in her and very worthy of imitation fals under these two general heads 1. Her disposition and behaviour towards those on Earth 2. Her affection and carriage more immediately relating to the God of Heaven and the things of Heaven For the first her disposition and behaviour towards them on Earth 1. She was one of a publick and consequently of a very excellent spirit This she manifested many waies by her being constant and fervent in her prayers for the publick welfare by her sadness when at any time it fared ill with any part of the Church of Christ although in Forain parts where no present danger of any of her personal worldly concernments did biass her by her great joy when she heard of its flourishing estate And whereas a great many at their meeting with others enquire after news that it may only furnish them with matter for table-discourse and present them with variety of objects for their proud censures her questions tending that way were usually if not constantly expressed in this short pious form How doth it go abroad with the Church and Cause of Jesus Christ That was all in all to her as to matter of news It would be over-tedious to go through all the instances which might be mentioned on this account I shall only touch upon one or two more she evidenced her publick spirit by the great and cordial respects which upon all occasions she expressed towards those that appeared gallantly and couragiously in the Cause of Christ She would name them with honour while living and bitterly bewail their deaths when taken hence by Gods angry hand She could say with Deborah Judg. 5. 9. My heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people Blesse ye the Lord And yet further she did not satisfie her self by serving God with that which cost her nought she never repined at any expence of money in the Cause of Christ And which was much more considerable having an only son left her who was most dearly beloved by her she willingly parted with him for the service of the publick interest 2. She was very bountiful to those that were in need as many of you here present can testifie from large and long experience her charity was not hypocritical like theirs spoken of James 2.
their desires for them But is it so with the wicked Who dare affirme it while they are wicked they do not cannot desire to partake of all spirituall blessings A cursed Balaam Num. 23. 10. may desire to die the death of the righteous but no wicked man alive while such can desire to live the life of the righteous 1. They do not desire it Hear their own words Luke 19. 14. We will not have this man rule over us This was a very plain but yet a very rude and rebellious message and yet such dust-heaps are found in every corner such masterlesse monsters rise every where So that by their own confession they may be judged and condemned for being unwilling to live as the holy subjects of the King of Saints in this life 2. They cannot desire it Rom. 8. 7. The carnall mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither-indeed can be By these words we see plainly the best of an unregenerate person is not onely averse but utterly adverse to the rule of holinesse and the Will being guided by the Understanding If the carnall mind as the Apostle here plainly asserteth be enmity against the law of God the rule of holinesse the carnall will cannot possibly be for conformity to it 3. The Meritorious cause of all the good which the truly godly person chuseth is the precious bloud of the Sonne of God Spirituall Causa procalactica graces and comforts here and the eternall glory of the other world are no cheap things but most costly and accordingly ought to be valued and improved by us Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace Redemption is a very comprehensive word and many times is put for all the benefits of the Covenant of Grace So that every godly person may write this superscription upon his pardon assurance perseverance and all the other benefits he partakes of by Christ in this life These are the price of bloud and that the best bloud called precious 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. and that worthily because the bloud of God Act. 20. 28. And so being the bloud of an infinite person and consequently the price an infinite price This will much more hold true concerning the glory of the other world Heb. 10. 19. Having therefore brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Jesus No getting to the shore of glory but by a sinners swimming upon the most precious stream of a Saviours bloud These things ought to be frequently the meditations of Christians to inflame their loves to a most lovely and loving Saviour and to quicken them to endeavour suitable praises for all their costly priviledges in both worlds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. The Formall Act of this Choice is that whereby they preferre Christ and all his spiritual blessings before all worldly things whatever This is the inseparable property of all and onely truly godly persons That they esteem God and the things of God above all other things is evident in the example of godly David as appeares by those remarkable words recorded in the 119. Psal 30. I have chosen the way of truth and Vers 173. I have chosen thy precepts compared with Vers 167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly farre more then any thing in the whole world Psal 119. 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter then hony to my mouth And Vers 72. The law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of gold and silver Those words of the 4. Psal v. 6 7. Many there be that say who will shew us any good The many in the Text are all the ungodly The good was temporall as is clear from the seventh Verse But now godly David prayes for the light of Gods countenance i. e. the manifestation of his favour to his soul and professeth that such a precious mercy being obtained would make him more glad then any worldling could possibly be when his corn and wine encreased Yea Psal 63. 3. He preferres Gods loving kindnesse before life it selfe And that as Satan truly is to be preferred before all other worldly things whatsoever Job 2. 4. Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life But no wicked person living doth set such an high value upon God and the things of God But if God be twelve with him some worldly Object to which he is inordinately affected is alwaies thirteen as appears by those words Luke 14. 14. when Christ was speaking of the priviledge of the righteous at the resurrection one that hears him cries out Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God as if he had said in other words that is a glorious and happy estate I choose that for my portion Christ presently to discover his hypocrisie propounds the parable of the guests who were invited to partake of that priviledge he seemed so much to admire vers 16 17. and then we read vers 18. they all with one consent made excuses They seemed much to esteem the priviledge of Christians at the resurrection but their Oxen Farmes Wives lay much nearer to their heares for which we read vers 21. That the Master of the house was very angry as he had great cause as shall be hereafter proved Causa proâ—gumena 5. The Fountain of all the good the godly person chooseth is the Free Grace and favour of God towards his precious people which they all do deservedly admire in this life and will upon further grounds more perfectly admire to all eternity in the life to come The shoutings of all the godly in both worlds are and ought to be Grace Grace T is not considerable what carnall Sophisters may object against this truth because it was asserted in the third branch of the description That all the godly persons priviledges in both worlds were dearly purchased for them by the most precious bloud of Christ the Son of God and thereupon as they conceive Gods conferring those priviledges upon the Elect seems rather if not onely an Act of Justice and not at all of Grace In this hast I shall say no more and I think more need not be said then to name that pregnant Text of the Apostle for the confounding of that carnall cavil Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace According to blessed Pauls divinity Christs bloud as the meritorious cause of Redemption and Remission is very well consistent with the grace yea the riches of the grace of God the Father T is very true they were exceedingly costly to Christ we are the greater debtours to his love for being willing by so great a price to purchase our peace t is as true they are not costly to us we have them without money and
paies the poor man for his uncessant pains these labouring men are no sooner in bed but the next thing is they are fast asleep their rest is more uninterrupted than the rest of others So it is with the precious people of God that all their lives long have been labouring hard in Gods furnace of affliction It cannot be here fully conceived how sweet the glorious rest will be to them Amaritudo praeeuntis doloris commendat ampliùs gaudia sequutura Hier. ad virginem in exilium missam Majora certamiaa majora sequuntur praemia Tert. ad Scap. 2 To greaten their glory The greater the combats the greater are the following rewards of grace Bernard cals the persecutors but his Fathers Gold-smiths that are working to add Pearls to the glorious Crowns of Saints 2 Cor. 4. 18. For our light afflictions which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Here is an elegant Antithesis and a double Hyperbole beyond englishing For affliction here is glory for light affliction a weight of glory for momentany affliction eternal glory But then those words added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are very remarkeable An exceeding excessive or a far more excellent will make the eternal weight of glory a just object of our largest admirations to all eternity 2. As for those who are afraid to choose the precious waies of God because of the grievous afflictions which have been mentioned and choose the waies of sin to prevent troubles they do as foolishly as they who run into the fire thinking to prevent burning which is impossible To undeceive them I shall at this time propound only these few Considerations First Choose what way thou wilt and take what course thou canst thou shalt certainly meet with afflictions Eccles 9. 2. All things come alike to all There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the clean and to the unclean to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not As is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an Oath Look abroad in the world What afflictions can be named that are not found in the Tabernacles of the wicked as well as in the habitations of the righteous Are there not poor sinners as well as poor Saints sick unbelievers as well as sick believers Are not the children of reprobates as perverse prodigal and heart-breaking as the children of Gods elect Job 5. 7. Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward As it is natural for the sparks to fly upward so it is natural for every sinful man to come forth in this world to misery Secondly Before afflictions come the ungodly have more cause to fear they will come upon them than the godly because God in his Word hath made promises to deliver his people from all sorts of afflicting evils and hath threatned to bring all those evils upon the wicked as we may read at large Deut. 28. 4. God promises to blesse the fruit of the bodies of his servants v. 18. He threatneth to curse the fruit of the bodies of the wicked v. 5. To blesse the basket and store of his people v. 17. To curse the basket and store of his adversaries v. 7. He promises to deliver his obedient children from their enemies v. 25. He threatneth the contrary evil to those that are disobedient And the like may be said in many other instances in this Chapter and elsewhere All that can lightly be objected is That the promises we are now speaking of are conditional and that notwithstanding these comfortable declarations of Gods favour to his dear ones we see by experience that they are sorely afflicted in their estates posterity and by cruel adversaries To this I briefly answer These temporal promises are conditional but withal I must further add The people of God do and have cause cordially to approve those Conditions The only Conditions are these two 1. God will vouchsafe all sorts of temporal blessings privative and positive to his people unlesse it be more for his own Glory to deny them any of them Now the Lords Grace which should teach his servants to preferre his Glory above their spiritual and eternal good doth teach them much more to preferre Gods Glory above their temporal good Which they signifie when according to Christ's prescription Mat. 6. 9. they understandingly pray Hallowed be thy Name There that petition which teaches to pray that God would order all things concerning themselves and all the rest of the world as may make most for his own Glory is set before all other petitions that concern either their temporal spiritual or eternal good And therefore in such a case as holy Job they can as cordially bless God for taking away children and estate as for giving them Job 1. 21. God hath given and God hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. 2. The other condition is God will give such or such temporal blessings to his dear people unlesse himself who is best able to judge see it most for their real advantage to want them So the promise runs Psal 34. 10. They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing They may be without many things which in strictnesse of speech they do not want Now this being so the people of God may charitably be supposed in cool blood to be very contented under nay thankful for such afflicting providences whereby good things in themselves although not fit for them are withheld or removed from them Heb. 12. 10. One of the great Arguments he useth to comfort the godly Hebrews under afflicting providences was that I am now speaking of because God afflicted them for their profit that they might be partakers of his holiness Whatsoever is for our good be it never so bitter ought to be entertained with thankfulnesse not sullennesse But now it may be pleaded also in reference to the wicked that notwithstanding all the threatnings in the Bible abundance of wicked persons are free from many of those evils before-named all their daies To this I answer two things 1. They are deeply indebted to God for his rich long suffering towards them Rom. 9. 22. God endures with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction 2. They have no cause when all their accounts are rightly cast up to boast of their exemption The lesse they have suffered hitherto the more is behind their preservation from lesser present are reservations to greater future vengeance 2 Pet. 2. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the righteous and to reserve the wicked to the day of judgment to be punished Origen in 8 hom in Exod. 20. quoting Hos 4. 14. I will not punish their daughters when they commit whoredam expresseth himself thus Vis indignantis Dei terribilem vocem audire c. Wilt thou here the terrible voice of a provoked God! You shall be without chastisement for a
as themselves are they presently cry out without cause Oh sad Christians Oh unpleasant ways of God! But Solomon tells us that these strangers to Gods ways are not fit judges of them as to the point of joy Prov. 14. 10. The heart knowes its own bitternesse and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy The wicked know not in what bitternesse the people of God are sometimes so as to pitty them nor yet how exceedingly joyful they are at other times so as thereby to be provoked to get into that comfortable estate wherein they live so pleasantly Further suppose thou seest them often weeping sometimes they may weep for joy not for sorrow and bitternesse of heart and at other times the cause may be not the unpleasantness of the ways of God in which themselves walk but the wicked 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. and woful ways in which thou and such as thou art walk may make them to abound with tears as holy David did Psal 119. 136. Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law III. Because wicked men are carried so much by sence blessed be God for it we have enough to stop their mouthes from what they may see and hear if they will but observe and remember what they may in this kind But here their basenesse is frequently and notoriously discovered For they will either not observe when they may or else carelesly forget such useful observations and insist upon contrary examples I cannot more fitly compare them for their wickednesse to any then to such as all the world cries out of who are idle persons who when they come into Tradesmens shops they desire to see some of their wares some is accordingly shewed to them They find fault presently offer is made to shew them better wares but they fling away and will not see them which discovers plainly their ill minds who came onely to trouble others by caviling not to buy any thing for their own use T is proportionably so in this businesse wicked men pretend a desire of entring into Gods ways but that they dislike the uncomfortable behaviour of some who walk in them Hereupon we offer to shew them more comfortable Christians but all this will not prevail to win them to the wayes of God which is an apparent signe that not the pretended uncomfortablenesse of some Christians but their own habitual enmity against God and his ways is the true cause of their not embracing them Rom. 8. 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Now for the proof of what is here asserted That there are many the Lord increase their number daily who walk in Gods wayes with much more comfort under all occurrences then any other persons whatever if wicked ones will but diligently observe their own families and the families of others they would see clearly That many small losses and crosses which put them into their dumps their godly relations and neighbours do bear with much evennesse of spirit and reall contentation under the righteous hand of God and do live much more chearfully in an afflicted estate then they do in a flourishing and outwardly prosperous estate They are like Paul 2 Cor. 7. 4. not only joyful but exceeding joyful in all their tribulations which many times wicked men are not in the greatest prosperity that they are capable of So that I may say to wicked men by way of allusion to Pauls words to King Agrippa Act. 26. 27. Do you believe these things I know you do or at least have cause enough to believe them The Second branch of the Objection was the observation of many who walk not in Gods holy and strict wayes to be alwaies very pleasant and merry and therefore their ways are rather to be chosen then Gods ways Besides what hath been already delivered which some would think abundantly sufficient to confound this cavil I shall adde Four Considerations more endeavouring if God be pleased to blesse them to make wicked ones ashamed and afraid of using this plea any more 1. They are most groundlesse joys Eccl. 2. 2. I said of laughter it is mad and of mirth what doth it It may be truly affirmed of all the joy of the wicked it is no better then madnesse You shall come into some places where you meet with those they call naturals and if you never saw or heard of them before their excessive laughter will presently discover them every word that is spoken and almost every straw that is stirred puts them into a fit of laughter as if they were the merryest persons in the whole country but their friends who sit and hear it hang down their pale faces and shed many a bitter tear under this sad providence would much rather have been childlesse if God had so pleased then call such a person son or daughter They know there is no cause for such excessive joy it proceeds wholly from their natural distemper So a great many wicked men like a company of mad men laugh shout and revel as if none in the world so merry as they in the mean time their godly Relations who know their joys to be wholly groundlesse and proceeding from a spirituall phrensie weep abundantly in secret to see them leaping and dancing as it were upon the very borders of the burning lake God who understands their condition better then themselves tells them if they dare believe him and wo to them if they do not that they have more cause to weep James 5. 1. Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you and who besides God knows how soon wicked ones live every moment under all the heavy and dreadful curses that are written in Gods blessed Book So that for my part I should judge the condition of many more hopeful if their laughter were turned into roaring and out of a deep sense of their present sinful and dangerous estate they cried out in all companies under the impressions of Gods terrours upon them as the jaylor Sirs Act. 16. 30. what must I do to be saved A through sence of a present bad condition is one of the first necessary steps to a better future condition 2. They are grudged comforts Godly Solomon wisely adviseth Prov. 23. 6. Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye neither desire thou his daintiest meats If it be uncomfortable to partake of the delicates of a Muck-worm's feast who grudgeth what is eaten by his guests how much more may wicked men be unwilling to set their hearts upon these choisest worldly comforts which not a churlish gripple clown but a gracious and a bountifull God would not have them to be so much delighted with God seemeth to grudge every wicked man every comfortable smile he hath while he remaines Christlesse Hos 9. 1. Rejoyce not as other people was Gods language by the
with any thing on this side God and the things of God in our choice we are not sure if we were the greatest Oracles of worldly wisdome that can be found on earth to obtain what we make choice of Art thou a fond admirer of a great estate and thereupon dost bend all thy wits to compasse it sparing no pains in the seeking riches when thou hast used thy utmost skill and diligence to get a great estate in spight of thy heart thou maist dye under Beggars bush This Solomon observed in his time and any wise man may make the like observation in our time Eccl. 9. 11. Riches are not alwaies to men of understanding Deut. 8. 18. It is God that giveth power to whom he please to get wealth And it might be added by the warrant of other Scriptures to keep it when they have got it Again doth thy soul thirst after the favour of great ones without the help of God this can never be compassed by the greatest wisdome and diligence that any ambitious person can possibly use Eccl. 9. 11. Solomon tells us That favour is not to men of skill They who are most skilful to discover the temper and accordingly to humour those whose favour they are greedy of are most probable to obtain their favour but be they never so skilful they often misse their mark Psal 75. Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South but God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another The hearts of all are in Gods hands and it is he alone that can incline them towards us or turn them from us Now what hath been said concerning mans inability to obtain worldly wealth or favour may as truly be asserted concerning al other temporal good things whatsoever Now this being so let us learn wisdome from the sad experience of others disappointments who misplace their choice to choose that which is most worthy our choice and most certain to be enjoyed if chosen viz. an interest in Gods favour with all the glorious benefits of both worlds that flow from it whereas if we choose other things of lesse worth it will be our sad lot to fare as those who affect marriages with those above their rank or unwilling otherwise to comply with them they fret and grieve themselves into deadly consumptions and leave their names behind them under the severe censures of observes for their notorious weaknesse and proud folly Arg. 3 Suppose God should suffer some few worldlings to obtain those worldly comforts that they have chosen and all their days hunted after with hottest chase imaginable although the things they obtain are in themselves the good and comfortable blessings of God they may be as far from such happinesse as such things are capable of affording as they were before Eccl. 3. 12. I know that there is no good in them that is the things of this world but for a man to rejoice and to do good in his life and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour it is the gift of God and if so then not in the power of any one in the world without the help and blessing of God What is a rich mans condition better then a poor mans if he do not use it do good with it and take comfort in it But this is manifest by common experience that many such persons have as little or lesse comfort of their estates then those who have not the hundredth part of such an estate and the like may be said of all worldly blessings One cannot choose but stand and wonder what some persons ail to look so sadly and live so discontentedly as they do from one years end to another when if we observe their worldly portion one can scarce find any pleasant thing that God withholds from them many times 't is only the want of some small matter that their extravagant fancies fix upon which is so inconsiderable in it self that they are ashamed to own it as the ground of their dissatifaction with their condition 1 King 21. 4 6. Ahab seems as if he would make a dye of it surely some great matter is the cause of it but the story tells us it was only because Naboth denied him his little Vineyard when himself as is probable had more and far better of his own Peter Martyr upon this place cites an Epistle of Ambrose to a friend of his in which he makes a comparison between Naboth and Ahab and pronounceth poor Naboth in a better condition then rich Ahab because he was comfortable in the enjoyment of his little and Ahab sinfully and sottishly discontented notwithstanding his great abundance A great many strangely fancy that if they could but scrue up their estates to such an height as they propound to themselves or get into the favour of some that are great in the world none in the world should live more comfortably then themselves but alas many times they weare out their bodies stretch and torment their consciences and cannot be masters of their designs and if at any time they obtain what they eagerly seek they never meet with one half or hundred part of comfort in such a condition as they promised to themselves And therefore I seriously offer to their consideration that Scripture Eccl. 5. 10. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver and he that loveth abundance with encrease this also is vanity The like is true of all worldly enjoyments And therefore if God tels worldly men that they shall never obtain comfortable satisfaction in their greatest abundance it is the vainest thing in the world for them to think to prove God a Lyar which is black blasphemy in the least to imagine Arg. 4 If thou makest any other choice it will certainly provoke the fearful and just indignation of Jesus Christ against thee Luke 14. 14. Christ speaking of the recompence of the righteous at the Resurrection one who sits by cries out by way of admiration v. 15. Blessed are they who shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God As if he had said in other words I choose the happy condition of Christs people above all things in the world besides But Christ presently for the discovering of his unsoundnesse propounds the Parable of the Guests who were invited to partake of those things he seemed to admire and choose and then we read v. 18 19 20. that all made their excuses as if they would not go to Hell without some seeming good reasons One had a great Farm to look after another a new bargain a third a wife all which they preferred before the things of Christs Kingdom Well how did Christ take this at their hands I answer His indignation flamed out against them V. 21. We read he was angry and if you desire to know how great his anger was v. 24. it is said The persons who preferred the things of this world before
the things of his Kingdom should not taste of his Supper that is should not partake of the least degree of his comfortable favour which was the spiritual delicacy of that great Supper As if Christ had said in the height of his indignation I will never vouchsafe such a wretch so much as one loving look in this or the other world And here by the way let worldlings take notice that the persons mentioned in the Parable preferred lawful worldly comforts before the comforts of Christ viz. their Farms bargains and wives A great many think if the things they set their hearts upon be lawful there is no danger of inordinacy but we see this Scripture speaks the contrary With what face can any stand before Christ at the last great and terrible day and say Lord I preferred the sensual pleasures of Hunting Hawking Bowling and other worldly pleasures which are but for a season before Psal 116. ult the pleasures of thy Kingdom and right hand which are for evermore According to the judgement of right reason spiritual pleasures are much better then sensual which gratifie our brutish part and there is no comparison between comforts that are only for a season as all the comforts of this world are and the comforts of the other world which are eternal In short by preferring any worldly comfort before Christ and the things of Christ thou dost as it were say My money is better then Christ the favour of a rich Feprobate is better then the favour of the eternal God and the alone All-sufficient Saviour Jesus Christ Now this great disgrace and reproach Jesus Christ as you have heard will never bear at the hands of sottish sinners But then where shall these Monsters appear with comfort who say the pleasures of sin are better then the pleasures of godlinesse that prefer the smiles and favour of a filthy Whore before the favour of Jesus Christ that say the wine on earth is better then the new wine prepared in the Kingdom of God If Christ be justly enraged against those who prefer Earth before Heaven he cannot but be much more incensed against those who prefer Hell before Heaven Arg. 5 The certain issue of any other choice will be wofull The devil who in this as in other things manifests himself to be a liar suggests to sinners that God is so merciful pittiful to his creatures that he cannot find in his heart to pour so much burning indignation upon them as he hath threatned against them in his word and therefore they need not abridge themselves of the pleasure of their darling iniquities this was the prevailing temptation by which our first parents were deluded God threatned Gen. 2. 17. certain death if they did eat of the forbidden fruit Gen. 3. 4. Satan suggests the contrary Thou shalt not surely die We know by sad experience the truth of Gods commination and the falshood of Satans insinuation learn therefore O ye sons and daughters of men to believe God and not Satan God tels us plainly that if we choose the ways of sinne we cannot avoid the punishment of sin What Solomon saith concerning one way of sin is true of every way of sinne Prov. 5. 5. Her feet go down to death her steps take hold of hell Amongst other pregnant Scriptures to prove the certain issue of a bad choice those remarkable words of the Psalmist are considerable Psal 11. 6. Upon the wicked he will rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. No man living is able fully to conceive and expresse how much wofull misery is implied in these expressions Nah. 1. 6. Rev. 21. 8. With men the torments caused by fire are judged rightly amongst the greatest of torments and therefore God useth often this Metaphor to set out the miserable condition that shall befal the wicked in both worlds But that is not all fire alone causeth exquisite torments but fire and brimstone together cause a much fiercer flame And this fire is not said to be dropt which notes a small quantity but to be poured down which intimates a great measure of his wrath that shall fall upon the wicked And yet further it is observable that this great measure of wrath shall not come down upon the wicked leisurely and calmely but like rain in a mighty tempest one drop hastily after the other with abundance of terrible violence It is said here that it shall be an horrible tempest of fire that shall descend upon the wicked God will not come to the dying beds of Christlesse sinners and say tell me ye abhorred drunkards swearers lyars cheaters and all ye unregenenerate persons of what name soever are ye willing to be damned you have chosen and walked in the ways of sinne which lead to hell and all the threatnings and promises of my blessed book could not stop you in your sinful course Are you willing to enter into the gates of darknesse and to be prisoners in hell for ever But I presume of your Answer if such Questions were propounded Oh no dear God of mercy we cannot bear the thoughts of such a condition The wicked will be ready then to use those words of the Prophet before cited Isa 33. 14. Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire Who shall endure everlasting burnings A great many simple persons think that when people being horribly afraid of everlasting burnings cry earnestly to God to be delivered from that fearful misery they are certainly penitent and that God cannot find in his heart to damn them But alas the devil in the possessed person had as much grace as this comes to Mark 5. 6. It is said he worshipped and vers 7. the words which he used are recorded I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not But no such language will prevail with Christ to release Devils from everlasting torments nor will like words be effectual for the keeping any finally unregenerate from the damnation of hell Wicked men here by their sinnes crosse Gods revealed will and God is resolved in the other world to crosse their wills by inflicting intollerable punishments upon them for those sins And therefore Gods language in Psal 11. 6. is peremptory without any peradventure This shall be their portion will they nill they and so Mat. 25. 46. These shall go into everlasting punishment Wicked sinners now grieve Gods spirit bere by their rebellions and God is fully resolved to make all the veines of their heart to ake to all eternity Arg. 6 The most wise and pittiful God will laugh at the folly of those who make any other choice then that which is here commended in this Text. It is a very bitter aggravation of the sad condition of a Malefactor when he is going to execution to see a company of people about him to clap their hands laugh and shout for joy to see him carried to the place of execution to hear them talking
15 16. If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say to them Depart in peace be you warmed and silled notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body what doth it profit One little handful were much better then many such mouth-fuls Her charity was constant she did not content her self once in a year to drop a small alms and then all the year after live like an hard-hearted and close-fisted Mammonist She was daily begging and receiving spiritual alms from Heaven and expressed her thankfulness to God for it by giving out freely and frequently for the supply of those who were in want Very many here and elsewhere might have deservedly prayed for her when living using such words as Paul for Onesiphorus 2 Tim. 1. 16. The Lord give mercy to the house of Mistress Petter for she often refreshed me and mine 3. Her unfeigned fervent love to those of the houshold of Faith Gal. 6. 10. was very manifest partly 1. By her bountiful gifts bestowed on thē she was not as many are affraid to see or hear of such objects but as the Prophet speaketh Es 32. 8. The liberal person deviseth liberal things and so did she if at any time she by information offered by others or enquiry made by her self came to the notice of any godly person in distress she opened her purse without any motives besides what her own inflamed heart furnished her with and sent liberal tokens to those whose faces she never did or shall see till she behold them in the Kingdome of Glory 2. And by admitting them before others into familiar society with her self although never so mean in the world herein very like the man after Gods own heart Psalm 16. 2. O my soul thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord my goodnesse extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the Earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight She would be almost frighted when she saw any come within her doors that she knew could not speak and were unwilling to hear of the things of God but a poor Christian was a very acceptable guest to her at any time 4. She was one of a vey peaceable temper and upon that account Mat. 5. 9. Rom. 12. 19. worthy to be called a Child of God If money would purchase it she was content nay very glad to buy it with the loss of right she was in this respect eminently God-like that when others have been manifestly guilty of the breach of peace and had not humility enough to offer reconciliation she was willing to be the first in seeking reconciliation And when arguments with men prevailed not she wept in secret and poured forth prayers before God to obtain it and rejoyced wonderfully Rom. 12. 18 19 in the good success of any means that could be used to procure and preserve it 5. She was one of a healing spirit which appears by her discourses wherein she was very careful to avoid names of division and declared the great grief of her soul for the unhappy differences among Gods precious people and if any spake to her of any that differed from her in judgement as if they wondred how she could be familiar with them she would ordinarily make this Answer I am verily perswaded they truly fear God and so long I can heartily close with them and over-looking what I conceive to be their infirmities honour them for the image of Jesus Christ that shines in them Poor divided England hath great cause bitterly to lament the loss of such a Christian who excelled in this kind Also like Christ she was much in prayer for this needful union John 17. 11. 6. She was exceeding careful of the souls of those that were under her charge which was evidenced by the great pains she took to instruct them besides her holy example before them and daily prayers for them she was wont to hear her servants repeat over their Catechismes once a week especially before their receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Oh that her example herein might provoke others to greater care as to the souls of their servants They might consider that God might have made them servants but seeing God hath been so indulgent towards them and hath provided for their ease by giving them estates so that they can keep servants it would be but an equal and ingenuous discovery of their thankfulness to God for that mercy by taking care that their servants might find some time to do Gods work as well as their work And indeed who ever came near her to receive corporal alms she could not send them away empty if fit objects of charity and her alms was usually double for the soul as well as the body She would call upon elder persons to attend upon the publick Ordinances and to bring up their children to read and the children she would exhort to dutifulness to their parents diligence in their work and care to learn their Catechismes Secondly As to her affection and carriage towards God c. 1. She was one that evidenced abundance of love to Jesus Christ She was not like those mentioned Ezek. 33. 31. who profess much love with their lips but little or no evidence of it in their lives whereby their hearts are discovered John 14. 21. He that hath his Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth him Now as to the Evangelical keeping of Gods Commandments 't is very rare to meet with any that was so willingly and chearfully industrious at all times to comply with them in a holy conformity as she was She was so far from scanting God in point of manifest duty that sometimes she was ready in some cases not so manifest to over-do and out of the abundance of her heart would her mouth speak often and much of the precious love of Jesus Christ She was wont to say that no divine argument did more deeply affect her then that of the love of Christ Before the manifestation of Christs love to her soul she was to admiration importunate for the obtaining of it and afterwards as careful to preserve it as the Church in Cant. 3. 5. She held him and was not willing for so much as one day or hour to let him go 2. She was very zealous in the worship of God in private as well as in publick She was daily exercised if health permitted in the reading of the holy Scriptures and for many years together read over the whole Bible once in each year Besides also she read much in the approved Treatises of our most eminent practical Divines by which means she attained to a very great measure of knowledge and was very sound in the faith I could not observe in more then twelve years acquaintance with her that she was in the least infected with any one of the errours of the times Oh that in these exercises