others may call it let them call it what they will Then hearken to my words as the words of a dying man yet not dead but alive and perhaps shall not die but live and declare the Word of the Lord and hold forth the Word of the Lord to you many a time in this place when-ever it pleaseth God to set open a door for me If it be so That the Ministers foundness in Doctrine and holiness of life and conversation do lay great obligation on a people duly and conscienciously to practice every commanded duty Then from this Doctrine I would suggest and leave with you several words and hints of counsel And on that the Lord God of Heaven would effectually engage and set them home on every one of our hearts My first Counsel is this That when the Lord taketh away such Ministers whose Doctrine is sound and their lives exemplary holy you would then be duly apprehensive and deeply sensible both of the inflicting cause and also of the meritorious deserving cause thereof 1. For the inflicting cause and that is the Lord himself Isa 3.1 2 Who is it that taketh away from the people the natural staff and the civil staff the spiritual staff saith the Prophet The Lord the Lord of Hosts Whoever it be that is the Instrument it is certain it is the Lord himself that is the principal efficient cause of this judgment on a people and this will appear if we consider 1. The Lord hath threatned this judgment on a rebellious people Amos 8.11 12. I saith the Lord will bring this judgment on them A most dreadful spiritual judgment Gods Word is the spiritual food of our spiritual lives and therefore as the granting of it is a blessing indeed so the with-holding of it is a judgment This ireful dreadful judgment of the Lord we see threatens yea that is not all the Lord hath not oly threatned it but 2. Inflicted it as the Lord takes away his faithful Messengers and Embassadors 1. Sometimes by death out of the world out of the Land of the living And thus the Lord took away the Prophet Enoch Gen. 5.24 And 2. Sometimes by removal Thus the Lord took away the Prophet Jonas from Israel and sent him to Niniveb as Jona 1.2 And thus Paul and Barnabas went away from the Jews and turned to the Gentiles as Acts 13.4 3. Sometimes by deprivation A time there was when the good 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 Seors see not and to the Prophets prophesie not Isa 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 Act 4.11 And a time there was when Paul and Timotheus and Silvanus were forbid to preach to the Gentiles 1 Thess 2.15.16 Thus we see the Lord himself hath inflicted this dreadful Judgment on a people and the Lord hath divers wayes and methods and means to inflict it 3. Consider The Church and people of the Lord hath been very sensible of the Lords hand in this judgment as we may see in Psal 74.1 and 9. verses compared Why what is the matter as if they have said God was wont heretofore to give us signs 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 judgment as ver 1. of that Psalm This is the first endeavour We are to be duely sensible and deeply apprehensive of the afflicting cause of such a judgment and that is the Lord himself 2. Of the meritorious Cause and that is sin Say not we it is long of such and such but it is long of our selves we may thank our selves for this and we appeal to your selves whether this judgment may not be charged 1. From the general inflexibleness and untractableness 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 v. 13. to 19. The Lord testified against Isreal by all the Prophets and by all the Sters saying Turn you from your evil wayes notwithstanding they will not hear And for this very cause did the Lord afterwards plague all Judah as Jer. 20.17 18 19. And for this very reason did the Lord Jesus Christ remove Paul from Jerusalem because the people were a stiff-necked people and they would not receive Pauls testimony concerning Jesus as Acts 22 18. Paul had a great desire to stay at Jerusalem as appeared by his reasoning with the Lord as ver 9 20. But what saith the Lord Christ ver 21. Now can England can London plead not guilty of this hainous provocation a general inflexibleness untractableness under a Conscience-ransacking a Conscience-searching Ministry What shall the Lord do with such a people under such a Minister Is it not just with God to let them alone that are prophane and superstitious Let there be like People like Priests Let the blind lead the blind and let the wicked rebellious Minister lead a wicked loose people that both may perish together everlastingly 2. The unfruitfulness formality lâ—ke-warmness 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 eminent 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 Months agone 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 abundance and choice of Spiritual helps a people had when they approved not of them yea when they undervalued and despised and abused them Oh the Lord God help us all to affect our souls and lay 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 Ministers without a cause The life of our blessed Lord and Saviour was it not traduced Did not some say he was a friend to Publicans and Sinners We see Christ was cavilled at and quarrelled with by some And thus
the holy Apostles their lives were traduced they went through evil report as well as good report 2 Cor. 10.2 And thus Athanasius who was traduced for an Adulterer by the Arians and so Luther and Calvin are represented and reported by the Papists as if they had been the vilest Creatures in the World The wicked man cavils at and finds spots at least doth what he can to find spots in the Sun and some who are not so wicked do look for an Evangelical perfection in Ministers and all theirs 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 Mat. 12.34 38 39. And who were they whom our Saviour calls a Generation of Vipers and an evil and Adulterous Generation were they not Preachers and it is very observable both John Baptist and our Saviour did call those Preachers thus even in the hearing of them who were their ordinary hearers and do but observe what strange terms of disgrace St. Peter gives them 2 Peter 2.12 to certain Preachers in his time verse 14. what strange terms doth the Apostle give to those Teachers whose pernicious wayes many would follow as in verse 2. of that Chapter But did not the Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses's Chair and did they not preach some good Doctrine insomuch 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 was 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 Idol-Shepherds they knew how to feed their Flock and therefore Christ lookt on the people as Sheep scattered abroad for all the Scribes and Pharisees They did not understand that there was heart-murder or heart-adultery until our blessed Saviour instructed them The Scribes and Pharisees they did but strike at the bough only but our Saviour Preached with authority and not as the Scribes did And withal I answer 2. That beyond all peradventure our blessed Saviour saw that although the Scribes and Pharisees did teach some truths yet by their Life and Doctrine they did more mischief than good and therefore the more credit they had among the people the more mischief they were like to do And therefore from hence our blessed Lord and Saviour calls them a Generation of Vipers But I hope you will not count it an argument of the breach of the Churches peace to speak vilely of a vile Ministry It was no more than John Baptist did and than our Saviour did Thirdly No mans sin deserves so sharply to be reproved as the sins of Ministers because his sins of all others are the chief sins committed in a Land at the Sanctuary of prophaneness too too often begins Therefore when Gods people met in their publick Fasts they made solemn Confession of those sins of the first Magnitude by which they had most provoked the Lord they do make Confession chiefly of the sins of their Magistrates and Ministers Neh. 9.33 34. The Jews there bewailed the sins of their Magistrates and Ministers as the particular cause of their plagues Oh the sins of Teachers are the Teachers of sin and therefore no mans sin deserves to be so sharply reproved as the scandalous sins of Min isters Now if you love your souls take heed and beware of a prophane delight in lewd loose dissolute Ministers We sind the Lord complaining of the wickedness of the Prophets and of the Priests and People as Jer. 5 ult the people did take a prophane delight in false Prophets and in polluted Priests and so likewise in the Prophet Micah chap. 2. v. 11. the people although they did oppose the Prophet Micah and other true Prophets yet they did approve of and delight in false Prophets such as were of their own leaven their own way and mould such as would flatter them and promise them wine and strong drink and are there not many such people in the world that had rather hear such a Minister than such as preach close-walking with God and of getting to Heaven under pain of damnation Will you cry up and will you prophanely delight in a Ministry that shall preach peace peace to all prophane rebellious people in short such a one that will poison you in Doctrine or in his example Fourthly Take heed and beware of a sinful Idolizing of godly faithful Ministers the Apostle decries this with much zeal ardency and servency of Spirit what is Paul's planting and what is Apollo's watering 1 Cor. 3.5 6. As excellent gifts parts and graces as these men had yet they look higher so it is your duty to look above mens parts and above mens gifts and graces Paul and Apollo cannot give increase Paul indeed may plant but there is no rooting indeed in these plants but by christ And read v. 7. It is God and he only that can give encrease As Elisha's Servant could carry his Masters staff and lay it on the dead child but the child could not be raised to life until Elisha came himself thus godly faithful Ministers can but lay Gods Message before you but unless the Lord set it to the heart never a dead Soul can be raised from the death of sin to the life of grace and holiness Remember godly and faithful Ministers although they have the Lords Sword yet they have not the Lord Christs arm and alas what can the Lord Christs Sword do without his Arm. Fifthly Take heed of being leavened with prejudice against the Ministry of the Word because of the misdemeanours or miscarriage of the Minister Surely the efficacy of the Word and Sacrament doth not depend on the quality of the Minister It is the Word of the Lord that converts not the person of the Dispenser or Speaker A seed that is fown in a good soyl may yea will grow and thrive although perhaps the Sower had a very dirty hand 2 Cor. 3.2 3. The Apostle tells the Corinthians that they are saith he The Epittle of Christs Ministry by us the hand is Christs Ministers are but
convinced of the need and want of Christ but such as have been partakers of the Spirit of Christ as a sanctifying Spirit labour after communion with him as a comforting Spirit and to this end I shall stir you up to this 1. By way of Motive 2. By way of Comfort First by way of Motive Though you have some comfort it is but little in comparison of what you may have and in comparison of what you may stand in need of though a Saint would not change the saddest hour of his life for the sweetest hour in his former condition If the Saints of God did enjoy the comforts that they might oh what blessed lives might they live but they are so full of trouble as if there were no Holy Ghost the Comforter The people of God are oftentimes troubled without a cause as that holy man Why art thou cast down oh my soul He could not render a true account of his trouble he was sad but he could not tell why or wherefore 2. When there is cause they are apt to be troubled without measure In those cases where it is a sin not to be troubled at all the people of God are apt to be troubled over-much as the Israelites in their bondage in Egypt It were a sin for them not to be troubled but they were so full of troubles that they could not hearken to Moses and Aaron And so the Disciples in the Text it were a sin for them not to be troubled for the absence of Christs body but so to be troubled as if God could not comfort them without him this was their weakness And to come to our Cases it were a sin to slight this Dispensation of God that is coming upon us if we should not be troubled for the loss of the Ministers of Jesus Christ but to mourn before God under the sense of this Dispensation to mourn so much as to think that when these are gone all are gone to be so much troubled as not to hearken to the words of the Text That we have a Comforter I remember an admirable expression of a Child to his Mother when his Father was dead to shew That out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings God can manifest his praise Why Mother says the Child though my Father be dead yet God is alive May not I say so to you Though your Ministers be as it were naturally dead yet is not God alive Is not the Spirit of God alive Though you have some comfort yet you have little in comparison of what you may have if you seek for it 2. Study the excellent nature of the comfort how little soever a man hath of this spiritual comfort it will sweeten his condition be it what it will be When a Man hath communion with the spirit God he hath comfort in all conditions then though a mans condition be never so bad yet it is very good Hâ—b 3.17 Though the Fig-tree shall not blossome though the fruit be not in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall cease and the Fields shall yeild no meat the Flocks shall be cut off from the Fold and there shall be no Herd in the Stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation He can fetch Hope and ground his Faith upon the Promises though the Providences and Dispensations of God be never so mysterious the comfort of the Spirit doth make up the want of all other comforts The comforts of Ordinances are sweet comforts Sermon-comforts are sweet comforts Sacrament-comforts are sweet comforts Ah but the comfort of the Spirit can supply the want of all these All outward crosses cannot hinder these inward comforts a man that hath these inward comforts may have a Feast with bread and water a little of this comfort is able to sweeten a whole Ocean of sorrow In the multitude of my thâ—ughts withâ—n me thy comfort delight my Soul Psal 94.10 So that when the hearts of God's people are filled with sad thoughts what will become of themselves what will become of their Families what will become of the Church of God what will become of the Ministery of the Gospel and of the Ordinances of Christ they are full of sad fears and distracting thoughts when they have a multitude of thougts in the midst of all these spiritual comforts can comfort and refresh the Soul Oh labour after a greater share of this comfort God hath cast us upon sad times wherein we shall have need of more than ordinary comfort We are like to have troubles without if we have not peace within it will be very sad we are like to lose much of Christ's bodily presence I mean in his Ordinances how many of those Messengers that present the person of Christ and stand in his stead If we should not enjoy the other comforter our estates would be doleful If we have darkness without and darkness within how sad will that darkness be 3. Labour to get more communion from the Spirit of God This will raise and sublimate your natural comforts and turn them into Spiritual comforts A man can never relish these outward comforts till he come to taste the ravishment and sweetness of the holy Ghost till he taste the love of God these give them a higher lustre than the men of the world though they enjoy much comfort yet they do not enjoy half that a child of God doth the little that the righteous hath is better than the great revenues of the wicked to a Child of God a dinner of green hearbs is more savoury and pleasant to him than the stalled Ox because a Child of God hath better sauce with it Worldly men they smell to their flowers it is the only godly man that sucks out the honey that all things are given to him in love out of this he sucks comfort A gracious heart sees all these outward comforts that they are purchased with the bloud of Christ and therefore these should do him good and he may take comfort that he hopes for what he hath not as wel as for what he may have and he may take comfort in his condition be it what it will he sees all is for his good such a one believeth what he readeth not So he believeth Gods ways are ways of Truth though some more sweet and some more bitter 4. Labor after communion with the Spirit in his comforing work is another This is the best preservative against all intanglements of sin whatsoever It is a great hour of temptation and if our comforts do do not lie above the world we shall be greatly insnared by the world If a man eat sweet-meats he cannot relish ordinary food so while these sweet comforts lie upon the soul he cannot relish these ordinary things in the world What do you tempt me with those things saith a child of God What are these to the comforts of the Holy God The heart of man will seek comfort one way or
Lord and to enquire in his Temple Now love stirreth up the affections as young Cresus though he were dumb yet seeing his Father like to be killed cryed out Do not kill my Father Such is the love of the Saints of God to the Ark that they cannot be silent they cannot but tremble when they see the Ark in danger and for Sions sake the cannot hold their peace and they cannot be silent until the Lord make the righteous thereof go out like brightness and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth 2. The people of God are troubled at this because of the interest they have in the Ark of God Now interest stirreth up affection as when another mans house is on fire as you had a lamentable and sad providence this last week and it is not to be forgotten how suddenly in all our feastings may God dash all our mirth Now consider how were they affected that had an interest in those that were burned so the people of God have an interest in the Ark. God is the Haven of a child of God the portion and inheritance of a child of God and when God begins to forsake them they cannot but be afflicted and troubled The Ordinances of God are the Jewels of a Christian the Treasure of a Christian and the loss of them cannot but trouble them And Jesus Christ is the joy of a Christian and therefore when Christ is departing they cannot but be much afflicted at it 3. The people of God are much troubled when the Ark is in danger because of the mischiefs that comes upon a Nation when the Ark of God is lost woe be to that Nation when the Ark is gone The Heathens had the Image of Apollo and they conceived that as long as that Image was presented among them they could never be worsted but be preserved and the Romans had a Buckler upon which they had a Tradition that as long as that Buckler was preserved Rome could not be taken Shall I give a hint and set it out a little in five particulars 1. When the Ark of God is taken then the ways of Sion mourn and none come to the solemn Assemblies it was the complaint of the Church Lam. 1.4 that is matter of sadness 2. When the Ark of God is taken then the Ministers of Christ are driven into corners And this is matter of heart-trembling 3. When the Ark of God is taken then the souls of many are in danger when the Gospel is gone your souls are in hazard There is cause of sadness 4. Then do the enemies of God blaspheme and are ready to say Where is your God then do the enemies of God triumph Ps 42.10 As with a sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me while they say daily unto me Where is thy God 5. Then is Jesus Christ trampled under foot and the Ordinances of God defiled and trampled on and then Blasphemy and Atheism comes in like an armed man 4. The people of God must needs tremble when the Ark is in danger because of their accessariness to the losing of the Ark this was that which made old Eli so much troubled because he knew it was for his sin that God suffered the Ark to be taken He knew that his not punishing his two sons was one cause of that great slaughter the people of Israel met withal and that made him tremble There is no person here in this Congregation but his heart will tell him he hath contributed something towards the loss of the Ark. None of us so holy but our consciences must accuse us we have done something that might cause God to take the Ark from us And therefore Mr. Bradford that blessed Martyr said in his Prayer Lord it was for my unthankfulness for the Gospel that brought in Popery in Queen Mary 's dayes and my unfruitfulness under the Gospel that was the cause of the untimely death of King Edward the sixth and those that fled in Queen Mary 's dayes sadly complained that they were the cause of Gods taking away the Gospel from England O beloved it is for thy sin and my sin that the Ark of God is in danger and therefore the Lod gave us trembling solicitous hearts what shall become of the Ark. I come now to Application Vse 1. If this be the property of a true child of God to be solicitous when the Ark of God is in danger and to have such a trembling heart for fear of the Ark then this is a certain sign there are but few that are the children of God in truth O where is the man and where is the woman that like old Eli sits watching and trembling for fear of the Ark And that will appear by these reasons First in reference to the many sins in this Nation for let me tell you there is not one sin for which God ever took away the Ark from any people but it is to be found in England Did the Church of Ephesus lose the Candlestick because they had lost their first love And have not we lost our first love to the Gospel and to the Ordinances And did the Church of Landicea lose the Candlestick because of lukewarmness and are not we lukewarm Did the people of Israel as here in the Text lose the Ark because they abhorred the offerings of God and do not you do so are not the sins of Israel amongst us the sins of Germany and the sins of all other Nations about us and can any man here before God this day in this Congregation that considers the great unthankfulness of this Nation the great prophaneness wickedness of this Nation but they may conclude the Ark is in danger God may justly take the Ark from us I might tell you of the Drunkenness Adultery Covetousness Injustice and Uncharitableness c. that doth abound among us and I might tell you of Sanctuary sins prophanation of Sabbath and Sacraments our unthankfulness and unfruitfulness and unworthy walking under the Gospel and you of this place God may very well take the Ark even from you and indeed it was the great interest I had in you the which while I live I shall ever own and that great affection and respect I had to you that I would not send you home this day without a Sermon and let you go without a blessing Now can any of you in this Parish and this Congregation can any of you say God may not justly take the Gospel from you Secondly shall I add the discontents and divisions of a Nation as Christ saith A Nation divided against it self cannot stand but I leave these things to your considerations I believe there is none here but will confess the Ark of God is in danger to be lost But now where are our Eli's to sit watching and trembling for fear of the Ark Where is Phinehas his Wife that would not be comforted because the Ark of God was taken Where are our Moses our Elijahs
great strait 8. Take heed of mis-using the Prophets of God this made God destroy the children of Israel without remedy 2 Chron. 36.15 16. 9. Take heed of coming prophanely to the Lords Table this brought the Church of Corinth into a great distress insomuch as the Apostle saith For this cause many among you are sick and many weak and many fallen a sleep 10. Take heed of loathing the Manna of your souls this brought the children of Israel into woful misery that God destroyed all their carkasses in the wilderness save Joshua and Caleb Take heed of slighting the Gospel this brought Queen Maries persecution as many godly and learned men that fled for Religions sake out of the Land have confessed their thankfulness for and unfruitfulness under the Gospel in King Edward the sixths time brought the persecution in Queen Maries time 11. Take heed of losing your first love that makes God threaten to take away his Candlestick 12. Take heed of prophaning the Christian Sabbath which is much prophaned every where a day that Christ by his resurrection from the dead hath consecrated to be kept holy to God Certainly if the Jewes were so severely punished for breaking the Sabbath which was set a part in memory of the Creation surely God will severely punish those that break the Sabbath set a part in memory of Christs Resurrection May be same will say I have committed many of these sins but am not brought into any strait Remember it was nine moneths after David had numbred the people before he was in this strait but as sure as God is in Heaven sin will bring straits sooner or latter though one sin a hundred years yet shall he be accursed may be thy prosperity makes way for thy damnation and this is thy greatest distress that thou goest on in sin and prosperity Vse 3. If sin bringeth a Nation into marvellous labyrinths learn what great cause we have to fear that God shall bring this Nation into great distress because of the great abominations are committed in the midst of it Our King and Sovereign was in a great strait in the dayes of his banishment but God hath delivered him God hath delivered this Nation out of great straits but alas we requite God evil for good and in stead of repenting of old sins we commit new sins I am told there are new Oaths invented Oaths not fit to be named in any place much less here Certainly the drunkenness and adultery the oppression and injustice the bribery and Sabbath-breaking the vain and wicked swearing and forswearing this Nation is guilty of must of necessity provoke God to say of us as he did of them in Jer. 15.29 Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my Soul be avenged on such a Nation as this God will not only punish us but be avenged on us There is no way to avoid a National Desolation but by a National Reformation Lastly Learn what cause you of this Congregation and Parish what cause you have to expect that God should bring you into great straits because of your great unthankfulness and unfruitfulness under the means of Grace you that have so long enjoyed the Gospel you have had the Gospel in this place in great abundance Dr. Taylor he served an Apprenticeship in this place Dr. Stoughton served another Apprenticeship and I through Divine Mercy have served three Apprenticeships and half another almost among you you have had the Spirit of God seven and thirty years in the faithful Ministry of the Word knocking at the door of your hearts but many of you have hardned your hearts Are there not some of you I only put the question that begin to loath the Manna of your Souls and to look back towards Egypt again Are there not some of you have itching ears and would fain have Preachers that would feed you with dainty phrases and begin not to care for a Minister that unrips your Consciences speaks to your hearts and souls and would force you into Heaven by frighting you out of your sins Are there not some of you that by often hearing Sermons are become Sermon-proof that know how to sleep and scoff away Sermons I would be glad to say there are but few such but the Lord knoweth there are too too many that by long preaching get little good by preaching insomuch that I have often said it and say it now again there is hardly any way to raise the price of the Gospel-Ministry but by the want of it And that I may flatter not you you have not profited under the means you have enjoyed therefore you may justly expect God may bring you into a strait and take away the Gospel from you God may justly take away your Ministers by death or other ways Have you not lost your first love Why did God take away the Gospel from the Church of Ephesus but because they lost their first love Are you not like the Church of Loadicea that was neither hot nor cold therefore God may justly spew you out of his mouth what God will do with you I know not a few weeks will determine God can make a great change in a little time we leave all to God but in the mean time let me commend one Text of Scripture to you Jer. 13.16 Give glory to the Lord your God before he cause darkness and before your feet stumble upon the dark Mountains and while ye look for light he turn it into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness Verse 17. But if you will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride and mine eyes shall weep sore and run down with tears because the Lords flock is carried away captive Give glory to God by confessing and repenting of your sins by humbling your souls before the Lord before darkness come and who knoweth but this may prevent darkness Dr. Manton's Sermon Hebrews 12.1 Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of Witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us IN the former Chapter you have a spiritual Chronicle or a Catalogue of the Lords Worthies and all the eminent effects of their Faith and now the Apostle comes to make use of this History that he had produced through so many successions of Ages of all the holy men of God that excelled in Faith Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of Witnesses c. The Text is wholly Hortatory In it observe 1. The Premisses or principle the Apostle worketh upon seeing we are compassed about with c. 2. The practical Inferences which are deduced from thence and they are two 1. One concerning the private part of our duty Let us lay aside every weight c. there is something external and without like to clog us in our way to Heaven every weight
express so little to our Brother 'T is an Argument we know not of what spirit we are of as Christ told his Disciples Oh! how unlike to that God whom we profess to be our God He is long suffering patient full of goodness gentleness mercy c. we can bear nothing we can suffer nothing one from another 13. Our great murmuring against Reformation and Reformers God hath heard the voyce of our murmuring Exod. 2.6 As if there had been nothing that would have undone us but Reformation and truly God seems to speak such a word as that was Numb 7.5 in displeasure and anger I will make your murmuring to cease I will take away the cause of your murmuring I would have reformed you and you would not be reformed As Christ to Jerusalem I would but you would not Mat. 23. The time may come when we would and God will not when we shall cry Other Lords have had dominion over us c. Isa 26.13 but thou Lord set up thou thy Government rule thou over uâ—â— and God may say No 't is too late I would have healed you and you would not be healed 14. The great neglect of the care of our Families Truly 't is not the least sin that threatens the removal of our Candle-stick How generally have the duties of Religion been let fall in our families reading the word singing Psalms c. time was when one could not have come through the streets of London on an evening in the week-day but we might hear the praises of God singing of Psalms now 't is a stranger in the City even upon the Lords own day Oh! how have Governours of Families cast off the care of the souls that God hath committed to them How careless are they of the souls of their yoak-fellows that lye in their bosome of their Children the fruit of their loins Masters of their servants c. And in the mean time are ready to stand up and justifie themselves with the boldness of Cain to say to God Am I my brothers keeper Am I the keeper of my yoak-fellows Childrens servants souls Yes thou art the keeper c. God hath put them into thy trust and if they perish through thy fault they may die in their sins but their blood shall be required at thy hand God will say to thee as he did to Cain Thy Brothers blood cryeth in my ear 15. Our indifferences as to matter of faith and doctrine That we have not been more zealous for the Truth of Christ that great trust and depositum which hath been committed to us We have accounted it no matter of what opinion or judgment men be in these latter times 'T is an universal saying No matter what judgment men be of so they be Saints as if truth in the judgment did not go to the making up of a Saint as well as holiness in the Will and Affections As if Christ had not come into the World to bear witness of the truth which was his great design as if it were no matter if God have the heart so the devil be in the head as if no matter that be full of darkness so the heart be for God 16. The unsuitableness of our conversation to the Gospel of Christ 'T is the only thing the Apostles puts the Philippians in mind of and commits to their care Phil. 1.27 and truly in these unhappy dayes it hath been the only thing men have neglected and despised how little care that our conversations should honour the Gospel c. 17. Our living by sense and not by faith Surely my Brethren among all the sins in England that the people of God have cause to be humbled for there is not any whereby we have more provoked God than by that sin of our unbelief murmuring and infidelity have been our two great sins for which it is the wonder of Gods mercy that he hath not caused our carkasses to fall in the Wilderness he may take up that complaint of us that he did of Israel Num. 14.22 Because all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles which I diâ—â—â— Egypt and in the Wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkned to my voyce surely they shall not see the Land c. And this is the lamentation we may take up that truly to this very day we have not faith enough to carry us from one miracle to another from one deliverance to another from one salvation to another let one deliverance pass over our head and no sooner one Wave rises higher than another but we are ready to cry out with Peter Lord save me I perish and well were it if our fears did issue into tears and cryes after Christ we rather are ready to cry out as those in Ezek. 37.11 Our bones are dryed and our hope is lost we are out off for our parts We are a people that never knew how to honour God in any distress God hath brought us into never learnt to glorifie God by believing if we cannot see him we cannot believe him surely that which God hath done for us in such a succession of miracles it might well at least have been found for our faith during our so journing In our Pilgrimage we might have learned by all that we have seen to believe God we might have made experience to be the food of our faith and upon all the Providences of Divine Power Wisdom and Goodness we might have discoursed our selves into belief as David 1 Sam. 17.37 The Lord hath delivered me out of the paw of the Lyon and of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine So Paul He hath delivered and doth deliver we trust he will also deliver Oh my Brethren we dishonoun God and starve our faith by forgetting our experience while we proclaim by our own unbelief that we have a God that we dare not trust If we perish we may thank our selves for it surely if we miscarry that account may be given for it that we find Mat. 13 58. Because of our unhelief There is a rest of God before us if we do not enter in it is because of our unbelief 18. Went of sympathy with the bleeding gasping groaning dying Churches of Jesus Christ They have been in great afflictions round about have call'd to us pitty me Oh pitty me my friends for the hand of God is gone out against me We cannot look any way but we see cause of bitter mourning but we have not laid the blood of Germany Lituania Piedmount c. to heart therefore God may justly lay it to our charge Want of fellow-feeling with our Brethren in their afflictions it is a kind of persecution a kind of being accessary to their sufferings That we have not mourned wept bled with them that we have not lien in the dust smote on our thighs c. God may justly say to us as Ames 6.6 7. They shall go captive with the
and turn again unto the Lord Sin is aversio a Deo conversio ad creaturam Reformation is a turning again from the creature to God 3. Frequent and fervent prayer let us lift up There 's the frequency let 's do nothing else but pray let 's be continually lifting up our prayers make our houses houses of prayer Thus David Thou foughtest against me without a cause Did he take counsel against Princes to be disloyal to take up arms No. But I gave my self unto Prayer Psal 109.4 Therefore if you prayed before now do nothing else it notes habitual and constant prayer Our hearts with our hands to crave and as it were to pull down mercy as if we would wrestle with God and say Nay nay I will not let thee go until thou bless me Gen. 32.26 it notes our fervency And for our encouragement it is Unto God in the Heavens which expresses his Soveraignty Omnisciency Omnipotency Everlastingness c. 4. Judging our selves or confessing of sin We have transgressed 5. Aggravating our sins and have rebelled i.e. we have turned sin in-into rebellion rebellion hath been the aggravation of our sin we have sinned against the clearest light dearest love c. Neh. 9. Ezek. 9. Dan. 6. 6. Justifying God thou hast not pardoned A word not of murmuring complaining or accusing God of hard dealing but by way of justifying God we have transgressed therefore thou hast not pardoned Why shouldest thou repent of the evil of punishment when we have not repented of the evil of sin Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve So in the Text Do thy first works Sin is a departure from God Repentance a coming back again to God Turn thou to him from whom the Children of Israel have deeply revolted The soul hath many turnings and windings but there 's the best motion of all when the soul with the Dove returns to God from whom it came Apostacy is the loss of our first love Repentance is the recovery of it and Reformation is the doing of our first works I have not time to enlarge as I desire I shall only offer a few things that might help to quicken you to this great duty My Brethren we have no great cause to boast of Englands first love Never so good as it should be yet many can remember when England hath been much better than it is Time was when Doctrines have been more sound Discipline more exercised for the suppressing of sin and prophaneness Ordinances kept more pure from sinful mixtures when London kept Sabbaths better than now loved their godly Ministers more than now honoured them that were set over her for their works sake would have thought nothing too good for a faithful Minister when Christians loved one another with a dear hearty fervent love when there was less complement but more real love and affection among Christians when Christians improved their meetings converse Christian Conference and other soul duties to better purpose than now not to foolish disputations or wanton sensual excess but to their mutual edification when they improved their times for comparing their evidences communicating their experiences and building up one another in their most holy faith when there was more industry in Professors than now to bring in Converts when private Christians thought it their duty to be subservient to the works of their Ministers to bring in others to Christ especially their family Time was when more care of young Converts than now when none could have looked out after Religion but some or other ready to lend them their hand and shew them the way explaining it clearly to them but now young Converts may be snapt into separation and error and none look after them Time was when more care of the truly godly poor when error was more odious when Popery was more hated than now when the name of a tolleration would have made Christians to have trembled when Christians were better acquainted with their Bibles when more time spent in secret prayer when more tender of one anothers names and honours would heal one anothers reputations and would spread the lap of charity over those mis-reports and scandals that might be cast upon then when Christians rejoyced more in one anothers good and mourned in one anothers sufferings when Christians did more earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints c. Oh do you not only your first works but our fore-fathers first works be as zealous for God and his truths as tender mutually careful of one another as they Our fears be very great and truly our provocations be greater our dangers are great but our sins greater yet here is a word here is matter of encouragement that yet there is Balm in Gilead Physick of Christs own composition for the reviving and healing of a back-sliding people Christians Christ Jesus is become your Physician he hath prescribed you a potion made up of these three ingredients Self-reflection Holy Contrition Thorow Reformation Christiians now take this Receipt Christ advises you if you will not there is no way but one Or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick There is yet a means or two I find in Scripture for the preventing of threatned ruine that hath been very near that God hath prescribed for a people or person in great danger when ready to be cut off and destroyed Now that which I would commend to you in reference to what you would beg of God for England is First in your addressing your self to God for that mercy your souls are set upon and you wrestle with God for that you would make some special vow to God I find the Saints have done so when reduced to great straits not knowing what to do Thus Jacob vowed a vow saying If God will be with me and will keep me on this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and rayment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God And this Stone which I here set for a pillar shall be Gods house Gen. 28.20 21 22. The special thing Jacob vows is that he would continue in the pure worship of his fore-fathers that he would still honour God as his God in that way he would be worshipped the speciaâ— thing is that he would build a house for the worship of God here he would erect a place of publick worship And thus Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord and said If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand then will I utterly destroy their Cities Numb 21.2 They vowed they would not spare any of the enemies of God if he would deliver them into their hands Thus Jeptha Hannah David c. Judg. 11.31 1 Sam. 1.11 Psal 132.1 2. Certainly in times of great distress 't is nor improper or uncomely but that which God may expect and take well that you make some special vow if God
of a place or any other thing 's holiness it is its belonging to God Gods peculiar relation to it and propriety in it declared as he shall please and therefore to be holy to be Gods are the words of the like importance or equivolence it s being Gods and his having a relation to it is the foundation and cause of its holiness And therefore if you look into Exod. 15.2 you shall there find God commands that they should sanctifie to him all the first-born it is mine there now is that which is the cause and reason and ground of its being sanctified or holy it is God himself God hath a propriety in it And therefore I desire you to look into Luk 2.23 it will open this notion to you there you shall see that this command is again repeated but yet in other words And therefore he saith As it is written in the Law of the Lord Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord that which is said in one place to be sanctified or separated is here said to be holy and therefore holy because separated to God Levit. 27.30 All the tythes of the Land is the Lords it is holy unto the Lord it is holy and therefore holy because it is the Lords So that here is the general answer This is the foundation ground and cause of its holiness Gods peculiar propriety in it it is the Lords 2. More particularly That the declared propriety that God hath in any place or his relation to a place or its belonging unto God that is the foundation of its holiness This belonging unto God or Gods propriety in it is declared two ways It s belonging unto God is declared 1. From his presence 2. From his precept 1. By his presence Now the presence of God that was the foundation of the holiness of a place was two-fold 1. Extraordinary 2. Ordinary 1. The extraordinary presence of God was by his miraculous apparitions and discovering himself by some miraculous token vision sign or manifestation of his presence as now here in this burning and not consuming Bush here was a miraculous token of Gods presence We shall find in the fifth of Joshua and the last verse God commands Joshua to put off his shooes Loose thy shooes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground And Joshua did so And therefore as I conceive hence it is the Mountain in which Christ was transfigured is called The holy Mountain 2 Pet. 1.18 And this voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount Why holy Not as if it were holy at that time when the Apostle writ that Epistle but it were manifest there was an extraordinary manifestation and sign of Gods presence and so long as this extraordinary manifestation of Gods presence continued it was called holy And this miraculous manifestation of the gloriousness of Christs God-head ceasing the holiness of the place ceased also And remember this place now of Gods extraordinary miraculous manifestation of himself in the Bush was holy for that time and no longer wherein he did manifest himself for otherwise in the time of the Law it were unholy to offer up sacrifice there 2. As the presence of God was extraordinary so it is ordinary which is two-fold 1. The presence of his standing residence in a place by some visible or external Symbole or else 2. The Presence of God is a spiritual Presence in the Religious services and performances of his people in the place of their Meetings and Assemblies Now concerning the first of these 1. The presence of God by the more visible and lasting tokens of his Presence which was chiefly afforded in the time of the Levitical Pedagogue So the Altar Temple Ark and Mercy-seat were symboles of Gods presence among that people by them God signified his presence he recorded his Name there by those visible tokens of his Presence and therefore the Ark was said to be Gods face and when the Ark was lifted up it was said Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered Hence they so much rejoyced when the Ark came into the city of David because it was the sign of Gods presence and mourned when it was taken away captive And God is said to deliver his glory into captivity that is the token of his glorious presence and as long as this continued God was looked upon as there present and thither the people went to pray and offer sacrifice And thus God more fixedly declared his durable relation to a place by these to 〈◊〉 and while these continued in a place he was looked upon to be there 2. Gods ordinary presence is considerable in the Religious service of his people and this I call the rather the more spiritual Presence of God that is that presence of God in the Ordinances which we have we hope this day and which Christ did promise Matth. 18.20 Where ever two or three are met together in my Name there am I present in the midst of them not in the midst of the place but of them when they do perform holy and institute Worship This spiritual presence of God is that that is afforded in the use of those Ordinances of Praying Hearing and Administration of Sacraments his Presence is there to accept of these and bless them and make them operative and to assist in these and to enable both Minister and people to go through their duty by his own power Nor can Gods Presence be ordinarily expected but in this his own way Now then 2. You must know that as the presence of God is the foundation of a places sanctity and as it is several so you must know Gods propriety in and relation to a place is declared by his Precept the precept of God is Gods propriety in a place as well as his Presence thus it belongs to him by command to make it holy he may do what he will and chuse out what places he will to be holy He to whom all things belong surely may have some places and things more proper to himself und peculiar so the Temple of old and the Tabernacle those Places of Levitical and Ceremonial Worship was separated and set apart by God by Divine institution Hence we have many commands 1. God commands that such a House and such a Tabernacle shall be built and this had been unlawful to do had it not been commanded 2. He directs the manner and the mode and that all things should exactly be done according to the pattern in the Mount And 3. God doth command it should be in such a place in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite and that place that himself had chosen 4. He commands that he will be served in these places peculiarly rather than in any other place he would not have these places changed for others Herein this place tipifi'd Christ one that is onely able to make our services acceptable Hence
sin to save your lives Be sure you sin not wilfully Obey the light 8. Be sure to keep up continually a lively apprehension of the state and place of your everlasting happiness to live by faith upon the unseen world Know where your happiness lies and what it is that you grow not to carnal apprehensions of your happiness live upon Heaven and let that be it that shall animate your faith to duty and all that you may still be weary of vexation and sensible of the vanities here below Let your conversation be above Be confirmed in your apprehensions of the certainty and excellency of eternal blessedness grow more in heavenly mindednes in satisfaction of soul in the hopes you have of these things 9 Understand the nature method and power of temptations how to resist them and live in watchfulness Be not a stranger to Satan and his methods of tempting what you have to watch against and oppose where you must be armed Understand the nature of Christian watchfulness keep up a constant resolution and courage in resisting especially the temptations you carry about with you of your calling constitution company and of the times set them down remember them keep a special observation of them all and say this and this it is I am in danger of and 't is my integrity and Salvation that 's in danger and here place special guard and make it your business to resist The principal cause of Christians negligence in this is the security of their consciences and love of their sins did you know your danger you would better look after your safety 2 Cor. 2.11 10. Especially understand how much the flesh and carnal self is an enemy to God and your Souls and how much you are engaged by the Christian Covenant to live in a warfare against your selves and against your flesh You must not think the life of life-pleasing is consistent with Religion understand how you are bound to take the flesh for your enemy to watch against it and to live in a continual combat with it Col. 3.5 The flesh is your chiefest enemy the very sences themselves are all grown inordinate and the work of Faith is very much seen in its exercise this way If you get an opinion that you may eat and drink and cloath c. and do all things to gratifie your selves c. then no wonder if you find but little encrease in spirituals while you grow so carnal Understand and practice the duty of self-denial self is the very heart of sin read iâ— not under pretence of liberty in Religion 11. Give not way to a formal heartless seeming Religiousness customariness without the life but keep your souls in a continual seriousness and awakedness about God immortality and your great concernment If Duty be dead take heed lest that incline you to a deadness in another and so grow a customary deadness Take heed of spiritual sloathfulness that makes you keep your hands in your bosome when you should be doing for your soul stir up to and in duty when you have but little time for life eternal do not pray as if you prayed not nor hear as though you heard not but when upon Duty doing Gods service do it with all the seriousness and vigour you can To grow lazy and negligent is the declining way use such considerations as may stir you up Rom. 12.11 Tit. 2.14 12. Remember always the worth of time and greatness of your work and therefore so value time as not negligently or sloathfully to lose a moment it will quickly be gone and when you are at the last you will better know its worth hearken to no temptation that will draw you to any trifling abusing wasting of your precious time if thou hast no argument against thy sports trifling pleasures c. but this it loses my time take it for a greater argument then if it lose thee thy mony friends or any thing in the world your youth your morning hours especially the Lords day lose not any part of it but improve it with your selves and families lose not a moment of the Lords day nor any of thy precious time thou canst spare and redeem if thou hast lost any be humbled for it and be careful to redeem the rest look back do you approve of the time that is past could you not have spent it better remember what you have let that quicken you look before you remember what is to be done and do the first which must be done and then leave trifles to that time you have to spare it is ignorance and idleness and not want of work that makes any think they have time to spare Eph. 5.16 Col. 4.5 13. Make a careful choice of your company you cannot travel well to heaven alone especially when you may have company thrust not your selves into every company Eph. 5.7 converse as much as you can with those that will help you that are warm when you are cold knowing when you are ignorant believing when you are doubtful c. especially for your constant companions live with those that will be a frequent help to you Masters chuse the best servants that fear God servants chuse to live with those that will help you in the fear of God For Husbands Wives make choice of those that will intend upon Religion take heed of being unequally yoaked and of thinking to get well to Heaven while you presume to unite your selves with those that with great advantage will hinder not help your Salvation 14. Keep a constant guard upon the tongue especially take heed of those common sins that disgrace hath not driven out of the World but have got some kind of credit amongst some Professors namely idle talk that wastes precious time maks us unfruitful to one another back-biting especially can they put but a Religious pretence upon it or if they back-bite those that differ in opinion Remember that terrible passage Prov. 18.28 James 1.26 Psal 39. 35.28 avoid idle talk back-biting c. watch over your tongues and if they are by nature addicted to a laxity of tongue and multitude of words there lies a double obligation on you in point of danger and necessity above all others to keep a careful watch over your tongues you should rather speak fewer words than others and if you find your selves inclined to speak against and behind his back reprehend your selves and avoid it 15. Learn the holy skill of improving every condition that God shall cast you into learn how to live to God in every condition if you have skill and heart there is advantave to be got by all that prosperity may strengthen you in God encourage you in his service that adversity may wean you from the world help you to repentance raise you to God and give you more then it took away know the danger and duty of every condition study them before they come upon you that they do not surprize you learn to know
the greatest mercy in the world to rob such persons of their peace and to discover to them their danger they are onely capable of true peace by the knowledge of that which is false Therefore bring your selves to this tryal whether or no doth that peace which now you please your selves in cause in you an eternal hatred of sin doth it set you at a distance from your most beloved lusts then it is that peace that springs from God The greatest part of the world are in an estate of War with God though they do not feel the effects of that war True indeed God doth not always draw the sword either of Famine Pestilence or War against a Nation and yet they may be acting in a most hostile way against God So for a person God may not blast thy estate or send diseases upon thy person or raise a tumult in thy conscience and make a conspiracy of thy thoughts and passions against thy peace thou mayst be quiet within and yet have war with God because as in the world there may be a Truce when there is no peace the War may still continue though there is a Truce between two Princes or rather there is not a Truce between God and the sinner but as a Town that is besieged for many days may not feel the Battery of their Enemy because he is undermining them to blow them up at once so God doth not many times make his battery against sinners but he is under mining them and the fall at the last will be dreadful if there be not a composition Vse 2. By way of exhortation let me press you all to follow peace it is a duty which the Gospel injoyns with the greatest force of words and expressions The Apostle when he is to seal up his affection to them he doth it with that prayer 2 Thess 3.16 Now the God of peace himself give you peace always by all means What strange expressions First he gives you hear the Title of the God of peace and then he saith Himself the God of peace himself There 's a great deal of force in that word peace is so excellent a blessing and there is such an abhorrency in our corrupt nature to it that it is only the Lord himself that is able to effect it As if the Apostle had said the Lord must bow the heavens he must come down himself to create peace among you and to express the greater vehemency of his desire he saith Give you peace always by all means So another Scripture pursue peace follow peace with all men a word that imports our pursuit after it though it runs from us This is the strain and tenour of the Gospel and this becomes you as Christians When Christ came to purchase our peace he came as a Lamb an innocent and meek Creature Behold the Lamb of God When the holy Spirit descended to seal the priviledge of peace to us he descended in the form of a Dove a Gaul-less creature in whom there is no rancor nor bitterness What a strong engagement should this be upon all of us to pursue and promote peace And for your encouragement consider 1. That in the times of the Gospel all the promises do as it were empty themselves into this blessing the blessing of peace Thus Isai 11.6 you shall find there a gracious promise respecting the times of the Gospel The Wolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall seed their young ones shall lie down together and the Lyon shall eat straw like the Ox. That which I observe from thence is this that God here promises to cause an universal peace and unity under the Gospel though it be as difficult as to perswade the most disagreeing natures to a peaceable co-habition For here the Scripture instances in those creatures between which there is the most natural and therefore the most fierce animosities The Lord will reconcile men though their differences be never so great What is too hard for the God of Peace to effect Is not God of infinite power of infinite love then it should quicken us to pursue peace 1. By prayer to him because he is able to effect it certainly that God that was able to bring Order into the World when it was a meer lump and mass of confusion is able to bring peace and to unite our spirits And it is observable the greater our differences and divisions are the more will the power of this God appear in reconciling them 'T is said in the Psalms that Gods throne is in darkness that is his ways of Providence are very difficult for us to trace and find out and therefore when our divisions are at the highest he is able by one word to allay the storm This should encourage us in Prayer This is the course of God to glorifie himself by putting a stop to the greatest troubles when nearest to us and to work out one contrary by another To give you some instances that so we may encourage our Faith and quicken our Prayer to God for this blessing consider how still God hath made difficulties the way for enjoyment For instance the promise that Sarah should be the Mother of a child but he made way for that by her dead Womb for all that numerous Progeny which like the Stars of the Skie descended from her That he first maimed Jacob and then gave him the blessing He brought Joseph from the Prison to a Princely Palace First David was harassed with troubles and then his head was deckt with the Imperial Crown So if you look into the Kingdom of Christ who would have thought that a few Fishermen-men should have advanced the Empire of Christ in the World Had you lived to have seen those despicable beginnings when a few unlearned men were the Heraulds and Preachers of Christ how would this have caused you to fail and sink in your spirits and yet the Gospel hath been Preached in all parts of the World and that by a few Fisher-men The Providences of God are like those plated Pictures if you look one way upon them there is the appearance of a Serpent if you look on the other side there is the appearance of an Angel So here many times God is pleased to suffer exasperations to go very high that so his power may appear more eminent in the composure of them He it is that enables the faith of his people to draw Water out of the Rock when the Fountain is dry that makes meat to come out of the Eater as in Sampson's Riddle that is able to bring a peaceable harmony out of devouring differences and therefore it should quicken our prayers to him 2. To make us more serious in our endeavours after peace Consider what a dishonour it is to the Gospel that those that
Death is the beginning of all his miseries 1. Death puts an end to all his Comforts no more indulging and pompering the flesh then no more cups of Wine then no more Musick Revel 18.22 The fruits thy soul lusteth after are departed from thee All things that are dainty and good are departed from thee the voice of the Harper Musician and Trumpeter shall be heard no more in thee As it is spoken of the destruction of Rome so you may say of the wicked man no more joy and gladness no more mirth and musick all a sinners sweet Spices his scarlet Robes his sparkling Diamonds they all at death depart from him 2. As death puts an end to a sinners mirth so it lays a foundation for all his sorrow Alas before death begins to close a sinners eyes the eye of his conscience is first opened every sin at the hour of death stands with its drawn sword in its hand those sins that did in life delight him now they affright and terrifie him all his joy and mirth turns into sadness as sometimes you have seen Sugar lying in a damp place it doth dissolve and run to water thus all the Sugar-joys of a wicked man at the hour of death turns into water into the water of tears into the water of sorrow 3. It shall be ill with the wicked man at the day of Judgement when he is seated before Gods Tribunal then he shall leave judging of others and shall stand at Gods Bar and be tryed for his life I read concerning Felix when he heard Paul speak of Judgement that Felix trembled Josephus observes that Felix he was a wicked man and she that lived with him her name was Drusilla whom he inticed from her Husband and lived in uncleanness with her now when Felix heard Paul preaching of Judgement trembled Now if he trembled to hear of Judgement what will he do when Judgement comes when all his secret sins shall be made manifest all his Midnight wickedness shall be written on his fore-head as with a point of a Diamond At the day of Judgement shall be these two things First There shall be a legal Trial. Secondly The Sentence First A legal Trial. God will call forth a sinner by name and say stand forth hear thy charge see what thou canst answer to this charge What canst thou say for thy Sabbath-breaking for thy Murthers and Drunkenness and Perjury for all thy revenge and malice for all thy persecuting of my Members what dost thou say Guilty or not Guilty Thou wretch thou darest not say thou art not Guilty for have not I been an eye-witness to all thy wickedness do not the Books agree the book of thy Conscience and the book of my Omniscience and darest thou offer to plead not Guilty How will the sinner be amazed with horrâ—r and run into desparation Secondly After this legal process of Tryal follows the Sentence Go â—â—câ—rsed into everlasting fire what to go from the presence of Christ in whose presence is fulness of joy to go from Christ with a curse Why saith Chrysâ—stom that very word Depart is worse than the torment it self And remember this you that go on in your sins when once this sentence is past it cannot be reversed this is the most Supream Court of Judicature from which is no appeal Here on earth men remove their Causes from one Court to another from the Common Law unto the Chancery Oh! but at the last day of judgement no appeals to remove the sentence for this is the highest Court 4. It will be ill with the wicked that die in their sins after the day of judgement Oh! then there is but one way and they would be glad they might not go that way any way but to prison Oh! but there is no way but to Hell Luk. 16.23 In Hell he lifted up his eyes Hell 't is the very center of misery 't is the very Spirits of Torments distilled out The Scripture tells us that in Hell there are these three things there is Fire there is Darkness there are Chains 1. Hell is called a place of Darkness Jude 13. To whom is reserved blackness of darkness Darkness you know is the most uncomfortable thing in the world a man that goes in the dark he trembleth every step he goeth Hell is a black Region nothing but blackness of darkness and it must needs be a dark place where they shall be separated from the light of Gods presence Indeed Augustine he thinks there shall be some little sulphurous light there but suppose it be so that light shall serve onely that the damned may see the tragedy of their own misery and see themselves tormented 2. In Hell as there is Darkness so there is Fire it is called a burning Lake Rev. 2.15 Who was not found written in the book of Life was threwn into the Lake of Fire You know that Fire is the most torturing Element it makes the most dreadful impression on the flesh Now Hell is a place of Fire It is disputed among the Learned what kind of fire it is and I wish we may never know what kind of fire it is Augustine and others affirm that it is Material fire but far hotter than any fire upon your Hearths that is but painted fire compared with this But I do rather think that the fire of the Damned it is partly Material and partly Spiritual partly Material to work on the Body and partly Spiritual which is the wrath of God to torment the soul that is the Lake the burning Fire Oh! who knows the power of Gods anger who can dwell with these burnings it is intollerable to endure them and impossible to escape them 3. In Hell there are chains chains of darkness Those sinners that would not be bound by any Law of God such shall have chains of darkness to bind them Quest What should be the meaning of these phrases Chains of darkness Answ I suppose it may be this to intimate unto us that the wicked in Hell shall not have power to walk up and down which perhaps might be a little ease though very little but they shall be chained down fast not to stir they shall be fastned to that stake with chains of darkness Oh! this will be terrible indeed Suppose a man should lie always on a Doun-bed and might not stir out of the place it would be very painful unto him Oh but to lye as the Damned upon the wrack always under the torturing scorchings of Gods wrath and to be tyed and not to move how dreadful are the thoughts of this and this is the condition of the wicked they are under fire and darkness and chains And to add unto the torments of Hell there are these two things more to shew you that it shall be ill with the wicked let them dye when they will The first is the Worm The second is the Serpent First There is the Worm to torture the damned spirits and this is no other than
sworn to maintain his just Power and Honour and Greatness and now behold a second Trial then I could not forswear my self the God of Heaven keep me that I never may I am apt to think I could do any thing for this loving Congregation onely I cannot sin but since Beloved there is a sentence gone out against us that we that cannot subscribe must not subsist this is the last day that is prefixed to us to Preach I shall now speak to you God assisting me if my passion will give me leave just as if I would speak if I were immediately to die Therefore hearken my Brethren dearly Beloved and longed for my Joy and Crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly Beloved Paul was now a prisoner at Rome for the Gospel of Christ 't was his second imprisonment and he was not far from being offered up a sacrifice for the Gospel he had preached This Gospel the Philippians had heard him preach and the godly Philippians having heard of his imprisonment they sent so far from Philippi to Rome to visit him and to supply his wants A gracious temper which I hope the Eternal God hath given the Saints in London and for which if for any thing God hath a blessing in store for them Paul is not so much concerned in his own bonds as in the Philippians Estate Epaphroditus tells him that there were Heresies and false doctrines got in amongst them but yet the Philippians stood fast and herein Paul rejoyces writes this Epistle bids them go on stand fast keep their ground and to be sure not to give an inch but to stand fast knowing that at long run their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. I shall without any more ado enter upon the Text in which you have two things considerable A most melting Compellation and a most serious Exhortation 1. A melting Compellation my Brethren dearly Beloved c. 2. A serious Exhortation and in it first the Matter of the Duty stand and stand it out and stand fast Secondly the Manner First So stand so as you have stood stand fast Second In the Lord stand so and stand in the Lord in the Lords strength and in the Lords cause to stand in your own strength would be the ready way to fall and to stand in your own cause for your own fancy would be the ready way to expose your selves to all manner of Temptations Therefore my brethren dearly Beloved in the Lord stand and so stand fast in the Lord my dearly Beloved In the next place by way of Observation from the words and if there be any wicked Catchers here let them know that I shall speak no more then I shall draw from and is the mind of my Text I would not give occasion to be a greater sufferer then I am like to be But for the words First For the Melting Compellation my Brethren my dearly Beloved Paul was an Apostle and an high Officer in the Church of God and he writ unto the Philippians to all the Philippians to the poorest of them and see how he bespeaks himself to them my Brethren from hence take this observation That the highest Officers in the Church of Christ though they are indeed by Office Rulers over them yet by Relation they are no more then Brethren to the meanest Saint Here we have no such Rabbies to whom we must swear because they say we must swear it Paul calls them Brethren and so writes to them Gal. 1.2 and James a Scriptural Officer one of the highest Apostles Christ ever made saith Hearken my beloved Brethren Jam. 2.5 So Peter an Apostle of Christ Wherefore the rather Brethren and John the beloved Disciple Brethren I write no New Commandment c. 1 John 2.7 Well then 1. If this be so that the highest Officer in the Church such as Christ approves of are but Brethren to the meanest Saint then certainly they are but Brethren to their fellow Officers If no more Relation to the Toe in the Body then no more to the Eyes If there be any of a light Spirit would bear Rule that love to have preheminence I would desire them to read two Scriptures the first is Luke 22.26 the second Mat. 26.27 Doth Christ say whosoever will be chief among you let him be one that will Domineer over your Estates over your Persons over your Consciencs doth not Christ say so no but Whosoever will be chief among you let him be your Minister let him be your servant Even as the Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to Minister and to give his life a Ransom for many You have this also Luke 22.25 And he said unto them the Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them i. e. over their slaves over their vassals but ye shall not be so but he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger and he that is chief as he that doth serve Sure if Paul be but a Brother to Philip then he is no more to Timothy 2. If the highest Officers in the Church of Christ be but Brethren to the meanest Saint then 't is not for those Brethren to Lord it over their fellow Brethren Lord it over Gods Heritage remember 't is Gods Heritage I hope your Consciences will bear me witness that I have laboured as much as in me lies to be a helper of your joy not to Lord it over your faith 2 Cor. 1.24 to press or cause you to believe this or that because I believe it if this may be allowed then may I turn Papist to morrow Saith Christ to him that would have had him speak to his Brother to divide the inheritance with him Man who made me a Judge over you Luk 12.14 So say I Man who made thee a Tyrant and Lord over thy fellow Brethren 1 Pet. 5.3 Neither as being Lords over Gods Heritage c. 3. If the highest Officers in the Church of Christ be but Brethren and no more then there should be no discord between those Brethren Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity and truly I may comfortably speak that and it is one of the greatest comforts I have in the World I hope we have lived together in love blessed be God Let us not fall out saith Abraham the elder to Lot his younger Cousin for we are Brethren Beloved the discords between Pastor and People have made the best musick in the ears of the Jesuits 4. Are Pastors nay the highest Officers that Jesus Christ hath and doth own in the Church but Brethren Oh! then let those Brethren if they will appear before the Bar of their Father in Heaven with comfort take care of offending the souls of Brethren for at the hand of every Brother God will require the soul of his Brother Ezek. 33.6 His Bloud will I require at the Watchmans hand We that are called by some the Dogs of the Flock what shall we
the censures of a crooked generation A Christians zeal should be like winter fire that burns the hottest when the air is coolest or like the Lilly that looketh beautiful though among thorns so should a child of God though among sinners Fifthly In all conditions choose suffering rather than sinning If ever you would have peace choose suffering rather than sinning he that values peace with God or peace with conscience he must make this his choice Daniel rather chose to be cast to Lions than to lose the peace of his conscience the three Children chose rather to burn in the Furnace than to bow to the Image One said He would rather go to Hell free from sin than to live in Heaven with guilt on his Conscience My brethren let me a little enlarge because sufferings may overtake us for Persecution is the genius of the Gospel therefore let me leave for short Rules with you concerning sufferings See that your Cause be good your Call be clear your Spirit meek and your End right Sufferings cannot bring our peace without either of them but with them all our sufferings shall be peace First Let your Cause be good It s not the Bloud but the Cause that makes a Martyr it is not for every cause a Christian should engage to suffer every cause will no more bear suffering than every little stream will bear a ship nor will Christ let go sweetness to every suffering 1 Pet. 4.15 Let none of you suffer as a Murderer or as a Thief or as an Evil-doer or as a Busie-body in other mens matters To suffer thus is neither Christian-like nor comfortable some suffer rather as Malefactors than as Christs Martyrs Secondly Let your Call be clear It 's not amiss to have a good cause without a Call some may suffer for the cause of God and yet sin in suffering for want of a Call Christ calls not all to suffer to some it is given to others it is not if thy Call be clear thy Peace will be sweet though thy sufferings be never so great But you will say how shall I know when I am called to suffer Answ 1. When Truth suffers by our silence then are we called to suffer 2. When our lives will be the denial of Christ then are we called to deny our lives for Christ 3. When sin and suffering surrounds us that we cannot get out but we must either run through sin or suffering then I may safely conclude That Christ calleth me to suffer and in this cause we may expect the peace and sweetness of his presence Thirdly The third direction for suffering is this Our spirit must be meek so was Christ he went as a Lamb to the slaughter It is possible a man may be right in his cause and yet sinful in his carriage and if so no wonder if Christ be not sweet to us To be fierce and raging and reviling in suffering it is not becoming humanity and therefore much less like Christianity A Christian should be like Christ Act. 5.41 And they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name .. It becomes those that are found in the spirit to give blessing for cursing the more of Christs spirit is in our sufferings the more comfort and joy we shall receive from our sufferings Fourthly See that your End in suffering be right If it be self or singularity or schism then Christ cannot be sweet to thee Some have died that their Ends may live Socrates died in the defence of the Truth and to prove that there is but one God but whether he died for Honour Applause or for Gods sake I think it is not hard to determine But let thy Cause be good thy Call clear thy Spirit meek and thy End right and then you shall have peace in all your sufferings that is the fifth thing Choose sufferings rather than sinning Sixthly If you would have peace be much in studying the Scriptures for as God is the God of Peace and Christ the Prince of Peace so the Gospel is the Gospel of Peace which God hath given to thee to lead thee in the ways of peace Great peace have they that love thy Laws Seventhly Take heed of Apostacy either in Doctrine or Principles Though a Believer is freed from Apostacy in the state of grace yet he is not freed from Apostacy in the degrees of grace He may fall sinfully though he cannot fall finally Demas fell by one St. Peter by the other Pray with David Psal 17.5 Hold up my goings in thy paths that c. Eighthly Make the Word of God your rule in all things be sure you have a Scripture warrant for all your practises but especially keep close to Scripture in matters of Gods worship There are endless discourses about the Mode of Gods worship I have no disputing time It is good in difficult cases always to take the surest side for instance if I follow the traditions of man for the worship of God I may but if I keep close to the directions of God in the Scripture I am sure I cannot sin for this is the sure word of Prophecy to which you do well to take heed therefore in such a doubltful case Gods will is that we take the surest side go to the Law and to the Testimony labour to be fruitful and grounded Christians Ninthly Keep up the power of Godliness do not let Religion down into a lifeless formality The righteous shall flourish like a Palm-tree He shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God Psal 92.12 13. My Brethren it is as much a duty in them that have grace to improve it as for them that have no grace to get it If you sit under the daily means the daily waterings of God and do not grow do you think this will be peace in the latter end surely no my Brethren your fruitfulness under the Gospel is of very great concernment It 's unfruitfulness that makes God lay his Vineyard waste It 's fruitfulness that procures the forwarding of your account in the day of grace Tenthly Observe that excellent rule of the Apostle Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there any praise think on these things And now my Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of God that is infinitely able to make you wise to salvation with this Benediction which I shall make my Valediction Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Mr. Calamy's Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Ash Isaiah 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are
Ministry hath done more it hath taken the stone out of mans heart and hath given them new hearts it hath made all the Commandements of God easie to maâ—p a poor soul because it loves its Father its Redeemer and Comfoâ—ter There is a kind of obedience in a godly faithful Minister and if this will not do nothing will as in Luke 16.31 3. Is not the cause of the non-proficiency of such a people under such a Ministry in themselves Oh men do hinder the fruit of the Word in their own souls the powerful operation and working of the Word on their own souls The Lord prophesies that sentence on the Jews Mat. 13.14 â—e lays all the blame on themselves and assigns their own sins as the reason and cause of it as in Verse 13. And thus our blessed Savior expounds the Parable of the Sower shewing how many that hear the Word are never the better for it and he layeth the blame on themselves as in Luke 8.14 What then hast thou not profited under the Ministry of the Lords faithful Servant Oh lay the blame on thy self 4. Consider Hath not the Lord himself a hand in the proficiency or non-proficiency under such a Mâ—nistry Surely the Lord hath a chief hand in making the Ministry of his Servants fruitful or not fruitful to them that enjoy it Now to enjoy and not to enjoy is it not a fearful sign that you are not of God as John 8.47 Is it not a sign that thou are not of Gods elect at least of Regeneration But you will say Did not the Jews hear Gods Word Yes they did with their bodily ears but they heard it not with saith submission and fruitfulness and therefore our blessed Savior tells them they were not of God that is they were at least in an unregenerate if not in a reprobate condition And so Joh. 10.26 Ye are those Goats saith Christ that must stand at my left hand in that great day and then Unbelievers shall reflect on themselves not on Christs Ministry by the mouths of his Servants But if any should say What then will you say that all of us are Reprobates that are not wrought on by your Ministry I say not so for that seed which hath been sowen on you may â—o your souls good hereafter though it hath done them little or no gooâ— as yet But secondly that I may boldly say That if any of you dye in your present state unconverted unregenerate you will carry with you to your grave as fearful marks of reprobation as we can finde any in the whole Book of God John Baptist compares the Ministry oâ— the Gospel to a Fan in Mat. 3.12 When the Lord Jesus maketh use of the Ministry of his faithful Servants among the people when he maketh use of those Fans it will appear who among them are Wheat and shall be gathered into the Lords Garner and who among them are Chaff and shall be cast into fire And now whether the present state that you have lived under and are not yet wrought upon by a faithful Ministry be not very dangerous judge ye And so much may suffice for the Doctrinal part If so be then That a Ministers soundness in Doctrine and holiness of sife and conversation doth lay a great Obligation on a people conscienciously and duly to practice every commanded duty Then first of all the first Use we shall make of this Doctrine shall be by way of Tryal and Examination and that in two particulars First Whether you in this Parish in this place you here before the Lord 1. Branch of the Vse of Tryal do make conscience of the due practice of every commanded duty Secondly Whether the Ministry you have enjoyed and lived undeâ— doth not lay a great Obligation on you so to do For the first of these Whether you here before the Lord do make conscience of the due practice of every commanded duty in obedience to Almighty God you may try your selves by these three excellent Ingredients First Vniversality Canst thou in the witness of thy conscience say that through grace thou dost every as well as any part of the Lords revealed Will so far as thou knowest it 2. Vniformity Dost thou do all without prejudice or partiality 3. Vbiquity Art thou the same at home as abroad in thy Closet as well as in the Congregation and dost thou mind inward and secret as well as open and outward holiness What saith Conscience to this As first Have commanded Duties a Throne in your own Souls and Conscience Secondly Have they a Throne in thy Family First Have commanded Duties a Throne in your own souls and consciences Are your hearts fully possest with the power of those divine and heavenly Truths which you have often heard which hath been again and again inculcated upon you as it was upon the Thessalonians 1 Thes 1.5 their carnal principles were confuted their passions moderated their Iusts mortified their self-ends confounded are yours so Have commanded Duties a Throne in your souls and consciences Oh that all your consciences could give a satisfying answer to this Query Secondly Have commanded Duties a Throne in your Families Do you make conscience of Family-duties Are your houses Bethels that is houses of God house◠〈◊〉 Prayer Are your habitations of holiness and righteousness Do you make conscience of relative as well as of personal duties Oh that all your consciences could give a satisfying answer to this Query 2. Branch of the Vse of Tryal But now the second Branch of this Use of Tryal and Examination is this Whether the Ministry you have enjoyed and lived under doth not lay a very great Obligation on you to put in execution every commanded Duty as Rom. 10.6 7 8. that is the Word of Faith we preach read that place And may not we take up that with some variation and say You have heard of the disease the misery and remedy When the great God shall arraign thee at the great and fearful Day and shall say thus Thou rebellious Wretch why didst thou not forsake thy evil ways thy drunkenness thy tipling thy covetousness thy snuffling at Purity thy inveterate heart and spirit against my holy ways and Ministers why didst thou not forsake thy evil ways wilt thou be able to say Lord I lived under 1. A soul-betraying non-resident Minister one that made it his business to fleece indeed not to feed the flock Or 2. under a soul-poysoning Innovator Or 3. under a soul-pining dry Nurse Or 4. under a soulguiding Guide Or 5. under a soul-unsetling Temporizer Or 6. under a soul-destroying Discountenancer 1. Canst thou say that thou livest under a soul-betraying non-resident Minister one that made it his business to fleece and not to feed the flock one that looked after the wooll and fat of the flock the fleece but never minded the flock but non-residency hath been hitherto decryed as that as breeds a Minister idle and erroneous or licentious but wilt thou
City c. i.e. I will betake my self to all publick Ordinances and shew more zeal and life in my duties and in these I will make enquiry Thirdly I asked the Watchmen the Ministers of the Gospel which are or should be as faithful watchmen that watch for our Souls and be able to speak a word in season c. So nothing will satisfie the Soul that truly loves Christ without him and no means shall be negected till she enjoy him Secondly Why must he be thus beloved First Because he is lovely altogether lovely First Lovely in his Life observing all the will of God there was a wonderful beauty upon him if we behold and can understand that hidden glory of an untainted Holiness and exact conformity to the will of God Secondly Lovely in his Death never more lovely and amiable to the believing sinner than when he was most despicable in the eyes of rebellious sinners O then he appears most beautiful and desirable when he hangs on the Cross there making our Peace procuring our pardon obtaning life and glory for us by that shameful death Thirdly Lovely in all his Graces each Grace a matchless Jewel Rocks of Diamonds Mountains of Pearl not worthy to be mentioned with the least of his excellencies If he put a little of this Grace upon any Soul though he be never so vile cloathed with corruption as in Ezek. 16. from the 9 to the 16 Verse Yet he may be made beautiful by his comeliness Fourthly Lovely in all his Ordinances in which the more immediate sight the Soul hath of him the more he is taken with his Beauty No wonder he is called in Hag. 2.7 The desire of all Nations Secondly Because of his deserving love We love him because he first loved us Consider in his love these four particulars First He laid down his life for us such a love will deserve love and life too John 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends Secondly He lives now in Heaven for us Heb. 7.25 He ever liveth to make intercession for us He is there minding our necessities agitating our affairs by his sitting there we have Liberty of coming thither his sitting there in glory we have our standing here in grace Thirdly he accounts that as done to himself that is done to them that are his Zach. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of his eye and Mat. 10.40 41 42. c. He that receiveth you receiveth me and so he said to Saul Acts 9.4 Why persecutest thou me when he was with commission from the High Priest dragging the poor Professors of Jesus Christ to the prison Fourthly He longs to have us with him John 17.24 Father I will that where I am there they may be also to behold my glory He is not satisfied with out their Company and is always imparting his most secret counsels to them John 15.16 Henceforth I call you not Servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Thirdly Because otherwise we shall not regard his words which is intimated in the Text If we love him we shall keep his words but if we love him not we will not keep his words It is want of Love to Christ that is the cause of the abounding of every sin for if we did love him we should keep his commands which is the second particular Secondly What it is to keep the words of Christ First There is a Natural and Mental keeping of the words of Christ and so we must keep them that is Remember his Words his Promises Counsels and Appointments The Memory is man's storehouse or cabinet that should be kept Sacred for the truths of Christ so the Disciples kept the word of Christ when they remembred his sayings and David Ps 119.93 I will never forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickened me i.e. I will keep thy precepts for what we forget we lose and what we remember we keep And thus as Friends take pleasure to look sometimes on the love-tokens of their absent friends So may we have singular comfort and refreshment to see the heart of Christ in the counsels promises and appointments left with us Secondly There is an Evangilical and Practical keeping of the words of Christ When we do believe promises and obey commands Promises not believed and precepts not obeyed are as water spilt on the earth besides the Vessel that should receive it Heb. 4.2 but when they are believed they be as liquor put into the Vessel for its proper use Hence saith Christ Luke 11.28 Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it Then we keep the words of Christ when we believe his promises observe his precepts in all our conversation and walk by his appointments and institutions in all our duties Thirdly Why it is their Property and Duty that love Jesus Christ to keep his words First Because true love is comprehensive He that loves Christ truly loves also all that is his He that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten The nearer any thing is to Christ the better it is beloved and then we love the Word when we keep it as a special pledge of his love To have his Word and a heart to keep it is a double blessing and indeed such a gift is the Word of Christ as wordly to be loved for it self and kept for the Givers sake Secondly Because true love is Operative It is the principle of Gospel-obedience 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth us Where there is the disposition of a Son there will be obedience to the Fathers commands so where there is spiritual love to Christ it will set the Soul on work and quicken it to keep the words of Christ As is said of Faith Shew me thy Faith by thy Works So shew thy love to Christ by thy works as Faith without works is dead so is love without obedience Thirdly Because keeping the words of Christ gives the clearest and surest testimony of the truth of our love to Jesus Christ Probatio dilectionis est exhibitio operis Obedience is the most lively testification of love as Christ said to Peter Lovest thou me c. shew it in this in doing thy duty Feed my sheep So Christ tells us in the Text Where the fire of love is in the breast there the flames of duty and service is in the hand Joh. 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you In the 1 Joh. 5.3 In this is the love of God that we keep his Commandements Vse 1. For Exhortation First To a mental keeping of the words of Christ according to that word Heb. 2.1 We ought therefore to give the more diligent heed to the things which we have received lest at any time we let them slip And that we
while they are in the World they are as Heirs in their minority they have not yet the possession of their inheritances but it is theirs and they shall have it in reversion but hereafter when they shall leave this earthly Tabernacle then they shall have the possession of it Every true and sincere Believer he is an Heir to a Crown even a Crown of glory that fadeth not away Their lines are fallen to them in a pleasant place they have a goodly Heritage the Lord is the portion of their Inheritance Psal 16.5 6. It is the hope of this Inheritance of theirs that carrieth on the souls of the Saints in the whole course of their lives and maketh them joyfully and willingly to wade through all their troubles and difficulties that they meet with in their way to Heaven It is the consideration of this their portion and inheritance which they are entailed to by having God for their Father that makes them forget the things that are behind and press forward towards the mark for the price of the high calling which is in Jesus Christ it is their acting faith upon this and having an eye to the recompence of reward that makes them run with patience the race that is set before them as knowing that when they have finished their course they shall receive a Crown of Life which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give them at that day Here the godly have the earnest of their inheritance which is the Spirit of God Eph. 1.14 After that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possâ—ssion unto the praise of his Glory Here Believers have the promise of their inheritance The Word of God is a Believers Patent for his inheritance in which God doth as it were by promise make over Heaven and Happiness and Glory to true Believers to be enjoyed by them for ever in the Life to come but hereafter then they shall have the fruition and possession of it Would you know what a glorious Inheritance this is that the children of God by believing are entitled to 1 Pet. 1.4 It is an Inheritance uncorruptible undefiled which fadeth not away They are Heirs to a Crown of Glory the are heirs of God and coheirs with Jesus Christ which is the Heir of all things believe it Friends it is such a glorious inheritance that the Children of God are entitled unto that all the Inheritances and Poffessions in the world are but a trifle in comparison of it to set out the beauty and excellency of the Saints inheritance is a task fitter for some Angel than for a mortal Creature For eye hath not seen neither hath ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man to conceive what the Lord hath laid up for them that fear him Isa 64.4 Thus you see what abundant cause of comfort Believers have upon this consideration that God is their Father and that they are his children in every condition of their lives in every trouble either outward or inward howsoever it be with a regenerate Christian one that is a true child of God he hath cause to take comfort in this First Is a Believer in want here in the World is he in distress and driven to streights not knowing what course to take for the supplying of his natural wantâ— as Gods people are driven to such conditions sometimes he can go to God as unto a Father and make his wants and necessities known to him he both can and will finde out some way or other for a supply for you He that hath promised so large a portion hereafter in Heaven will not deny so much of this World as is necessary for you in your way to Heaven Your Father knows what good things you have need of Mat. 6.8 God which is the Believers Father knows what things they need and he is ready to hear them and knoweth how to help them Secondly Is a Believer in danger is he inviron'd about with his Enemies on every side and compassed about with those that seek his hurt Oh! what comfort is this that he can go to God as unto a Father for help even to him that is Almighty and able in a moment to defend them from their most powerful and politick adversaries is a godly man in danger and hath he Enemies that do wrongfully seek his life as David had Psal 31.13 yet he may have the same confidence that David had in that condition and say as he said in the follownig Verse Yet I trust in thee Oh Lord I said thou art my God my times are in thy hand deliver me from the hand of mine Enemies and from them that persecute me Thirdly Doth a Believer finde his corruption within to rebel against the regenerate part Doth he finde the Law in his Members which is warring against the Law of his minde to lead him into captivity to the Law of sin and death Doth he finde his sins to be very strong within him and that they begin to draw him away from God Oh! what comfort is this to a Child of God in this condition that he can go and complain then to his heavenly Father and be consident that this Father will hear him and hâ—â—◠〈◊〉 and make him more than a Conqueror over all the Enemies of his 〈◊〉 Fourthly Art thou that art a believer in doubt and knowest not what course to take go to thy heavenly Father for direction he is the infinitely wise God and he will be sure to direct thee for the best Fifthly Art thou slandered reviled and reproached in the world and made the common scorn and derision of the Ungodly go to thy Father thy heavenly Father and complain to him he will certainly clear up thine innocency as the light at noon-day and wipe off all the reproaches that are wrongfully cast upon thee Sixthly Art thou that art a Believer wronged by men and knowest not how to right thy self go to thy Heavenly Father he will certainly set all things right one day neither is it all the power and policy of thine adversaries nor their riches nor any thing that shall be able to pervert him and hinder him from redressing thy wrongs and from doing thee right Seventhly and lastly Dost thou finde thyself to be in a state of languishing thou that art a Believer for to such I am speaking all this while Dost thou finde thy natural strength to decay and thy sickness to encrease and thy pains to grow upon thee putting thee in minde that thy body must be shortly laid in the grave telling thee that thou mayest expect with in a few days or hours to lay down thy earthly Tabernacle and to encounter with the pangs of death Oh happy soul then that canst make thy approaches to God as unto a Father and breath out thy soul into the bosome of thy Heavenly Father and say as Christ did when he was on
and by our lively trust through the Covenant of Grace on our part let there be such a unity between Christ and us that all the powers of Hell may not be able to separate us from thee speak peace to our hearts still our consciences say I have received a sacrifice for you I shall befriend you I will be just and faithful to forgive your sins my Law is sully fulfilled by another though broken by you my Justice is fully satisfied by another though provoked by you my wrath is ceased by the means of another though incensed by you Oh Lord what a cordial would this be canst not thou amongst this great multitude of people espy some that through the Spirit of thy Son would worship thee in thine own way speak peace to every such soul Is there any soul before thee O Lord to whom thou hast given the grace of desire O lord give them grace according to their desire and thou which didst regard us when we were running from thee do not reject us now we are drawing near thee And thou which bidst us believe by the command of thy Word help us to believe by the operation of thy Spirit draw us that we may be able to follow thee thy loving kindness is better than life Some do say Who will shew us any good But Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and thou wilt glad our hearts more than in the time when Corn or wine or Oil increaseth Let it be fair above head when it is dirty below let us see one contrary in another let us confute an eye of sense with an eye of faith and when we come to see nothing here that can gratifie our senses let us have something to quiet our souls We would fain be at war with sin that we may be at peace with thee though we cannot return as much as we have received yet help us to return as much as we can give us repentance unto life epentance from dead works a mourning fat greater for the remembrance of sin than we have pleasure in the committing of sin those secret distempers in our souls that no eye sees but thine let us cry out Wretched men that we are who should deliver us from this body of sin And as the fear of condemnation doth decrease so set the fear of transgression increase And because O Lord thou hast not made us to bleed with thy greatness O Lord make us to blush with thy goodness let us as truely desire that Heaven would enter into us into a way of holiness here as we desire to enter into Heaven in the way of happiness hereafter Let us see that our kindness to sin is cruelty to our Saviour let net that live quietly one minuite with us that would not let Christ live let us see there is nothing small by which the great God is offended and an immortal soul is damned We are to be in the world but for a while to take a turn or two and be gone Oh that we might make it the business of our life to get into Christ though it be the scorn of men and burdensome to nature yet this is that which will bring us peace at last Let us be what we profess our selves to be let us love Christ and evangelically keep his commandements let us live by faith let us keep thy Commandements let us be above the world in the world above the love of life and above the fear of death let not the smiles of the world allure us nor the frowns thereof affright us from thee but in all these things let us be more than conquerers through Jesus Christ Let us love him much whom we cannot love too much Help us to be above the power of Hell let us ever say My soul it is good for me to draw nigh to God Let us be willing rather to be faved with a few than go to Hell in a crowd let us live as if Eternity were long and life but short let us thrive in holiness and be brought neerer to thy self by every dispensation let us in this our day know the things that concern our peace before they be hid from our eyes and know the time of our visitation and though God suffer long he will strike at last O Lord bow the heavens and come down among us at this time and be with the unworthiest of thy servants and give unto him a door of utterance and to thin great people a door of entrance and let them be all taught of God and let them truly find that the great God is teaching to the heart when that a weak worm is speaking to the ear let all the work be done by theo and let all he praise redound unto thee and let him that is with us be greater than he that is in the world behold us in the Son of thy love smell aswee savor of rest on these our poor prayers speak peace to our consciences rebuke the tempter tread him under our feet shortly raise us up to newness of life let us remember when that which is perfect is rome that which is imperfect shall be done away Hear us and help us through our dear Redeemer let us live for him here and with him hereafter and all for his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory to whom with thee and thy Sprit be Glory and Honour now an for ever Amen Mr. Cradocott's Prayer at St. Sepulchres MOst glorious and most gracious Lord God who art God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hast put thine own Name and stamp upon this Day wilt thou be pleased to appear now and prepare and dispose our unprepared and indisposed souls for holy Observation of this thine holy day Will the Lord vouchsafe us the incomes of his spirit and influences of his Grace whereby we may be inabled to offer up spiritual Sacrifice which may be acceptable to Jesus Christ Lord thou requirest praying hearts but thou hast not commanded us to use Prayer-books and if thou wilt give us the Spirit of Prayer we shall not need them Lord give us praying hearts at this time let us find by experience that the Sabbath is a day of Souls opportunity that thine Ordinances are full of marrow that thou hast not said unto thy Children the seed of Jacob seek my face in vain VVe acknowledge we are unworthy to lift up our eyes to heaven we have cause enough to cry out God be merciful to us sinners undeserving ill-deserving men and women we acknowledge our natures are blots of all wickednesses we are by nature enemies to thy Majesty heirs of death children of darkness slaves to sin captives to lust dead to sins and trespasses how are our understandings darkned and our hearts-hardened what are our hearts but a store house of malicious thoughts a brothel house of adultery a palace of pride we are by nature
by the light of the Candle slighted thy Manna so long Oh now therefore to day give us to hear and know and believe and do the things that concern our everlasting peace Hear us for Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be glory now and for ever The Prayer of Mr. Caryl at Magnes Bridge foot OH our Father what a priviledge is this that we may draw near to thee all our springs are in thee the Creature is but a dry heap a barren wilderness 't is but a Cistern and a broken Cistern It hath no water of its own nor can it hold that which is poured into it Oh that our hearts were taken off and dis-engaged from all things on this side thy self that we could say with thy Servant Whom have we in heaven but thee and on earth there is none that we desire in comparison of thee Then though our flesh and hearts fail us yet God would be our portion for ever VVe pray thee manifest thy Grace to us at all time and especially at this time that we may come before God in this publick worship as we should Let us see thy goings out in thy Sanctury and let us be satisfied with the fatness of thy house and drink of those pleasures that are for evermore Lord we have given thee cause to withdraw from us for we have not laboured to be fruitful under means and therefore thou in judgement mightest make them hereafter to be fruitless unto us and because we have taken no pains to get good by them thou mightest justly say they shall do you no good VVe have heard much of thee but we know thee but little we acknowledge thou mightest judge us because we know so little and thou mightest punish us because we do so little of what we know according as that faithless Servant was punished which knew his Masters will â—nd did it not Oh where be those manifestations of God that we have had Have we had not the light of the knowledge of God shining to us in the face of Jesus Christ But we have not rejoyced in this light but have compassed our selves about with sparks of our own kindling and therefore it is just we should down in sorrow and yet thou lengthenest out thy patience to us and yet we have one opportunity more to come unto thee Oh we pray thee let us understand the things belonging to our peace before they be hid from our eyes let our souls be bound in the bundle of life with Christ Jesus We pray thee that that Spirit of thine may strengthen us that the Spirit may guide us and lead us into all truth leave us not to our own strength nor to our own councel but shew us the secrets of thy Word and Works Thou hast promised Thy secret shall be with them that fear thee and thou wilt shew them thy cevenant And as thou dost give us thy Sabbaths so give us to thrive by them and help us to grow as the Herb and sent forth our fruit as Lebanon Let thy Word come with power one every one of us that it may not be as the beating of the air but let it fit us for Duty that we may honor our God in the midst of these changes until we come to that place where there is no change and all for the sake of our dear Lord Jesus to whom with Thee and the blessed Spirit be Glory and Honour now and for ever Mr. Venning's Prayer at Olaves before Sermon OH Lord God thou art the Fountain of Life yea thou givest to all Life It is necessity draws us now unto thee and we acknowledge it is a very great favour that thou wilt admit us to come into thy presence Indeed the services we do are not worthy thy acceptance thou gettest nothing by them but the gain of godliness is to our selves But wo unto us what a loss and what a curse will â—t be to us to haâ—e a form of Godliness and yet be ungodly Oh Lord how should this indear thee and thy word and thy service that thou wouldst have us do good for our own sakes thou turnest our obedience into priviledges thou hast made the means of our happiness a part of it If there were no other glory but to glorifie thee oh what a glory would it be to be found doing thy will there is a sweetness to be found in it more than in the Honey or in the Honey comes It is a great happiness to be conformable to God to be loving to God to be like to God is the greatest happiness that we can be capable of if we were now in heaven we could not have other happiness but this in a greater degree O Lord how should our souls be drawn forth to acknowledge thee may we not cry out in admiration Lord what is man and among the sons of men what are we that thou art so mindful of us Thou mightest have displayed thy VVord to many thousands in the world and we left ignorant But blessed be thy Name thou art pleased to admit eâ—en us also thereunto Oh let it not be a small thing unto us seeing we may yet live to serve God Oh Lord in Christ it will be worth our while to live and in him 't will be worth our while to die Oh that we may mind the end of living and the end of dying that whether we live or die we may be the Lords Indeed it were not worth our while to live and spend so much time in the world if it were only to have pleasure and honour and gratifie our selves to eat and drink and to be merry this is not worth our while What would it be O Lord to die in our sin and be eased of the miseries of this world and be sent to the place of torment But seeing thou hast provided for our living and our dying well give us to improve these means and that we may live and dye well let not our affections though our bodies be upon the earth though we converse with flesh yet let not our conversation be after the flesh but let us be like them which have sent their hearts up to heaven and do but tarry here to finish their Masters business and then we shall go where our hearts are and where our dear Lord Jesus Christ is Indeed Lord we have cause to complain of our hearts how we minde this world as it never would have an end and the world to come as if it would never have any beginning as if we had no souls to mind or had no mind to look to our souls We live as if all those glorious Reports thou hast made were but as a tale that is told we have cause to be ashamed that we have the means and the names of Christians and have not lived answerable to the discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ Indeed we have cause to bear our shame yet how few of us know what
it is to be ashamed to sigh over our sins and groan over our iniquities I how few out of tenderness do mouru for sin but as if it were indifferent to us whether we have our sins purdoned or the grace that we beg to be granted and if we do beg to be pardoned where are the souls that desire to be purged If thou shouldst let us have our wills Oh then we should think thou wert a good God whereas it is thy great Love that thou dost deny us our wills we poor wretche we are up and down as the things of this world do come into us and go from us if God give us great things then we think our selves in Paradise and if God take from us then we fall out with God himself Oh! how ill do we take it at thy hands if thou dost not give us what we would or take from us what we would The doctrine of self-denial is a meer riddle to us we would fain spend the strength of our youth in following the lust of the eye and gratifie our sensual affections and when we come to die it may be we would have a Lord have mercy upon us in our mouths and think it strange if God should not give us what we ask O Lord convince us now that we may be willing to be crucified to the world and to die to sin Lord we may flatter with our selves but our hearts do but abuse us while we think there is such contentment in the enjoying of this world what is this when we come to die Alas if we were not besotted content is sooner gained by self-denial than by pleasing our selves Can we think we shall be at ease till we come to God Is it like to be well with us while our wayes are contrary to the wayes of God are not thy waies the waies of peace Oh! how can we be at rest when our waies are contrary to thine Oh! un-lust us we had better part from our idols here that that they should part us from God hereafter Lord if there were no other hell this is damnation to be a sinne for this is the nature of sin to separate us from God Oh help us to account the reproaches of Christ better than the honors of the Cross of Christ better than the Crown of the world O shew us the sinfulness of sin and the emptiness of the world that we may take thy Counsel and mind thy Glory and be ruled by thy Will Oh how happy would it be with us if our souls were brought into such a frame We are Lord as yet great strangers to the life of God Oh! let us know what it is to live with thee and to thee and with thee that we may say For us to live in Christ and to die is gain and that we may say Whom have we in Heaven but thee O Lord We depend upon thee let thy goodness be seen do not put us off with the means of grace but give us grace it self And seeing thou art pleased to make use of such a poor thing as the preaching of the Gospel is and seeing this is the means to bring our souls to eternal life Oh let it be so to us that we may repent from sin and believe in the righteousness of the Gospel Oh Lord thou knowest all our frailties and all our necessities find out them that are dead in sins and quicken them find out the hard hearts and soften them find out the proud hearts and humble them find out the formalists and bring them to the power of godliness and pour in wine and oyl into the wounds of the wounded in spirit and let the administration of the Gospel be in the demonstration of the Spirit that as the truth is delivered to us we may be delivered to the truth that while we touch the hem of thy garment Vertue may come out from thee Thou hast said that mercy pleaseth thee we are sure it will pleasure us Oh let us not loose our time but do thou teach us to profit and supply our wants for the sake of our dear Lord to whom with Thee and thy Spirit be given more Glory from now unto eternity Nr. G. N. his Prayer TO thee O Lord Jesus we commend our selves To thee who judgeth rightly thy poor Servant resigneth and commiteth this Congregation The Lord pardon unto me wherein I have been wanting unto them The Lord pardon unto them wherein they have been wanting in the hearing of thy Word that we may not part with sin in our hearts Unto thee who judgest uprightly I commend them The Bishop of Souls take care of them Preserve them from the love of the World teach them to wait on thee and to receive from thee whatevor any one or Family may stand in need of Provide them a Pastor according unto thine own will only in the mean time give us that Anointing shall lead us out of our own wells and waies that we may walk in the waies of Christ Jesus The Lord Jesus say now amongst them I am your Shepheard you shall not want Say to them as thou didst to thy Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled you beleeve in the Father beleeve also in me So far as we are able we put thy Name upon them we name the Name of the Lord Jesus over them The Lord Jesus bless them teach them to follow Holiness Peace and a Heavenly Conversation The Lord make them usefull to each other The Lord Jesus be a blessing to them and me and all ours The God of Peace and Consolation fill them with blessings according as thou seest every one stand in need of To thee O Lord we commend then do thou receive them that under thy counsel they may be preserved blameless until the day Jesus where we may all meet crowned with Glory Amen FINIS Mr. GEORGE THORNE of Weymouth HIS FAREWEL-SERMON PSAL. 37.34 Wait on the Lord and keep his Way NOt knowing whether ever I shal speak to you more from this place being willing to leave a word in season I shall recommend to you what in answer to prayer I have recived of the Lord for the directing me in my course in this gloomy dark day being well assured that as many of us as work by this rule and fall by this compass how ever we may be scatered by the tewpestuous storms we meet with here in the Sea of this World shall shortly arrive at and meet in our desired Port the Haven of Eternal Rest and Happiness What therefore the Lord hath said to me and that with a strong hand that say I unto you in the Name of the Lord Wait on the Lord and keep his VVay The scope of this Psalm is to direct the People of God and to encourage them to keep on in the course of Godliness at such times as when the Wicked prosper flourish and grow great and the godly are afflicted trouble persecuted and oppressed And there are two