guilty yet notwithstanding amidst the many divided tongues there are found some united hands to slay him Indeed the Atheists scoffe at this saying shall we begin our Religion at a Babe in the manger or believe in him whose poverty was so great that to pay tribute for his allegiance was fain to be obliged to a Fish for money whose penury necessitated him to beg for a living who was hungry and thirsty and sleepy and sorrowful yea so despicably mean and contemptible that his own kindred was ready to lay hands on him as one out of his wits and he complained for want of lodging esteeming himself more despicable than the foxes of the earth or the fowles in the air this was the esteem or very little better which the world had of him of whom they were altogether unworthy not considering why he so came for he came to be thus mean that we might become honourable therefore did he come to be killed by sinners that sinners might live in his death to die for them that they might die to sin and though they now crucifie afresh the Son of God by their iniquities yet a time will come when they will be glad of the saving virtue of one drop of that bloud which they now disgrace To apply this If the Son of God came in such humility as to humble himself to come into the world to die for us why should we disdain to do our friends good though never so mean even to the degree of a servant seeing that when the Son of God came to redeem us he did it in the form of a servant Again why should we think our selves too good to serve our brethren since Christ disdained not to wash his Disciples feet shewing himself in nothing so much as in humility And what doth this teach us but to lay a foundation for greater glory that we beginning in humility here may be raised to glory hereafter for he that is low shall be exalted and in his humility is a follower of him that came to the place of his reception in the lowest form which brings me to the third particular namely The place of his entertainment the World And it is taken two wayes 1. Either for the frame of this vast Globe 2. Or for the Inhabitants thereof But I understand it here for the fabrick of this vast earth which is too mean and altogether unworthy to entertain him nay it is not of capacity to do it for how should this great house hold his glorious Majesty when the Heaven of Heavens is not able to contain him It was humility for him to come into this world and yet he came to the world to shew his humility for the Word was made flesh St. John 1.14 and dwelt among us c. and he abhorred not the Virgins womb though a simple Lady I mean simple in respect of outward glory or worldly riches for so poor she was that at her Churching she was necessitated instead of a Lamb to offer a pair of young Pigeons and though he did seem to straiten himself at his conception because he had little room in the womb yet he was more straitened at his birth for there was no room for him in the Inne which shews the greatness of his love to us that our blessed Saviour will want room on earth rather than we shall want Mansions in heaven the blessed Virgin is driven to so great necessity that her chamber must be in the stable her bed no better than that of straw and the glorious Babe lodged in no other cradle but that of the manger Never was Glory in so homely a place before God at first brought forth man like a King and placed him in Paradise to rule over the Beasts but God is brought forth man in the place of beasts See then vile man who it is whom thou hast neglected in Heaven by sinning on earth the Lord of Men and Angels is now made the companion of Beasts because thou hast made thy self like the beasts that perish how canst thou not admire at the low condescention of thy Saviour that he should so come into the world and be born of such mean parents and in so base a place as is a stable and that which is worse to be laid in a manger also O the heighth and depth of the love of the Son of God! Who would not fall into admiration to see God in a manger God is in his holy Temple what shall he descend Yea we believe him when he said he would do so and now that he hath so done who can forbear loving of him view him in the manger and there you see him become food for beasts for men who are transformed by beastly lusts and yet he will be found in the Temple also that so he may gather both great and small he is meat for strong men yea and he will be milk to the little ones also and unless every one of us become as little ones St. Matt. 18.3 we shall in no wise enter into the Kingdome of Heaven he was born that he might have us born again he was wrapt in swadling-cloths to teach us that we should not despise men how mean soever in appearance and in a stable to shew his communicableness to all persons he was laid in a manger not for food to the beasts but for bread to men Indeed as he is God he gives fodder to the cattle of the earth and the fowles in the air for he feeds the young Ravens but it is only unto men that he gives himself as bread and in a mystery was he found in a stable to shew us that as men became beasts by their fall so he was found among the beasts that he might be food for all and that beastly man might find and tast the bread of life he will also become bread that so we may indeed eat his flesh and drink his bloud St. John 6.55 Therefore since Christ came in such elements hence learn Use That none but clean beasts must eat of such food and none but such truly can do it those that consider not what is really the body and bloud of Christ eat not bread and drink not wine 1 Cor. 11.29 but eat and drink their own condemnation but they that by a true and lively faith do eat and drink the body and bloud of Christ spiritually in the blessed Eucharist do truly fulfil the great end of his coming into the world for thus he came and was born that we might reap the benefit of his life and death and he came so meanely that his poverty might enrich us so lowly that his humility might strengthen us and though we disdainfully neglected the means of our salvation yet he took care of us before all time and manifested his love in coming to us in the fulness of time Ttherfore to wind up all Praise thou the Lord O my soul Ps 103.1 2 3 4 c.
of uncleanness oh that thou wouldest sanctifie and beautifie them by thy glorious presence they cannot be happy or blessed one minute without thee yet shall be as thou art if thou comest but into them but alas we are many of us as the Bethlemites that would not entertain Christ in the inne for there was no room for them in the inne Which brings me to the 4 thing viz. the peoples inhospitality 4 There was no room for them in the Inne What was the suddenness of the journey any cause of the virgins speedy travail or her sudden travail rather a cause of the Bethlehemites uncharitableness poor virgin and yet happy mother of so blest a babe she comes too late to be lodged in the Inne that came too soon to be entertained of her kindred but too late for the Inne and all the room was taken up before she came and therefore must be in the stable rather then an honest traveller will be burthensome the meanest room to his humility shall be great satisfaction indeed some had their delicates and fed onely for wantonness though she wants necessaries the Carpenter that had built many a house now wants a house wherein to rest himself and almost wearied traveller contentedly accepting the beasts for his companions rather then want a lodging just so the God of heaven and earth having left heaven was glad to shrowd himself in this clay of ours Ioseph came to his City and the Citizens received him not because they knew not that the Lord of glory was with him thus the Ox knows his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel did not know the Bethlemites did not consider Esay 1.3 Whom have you rejected you Bethlemites Will ye rather reject God in a stranger then entertain a stranger for Gods sake What do you throw God into a stable Know you not that out of you shall come the ruler of Israel Mich. 5.2 And are you so stupidly ignorant that now you will lose the accomplishment of that promise How unlike art thou to Bethlehem the house of Bread in regard thou neither affordest him house to harbour nor bread to succour him But alas woe unto us we censure thee O Bethlehem but if we had lived in thy dayes we should have been worse and now can expect nothing but that Bethlehem should rise up in Judgment against us for in this she is more righteous then we for Christ came but once to them and in humility but he comes often to us in power and we regard not How often doth he knock at the door of our hearts by his Word and by his Spirit yea and that untill his head be filled with dew and his locks with drops of the night but we will not entertain him O! if those rude heaps have had the dust of his feet shaken against them for their inhospitableness how shall these hard hearts of ours that will not receive him be ground to powder Matth. 21.24 when that great milstone shall fall upon us for our hardness and impenitency do not your hearts tremble to hear the sad doom I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye clothed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not therefore ye shall go into everlasting punishment S. Mat. 25.43 46. With what sadness of countenance shall we hear this woe denounced and that by Christ himself and certainly without repentance it will be our portion how then should we pray oh that our hearts were worthy the harbouring of so rare a guest With what diligence and care should we sweep our houses set open our doors and make us in a readiness when we heard of some earthly monarch that were coming to us and thus we should by repentance and holy devotion prepare our hearts that they may be meet Tabernacles for him and labour to get all those graces his Spirit confers on those that love him that so our Lord might not come before expected nor passe by uninvited but freely turn unto us and dwell by Faith in us that we may dwell in him by the same Spirit that Christ dwelling in us here we may dwell with him for ever hereafter In whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore A Funeral Sermon SERMON IV. 1 COR. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable THere is a time to be born and a time to die saith Solomon Eccles 3.2 And the day of a mans death is better then the day of a mans birth for he is born to misery and trouble as the sparks flie out of the fire but by death he is delivered out of the misery of this sinfull world to enjoy true blisse and happinesse therefore why should we hang down our heads like a bulrush and afflict our souls or rather why should we not were it not that we know that God will give us beauty for ashes Isa 61.3 and the spirit of joy for the garment of heaviness or give us the felicity of his chosen and make us rejoyce with the gladnesse of his people or with S. Paul 1 Cor. 15 32. Why should I fight with beasts at Ephesus or contend with unreasonable men Why should I subdue the beastly lusts of the flesh or overcome sinfull corruptions or rather not run to all excesse of riot were it not that after this life there is laid up a crown of glory 2 Tim. 4.8 which God will give to them that love and serve him Why should we arraign and judge our selves for to bring these dayes to an end were it not that upon this moment hangs eternity which we shall be possessed of when death shall be swallowed up of victory 1 Cor. 15.54 and mortality shall put on immortality or why should we account all things loss and dung for the excellency of Christ Phil. 3 8. but that besides the hundred-fold which we shall receive here below God will reckon us among his precious Jewels Why should we not embrace liberty and freedom rather then abide a furnace of trials were there not the Son of God to comfort us and a fiery Chariot whereby to escape the fire that never goeth out And who can dwell with everlasting burning or who can abide with devouring fire Isai 33.14 Why should we not be discouraged at the death of friends and with great despondency hang down our heads in discomfort when we see the lives of our relations are cut off and withall remember that we our selves must shortly turn to dust were we not assured that he who out of stones can raise up children unto Abraham Mat 3.9 will from among these stones raise us again and give us a crown of righteousness And set this crown aside well may the world think Christians the most miserable Take away the hope of a better life I say take away the hope we have in Christ of a
the meaning thereof yet now that he is sure it is the thing it self the mistaking or leaving out but of one circumstance may make the whole action sinful there being no excuse to be drawn for the same either from the goodness of his person now or the holiness of his former life that can make good or fill up what was wanting and defective in his actions Nor is David excusable in feigning himself mad before the people 1 Sam. 21.13 though he was a man after Gods own heart No much more is commendable the saying of old Eleazar when at the command of Antiochus all were to die that would not eat swines flesh and when he had eaten it or at least seemed to eat it for he spit it out again and repenting came of his own accord to the torment choosing to die gloriously rather than live stained with such an abomination therefore saith he excellently when perswaded by friends to bring flesh of his own and make as if he obeyed the King in eating the flesh taken from the Sacrifice It becomes not one of my years to dissemble for then any young person may think that I being fourscore years old and ten were now gone to a strange Religion and so they through my hypocrisie and desire to live a little time and a moment longer should be deceived by me and so I get a stain and make my old age abominable and though I should at present be delivered from men yet should I not escape the hand of the Almighty neither alive nor dead 2 Maccab. 6.19 20 21. When it once comes to this strait that we must either deny the truth or fall under the sword of persecution we are rather to die in or for the Faith then forsake it and as we may not for the saving of our lives doe that which is unlawfull much lesse must we free our goods from danger by similation or making a lie we must not similate good into evil nor truth into falshood by wicked words or works nor seeme to doe good when we intend nothing lesse because of the lye which will lie upon us and we shall be guilty of for so doing and withall because there is a lye in deed as well as in saying and neither is allowable in any man under what pretence soever though the doing thereof were to save his life For we must not doe evil that good may come thereof Rom. 3.8 4. Deniall of the truth and that either by subscribing against it or by doing that in our lives and actions which is directly opposite unto it for there is a double denial of truth 1. In Faith 2. In practice 1. In Faith for the love of pleasures 2. In Practice for fear of pain 1. In Faith Some have made shipwrack of faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 and the reason is given in 2 Tim. 3.4 why they so did it was because they were lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God And as they for love of worldly pleasure cast away truth of Faith So 2. Others for fear of pain have done it in fact having a forme of godliness but denying the power thereof c. 2 Tim. 3.5 And in words profess that they know God but in workes they deny him Titus 1.16 being reprobate to every good work c. But besides this denying of truth in faith and practice there is also a deniall of the truth in judgement and this admits of divers degrees 1. Apostasie when men fall from truth into sinfull errours 2 When they revile the truth by evil speeches Thus wicked men detect themselves to be enemies to that truth which with their tongues and hands they violently oppose 3. The sin also against the holy Ghost comes in under the notion of a sinfull Apostate and reviling judgement and that appears 1. In matter of Faith 2. In matter of Fact 1. In matter of Faith when men fall off from the truth of Faith first forsaking of it then denying and at last blaspheming the truths of God and continuing in that blasphemy this is to sinne against the holy Ghost in matter of Faith 2. In matter of Fact and that is when men doe those things which are utterly contrary to the revealed will of Almighty God and obstinately persist in the same this is to sinne in matter of Fact against the holy Ghost for every action that dishonours God and heartens others to doe the like is to deny the truths of God therefore it concernes every man to look to himself and make a curious examination by what hath been said in reference to his words and works that so he may not be found guilty of those errours and crimes which the workes and words of our Saviour eminently convince of for we are obliged though with the losse of our lives to bear witness to the truth for to this end were we born regenerate made Christians came into the world the Christian Chruch that we both in our words in our workes in our lives by our deaths if called thereunto should bear witness to the truth And so I have done with the act Bear witness To this end was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness to the truth Testis fidelis OR The faithful Witness SERMON VIII St. IOHN 18.37 To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witnesse unto the truth THe lives of most men are mispent it being onely they who have a certain end of their actions that shall attain to the right end for which those actions are designed namely the glory of God and their own salvation some there are that shoot at they know not what mark they direct themselves to an universal scope not minding or regarding the particular tendency of their doings hence it is that they arise not to perfection they continue in that evil which ends in discomfort some level at the right end but level amiss wanting prudence and discretion rightly to manage their actions so as may best direct to the true end of their creation It is only true Christian wisdome that shewes the right end and certainly finds out the way thereunto and a wise Christian amidst the many changes of this life continually presses to one end with reverence and respect still setting his resolution in all his wayes if possible to get near to the great centre who when he was summoned unto death and betrayed thereunto by his seeming friend yet stedfastly asserted the end of his life saying To this end was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness to the truth In which words I have already observed these particulars 1. An Action 2. An End 3. The Object 1. The Action he was born he came into the world 2. The End and that Pointed at Pointed out 1. Pointed at to this end and for this cause 2. Pointed out to
Christians by cruel usage and at last destroy them yea such hath been the lot of Gods Saints in all ages thus to be persecuted and destroyed for the Prophet Elijahs must be in danger the Ieremies in prison the Disciples lose their goods and the holy Confessors pay their tribute of allegiance to Almighty God with pain and the Martyrs with their lives and though these afflictions may seem terrible to Christians to suffer for the Truth yet the highest of them is no more than lawful and necessary if called thereunto for the pious hearts of true Christians have alwayes thus testified to the Truth witness Saint Paul What mean you to weep and break my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but to die at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus Acts 21.13 and Acts 20.24 He saith elsewhere Neither do I account my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy It is remarkable to consider the way which Almighty God took to support his Disciples and Servants in despight of the wisdom and malice of the Iews for the planting of his Church in Christianity that it will appear almost incredible to hear what were the afflictions of the Church how intolerable her sufferings that had they not had one to support them who was Almighty and All-sufficient it had been impossible they should have continued stedfast but they had not only the inward support of the Spirit to strengthen but the outward example of our Saviours Passion to incourage them unto a conformity to him both in doing and suffering and so nearly did the Saints copy out one anothers lives that their spirits were seemingly converted into one anothers bodies and one would have thought that the dying bloud of the one was infused into anothers veins for no sooner was one cut off by the hands of cruelty but God presently inspired another with faith and patience to witness to his Truth and the torturing of the body made but the mouth speak the louder in witnessing unto the Truth So that by what you have already heard you may see Christian Profession is no secure kind of living for he that believes in Christ must be no niggard of his life for the Truth when God cals to bring him home by death Indeed it is yet our happiness that in these cloudy dayes we are not brought to the fire and faggot for the tryal of our faith God only knows when and upon whom that heavy lot must fall and in what manner it will come this we are not able to demonstrate but by the luke-warmness of most mens zeal in the truth of Religion it is to be feared that when those dayes do come that many will turn from Christ rather than burn for the Truth because it appears that many untrained souls are so wedded to their lusts that they had rather lose their interest in Gods love then forgoe one darling sin many do so love the works of vanity that they have made shipwrack of faith and turned their eares unto fables and when you shall read or hear of these then may you imagine those locusts are come upon the earth spoken of by St. Iohn in the 9th of the Revelation 8 9. verses which had power to torture men and like Scorpions with their power able to sting them to death then beware lest you be led into the errors of the wicked 2 St. Pet. 3.17 but be you stablished in the known acknowledged and established Church of England which I dare be bold to say for doctrine and discipline is more purely true and truly pure from errors than any Christian Church or Congregation whatsoever and shall be ready to prove them so when occasion shall call me thereunto for the Truth of God will remain pure notwithstanding the malice of gain-sayers and therefore we should defend it with all our might for the Truth will spread it self though there be no other place but Pulpits to declare it in nor no other witnessing but by preaching nor no witnesses but Prophets but yet many in their lowest condition have yet highly exalted God by a faithful testimony to his Truth and though this life be encombred by sickness and infirmities yet this readiness to suffer shall be able to silence any gain-sayer when thou art not able to witness much because of thy weakness yet do as much as thou canst do your best and God will accept it though mean if from a willing mind for it will be nothing to suffer by martyrdome when we consider it is for so great a prize as is the Truth of God and will be to our souls if we continue stedfast therein for still in every age God will keep some defenders of the Truth and why may not we be the persons therefore should God call us to it and we refuse to suffer for the Truth it would be but a just judgement for God to take his Gospel from us and give it to a more faithful people for so the Apostles were commanded to serve the Iews Acts 13.46 the Truth of God in the House of God had dwelt among us for many years together in much serenity till of late years it hath been tossed upon the troubled waters therefore let us in our words and works witness to it lest he take it from us also and give it to others that will give it better entertainment than we have done Therefore let all of us make it our prayer unto Almighty God Oh Lord rather let our hearts witness to the Truth that thy Truth may witness unto us then by our not witnessing for thee we come to be destroyed by thee let thy Truth dwell with us here that we may dwell with thee hereafter Brethren let not your faith be shaken or moved by tribulations or any kind of sufferings whatsoever knowing this that after you have fought a good fight and kept the faith there shall be laid up for you and all other his faithful Servants a Crown of righteousness which the righteous Iudge shall give you at that day 2 Tim. 3.7 8. and to this end were we born and for this cause we all came to the Christian world the Church of God that we in our estates and callings lives and deaths should bear witness to the truth Testis fidelis OR The faithful Witness SERMON IX St. IOHN 18.37 To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness unto the truth THe pattern of all Presidents and the life of all that is good in man is the God in man the man in God the man Christ Jesus who in his birth was a pattern of humility in his life of innocence in his death of patience in all a pattern of holiness as it is the marrow of Religion to worship God in spirit and Truth and to serve him with truth in the inward man so the iniquity of a Christian consists in not doing what he did
breeds in them enmity both against the truth and the revealers thereof 3. Discredit rebuke the persons that commit such deeds as are offensive to Almighty God and presently they conclude their reputation is vanished for they think truth no sooner beholds then accuses their actions and which they account worst of all it condemnes them and their courses for truth hath the nature of light it will discover all the darknesse of our works and therefore doe men hate the light of truth because their deeds are evil for truth in the whole tenor of it cannot be otherwise then a revealer of evil for though no man can hate the truth as pleading for it self in the generall yet men doe envy it when particularly it shines upon them and lets them see themselves and because men would have a full swindge in their courses therefore doe they take offence at the truths of God when manifest to their faces but however it should not discourage any whether Minister or other from the discharge of their duty if we doe it in the discharge of a good conscience because the world frownes upon us for so doing knowing this for a truth that while we bear the ill will of men in witnessing for the truth yet we gain the good will of God What though flesh and blood shall say favour thy self and comply with wicked men for thy safety and bid thee change thy voice as often as the men of the world their principles and advise thee that this or that thing is true because the great ones will have it so doe not thou incline to any such perswasions for Solomon saith Better is a dinner of herbs where love is then a stalled Ox and hatred therewith Prov. 15.17 Which shewes that the enjoyment of Gods love in the depth of misery is more to be priced then the greatest plenty and the anger of God therewith But flesh and blood will perswade to the contrary as if truth had place but not at all times but our Saviour shewes it is farre otherwise for now being before Pilate he carries the same face he had when he was in the Temple Innocency is as meekly bold and faithfully confident when pleading at the barre as preaching in the Pulpit nor is it lesse ashamed of truth because pleading before men whose intentions are to condemne not to applaud it for the same our nakednesse and inability to secure us from their malice and cruelty should not at all frighten us from our duty in witnessing to the truth but rather incourage our whole man to be employed in so acceptable a service for we should bear witnesse to the truth in our understanding opinion practice and in our good workes for the testimony of the tongue without the hand is not sufficient profession of good workes is the whole work of a Christian and walking contrary to the truth is a deniall or casting a soul aspersion on the truth we should bear witnesse to the truth both in words and workes and it is certainly a great offence to be guilty of either but most offence when found tardy in both yet of the two it is the farre greater sinne to deny God in workes then in words and that will appear if you consider these following reasons 1. From the Object the greater it is that we sinne against the greater is the sinne we commit now to deny the truth is to sinne against God himselfe because he is the Author of truth therefore to work wickednesse against God must needs be most criminall the sinnes against the first Table being those which especially concern him for which cause Divines conclude him the greater sinner that is found guilty of the first then he that offends against the second Table onely because that by the one he is but guilty of impiety against men but in the other of wickednesse against God the one being of defect the other of excesse so that the Object which is offended in the first Table being the greater must needs make the sinne to be the more grievous 2. From the greater evidence he that denies the truth with his lips as Saint Peter did he evidently injures God and Christ but he that by a wicked life denies the truth and the God of truth not onely injures their natures himself but incourageth others also to doe the same by giving them an example of wickedness the difference as to men is onely this the one seemes openly to deny him in words the other with his works the one speaks and the other doth evil against him 3. The sinne is greater in regard of punishment inflicted for a farre greater punishment is imposed upon the swearer and blasphemer under the Law then upon him that offended man onely the denyall of God in the old Law was to suffer no other punishment then stoning to death and the civill Law amongst us doth command that offenders in this kinde should have their tongues cut out or bored thorow which it seemes was thought too gentle a punishment among the people of the Iewes And if evil tongues deserve this heavy doom what think you is the just desert of wicked hands and evil works so that still it remaines a truth that he that denies God and his truth by a wicked life is a farre greater sinner then he that doth it onely with his lips which will more fully appear if you consider but these four grounds of sinne in their severall causes and degrees 1. Consider the moving cause 2. The voluntarinesse 3. The perfection 4. The full signification of sin 1. From the moving cause of sinne the more forcible it is the more grievous it will be to us after the commission thereof for the seeming pleasures which move men to wicked lives end in no other then reall disquiet and let the moving cause of open denying the truth be what it will yet this is certain the lesse forcible it is from any extrinsecal cause the more guilt we contract by doing of it as for example the fear of death may sometimes make a man to deny the truth with his lips which in many respects will receive a more favourable construction then if with violence we should turn from professors in shew to reall persecutors of the truth 2. From the voluntariness thereof where there is no consent of the Will the sin is little but where there is full consent of the will there is very much of sin and sin is therefore sin because voluntary therefore he who denies the Truth only with his lips for fear of death doth sin lesse than he who with a wicked life sins with a full liberty of the will by a free consent and unconstrained thereunto by either tyranny or self-interest 3. From the perfection of all the parts of a man united in full strength to resist and persecute the Truth which very much differs from compulsion because in the one there is a full consent of perfect parts and in the other there
is but a lame consent yeilded by constraint for he that by a Tyrant is compelled with force of punishment to deny the Truth doth in a sort deny and not deny he denies it outwardly with his lips but his heart greives inwardly for the same because his conscience bears witness to the Truth but he that with a wicked life is given wholly to sin that he hath all his delights in it that man hath made himself perfect in evil 4. From the more full signification we do signifie more of wickedness to be in us by our works than by our words he sits at a farre greater denial of truth that denies it by a wicked life than he that denies it onely with his lips for fear of death though both these are great aggravations since in our lives words and works we are to bear witness to the Truth for to this end were we born and for this cause came we into the world c. Application Our Saviour bids Let your light so shine before men c. Saint Matthew 5.6 then we may hence learn that those that should light others to Heaven by their Doctrine must not darken their way by the evil example of an unholy life and not only must Ministers but people also let the light of holiness appear visible in their lives When God places a man a private Christian in the lower Orbe he puts him there to shine like a starre bright and clear in his own sphere Christians should shine and bear witness in their lives and be cautious how they walk because every sin puts a dimness upon the soul and darkness internal can expect no other but to go to darkness eternal and therefore St. Peter saith that our good works should make those that look on us as evil doers glorifie God in the day of visitation 1 Saint Peter 2.12 There be some that must believe in Christ throughout the world and witness his Truth to unbelievers by a holy life and why may it not belong to us but if on the contrary we be found to live as they live how shall they be brought to believe as we believe It was the saying of a Heathen If I did see the Christians lives better I should think their faith better than mine Religion and the Doctrines of Faith are often disgrac'd by wicked Professors 1 Tim. 1.6 7. the rebellion of a Christian that is a Servant though to an Heathen Master brings a scandal both upon God and on holy Religion Sure I am God and Religion is very much disgrac'd and the Gospel dishonoured and the Church of Christ abused by the wicked lives of those that are called the Sons of the Church Oh therefore that by holy lives judicious reading faithful hearing and constant studying and meditating in the wayes of God and the Truths of God we would make our selves able and ready to give an account of the hope that is in us that so both in our knowledge and practice we bearing witness to the Truth here on earth we may have the truth in our consciences to bear witness to our selves that we are the Sons of God that so he that ascended into Heaven to take possession of his own Glory may in time bring us thither who himself affirmed and after whose example we should walk that as he was born and came into the world to bear witness to the truth so we should also account of our selves that we were born and that we came into the world that we might bear witness to the truth that we came into the world this Christian world to witness to the truth as common Christians that we came into the world the Church of God as members thereof to justifie that faith by a holy life unto which our parents had baptized us still indeavouring to carry the same mind in us that was in Christ Jesus that as he did so we came into the world to bear witness to the truth for he justified himself before the judgement-seat of Pilate saying in the words of my Text To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness to the truth The end of the Sermons Dr. Hewit's publique Prayer after Sermon O HOLY HOLY HOLY Lord God of heaven and earth heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory Glory be to thee O Lord glory be to thee glory be to thee glory be to thee for all those infinite favours which thou of thine infinite goodnesse hast voucsafed to us who are lesse then the least of all thy mercies for the fountain of all mercies Jesus Christ in whom thou hast loved us with an everlasting love before ever we or the world were made that thou hast created us after thine own Image and redeemed us by the bloud of Jesus Christ when we were utterly lost that thou hast called us with an holy calling and in some measure sanctified us by the graces of thy holy Spirit that thou hast spared us thus long and given us so long and so large a time of repentance when as thou mightest have cut us off in the midst of our transgressions whilst we were rebelling against thee Blessed be thy name O Lord for all thy mercies vouchsafed unto us thy mercies to allure us thy promises to wooe us thy patience and long-suffering towards us to lead us to repentance thy corrections to reclaime us thy judgements to affright and better us blessed by thy name for all opportunities of wel-doing for all hinderances of evill-doing for all the good purposes and resolutions thou hast put into our hands to draw our souls from the dregs of sin and ignorance into the glory of thy Saints for any assistance that thou hast given to any of us in any holy performance for the Communion of thy Saints the aide of their counsels the benefit of their Prayers the comfort of their conversations the protection of thy Holy Angels for all corporall spirituall temporall and eternall mercies mercies concerning this life and mercies concerning the life to come Blessed be thy name for thy mercies to us all the dayes of our lives thy mercies unto us this present day for the light thereof the greater light the light of thy truth to shine into our soules to guide our feet into the way of all truth For that portion of Scripture wherein thou hast been pleased to reveal thy self unto us at this time Lord though it be sowne in much weaknesse do thou raise it up in great power let it not be as water spilt upon the ground but let it be as seed sown in good ground that it may take deep root downward in our hearts by faith and bring forth much fruit upwards in our lives and conversations to the glory of thy holy name to the edification of thy Church and people and to the salvation of our souls in the day of Jesus Christ to whom with thy self and holy Spirit we desire to
please others the sins we have committed in our own persons and the sins we have occasioned others to commit the sins we know and the sins we know not the sins that we have so long striven to hide from others knowledge that we have even now hid them from our own memories these O Lord are more in number then the sands upon the Sea shoar or the Stars of Heaven which cannot be numbred We have sinned against the light of Nature and against the light of Grace against thy Law and against thy Gospel against thy Promises and against thy Threats against thy Mercies and against thy Judgements against all vows and promises and resolutions of better obedience against the reproofs of thy word against the many motions of thy good Spirit in our souls against thy Fatherly admonitions against thy loving corrections against the many fearfull examples of thy Judgements against the infinite obligations of thy favours and against the checks of our own consciences These things have we done and because thou held thy tongue we have also thought wickedly that thou art altogether such an one as our selves or that either thou dost not see or dost approve or wilt not severely punish the crimes that we have so long doted on If thou Lord God shouldest be extream to mark what is done amisse Lord who is able to abide it but with thee there is mercy and with thee there is plenteous redemption and thou desirest not the death of him that dies but rather that be should turn from sin and be saved and seeing that without thee it is not possible for us of our selves to be able to please thee Lord turn us to thee and we shall be turned for thou art the Lord our God Draw us and we shall run after thee draw us by the cords of love and with the bands of loving kindnesse work powerfully upon our spirits by thy holy Spirit work contrition in our hearts and godly sorrow for all our sins even a sorrow to repentance and repentance to salvation never to be repented off Break these hard and stony hearts of ours by the hammer of thy word mollifie them by the oyle of thy grace smite these rocky hearts of ours by the rod of thy most gracious power that we may shed forth rivers of tears for all the sins we have committed Lord make us grieve because we cannot grieve and to weep because we cannot weep enough O that thou wouldest humble us more and more under the true sight and sense of all our ungodlinesse of all our wickednesse and of all our unworthynesse And O thou Father of mercies have mercy on us O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us thou that takest away the sins of the world take away the world of our sins they are too heavie O Lord for us to bear thou only art able to bear them and thou didst bear all our sins upon thine own body upon the tree O thou that wast wounded for our sins and bruised for our transgressions we beseech thee let the chastisement of our peace be upon thee and do thou by thy stripes heal us Hide us most gracious Redeemer hide us from the wrath of God in the glorious skars of those meritorious wounds which thou didst suffer for us and by the vertue of them create peace in heaven for us by reconciling the Father to us And O thou that wast our Saviour on earth we beseech thee be thou our Advocate in heaven be thou our High-priest still offering up thy self a Victim to the Father for us and besprinkle us with thine own most pretious bloud that through that bloud of sprinkling our persons our services and the desires of our souls may be acceptable to the Father Be thou our King set up thy throne in our hearts dismantle and disgarison all the strong holds and fortifications of sin that sin may no longer have dominion over us but do thou rule and over-rule us enable us to do thy will write thy Commandements in our hearts and thy Statutes in our inward parts put thy fear into our souls that we may fear thee and love thee and diligently live after thy commands Be thou our Prophet leading us into all truth Oh do thou inform us and teach us the way wherein we should go and do thou guide us by thine eye be thou the voice behind us still directing us this is the way walk in it guide us by thy counsels here and hereafter receive us unto thy glory And O Holy Spirit the Comforter do thou help our infirmities and with thy unutterable groans make intercession for us And thou that workest both to will and the deed in us of thine own good pleasure put into our hearts good desires and let the continuall assistance of thy grace help us to bring the same to good effect plant in our souls the love of thy name graffe in our hearts true Religion nourish us with all goodnesse and of thy great mercy keep us in the same so long as we have to live make us to love that which thou commandest and to desire that which thou hast promised that among the sundry and manifold changes and chances of this mortall life our hearts may surely there be fixt where true joyes are to be found And thou that sheddest the pretious ointments of thy grace upon all thy faithfull people O do thou open the eyes of our souls that we may see thee who art invisible that beholding thy glorious but invisible presence in all our actions we may be so awfully affected towards thee that whether either the Devil shall tempt us or the world shall allure us or our own carnal lusts and sinfull affections shall incline us to commit any wickednesse thy Holy Spirit O Lord may in all things so direct rule and overrule our hearts and awaken our consciences to aske us How shall we dare to commit any wickednesse and sin against thee Gratious God keep us from sinning against thee though it were to gain the whole world for it will not profit us to gain the whole world and lose our own souls help us rather we pray thee to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling and to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure Help us to eschew and decline all the occasions all the opportunities that have betrayed us unto sin and to hate the very garments spotted with the flesh O Lord with what affliction soever thou shalt punish us do not punish us with spirituall judgements and desertions give us not over to our own hearts lusts to our own vile lewd and corrupt affections give us not over to hardnesse and impenitency of heart but make us sensible of the least sin and give us thy grace to think no sin little committed against thee our God but that we may be humbled for it and repent of it and reform it in our lives and conversations
Esay from the sole of the foot even unto the Head there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores c. Esay the 1 c. 6. v. so total a defection hath seized upon our nature that not now the pool of Bethesda or the waters of Iordan must be washt in to heal our Leprosie but the fountain of life set open by a crucified Saviour to wash and bath our sinful souls for sin and for uncleanness yea so foul is our Crime that it hath made man out of order both in Soul and Body His very spirituals are much carnalized look upon him in his soul and that you 'l find is amiss and very much disordered 1 In the understanding which is the eye of the soul is there not much dimness contracted if the light that is in us be darknes how great must our decay in sight needs be What St. Paul saith of the Gentiles is true of every one of us by nature in Eph. 4.18 having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts and untill he the power of whose death tore in pieces the Temples vail rent the vail of ignorance from off our rocky hearts we did abide benighted with the black clouds of sin and rebellion it being just with the Almighty either totally to Eclipse or finally to withdraw that spiritual light our wills voluntarily cast away as being puft up with an overweening conceit of being made like Omnipotency it self in the knowledge of good and evil Such towring thoughts being likely to lead to no other place but that of darkness yea and that irremediless too without the assistance of that true light graciously promised to enlighten every soul that cometh into the world for our nature hath not onely led us from the way of truth but the best discerning our souls have is onely to find our selves involved in misery and a total deprivation of good So that you see our understanding can onely let us know our selves miserable but can no way relieve us 2 The will is perverse and utterly unconformable to the law of God the relish of Eves forbidden fruit is still fresh on the palate of every son of Adam delighting to go astray rather then follow the straight rules of Gods command so that he puts his people to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and since he cannot affright us with our dangerous estate nature hath left us in by its unskilful choice he would faine convince all men of their extreme madness putting the question with a quare moriemini Why will ye dye O house of Israel Ezek. 18.31 and the more folly you will finde lodges in the heart of every man who wilfully turns off from the truth of Gods law if you but seriously consider that his inducement thereunto arises from no experienced comforts he ever found in those gilded vanities which most account the worlds pleasures or fleeting trifles which are reckoned for profit for we have all good reason to believe Solomons knowledge who distilled all the quintessence of sublunary beings into his own cup of delight and what 's the summe total at the foot of this account you may take it in his own language I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of Spirit Eccles 1. ch 14. vanity in their being and vexation of spirit in their operation for they are no other but pricking goads and stinging thornes in the sides and hands of him that enjoyes them so that by this time you may well sit down and take up a lamentation both on the behalf of your selves and others that so great folly should be entailed upon your actions as voluntarily to run from the straight path that leads to eternal life and wilfully to follow the perverse guidance of your own unbounded appetite seeing therefore there is so much evil in vice and so great glory in virtue that even wicked men would appear godly Sejanus incipiente adhuc potentia bonis consiliis notescere volebat Tacit. Annal. l. 4. p. 116. that Sejanus himself whilest a young courtier took care for nothing but to grow famous by his integrity let us al learn this pious prudence to run with speed to heavens merciful throne and with uncessant cries beg that our crooked mans will may be made straight by the guidance of Gods commands 3 Our affections are placed upon wrong objects for its the object and the end together with the manner of performance which makes every action either good or evil we covet our own pleasure and are unsatisfied without it though the purchasing thereof cost us no less then the loss of Gods heavenly countenance such fools have we made our selves that our chief delight is folded up in the enjoyment of a few transitory beings forgetting the onely Jewel which the worlds treasure is of too mean a value to make purchase of for as one saith Well no glory that 's woven in the finest tapestry of this world but will lose colour decay and perish whereas saving grace and the knowledge of Iesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a possession for eternity and we are so wedded to our carnal interests that we cannot endure to have mention made of their removal and are so besotted with their imaginary beauty that we seek to cover all their deformities dealing with our affectionate lusts as the painter did with Antigonus who had but one eye he drew his picture imagine lusca half faced and so buried the deformity out of the beholders sight We usually present our seeming contents with the fair face of outward joy while in the mean time we draw a curtain before their cloven foot and stinging tail such is the unhappiness our first parents folly hath reduced us to that we naturally choose the evil and let pass the good court the shadow and let the substance flee away Greedy affection was the inlet of our sinne and misery and still the same porter keeps open the doors for our unruly appetites With how much eagerness therefore should we endeavour to get our desires and affections placed upon their proper object that so they may attain the truest end by the rightest means and not rest contented with a few lifeless wishes and cold desires which at the best as one saith well can gain but this mean character bene cogitare est bene somniare a good thinker is but a good dreamer whose awakened sight serves onely to let him see he hath but the cloud instead of Iuno therefore above all things it teaches us the truth of this lesson that needs must men do evil whose very affections are wrong placed Our souls being amiss we must needs do amiss for man is borne to evil as naturally as the sparks flye upward saith holy Iob for the best of men without renewing grace are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Word that gave the world a being can carry her again to the grave of destruction leaving her in the same confused Chaos which his merciful goodness at first found her in and the same six dayes which past away in building of her up if it so please him with as much facility may take it down though his excellent Mercy will have no less then six thousand years to bring a period to the same as most learned interpreters expound the words of Saint Peter 2 Pet. 3.8 So that a priori you see there is power enough in God not only to be angry with but infinitely to punish the sinnes of his people 2. A posteriori Who sees Nebuchadnezzar grazing like an Ox and acknowledges not Gods Power to be Infinite and can do with ease what seemeth good in his sight who sees Belshazar in the midst of his carousing cups weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuarie and found too light and acknowledges not his Justice who sees Goshen full of light and Egypt covered with thick darkness and acknowledges not an Infinite Deity Examples are most profitable illustrations of his power in dealing with the sonnes of men and in this case are almost infinite What son of Adam is there that knows not of his fathers fall and the dreadful curse the just consequent thereof In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2.17 and it was surely performed witness Cains inability to bear the loud cry of his brothers blood C ham justly cursed by his Father as the reward of his shameful action Esau sadly and too late seeking a sold Blessing the flames of provoked fire licking up sinful Sodom the earth of her self making a grave for Corah and his wicked Complices the great deeps swallowing up Pharaoh and his Host as the just avenger of his intolerable Persecution But these are but temporal evils but there are eternal miseries for when he is extreme his eyes shall not spare his enemies But you 'l say what means this Can God destroy that which he hath made Can he that delights in man destroy or despise the works of his hands Will he pluck down with one hand what but now he built And can he laugh when their fear comes who hath sworn he delights not in the sinners death Nothing less yet we must not say with Iob I am righteous though he hath condemned me for shall not the Iudge of all the earth do right and glorifie himself in and upon his Creatures For if we go astray he must and will hedge up our way with thornes Though it is true God afflicts not willingly yet he doth and will punish the sonnes of men when they sinne and wilfully go astray and that for these reasons 1. To remove that grand idol which men make and set up in their own hearts that God is all mercy and will not punish or all love and cannot endure to afflict his people deceive not your selves with such vain delusions for the soul that sinneth that soul shall surely die Ezek. 18.4 As sure as there is a God that mercifully saves them that repent so sure will the same God infinitely punish them that continue in sin as it is his Mercy that offers and invites us to accept of Salvation so also will it be the office of his Justice infinitely to punish all those that refuse to come when called by his Word and Spirit Remember the story of the great Supper and Gods severe answer to them that would not come when invited I say unto you that none of those men which were bidden shall tast of my Supper S. Luke 14.24 though God spare us for a time yet he will send forth Iudgment unto victory 2. To remove the Atheism that lodges in mens hearts of no revenging Justice that men live and speak as if there was no God uttering that in words and actions which holy Davids fool entertained in his heart that men being to think there is no God because they see no fearful examples of his Justice set before them in the destruction of his enemies that the wickeds prosperity in evil makes him boast himself and despise his Maker I remember Saint Austin brings in the proud man speaking thus when he was at peace and no disturbance injured him saith he of himself if I had nothing worth despising I should be a God blasphemously imagining God were ignorant of that which men call contempt but faith the Father It was not long ere I saw the same wretch cast down with utter amazement by a small clap of thunder when God did but seem to clothe himself with the garment of vengeance he presently fell down with humble obeisance Therefore God will sometimes be extreme in punishing that he may rescue the glory of his justice out of the hands of the wicked 3 Such is the nature of sinne it justly provokes God to be extreme because 1 It s a transgression of his righteous law and if earthly Monarchs punish their rebels with temporal well may the Lord of Heaven and earth reward his traitors with eternal death if temporal magistrates are so tender of their precepts that they esteem each breach thereof as an injury done to their persons well may the Father of spirits cast away with scorne all those that are found fighters against his commands .. But that 's not all for 2 Every sin is not onely a transgression of Gods law but it s an injury offered to his sacred person there being no act of evil wherein our whole man deliberately concurs but it is as much as in us lyes to dethrone the Majesty of heaven and if it lay in our power also to ungod the sacred Trinity an action which my soul trembles to think of much more to utter and were it not that I might leave the impression thereof so deep as to imbitter sinne unto you I should not have named it But that 's not all for 3 Every sin is so much the greater because it is committed by persons that have received all sorts of kindness and are under all manner of obligations to the contrary therefore well may God be extreme for sin when found in them that are engaged to the contrary 4 Such is the nature of Gods justice that it requires exact and equal proportion of punishment to the sinnes that have been committed now every sinne is of an infinite duration for did the sinner alwayes live he would for ever be guilty of sinne therefore it is but just the punishment should be infinite also for if God reward us with glory if we serve him above our deserts can we condemn him for but rewarding us according to our faults and if he do spare us and not inflict the extremity of his justice it is because his mercy intercedes that glorious attribute wherein is his chief delight but God will sometimes be extreme to punish because the nature of his justice is such as that it will proportion its punishment