shortly become a feast for Worms though they may be adorned with all the Ornaments that the pride of man can invent and friends and riches and will but accompany us to the Grave and there leave us and Oh what will then become of us if we have no interest in Christ and Heaven and can no lay claim to the eveâ—laâ—ing Glory If you ask me how we shall do to secure our interest in the Kingdom of Heaven I answer it must be by a through closure with Christ by saith and chusing of him for our Lord and Saviour God hath ordained that those that are united to Christ by faith here on earth that they shall be with Christ and live with Christ in Heaven Heaven and Glory is the Dowry that God giveth with his Son Jesus Christ and they that will Marry the Heir shall have the Inheritance and if we are Christs then all will be ours 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Whether of Paul or Apoâ—os or Cephas or things present or things to come all is yours and ye are Christs They that have an interest in Christ have a Title to all Let us therefore contract our selves to Christ resolving to be no longer our own but his and to live no longer to our selves but to him let us chuse him to be our Lord and Saviour and take him upon his own Terms as he is offered to us in the Gospel to be our King Priest and Prophet and when we are once thus united to Christ by faith we shall be coheirs with him of the heavenly Inheritance all this will be ours when we are Christs by a self-resignation and submission and when Christ is ours by a believing choice and election when we have thus made choice of Christ upon his own terms to be our Lord and Saviour our portion and our all and have given up our selves to him to be wholly his and at his dispose this will undoubtedly give us a sâ—m and an unquestionable title to Heaven Secondly The next address that I have to make is to those that are the Heirs of this Kingdom and have a Title to this Heavenly Inheritance Is it so that a Believers interest in the Kingdom of Heaven is enough to bear up his spirit under all his troubles and afflictions and to keep him from being dismayed under his sorest Trials and Tribulations that he meeteth withal from the World then the Exhortation that I shall give to you is the same that our Saviour giveth in the Text Fear not little Flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom You that have an interest in the Heavenly Glory Oh be not dismayed nor affrighted at those outward afflictions and tribulations that you meet with here below it is true God doth often exercise his dear Children with Trials Afflictions and Tribulations this is the way by which God doth discipline his Children while they are in their Minority here this Believers must count upon before hand but there is not any of those things that should make a believing Christian dismayed seeing his eternal concernments are so safe and his Heavenly interest is secure And there is no Trouble nor Cross that the Saints can meet withal but that we are somewhere or other in the Word of God exhorted not to be afraid of it Do we meet with reproach from men is that the Cross we undergo this indeed is heavy insomuch that the Psalmist complains that his heart was broken by it Psal 69.20 Yet the Servants of God the Heirs of Heaven are cautioned not to fear that â—a 51.10 Fear not the reproach oâ— men nâ—r be afraid of their revilings or is the affliâ—tion that thou meetest withal imprisonment for the sake of Christ and of a good Conscience this is likewise grievous and heavy to be born yet the Heirs of Heaven are exhorted not to fear that neither Rev. 2.10 it is Christs advice to the Church of Smyrna Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behâ—ld the Devil shall cast some of you into Prisâ—n that ye may be tryed and 〈◊〉 shall have Tribulation Ten days be thou faithful unto the death and I will 〈◊〉 thee a crown of â—ife Those that hâ—â—◠〈◊〉 interest in the crown of life imprisonment for the sake of Christ if God shouâ—d call them thereunto nay put case thou wert to suffer death it self for the sake of Christ this is the greatest and sorest of all sufferings yet the servants of Gâ—d are cautioâ—ed not to fear that neither for it can be but a bodily death and it will make way for a better and happier life Mat. 10.28 Fear not them that can kill thâ— body but are not able to kill the soul Whatsoever thâ— sufferings be thou that art a Believer and hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven thou art exhorted not to be afraid of it Oh Christians I beseech you act faith upon your Heavenly Interest I might tell you it can never be more seasonable so to do than now the more you act faith hereupon the more you will be enabled to live above the frowns of a troublesome and vexatious world Oh look up by an eye of faith upon â—he recompence of rewards and you will be able to prefer the afflictions of the Saints before the vain and transitory pleasures of unregenerate sinners which endure but for a moment and to chuse the greatest affliction before the least sin as Moses did Heb. 11.25 26. And let the joy that is set before you make you to endure the Crosses of this world and to desâ—ise the shame as the Captain of your salvation hath done before you and let the hope of the Glory of God make you rejoyce notwithstanding all the scorn and contempt that you meet with from the world But because of our frailty and aptness to be afraid and dismayed at afflictions and tribulations I shall see before you some considerations which if well weighed might by the blessing of God do much to the curing and removing of those fears and discontents that are aâ—t to seize upon us when we are exposed to Trials and losses in the world First Consider Christians you that have secured your heavenly interest are you in sore Troubles and do you meet with hard dealings from men it may be you may bring more glory to God bâ—â—our afflictions lâ—sses and crosses in the world than if you should always be in a quiet prosperous and serene condition it may be God mâ—â— have a greater Revenue of glory by thy troubles and â—â—â—als than by thy prosperity in the world and shall we not be wilâ—â—â—g to bâ— in such a condition howsâ—ever unpleasant to our corrupt fleâ—h in which we may be most sâ—rviceable fâ—r Gâ—d and bring most hâ—â—â—uâ— and 〈◊〉 to him It is a sign that we have little love to God or indeed to 〈◊〉 own souls if we do not prefer the Glory of God before our own ease and carnal contentment what do we but
you Oh! that I might drop in the Oyl of gladness into every broken heart and rejoyce every troubled spirit Oh here is good news from Heaven Say unto the Righteous it shall be well with him But here is a question must be answered You 'l say to me but how doth this appear that it shall he well with the Righteous for we often see it is the worst with them in this world he is deprived of his comfort many times he loses his very life in that quarrel he is made the very reproach of the world oftentimes how then is it well with the Righteous To this I answer yet still it is well with the Righteous though he meet with trouble in the world and one follows on the neck of another yet it is well with the Righteous as will appear in these three or four particulars 1. The troubles that the Righteous man meets with they turn to good and so it is well with him that is a most famous Scripture in Jer. 24.5 Whom I have sent out of this place unto the land of the Ghaldeans for their good Gods own Israel were transported into Babylon among their enemies but it is for their good saith the Lord. The troubles of the Righteous are a means to purge out their sin I have read a story of one who running at another with a sword to kill him by accident his sword run into an Imposthume and broke the Imposthume thus all the evils and troubles of the Righteous serve but to cure them of the Imposthume of pride to make them more humble when that the body of a Saint is afflicted his soul that revives and flourishes in Grace At Rome there was two Laurel-trees and when one withered the other did flourish so when the body is afflicted yet the soul that Laurel doth revive and flourish God doth distil our of the bitterest drink his Glory and our Salvation saith Jerome that that the world looks on as a punishment God makes a medicine to heal the sore why then it shall be well with the Righteous The rod of God upon a Saint is but only Gods pencil whereby he draweth his Image more lively on the soul God never strikes the strings of his Viol but to make the Musick sweet Then it is well with the Righteous 2. In the midst of all the trouble that doth befall the Righteous yet still it is well with them in regard of those inward heart-revivings that God doth give them We see a godly mans misery but we do not see his comfort we see his prison-gates but we do not hear the musick that is within his Conscience God doth sweeten to his People outward trouble with inward peace it is the Title that is given to God 2 Cor. 7.6 God that comforteth them that are cast down The Bee can gather honey as well from the thistle and from the bitter hearb as from the sweet flower the Child of God can gather joy out of sorrow out of the very carkass sometimes the Lord gives honey when the body is in pain the soul may be at ease as when a mans head akes yet his heart may be well thus it is well with the Righteous God gives him that inward comfort that revives and sweetens his outward pain 3. In the time of trouble and calamity yet still it is well with the Righteous because God doth cover his people in the time of trouble he hides them in the storm God hath a care to hide his Jewels and will not let them be carried away and thus he makes good that Scripture litterally Psal 91.4 He shall cover them with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust no evil shall touch thee God oftentimes verifies this Scripture litterally He makes his Angels to be his peoples life-guard to hide them and defend them when a floud was coming upon the world God provided an Ark to hide Noah when Israel is carried and transported into Babylon God hid Jeremiah and gave him his life for a prey Jer. 39.11 and in this sense the Saints of God are called hidden ones Psal 83.3 Why so not onely because they are hid in Gods decree and hid in Christs wounds but oftentimes God hides them in a time of danger and calamity they are hidden ones he reserved to himself seven thousand that had not bowed the knee to Baal The Prophet knew not where there was one but God knew there were seven thousand In this sense it is well with the righteous in time of publick misery I but you 'l say sometimes it fares yet worse then all this sometimes the righteous they die and perish they are carried away in a Tempest why yet still it is well with the Righteous and that in a two-fold sense 1. Many times God doth take away the Righteous by death and that in great mercy he takes them away that they shall not see the misery that comes upon a Nation Virgil the Heathen Poet saith They are happy that die before their Countrey his meaning was they die before they see the ruine of their Countrey and truly God many times takes away his people in mercy that they may not see the ruine that is coming on a Land you have in Scripture for this 1 King 14.13 He onely of Jeroboam shall come to the Grave in peace because in him there is found some good things towards the Lord God of Israel God puts him in his grave betimes in mercy because he should not see the evil coming upon the Land and there 's a parallel to this 2 King 12. last It is spoken of Josiah I will gather thee unto thy Fathers thou shalt be gathered unto thy Grave in peace and thine eyes shall not see the evil I will bring upon this place Josiah he dyed in Battel how then was it said he went to the Grave in peace We must understand the meaning of it is this Josiah went to his Grave in peace because he was a holy man and he had made his peace with God and so he went to his Grave in peace and because he should not see the evil approaching God gathered him to his Grave in peace Jerom speaking of his friend Nepotian you must observe Jerom lived to see some troubles before he died saith he Oh! how happy is my friend Nepotian that sees not these troubles but is got out of the storm dies and is arrived safe in Heaven Luther died in mercy before the trouble in Germany broke forth and thus you see the Righteous though they die yet it is well with them God takes them away in mercy that they may not see approaching evils 2. Though the Righteous die and are taken away yet it is well with them because death cannot hurt them Death can neither hurt their body nor yet their souls and then it is well with them 1. Death cannot hurt their bodies the body of a Saint it doth not perish though it die the bodies of the Saints
are very precious dust in Gods account precious dust The Lord locks up these Jewels in the Grave as in a Cabinet The bodies of the Saints lie mellowing and ripening in the Grave till the blessed time of the Resurrection Oh! how precious is the Dust of a Believer though the world mind it not yet it is precious unto God The Husbandman he hath some Corn in his Barn and he hath other Corn in the Ground why the Corn that is in the ground is as precious to him as that is in the Barn the bodies of the Saints in the Grave are Gods Corn in the ground but the Lord makes very precious account of this Corn The bodies of the Saints shall be more glorious and blessed then ever they were at the Resurrection Tâ—rtullian calls them Angelical bodies in regard of that beauty and lustre that shall be upon them As it is with your silks when they are died of a purple or scarlet colour they are made more bright and illustrious then they were before thus it is with the bodies of the Saints they shall be dyed of a better colour at the Resurrection they shall be made like a glorious body Phil. 3.20 thus it shall be well with the righteous their bodies shall not perish 2. It will be well with the Righteous at death as to their souls too Oh it will be a blessed time methinks it is with a Saint at the time of death just as it was with Saint Paul in his voyage to Rome we read that the Ship did break but though there were so many broken pieces yet he got safe to shore so though the Ship of the Believers body break by death yet it is safe with the passenger his soul that gets safe to the Heavenly harbour Let me tell you the day of a Believers death it is the birth-day of his blessednesse it is his Ascention day to Heaven the day of his death it is his marriage-day with Jesus Christ Faith doth but contract us here in this life is but the contract but at death the Nuptials shall be solemnized in Glory they shall see God face to face it will be Heaven enough to have a sight of God saith Austin when the Saints shall enter into joy here joy enters into them but then they shall enter into it they shall drink of these pure Rivers that run from the Everlasting Fountain And thus you see it will be well with the Righteous how ever things go though trouble come though death come yet it will go well with the Righteous And Oh let those that are the people of God comfort themselves in these words Oh what an encouragement is this to all you that hear me to begin to be Righteous this Text may tempt us all to be Godly Say unto the Righteous it shall be well with him when things are never so ill with him yet it is well with him We would be glad to have things go well with our Relations and in our Estates why when the Righteous things go well with us thy person is sealed thou art Heir of all Gods Promises thou art Christs favorite thou hast Heaven in reversion and is it not now well with thee If you would have Happiness you must espouse Holiness Say unto the Righteous it shall be well with them and thus much of the first Proposition the Godly mans comfort in life and death it is well with him But now if all this will not prevail with you to make you leave your fins and become Righteous I must passe in a few words to the next branch of the Text to scare men out of their sin to affright men out of their wickednesse Wo unto the wicked it shall be ill with him This my Beloved is the dark fide of the cloud It may cause in every wicked man that hears me a trembling at the heart Wo unto the wicked it shall be ill with him The Proposition that doth resist out of these words is this Doct. When things seem to be well with the wicked men it shall be ill with them at last though they have more then heart can wish yet it shall be ill with them at last Eccles 8.13 It shall not be well with the wicked nor shall he prolong his daies which are as a shadow because he fears not God it shall not be well with the wicked the God of truth hath pronounced this It is as true as God is true it shall not be well with the wicked Now that I may a little clear this to you I shall demonstrate this to you in these four particulars 1. It is ill with the wicked in this life 2. It is ill with them at death 3. It is ill with them at the day of Judgement 4. It is ill with them after Judgement it shall be ill with the wicked It is ill with the wicked in this life a wicked man that hears me will hardly think so when he hath the affluence and confluence of outward comforts when he eats the fat and drinks the sweet he will hardly believe the Minister that shall tell him it shall be ill with him but it is so For is it not ill with that man that hath a curse yea the curse of God entailed upon him can that man thrive that lives under the curse of God Flouds of bloud and wrath hang over the head of a wicked man he is heir to all the Plagues written in the Book of God All Gods curses are the sinners Portion and if he die in his sin he is sure to have his Portion paid him Wo unto the wicked every bit of bread he hath he hath it with a curse its like poison'd bread given to a dog every drop of Wine he drinks he swallows down a curse with it wo unto the wicked there is a curse in his Cup and a curse upon his Table God saith wo unto him we read of Belshazar Dan. 5.4 5. that he did take the Wine and commanded to bring the Gold and Silver vessels out of the Temple and then they brought the Golden vessels that were taken out of the Temple out of the house of God that was at Jerusalem and the King and his Princes and his Wives and Concubines drank in them Belshazar was very jovial in the midst of his Cups he was merry but wo unto the wicked for in the same hour came forth the finger of a mans hand and reach'd over the Candlestick upon the plaister of the Wall of the Kings Pallace and the Kings countenance changed and he was troubled there was a hand and a woe written on the wall let a sinner live till he come to an hundred years of age yet he is cursed Isa 65.20 his gray hairs they have a curse upon them 2. 'T is ill with the wicked not onely in this life but 't is ill with him at his hour of death and that in these two respects 1. Death puts an end unto all his comforts 2.
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
Others say he sinned in numbring all ages whereas he was to number but from twenty years but these are conjectural reasons I conceive the sin of David was because he did it without a lawful call and for an unlawful end Sine causa legitima he sinned in the manner rather than in the matter for there was no cause for him to number the people but curiosity and no end but vain-glory Go through all the tribes of Israel and number the people that I may know the number of my people v. â— Davids heart was lifted up with pride and creature-confidence he begins to boast of the multitude of his people and to trust in an arm of flesh therefore God sends the Prophet to David to prick the bladder of his pride as if God should say I will teach you to number the people by lessening the number of your people Now the burthen of his sin did add much to the burthen of this heavy message vers 13. After David had numbered the people his heart smote him the message smites him and his heart smites him and he said I have sinned greatly in that which I have done now I beseech thee take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly If David had been to suffer this great punishment out of love to God or for a good Conscience he would not have been so distracted There are two sorts of straits in Scripture some suffered for God and a good Conscience and there are straits suffered for sin 1. There are straits suffered for God and a good Conscience Heb. 11.36 37. those Martyrs there were driven to great straits but these were straits for God and a good Conscience and these straits were the Saints greatest enlargements they were so sweetned to them by the consolations and supportations of Gods Spirit a Prison was a Paradise to them Heb. 10.34 they look joyfully at the spoiling of their goods Acts 5.41 They departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Straits for a good conscience are greatest enlargements therefore St. Paul glorieth in his strait Paul a Prisoner c. 2. There are straits suffered for sin and these are envenomed by the guilt of sin sin puts poyson into all our distresses and perplexities Now such was the strait into which David was now driven it was a strait caused by fin and that made it so unwelcome and uncomfortable so that from hence I gather this Observation Doctrine That sin and iniquity brings persons and Nations into marvellous labyrinths and perplexities into time real and great molestations and a man free from sin is free in the midst of straits a man guilty of sin is in a strait in the midst of freedom After Adam had sinned in eating the forbidden fruit the whole world was a prison to him Paradise it self was an Hell to him he knew not where to hide himself from the presence of God After that Cain had murthered his Brother Abel he was brought into such a strait that he was afraid that every one that met him would slay him Alas poor Cain how many there was then in the world We read but his Father and Mother yet such was his distress teat he cryeth out every one that met him would slav him Gen. 4.14 Into what a strait did sin bring the old world the deluge of sin brought a deluge of water to drown them Into what a strait did sin bring Sodom and Gomorrah the fire of Lust raigning in Sodom and Gomorrah brought down fire from Heaven to destroy them Sin brings external internal and eternal straits upon persons and Nations 1. Sin brings external straits Sin brings Famine Sword and Plague Sin brings Agues and Fevers Goâ—t and Stone and all manner of Diseases yea Sin brings death it self which is the wages of sin Read Lev. 26. and Deut. 23. and you will see a black Roll of curses which were the fruit of sin Sin brought Sion into Babylon and when the Jews had murthered Christ forty vears after they were brought into that distress when the City was besieged by Titus Vespatian that they did eat one another the Mother did eat her Child that whereas David had a choice which of the three he would have either Famine Plague or Sword the poor Jews had all three concatenated together in the siege Sin brings all manner of external Plagues 2. Sin brought persons and Nations into eternal straits sin brings soul-plagues which are worse then bodily plagues sin brings hardness of heart blindness of mind a spirit of slumber a reprobate sense sin brings a spiritual Famine upon a Land it brings a Famine on the Word Amos 8.11 Sin causes God to take away the Gospel from a people sin brings internal plagues sin awakens Conscience and fills it full of perplexities Into what a strait did sin drive Judas after he had betrayed Christ Into what a strait did sin drive Spira Saint Paul glorified in his tribulations for God but when he speaks of his sin he cryeth out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death David a valiant man when he speaks of sin saith they are too heavy a burden for him to bear A wounded conscience who can bear saith the wise Man 3. Sin bringeth eternal straits O the strait that a wicked man shall be brought into at the great and dreadful day of Judgment when all the world shall be on fire about him when he shall call to the Mountains to hide him and to the rocks to cover him from the wrath of God then will he cry out with David I am O Lord in a great strait And when the wicked shall be condemned to Hell who can express the straits they then shall be in Bind them hand and foot and cast them into everlasting darkness Mat. 25. When a wicked man shall be bound with ever lasting chains of darkness then he will cry out I am in a great strait Consider what Dives saith to Abraham he desires that Lazarus might but dip the tip of his finger in water and that he might cool his tongue not his whole body but his tongue but that would not be granted It is impossible the tongue of man should set out the great straits the damned suffer in Hell both in regard of the greatness and everlastingness of them This is all I shall say for the Explication Vse 1. I chiefly aim at the Application Doth sin bring Nations and Persons into external internal and eternal straits then this sadly reproves those that chuse to commit sin to avoid perplexity There are thousands in England guilty of this that to avoid poverty will lye cheat and couzen and to gain an estate will sell God and a good conscience and to avoid the loss of estate and imprisonment will do any thing they will be sure to be of that Religion which is uppermost be it what it will
Now give me leave this morning to speak three things to these sort of men and O that my words might prevail with them 1. Consider it is sin only that makes trouble deserve the name of trouble for when we suffer for Gods sake or a good Conscience these troubles are so sweetned by the consolations of Heaven that they are no troubles at all therefore in Queen Maries dayes the Martyrs wrote to their friends out of prison If you knew the comforts we have in Prison you would wish to be with us I am in Prison before I am in Prison saith Mr. Sanders Famous is the story of the three Children they were in a great strait when cast into the fiery Furnace Bind them 〈◊〉 and and foot and cast them into the Furnace but when they were there they were unbound Dan. 3.25 saith Nebuchadnezzar Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire and loe I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I have often told you when three are cast into the fire for a good Conscience God will make the fourth therefore I say straits and sufferings for God are not worth the name of straits David was often driven into straits 1 Sam. 30.6 he was sore distressed when his Town was burnt and his Wives and Children taken captives by the Amalekites I but that was a distress of danger not of sin therefore he encouraged himself in the Lord his God Jehosaphat was in a great strait 2 Chron. 20.12 We know not what to do saith he this was a strait of danger not caused by his sin and God quickly delivered him but the strait that David was in was caused by his sin and that made it so bitter I am loath to enlarge here St. Paul was in a great strait Phil. 3.23 but this was a blessed strait an Evangelical strait saith St. Chrysostome He knew not whether to die for his own sake or to live for the Churches sake were best he was willing to adjourn his going to Heaven for the good of the people of God Nay Christ was in a strait Luke 12.15 I have a baptism to be baptized withal and how am I straitned till it be accomplished I am to shed my blood for my Elect this is the baptism he speaks of This was a strait of dear affection to the Elect of God all these were blessed straits but now a strait caused by sin these are imbittered and envenomed by the guilt of sin and sense of Gods wrath It is sin that maketh straits deserve the name of straits therefore you are spiritually mad that commit sin to avoid straits 2. There is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest outward calamity whatsoever this the world will not believe therefore St. Austin saith That a man ought not to tell a lye though he might save all the world from hell for there is more evil in one lye than there is good in the salvation of all the world I have often told you the story of St. Austin saith he If Hell were on one side and sin on the other and I must chuse one I would chuse hell rather than sin for God is the Author of Hell but it is blasphemy to say he is the Author of Sin There is a famous story of Charles the ninth King of France he sent a message to the Prince of Conde a zealous Protestant gives him three things to chuse either to go to Mass or to be put to death or to suffer banishment all his life long saith he Primum Deo juvante nunquam eligo The first God helping I will never chuse I abhor the Idolatry of the Mass but for the two other I leave it to the choice of the King to do as he pleases there is more evil in the least sin than the greatest misery 3. The third thing I would have you consider that whosoever goeth out of Gods way to avoid danger shall certainly meet with greater danger Balaam went out of Gods way Numb 22.22 and God sent an Angel with a drawn sword and he riding upon an Asse verse 26. the Angel stood in a narrow place where was no way to go from the right hand or from the left if his Asse had not fallen under him he had been run thorow by the sword of the Angel Jonah for fear of the King of Nineveh went out of Gods way but he met with a mighty tempest he met with a Whale What do you do when you commit sin you make way to be cast into the eternal prison of Hell you destroy your precious souls to save your perishing bodies Vse 2. If sin be the father and mother of all perplexity and distresses then I beseech you let us above all things in the world abhor sin all the curses of the Bible are all due only to a sinner and all the curses not named in the Bible for that is observable Deut. 28.36 every plague that is not written in the Book shall light upon him there are strange punishments to the workers of iniquity Job 31.3 Is not destruction to the wicked a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity sin it bringeth the sinner to little ease little ease at death little ease at the day of Judgment and little ease in Hell tribulation and anguish the word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little ease to every soul that doth iniquity O my beloved will you promise me to look upon sin and consider it in all its woful consequence as the Father Mother and Womb out of which come external eternal and internal straits more particularly there are twelve sins I especially command you to take heed of and avoid 1. Take heed of Covetousness the love of the world will pierce you thorow with many sorrows the love of money is the root of all evil the love of the world drowns men in perdition 2. Take heed of the sin of Pride into what a woful strait did Pride bring Haman God crossed him in what he most desired God made him hold the stirrup while Mordecay rode in Triumph and God hanged him on the Gallows which he had made for Mordecay 3. Take heed of Drunkenness Look not on the Wine when it gives its colour in the cup c. Drunkenness will bring you into snares in will bite like a Serpent and sting like an Adder 4. Take heed of Disobedience and Rebellion against the Commandments of God it brought Jonah to the three nights and three days in the Whales belly 5. Take heed of Fornication and Adultery and all uncleanness this brought Sampson to a woful strait this brought David and Solomon into great perplexity 6. Take heed of Oppression and all acts of Injustice this brought Ahab into great straits insomuch that the Dogs licked his blood 7. Take heed of unnecessary familiarity with wicked men this brought Jehosaphat into a
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
beautiful and glorious thing it is the Angels glory and shall we be ashamed of that which makes us like the Angels there is a time coming when wicked men would be glad of some of that holiness that now they despise but they shall be as far then from obtaining it as they are now from desiring it 17. Think not the better of sin because it is in fashion think not the better of impiety and ungodliness because most walk in those crooked ways Multitude is a foolish Argument Multitude doth not argue the goodness of a thing the Devils name is Legion that signifieth a multitude Hell-road is this day full of Travellers esteem not the better of sin because most go this way do we think the better of the Plague because it is common the plea of a multitude will not hold at Gods Bar when God shall ask you Why did you prophane my Sabbath why were you drunk why did you break your oath to say then Lord because most men did so will be a poor plea. God will say to you then seeing you have sinned with the multitude you shall now go to Hell with the multitude I beseech you as you tender your souls walk Antipodes to the corruptions of the times if you are living Fish swim against the stream dead Fish swim down the stream Ephes 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them 18. In the business of Religion serve God with all your might Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no device or work in the Grave whither thou goest This is an argument why we should do al we can for God serve him with all our strength because the Grave is very near and there is no praying no repenting in the Grave our time is but small and therefore our zeal for God should be great David Danced with all his might before the Ark and so should we act vigorously for God in the sphear of Obedience Rom. 12.12 Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Take heed of a dull lazy temper in Gods service you must not onely say a prayer or read a prayer but you must pour out your souls in prayer not onely love God but be sick of love to God God in the old Law would have the Coals put to the Incense Levit. 16.13 and why so to typifie that the Heart must be enflamed in the worship of God your prayers must go up with a flame of Devotion I confesse Hell will be taken without storm you may jump into Hell with ease but it is all up-hill to Heaven and therefore you must put forth all your might Mat. 12.11 The violent take Heaven by force Heaven is not taken but by storm do you not see men zealous and very active for the Devil and for their Lusts and shall they take pains for Hell and will not you take pains for Heaven 19. Do all the good you can while you live to others God hath made every Creature useful for us the Sun hath not its light for it self but for us the Fountains run freely and so doth the myrrh drop from the Tree every Creature doth as it were deny its self for us the Beast gives us its labor the Bird gives us its musick the Silk-worm its silk Now hath God made every thing useful for us and shall not we be useful one for another O labor to be helpful to the souls of others and to supply the wants of others Jesus Christ was a publick blessing in the World He went about doing good We are Members of the Body politick nay we are Members of the Body mystical and shall not every Member be helpful for the good of the body That is a dead Member that doth not communicate to the good of the body O labour to be useful to others while you live that so when you dye there may be a miss of you many live so unfruitfully that truly their life is scarce worth a prayer nor their death scarce worth a tear 20. Every day spend some thoughts upon Eternity O Eternity Eternity all of us here are ere long it may be some of us within a few days or hours to lanch forth into the Ocean of Eternity Eternity Eternity is status interminabilis says Boetius no Prospective-glass can see to the end of Eternity Eternity is a summ that can never be numbred a Line that can never be measured Eternity is a condition of everlasting misery or everlasting happiness if you are Godly then shall you be for ever happy you shall be always sunning your selves in the light of Gods countenance if you are wicked you shall be always miserable ever lying in the scalding furnace of the wrath of the Almighty Eternity to the godly is a day that hath no Sun-setting Eternity to the wicked is a night that hath no Sun-rising O I beseech you my brethren every day spend some time upon the thoughts of Eternity The serious thoughts of an Eternal condition would be a great means to promote Holiness 1. The thoughts of Eternity would make us very serious about our Souls O my Soul thou art very shortly to fly into Eternity a condition that can never be reversed or altered how serious would this make us about our Heaven-born souls Zeuxes being once asked why he was so long in drawing of a Picture answered Aeternitate pigno I am now painting for Eternity Oh how frequently would that man pray that thinks he is praying for Eternity Oh how accurately and circumspectly would that man live that thinks upon this moment hangs Eternity The thoughts of Eternity would make us slight and contemn all the things of this World what is the world to him that hath Eternity always in his eye Did we think seriously and solemnly of Eternity we should never over-value the comforts of the world nor over-grieve the crosses of the world 1. We should not over-value the comforts of the World worldly comforts are very sweet but they are very swift they are soon gone the pleasures of the World are but for a season just like Noah's Dove that brought an Olive-branch in her mouth but she had wings and so did presently fly from the Ark so are all outward comforts they bring an Olive-branch but they have wings too with which they flie away 1. The thoughts of Eternity would make us not to over-grieve the crosses and sufferings of the world What are these sufferings to Eternity Our sufferings says the Apostle are but for a while 1 Pet. 5.10 what are all the sufferings we can undergo in the world to Eternity Affliction may be lasting but it is not everlasting Our sufferings here are not worthy to be compared to an Eternal weight of Glory And thus my Beloved I have given you these twenty Directions for your precious souls I beseech you treasure them up as so many Jewels in the Cabinet of your breast Did you carry
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
and Peace 2. To such as have this Grace and no Peace 3. To such as have neither Grace nor Peace First To such as have both Grace and Peace I le speak to them in two or three things First Admire thankfully the Father the Son the Fathers Grace and the Sons Love for both had a hand in this therefore bless both the Father for willing it to us and the Son for working it in us Grace and Peace are the fruits of Gods eternal Election for this blessing the Father gives but the Application of it to us is the fruits of Christs redemption and intercession How can you think of Hell and Damnation and see your self freed from it And how can you think of the dreadful fury and vengeance of God your self not under it How can you look on your state change your heart renewed Grace ratified and reconciled and your Conscience quieted How can you think of these things but must admire the love of the Father in giving this to you and the love of the Son in purchasing this for you All Grace and Mercy that is given to us is by Christ purchased for us Grace and Peace are fruits of the redeeming bloud of Christ purchased Secondly Do not envy the conditions and possessions of the men of the world they have riches and honours profits and pleasures but they neither have Grace nor Peace therefore do not envy their happiness There is a story of a Roman that was condemned by a Court-Marshal to dye for breaking his rank to steal a bunch of Grapes and as he was going to his Execution his fellow Souldiers laughed at him and others envied at him that he should have Grapes and they none Now saith he do not envy me for my bunch of Grapes for you would be loath to have them at the rate I must pay for them My Brethren You that are the children of Grace and Peace do not envy at men of the world at their riches and their comforts their pleasures for I am sure you would be loath to have them at the price they pay for them for the end of these things is death Thirdly do not complain of the worst condition that the providence of God shall cast you into in this it may be you shall suffer hard things but remember so long as thy soul is secure never complain of hard things My brethren as God your Father brought you into a state of Grace and Peace and thereby secured his love to your souls in Christ can you complain of hard things So let the joy of the Lord be your strength Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 The second Use is to such as have neither Grace nor Peace May not I say I speak to many such I would I might not Are there not many that are without Grace and therefore must needs be without peace They may have the worlds peace but they have none of this peace let me beg of you to get out of this Graceless state Oh that you would believe the words of a dying man for so I am to you and such words use to be remembred Oh remember this as a testimony I leave with you that love of Sin and lack of Grace will ruine and destroy every soul at last But you will say How shall I get a share in this Grace and Peace I answer First Break off all your false peace we can never have true peace with God when we content our selves with false peace you will never seek that peace which Christ hath purchased for you while you content your selves with that cursed peace which the Old man hath wrought in you Oh therefore break off all false peace which is not the fruit of grace Secondly Labour to see and be convinced of the miserable and of the naked condition your souls be in for want of the righteousness of Christ for a covering without this soul thou art miserable wretched poor and naked be convinced also what a miserable thing it is to have God our enemy God is the sinners enâ—â—y It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Oh be convinced of thy nakedness without Christs righteousness and thy emptiness without his fulness Thirdly Labour to go out of your selves to Christ for grace and peace Surely in the Lord shall one say I have righteousness and strength I there it is to be found Labour for a thirsty frame of soul for the promises run far to such That he will fill the hungry with good things go to Christ soul beg pray never leave God till he hath given thee an interest in Christ for none can come to me except the Father draw him there is no pardon for the least sin out of Christ but there is pardon for the greatest sin in Christ one sin can damn the soul out of Christ but no sin can hurt the soul in Christ Oh go to Christ soul never give rest to thy eyes nor slumber to thy lids till thou hast made peace with God in the bloud of Christ One sting of the fiery serpent was mortal without looking upon the brazen Serpent so one sin will damn a soul out of Christ but no sin can damn a soul in Christ Fourthly To such as have grace but no sence of peace this is the counsel I would leave with all such Be much in the exercise of grace frame much believe much use grace much for the exercise and improving of grace will produce peace There are ten duties which are to be the sphere of grace in activity and in performing of them we shall have peace First Make Religion your business the main design of your lives be Christians to purpose be not only Christians by the bye but let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Phil. 1.27 Secondly Put forth renewed Acts of Faith on Christ every day and remember it is as much your duty to believe in Christ to day as if you had never believed before O live by faith every day and this will bring peace to you Thirdly Maintain a constant communion with God daily this communion with God is mans chief good the happiness of a Child is in communion with his Father and the happiness of a wife is in communion with her Husband and this is the happiness of a Believers soul communion with God the Father through Christ our Head and Husband The seed of peace it 's true it is sown in the soul in Union but then it takes root downward and brings forth fruit upward Spiritual peace will never be obtained if communion with God be not maintained that gives comfort in the midst of all sorrows and satisfies all doubts and recompences all wants Lo this is the fruit of communion with God Fourthly Be good at all times but of all best in bad times many Christians lose their peace by remitting of their grace and let loose the reins of Religion to avoid
taken away from the evil to come WE are here met this Evening to perform the last office of Love for an eminent and ancient servant of Jesus Christ and excellent Minister of the Gospel Mr. Simeon Ash one who hath formerly performed this office for many other Ministers and now we are met to perform this office for him and it is not long before others will meet to perform the same office for us so frail so brittle and so uncertain is the life of man Now the Text that I have chosen is suitable for this occasion for this Reverend Minister was first a righteous man he was righteous in an Eva gelical sense he was one that was justified and sanctified Secondly he was a merciful man both in active and passive sense he was one that shewed mercy to the distressed Members of Jesus Christ and he was one to whom God shewed mercy this righteous and merciful man is now perished as to his outward condition not as to his everlasting condition but as to his outward bodily condition he is perished and he is taken away the word in the Hebrew is very emphatical merciful men Colliguntur are gathered it is the same word that is used concerning Josiah 2 Kin. 22.10 Thou shalt be gathered to thy Fathers and go to thy grave in peace and shalt not see the evil that I will bring upon this Nation This godly and righteous man is now gathered as ripe Corn into the Barn of Heaven he is taken away from the evil that is to come from beholding that evil that is to come upon this sinful world he is taken away in mercy that he may not be troubled with the troubles that are comming upon many he is taken away from the evil to come And thus you see how suitable the Text is to the occasion there is only one particular that I desire may prove unsuitable for the righteous and merciful man saith the Text perisheth and no man considers nor layes it to heart These words are verba commentantis objurgantis the words of the Prophet bemoaning the spiritual security of the people of Israel chiding and reproving them for their spiritual Lethargy Now I desire that this part may not prove sutable but that all of you may lay to heart the death of this ancient merciful and righteous man The Observations from the words are these six First That the righteous man must perish as well as the unrighteous Secondly That the perishing of a righteous man is nothing but his gathering to God Christ and the blessed company of Saints and Angels Thirdly A righteous man as long as he lives is the preservative of a Nation and the supporter of a Kingdom the Chariots and Horse-men of a Nation Fourthly The death of a righteous man is a warning-piece from Heaven a Beacon set on sire to give notice of evil approaching Fifthly That God doth on purpose take away righteous men that they might not see the evil that is coming on a Nation Sixthly That it is a great and common sin not to consider and lay to heart the death of a righteous man 1. It is a common fin and therefore it is set down in the greatest latitude the righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart that is very few And merciful men are taken away no man considering that is very few 2. It is a great sin and therefore the Prophet Jeremy in the former Chapter calls to all the beasts of the field to devour that is all the Enemies of the Church to destroy the Children of Israel because they drank strong drink filling themselves with merriment and promised themselves happy dayes but did not consider that the righteous were taken away from the evil to come He begin with the first that the righteous perish as well as the unrighteous How is it that the righteous perish not in their soul they cannot perish so nay the truth is they cannot perish properly in their bodies for the bodies of the Saints never totally and finally perish for the very dust of the Saints in the grave is precious in Gods sight and they are asleep in Jesus and by the power of Jesus Christ they shall be raised glorious bodies Nothing perisheth of a righteous man by death totally finally but sin and therefore the meaning of the word is as Musculus and Justin Martyr observe perit perisheth that is not according to the truth of the thing but according to the opinion of the world and the proper language of his expression is this the righteous perisheth that is the righteous must dye and go down to the house of rottenness as well as others and that up upon a fore-fold account First Because the righteous are included within the statute of death as well as the unrighteous statutum est Heb. 9.27 It is appointed for all men ance to dye the righteous as well as the unrighteous it is true Jesus Christ hath taken away the hurt of death but not death it self Jesus Christ hath disarmed death made death like the Viper that fastened upon Pauls hand but did not hurt him he hath made it like the brazen Serpent that hath no sting but a healing power in it Christ hath sanctified death conquered and sweetned death at the present we are all under the statute of death but at last this enemy shall be destroyed 2 Cor. 15. ult 2. The righteous consist of perishing principles as well as the unrighteous the righteous are earthly vessels made of dust I their foundation is in the dust their lives are a vapour as well as the lives of the unrighteous 3. The righteous must dye as well as others because they have a body of sin which they carry about them for there is no man so wise that lives and sins not Eccles 7.10 wherefore there is that which deserves death in a righteous man Lastly and especially The righteous perish upon a peculiar account For if we have hope only in this life saith the Apostle we are of all men most miserable and therefore they must perish to keep them from perishing they must say as Themistocles Perissem nisi periissem they must dye that they may rest from their labour for here is not our rest Mich. 2.10 there remaineth a rest for the people of God there is no rest in this world the word quies wants the plural number 2. The righteous must die that they may have their reward their crown of glory that God hath laid up for them they must first fight the good fight and finish their course and then they shall receive a crown of glory 3. They must dye that they may be free from sin for they shall never put off the body of sin till they put off the body of the flesh 4. They must dye that mortality may be swallowed up of life that corruption may put on incorruption 5. They must dye that they may be perfect in grace Lastly They must dye that
which the Apostle uses by way of insinuation for Audience are contained in the words of the 20. verse wherein we have a very large description of the Person prayed unto The God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus c. He describes him under such notes and marks as serve much for enlargment and enforcement in the matter of prayer But here a Question may arise Seeing Grace is the thing the Apostle principally desires and 't is usual with holy men both under the Old and New Testament to chuse out such Attributes as sure most with their particular occasions and are most agreeable to those requests they have why he doth not apply himself to God as the God of all grace but rather the God of Peace Therein first the Apostle seems to make use of that same liberty which belongs to holy men As there is in the General a Liberty left to Gods People from God himself Paul in this place makes use of that liberty he had as to the manner of prayer using such a description of God as seemed good to him at present But secondly if he be the God of Peace it follows he is the God of Grace If God hath glorified himself so far among the Hebrews as to reconcile them to himself by the blood of Christ then there is no question God will proceed further and having provided for those things which appertain to their Justification no question but he will for those things that are necessary to their Sanctification Therefore the Apostle argues plainly from Justification to Sanctification He that justifies his people through the Blood of Christ Sanctifie you by the spirit of Christ make you perfect to do his will working in you that which is wel-pleasing in his sight c. So desires we should be Sanctified on the consideration of our Justification having provided for Justification by the blood of Christ followes Sanctification by the spirit of Christ 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. that God who is ally'd to you the God of peace and hath provided for you Peace I desire he would further provide Sanctification for Sanctification is nothing else but the effect of that grace which is procured for Believers through the blood of Christ There is no access to God for Sanctification of our Natures until we prevail with him for the Justification of our persons and he first shews himself to be a God of peace by way of Justification before a God of Grace and Sanctification But to proceed First for the description of the person wherein take notice of him 1. By one of his Attributes 2. By one of his special works whereby he hath manifested that Attribute 1. The Attribute of God is implyed under those words that he is called the God of peace The Gracious God that provides for reconciliation between himself and sinners that finds out ways and means to win those who are by nature Children of wrath to be the Children of God There is no peace but God is Author of whether natural peace or civil peace or political peace he is pleased to provide for them but there is a transcendent kind of peace which doth with a peculiarity belong to Gods people i.e. Spiritual peace between God and sinners and that inward peace that we enjoy if our conscience hath been troubled with terrour of sin Wrath c. Peace belongs so to God as none of the Creatures can have any Glory of it Psal 4.7 The peace is Gods peace none can effect it or devise it but God and with respect to this he is more especially called the God of peace because he hath found out a way to make reconciliation between God and his sinful perishing Creatures 2 Cor. 5.19 Ephes 2.14 c. Col. 1.13 2. There is a special Work of God attributed to him that the Apostle takes into consideration i.e. That he brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that Great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant wherein we have many words and every word its weight and we shall scarce be able to weigh every one so as to take the full sense and emphasis of them In the words there is 1. Something implyed 2. Something expressed 1. Something implyed namely That the Lord Jesus Christ was sometimes in the state of death and that being in the state of death it was not any ordinary power way or means could ransom him He was in the state and condition of the dead he was for a while under the power and dominion of Death his body for the space of three dayes lay in the Grave and in that sense he was under the dominion of death as all dead men are The Great Shepherd of the sheep could not have his own life in some sense no interest he had in God by vertue of Sonship or any of his Offices could save him from death though the Son of God and Head of the Church and Christ looked upon it so far from being below him as he thought it necessary for him and it was his glory Jâ— 10.11 12. I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep but he that is an Hireling and not the Shepherd whose own the sheep are not seeth the Wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth c. Hirelings they have no spirit or principle in them that they should lay down their lives for the sheep but he so much respected his Fathers glory and good of his flock finding there was no way to bring them to salvation as he denyed himself in all other respects for their good so in this respect lays down his life for them And herein the Church of God seems to have a deadly kind of wound to be at a deadly loss Zach. 13.7 I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered But herein lies the wonderful goodness and wisdom of God he is pleased to improve as the life so the death of Christ for the good of his Church Luk. 24.16 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things it was very expedient that seeing the sheep could not otherwise be saved but by the Shepherds dying that the Shepherd should lay down his life for the sheep and seeing no other way to make reconciliation to God it was very expedient Christ should die Therefore 't is to be taken notice of that it doth not mis-become the Head therefore not the members of the body They must be content to lay down their lives for the Flock for so did the great Shepherd 2. Something expressed Where take notice First of the person spoken of Secondly of that which is given us to be taken notice of in particular 1. The Person to be taken notice of is our Lord Jesus Christ That which we have considerable is First The Title that belongs to him in his Church in this regard called The Great Shepherd of
is darkest There may be an hour of darkness that may be upon the Gospel as to its liberty purity and glory and yet there may be a Sun-shining day ready to tread on the heels of it And so much for the resolution of these Queries I shall proceed as I said and leave some Legacies with you which may by the finger of the Spirit be made advantagious to you when we are not advantaged to speak unto you Leg. 1. The first Legacy I would leave with you shall be this Secure your interest in Christ make it your great business your work your heaven to secure your interest in Christ This is not an Age an Hour for a man to be between fears and hopes between doubting and believing Take not up in a name to live when you are dead God-ward and Christ-ward Take not up in an outward form and outward priviledges They cryed The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord that had no interest in or love to the Lord of the Temple Follow God leave no means un-attempted whereby your blessed interest may be cleared up Leg. 2. Make Christ and Scripture the only foundation for your souls and faith to build on as the Apostle said 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundations can no man lay than that which is laid even Jesus Christ Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a corner stone a precious stone a sure foundation Eph. 2.10 Since it is a very dangerous thing as much as your soul and eternity is worth for you to build on this authority and that on this saying and that take heed Leg. 3. In all places and company be sure to carry your soul-preservatives with you go into no place nor company except you carry your soul-preservatives with you that is holy care and wisdom You know in infectious times men will carry outward preservatives with them you have need to carry your preservatives about you else you would be in danger of being infected with the ill customs and vanities of the time wherein you live and that is a third Leg. 4. I would leave with you is this Look that all within you rise higher and higher by oppositions threatnings and sufferings that is that your faith your love your courage your zeal your resolutions and magnanimity rise higher by opposition and the spirit of Prayer thus it did Acts 4.18 19 20 21 29 30 31. compared All their sufferings did but raise up a more noble spirit in them they did but raise up their faith and courage So Acts 5.40 41 42. they looked on it as a grace to be disgraced for Christ and as an honor to be dishonored for him They say as David If this be to be vile I will be more vile If to be found in the way of my God to act for my God be vile I will be more vile Leg. 5. Take more pains and make more conscience of keeping your selves from sin than suffering from the pollutions and defilements of the day than from the sufferings of the day this Legacy I would beg that you would consider take more pains and make more conscience of keeping your selves from the evil of sin than the evil of punishment from the pollutions and corruptions of the times Acts 2.40 Save your selves from this outward generation Phil. 2.15 The children of God must be harmless and blameless without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Heb. 11. speaks full to the point in hand Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis that have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy White was the habit of the Nobles which imports the honour that God will put on those that keep their garments pure in a defiling day Rev. 8.4 And I heard another voyce from Heaven saying Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues If you will be tasting and sipping at Babylons cup you must resolve to receive more or less of Babylons plagues Leg. 6. I would leave with you is this Be always doing or receiving good Our Lord and Master went up and down in this world doing good be was still doing good to body and soul he was acted by an untired power he still doing or receiving good this will make your lives comfortable your deaths happy and your accompt glorious in the great day of the Lord. Oh how useless are many men in their generation Oh that our lips might be as so many Honey-combs what we might scatter knowledge Leg. 7. I would leave with you is this Set the highest examples and patterns before your face of grace and godliness for your imitation in the business of Faith set an Abraham before your eyes in the business of Courage set a Joshua in the business of Uprightness set a Job of Meekness a Moses c. There is a disadvantage that redounds to Christians by looking more backwards than forwards Men look on whom they excel not on those they fall short of Of all examples set them before you that are most eminent for grace and holiness for communion with God and acting for God next to Christ set the pattern of the choicest Saints before you Leg. 8. Hold fast your integrity and rather let all go than let that go A man had better let liberty estate relations and life go than let his integrity go yea let all Ordinances themselves go when they cannot be held with the hand of integrity Job 27.5 6. God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I will hold fast and I will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live look as the drowning man holds fast that which is cast forth for to save him as the Soldier holds fast his Sword and Buckler on which his life depends So saith Job I will hold fast my integrity my heart shall not reproach me I had rather all the world should reproach me and my heart justifie me than that my heart should reproach me and all the world justifie me That man will make but a sad exchange that shall exchange his integrity for any worldly concernment Integrity maintained in the soul will be a feast of fat things in the worst of days but let a man lose his integrity and it is not in the power of all the world to make a feast of sat things in that soul Leg. 9. That I would leave with you is this Let not a day pass over your head without calling the whole man to an exact accompt Well where have you been acting to day Hands what have you done for God to day Tongue what have you spoke for God to day This will be an advantage many ways unto you but I can onely touch on these Legacies Leg. 10. Labour mightily for a
thy word even as one that had found great stoils saith David so should we rejoyce alwayes in this treasure 'T is said of those that sate under John Baptists ministry that they rejoyced but for a while and that is the condition and misery of many The City of Samaria when they had received the Gospel 't is said they had great joy Acts 8.9 4. Be careful to keep and preserve it for it is a treasure and therefore we must treasure it up in our hearts and the rather because it will keep us It keeps as Chrysostome saith the house where it is other treasures cannot secure us Discretion shall preserve thee and understanding shall keep thee Prov. 21.11 Thus you see the excellency of this spiritual wisdom So much for the first thing considerable in the first branch viz. the Depositum the Treasure The second thing considerable is the Repository i. e. Earthen Vessels or Vessels of Earth Earthen Pitchers these are the Repository but have this treasure in Earthen Vessels c. Earth is a word of diminution and disparagement and that in three regards 1. In regard of its meanness and baseness 2. In regard of its foulness and pollution 3. In regard of its frailty and transitoriness 'T is passing away in all respects these Earthen Vessels in the Text is to be understood the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ in regard of their outward man are so called and are so according to this threefold notion I. In regard of their meanness their outside is mean either for person or sometimes for estate body and outward deportment This was the condition you know of the first Ministers of Christ mean and ordinary persons outwardly God made use of Nay our Master our blessed Lord and Saviour was mean in regard of his humane birth and so reckoned of by most men according to his birth and parentage So it is with the servants of Christ they are in their persons generally base mean low and accordingly rendered despicable to the eyes of the World II. In regard of foulness and pollution Ministers are called Earthen Vessels they have many weaknesses they are men subject to the like passions as others 'T is true the Ministers of Christ have greater advantages than others in regard of their education knowledge gifts and employments being more free from those defilements and snares that others are entangled in yet through the remainders of the flesh in them they have many infirmities so Satan watches them more than others lays more snares for them in regard of their parts and employments so that they are more subject to his temptations than others Satan hath a desire to sift them as the Apostle Peter as wheat because he knows they will draw many after them so that they must needs be subject to many weaknesses and infirmities Sometimes God makes use of the worst sort of men even the most vicious and malicious first he changeth them and then makes use of them as instruments of glory The Apostle Paul was a Vessel of Election to carry the name of Christ unto the Gentiles yet in times past a great persecutor So it pleaseth God to make use of such that the excellency of the power may be of God c. III. Ministers are called Earthen Vessels in the regard of the frailty and mortality of their persons and Earthen Vessels are soon crackt and broken Ministers are subject to many infirmities of body This Heavenly light of the Gospel shineth often through Lanthorns of glass with some broken Ministers have weak and frail bodies Timothy had his bodily infirmities and Trophimus was left sick at Miletum 1 Tim. 4.20 and Epaphroditus was sick nigh unto death Phil. 2.27 and Paul had need of Luke the Physician probably in regard of his sickness Thus the servants of God are subject to many infirmities Besides the reasons in the Text there are other reasons why God will have it so 1. That they may be more compassionate and more sensible of the weaknesses of others for likeness of condition breeds sympathy in affection Men are apt to pity those in the like condition with themselves so our Lord took our nature upon him that he mighty pity us he took flesh and bloud upon him he was tempted in all things like unto us but without sin that so he might succour those that are tempted So his servants many of them are much tempted which may breed in them a sympathy of affection to others that are in such a condition 2. God will have it so that Ministers may have the more experience of the Truths they preach to others concerning an afflicted condition those that have had no sickness or other affliction cannot preach from experience of such truths that concern such a condition they cannot preach so feelingly and savory as others when they have been under affliction they will know what affliction is both in the nature of it and the comforts of it and Gods gracious assistance therein and so they may speak comfortably and be enabled to comfort others as the Apostle Paul speaks 3. God is pleased so to order it sometimes for their humiliation to keep them low that so they may not be lifted up by reason of extraordinary manifestations and impartments thus St. Paul had given him a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12.7 A thorn was given him c. 't is twice repeated both in the beginning and end of the verse that so this thorn in the flesh might keep out pride in the heart that so they may have a more low meek and humble frame of spirit and thereby fitted and prepared for greater services And 4. That they may be also more conformable to those they have to deal with Israel desires Moses to speak to them and not God why because he was like unto them and would therefore compassionate them from whom they therefore desired to receive the commands of God Thus it pleaseth God to deal with his servants that as they may pity those they have to deal with so likewise to draw the affections of their people unto them to make them more loving and the more to attend on their Ministry seeing they are so fleeting and going away it pleaseth God that Epaphroditus should be sick even to death to endear the Philippians more to him chap. 2.25 28. that their love and tenderness may be drawn forth the more by discovery of his frailty Let us improve this Vse 1. First as to Ministers see how the condition is with us in our Calling We are Earthen Vessels taken out of dust We should often consider our frailty to make us more humble more meek and more compassionate to others more diligent in doing good that we may make amends for our frailty and natural weaknesses that are upon us We must not think much of it it being no more than in former times it was the
to look after a better Would any man be content to dye a Drunkard I ask you that are Drunkards I do believe you will answer no why then do you live in Drunkenness How know you that God will spare you when you are drunk until you are sober again We may read of many that have dyed in their drunken fits God doth not always send his Herauld to warn thee before he sends his Serjeant to arrest thee How knowest thou but Death may strike thee on a sudden What will then become of thy Soul Oh Beloved I beseech you live not in that you are unwilling to dye in Balaam was not such a Wretch but he could cry our Good Lord let me dye the death of the righteous Thirdly Lay up for suffering times there are few of you I believe are so bad husbands but will lay up for a rainy day I mean against a time of sickness comes wherein you will be unable to work are you thus careful to maintain your bodies and will you be careless of your souls O be careful to provide for stormy weather you have winter garments for your bodies to preserve them from cold oh let patience be your winter garment to preserve keep your selves warm in afflictions I know that he that will live godlily in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and that through tribulations and sufferings we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven shall I not then provide for them But you may say What doth persecution attend all the godly A man may escape them as well as suffer them Put case afflictions should not come thou wilt be never the worse for being provided for them for he that is fit to dye is fit to live that man that is fit to suffer afflictions is fit to live without them It was Paul's Exhortation to the Ephesians 6.10 Finaly my Brethren put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand the wiles of the Devil And it is wisdom in a man to provide for a misery before it comes There is mention made of a Nation the Spartans I think that useth to chuse their King as we do our Lord Mayor every year whilst they are in their annual Government they lived in all abundance of state have all the fulness their hearts can wish but when their year is over all their pomp glory is over too they banisht into some obscure remote place for ever where they spent the remainder of their lives in great want and misery One King knowing this being called to rule over this Nation made such use of his time wherein he reigned as King that by his provident living he heaped up so much treasure and sent it before him to the place where he knew he should be sent as maintained him all his life time Thus it is God hath appointed to every one a time to live in and that bur a short time too and in that time he hath appointed afflictions to attend us if we will live godlily in Christ Jesus it is not wisdom in us then to provide for them Take heed then to avoid sufferings you do not commit sin to commit sin to avoid suffering is as if a man should run our of the mouth of a barking Dog into the mouth of a devouring Lyon What is the wrath of man to the wrath of God Man can but destroy the body and no more but God can destroy both body and soul into Hell fire to all eternity Fourthly My fourth word of Counsel and Direction is this Be serious in serious things when you come to perform serious things do them seriously I do not know that ever I saw a man fall asleep while he was telling of Money for if he should how could he tell whether it were right or no Yet alas too too many sleep when they should be taking Truth not only by natural sleep but also by spiritual sleep they are so careless in receiving the Word they hear and so lazy withal that rather then they will try the Word they hear they will take all for truth the Minister tells them Beloved I believe you will scarce put so much confidence in a man as to receive a summ of Money without teâ—ling it because he saith it is right and yet will you receive all that your Minister tells you is truth for truth without trying it You must not be sluggish in your working for God but put forth your selves to the uttermost You must make the Kingdom of Heaven suffer violence and take it by force But then Fifthly The fifth Direction which I shall give you is about hearing the Word how you must behave your selves when you hear I take it for granted you will hear I hope you will for brown bread is better than none and a little is better than none at all yet I intreat you take these two words of Direction First Try the Word you hear by the Truth Secondly Try your selves by the Word First Try the Word you hear by the Truth if it be not consonate to that believe it not let who will preach it Paul exhorteth the Galathians so to do Chap. 1.8 9 But though we 〈◊〉 an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed How Paul accursed sure you speak too high what if an Angel must he be accursed sure you will call in your words again Nay instead thereof he repeats them over again As we said before â—o I say again If any one preach any other Gospel than that which you have received let him be accursed If any man pretend a Revelation from Heaven and cannot bring Scripture for what he saith do not believe one syllable Take the noble Beraeans for your Example they would not believe Pauls Doctrine until they had searched to see whether it were so or no. But then as you are to try the Word you hear by the Truth so try your selves by the Word You hear as a Truth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Now try your selves by this Truth and see whether or no you walk after the Flesh or after the Spirit I have likewise two Directions about the preaching of the Word First Do not you receive the Word for the persons sake that brings it I am apt to think that many of you will receive a Truth of one mans bringing which you would not receive of anothers and thus ye receive the Word of God with respect of persons which you ought not But first receive the Word for its own sake and secondly receive the Person for the Words sake 1 Thess 5.12 13. We beseech you Brethren to know them which aâ—e over you to admonish you and labour among you in the Lord and to esteem of them very highly in love for their works sake Sixthly My Direction in the
2. There must be light to actuate this Object if it were dark we could never see it There must be light both to actuate the eye and object Now this light that actuates the eye and object 't is either the natural light the light of Nature the light of Conscience the light of common Illumination the light of the Word or the light of the Spirit of God By all these Lights we come to look into the Looking-glass our Hearts 3. There must be an Irradiation from the Object i. e. a beaming forth from that Object some Species or Idea's that carries the object to the eye and clearly makes out to the sense what that Object is this beaming is by action from the heart mark it for it may be as necessary truth as was preached among you that look what the Stream is to the Fountain what the Beam to the Sun that the action is to the heart whether the act be manent or transient whether Internal in thought purpose election assection in joy in love in fear Or External in the life in the practice and in the conversation So that look as a puddle Stream always declares a corrupt Fountain so all your humble holy faithful thoughts speak a clear spiritual heart within a holy conversation speaks a holy Affection and a holy Affection declares a heavenly Constitution a new Nature Now for the Vse of this is the heart of a man a Looking-glass 1. See from hence of what concernment the Actions of men are whether internal or external The actions of men are like the streams you may certainly finde the Fountain by them they speak the heart as the Root bears the fruit 'T is of infinite concernment 't is the Fountain of what principles within and conversation without descend but into thy own heart c. 2. This shews the sad condition of all natural poor souls your Hearts are Looking-glasses but they are Looking-glasses in a dungeon of Darkness there be Toads Vipers and Devils there but thou canst not see them that hast no spiritual Light 3. Here is consolation to Gods people Is the Heart of a man a Looking-glass What reason have they to rejoyce in their hearts that are the best Looking-glasses in the world not like our Gallants Looking-glasses that must not bewray their wrinkles spots c. But theirs will represent their Heart Complexion Condition and Nature to them Nay in that Glass may be seen the face of a God Nay further because thy Heart doth answer to another Heart and his to his whatever Grace is in any Believers it is there in thy Heart in semine there 's the seed 4. By way of exhortation Is the Heart a Looking-glass Then keep the Looking-glass very chary make much of it above all keepings keep thy heart and that with all diligence in all places at all times and in all things If any thing under Heaven will keep thee holy it is the keeping of thy Heart There thou mayest see all thy spots defects desperate Hypocrisies Infernal Atheism all the deliques of thy soul How prone to commit as vile â—ins as ever was committed by the vilest of the sons of men Once more keep it clean and keep it close Look into the heart and thou shalt finde it to be a Copy of the Role of Eternity where thou shalt see thy very name written in Letters of Gold or Bloud for we looking into our Hearts may and do know that we are passed from death to life and that upon this ground because we love the brethren And thus I advance to The Fifth Sermon 1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren IN these words five things 1. A supposed Estate in which we are all by nature and that is an Estate of spiritual death 2. A peaceable Recovery or mention of another state and estate of life 3. A real Transition from this state of death to life We are passed c. 4. An inseparable property of all the Regenerate Souls in the World they do not hate but love the brethren 5. A comfortable Conclusion that a Christian may make from that property he may know he may be assured by this that he is passed from death to life because he loves the brethren The Observation this A Christian may know his real Conversion and Transition to Eternal life by this Character among the rest because he loves the brethren This Proposition waâ— slit into these two particulars 1. That every Believer may have an assurance of his Transition from death to life 2. The love of the brethren is one of the great eminent Symptoms of mans Regeneration 1. A Christian may know his real Conversion and Translation to eternal life Such a great and real change is there wrought in every Believer at his Conversion and this wrought by such a great Efficient and Infinite cause the Spirit of God and this cause working by such real and powerful means and instruments the great Word of God and this done notwithstanding the great opposition that is made by a poor sinner against the Word and when wrought it hath such a real and grand effect upon a Believer that 't is impossible but a Believer must needs know this his Transition from death to life Secondly Love to the brethren is the great Symptom of mens Regeneration Love to the brethren not taken solely singly as if this was the onely Character but concomitantly taken with others but beyond and above all others this is the Privie Soul of God on the Soul if he have inflamed it with love he may know he is passed from death to life The Vse is of Confutation of the Papists those grand enemies to Gospel-Truths and Believers peace They abhor this Doctrine of Assurance by it their Purgatory would fall down their Popes Kitchin would grow cold They tell us Believers cannot have assurance in this World No 1. Why hath God commanded us to make our Calling and Election sure and will God command Impossibilities such as cannot be wrought by our or his own power 2. Other Saints have attained this Assurance this New Name and White Stone within them Object That 's by extraordinary Revelation Ans This is not upon proof Was not the assurance of Gods people in Scripture grounded upon general promises Had they many of them either extrinsecal signs or marks to assure them of it did it not spring from Principles common to all Believers Object But suppose they have assurance to day they may lose it to morrow Man is a mutable Creature he may be a childe of God in the morning and a brat of Hell in the evening Answ 'T is true man is a mutable Creature yet is he preserved by an immutable God Man is a weak Creature but yet is preserved by the power of God unto salvation Man as a Creature is no less mutable in Heaven than upon Earth there preserved by God therefore why not
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
mock with God in our prayers when we pray that his Name may be glorified if we are dismayed and discontented when God is glorified by us in our sufferings because they are tedious and irksome to our flesh If we are unwilling that God should be glorified by our sufferings If we are unwilling to honour him in an afflicted state why do we then in our prayers pretend to beg that God may be glorified Oh how much is God glorified many times by the sufferings of his people when as he is dishonoured by the secure and sensual lives of many thousands that are in prosperous calm and quiet condition in the World I might give you many instances from the Scripture to such that the sufferings of Gods people have tended very much to the setting forth of the high praises of the Lord. Oh how much have the sufferings of the Israelites been all along of Joh of David of Hezekiah of the three Children of Daniel and so under the New Testament how have the sufferings of Stephen Paul Silas and the rest of the Apostles and Martyrs resounded to the honor and glory of God for whom they suffered Indeed Gods people do more honour and glorifie God by their sufferings than by their doings for him Let us not then be dismayed though we may be in a troublesome and suffering condition seeing this is a condition in the which we are most capable of doing service for God and of bringing most honor and glory to him Secondly Thou that hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven art thou in an afflicted suffering condition in the world to bear up thy fainting spirits consider that affliction and tribulation is that by which God is pleased to cleanse and purge his people from sin Afflictions are like Black-soap which doth seem to soil the Cloath and make it more filthy yet it purgeth and cleanseth it and maketh it more white at length it is as the fire into which the Gold may be thrown yet it is not consumed but refined and puriâ—ied thereby it loseth only its dross so the Saints are not quite consumed by their afflictions but sanctified and they lose only that filth dross and rust that doth mix it self with grace in their hearts by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged saith God speaking of afflictions and this is all the fruit to take away his sin and shall we be unwilling to have our sins purged It is true as for those that are Reâ—robates God usually lets them alone to go on and die and â—erish for ever when as yet God is pleased to correct his people and to cast them into the Furnace of affliction because he intends mercy to them and surely it will be known one day that there can be no greater Judgment befall poor Creatures than to be let alone without chastisements to take their own swing in sin and Oh how many thousands are now in Torment for that they were let alone in their sins and never chastised by Afflictions in their Life time when as Gods people are chastened of the Lord that they might not be condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.32 And which is easier to be born external tribulations in this life or eternal torments in the life to come one of these two will certainly befall every man and woman of us either we shall be chastened here or condemned hereafter the wicked are oftentimes let alone here they are not in troubles as other men Psal 73. but they are condemned with the World The Goâ—ly they are often chastized of the Lord here but it is in mercy to them that they may be purged from sin and not condemned with the world And David tells us that by his afflictions he was reduced from going astray and brought back again into the Fold of God Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy precepts And shall we be dismayed at the means whereby we are kept close to God and are kept from falling away from God A man is willing to take a bitter medicine to purge away that disease which would otherwise kill him Nor is he troubled at the working of his Physick though he have many painful gripes so long as it tends to the removing of those obnoxious humours and diseases which would otherways bring him to his grave And shall Christians be afraid of the bitter Cup of Afflictions which by Gods blessing purge away their sins which are the diseases of their Souls and so preserve them from eternal death Thy trials here are to purge thee and cleanse thee that thou mayest not lie in Eternal torments in the world to come And shall Christians be dismayed at that which tends to their Eternal health and Salvation and to the keeping of their Souls from Hell We should rather rejoyce to be in that condition whatsoever it be by which we may be most purged and preserved from sin Standing poâ—ls do usually contract filth and mud So those Christians that are setled upon the lees in a prosperous state and condition they do verâ— frequently get filâ—h and corruption The people of God are never made the freer from sin by their freedom from outward affliâ—tions This then is the second consideration to keep the Saints from being dismayed at their afflictions in the World because thereby they are purged from sin which would otherways prove the bane of their souls Thirdly You that are the heirs of Heaven and have an interest in the Eternal Glory you are in affliction and tribulation in the World be not dismayed For coâ—â—ider that the thing do tend to the exercisinâ— and increase of our â—â—aces and tâ— the making of â—ou eminent in Grace and â—â—linesâ— Aâ—d will you be daunted at that which tend to the making of you more holy Will you be grieved at that which tends to the increasing of your faith patience humility heavenly-mindedness and to the making of you more eminent for holiness and godliness Believers are usually greater gainers by their afflictions in the World than by their external prosperity yea many times they are losers by their prosperity when as they have been great gainers by their troubles and adversity Oh how many have gained in grace and holiness by their losses in the World the servants of God were never more eminent in grace than when they were least and lowest in their outward estate true graces are the diamonds that shine brightest in the darkest night and these shine clearest in the obscurest night of adversity The Saints in Scripture were then most eminent for holiness and godliness and all other graces when they lay under greatest troubles and tribulations from the World and how exemplary in holiness and how eminent in faith and heavenly-mindedness were the Martyrs when they were afflicted tormented imprisoned burned and persecuted with the most grievous persecutions from the hands of wicked men when as the prosperity and pleasures of the wicked did tend
he will command deliverance for you in his own time Snatch not after deliverance by any preposterous and unlawful courses before God holdeth it out to you lest you provoke him to detain it the longer from you To conclude all I shall take leave of you in the words of the Holy Ghost recorded Acts 20.32 Heb. 13.20 21. And now brethren I shall commend you to God to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified And the God of peace which brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever A Farewel Sermon Preached at Great Ayton in the County of Yorkshire by George Evanke Chaplain to the Right Worshipful Sir George Norwood Baronet at Cleaveland in Yorkshire Matth. 26.39 Nevertheless not my will but thy will be done THe Subject of this Chapter is a sad Story and Tragical Relation of a dying Jesus In the beginning of this Gospel you may see him coming into the World in a Shower Matth. 2.13 And now in the end of it you finde him going out in a Storm Mat. 27.22 Alas that so good a Ghest should find so bad a welcome and that the Lord of Life should so soon be put to death When the Angels those Heavenly Choristers first sang that Christmas Carol of a Saviour that was born into the World Luke 2.10 11 12 13 14. one would have thought the World should have fallen a dancing after such Evangelical Musick and that all hearts should have like the Babe in Elizabeths womb leapt for joy at the news of a new born Prince But it was quite contrary for instead of joyning in that Heavenly Quire in gratulating the happy arrival of this young King into their Country they take the Alarum of his Birth as if an Enemy had landed in their Coasts And hereupon Herod presently heads an Army goes out against him and makes the poor Prince to fly the Country Mat. 2.13 14. But though the meanest of his Birth Extraction and Descent may give them distast at first yet when he begins to display his Divinity among them by working such amazing Miracles as none could work and Preaching such moving Sermons as none could ever Preach Oh then they will recant their Error and own their Saviour and the joyful shout of a King will be heard amongst them as it is expressed in Numb 23.21 Truly one would think that it would have been thus but Oh no! the Rocky hearts of these Marble wretches would not yield nor melt nor thaw nor take impression but still they continue in their unbelief and hardness of heart disowning the Lord that bought them and consulting his death who was contriving to bring them to life All the displeasure he would have done them was to take their sins from them Mat. 11.28 And all the pleasure they meant to shew him was to take his Life from him Mat 26.59 All the hurt that ever Christ did them was to pray for them Father forgive them forgive them And all the good they ever did him was to cry Crucifie him Crucifie him And Crucifie him they did before they could sit down Whose Death and Crucifixion is described and represented to your view 1. By the Antecedents or things before 2. By the Consequents or things following after The Antecedents were 1. The several Preparitories to it Chap. 2. The judicial progress about it Chap. seqr The Prerogatives were 1. The Jews conspiring ver 3 4 5. 2. Judas his Covenancing to affect it 14 15 16. 3. Christs own preparing and fitting himself for it that he might without relucting submit to it and without the least Symptome of disponding encounter and go thorow with it And this is the Argument of the latter part of this Chapter at large and of my Text in short Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me yet not my will but thy will be done Which words I may call The pious Souls sequestring it self for dying or Our Saviours Preparatory to his Passion Wherein you have two Observables 1. Here 's an humble Petition presented Let this Cup pass 2. Here 's an hearty Resignation promised Not my will but thine be done I. First An humble Petition Let this Cup pass from me Our Saviour was at this time very apprehensive of Death The sorrows of the Grave â—haâ—l â—â—â—â—â—ssed him about and the pains of Hell had taken hold upon him 〈◊〉 â—â—w in this dark condition and Spiritual Damp that his Soul lay 〈…〉 â—e gets himself out into the Garden alone and there he fits weepâ—â—â— â—â—â—â—â—â—ah under the Juniper-tree and like dying Hezekiah he lays 〈…〉 and spâ—â—ads his Condition before the Lord imploring him Samaritan-like to shew him some pity in this his Extremity Father saith he Let this cup pass from me Now in that Christ betakes himself to God for help in this hour of heaviness you may learn hence It 's better to intrust and interest God for our help and comfort than man For man yea the best of men are but men and when they have done the best for us it may be they can do no good to us When the man in the Kings had made his misery known to his Neighbours and cryed to them Help Help you know what an answer he got How can we help except the Lord help When Job had told over the sad story of his great losses to his three friends expecting some redress to so unparalleld grievances you know how long they sate by him without giving him one word of Counsel or administring the least word of Comfort which forced him into that passionate Resolve Miserable Comforters are ye all When Judas lay under the Convulsions and Corrodings of a grumbling Conscience and ran to the Priests for Absolution A look thee to that was all the comfort he could get from them Ah! that mans condition is most to be pitied who runs to none but man for pity When all is done God is our surest stay He is usually the last but always the best Refuge Therefore when we have read over the sad Lecture of our Losses and poured out our wants and wrongs into the bosom of our safest and firmest friends then is this Apostrophe this Turn the sweetest Turn the Soul can take when it can Turn to God as you see Christ doth here say Father if it be possible let this cup this cross pass from me II. Secondly Here 's an hearty resignation in these words Nevertheless not my will but thine be done And if he had said 't is true it 's Ease which this Nature this Humane Nature of mine would have but if thou Lord art otherwise resolv'd to continue me in pain I
have no more to say but only this Thy will be done It was the saying of a good Woman in her Sickness when askt whether she was willing to live or die answer'd I am willing to do whether God pleaseth But said one if God should refer it to you which would you chuse Truly said she if God should refer it to me I should e'n refer it to him again Here 's the picture of Christs patience drawn here in this Text where as you see he refers to his Fathers pleasure Not my will but thine be done Paraphrastically thus If thou wilt have me suffer a while lay load on me and spare not If I must be spit on thus shamefully and buffetted thus basely and that by my own Creatures whom I could send to Hell with a word speaking if I must climb to the Ladder and be hung up in Gibbets as a Spectacle of sadness to my Friends and Object of laughter to my enemies If it be so that my Honour must lie in the dust and my Bloud lie in thè dust and my Sacred Body go to bed with Worms if it must be thus let it be thus and no otherwise than just thus in a word if he that never stole any thing unless it were mens sins from them must now be numbered with Transgressors and hang'd with Thieves if the Redemption of the World be so costly that I cannot hug a poor soul to Heaven with me at a cheaper Rate I am content to come up to Gods terms and to buy the life of the Nation though it be with my own death Thus much is meant in this Expression Thy will be done From which Branch we may shake this Fruit into your Lap. Dostr A gracious soul will endeavour the crossing his own will when he sees that it crosses Gods Or thus A true Christian dare not at least ought not to gratifie his own Humour when it stands in opposition or cometh in competition with Gods Honour In the improvement of which I shall 1. Premise some Presidents of it 2 Annex some Reasons to it 3. Infer some Use from it The first President I shall pitch upon is Abraham Gen. 22 2. Here God calls Abraham out to very hot service even to lay the Sacrificing Knife to the throat of his dear Child Come saith God Take thy Son thy only Son Isaac whom thou lovest and offer him up for a Burnt-offering Alas how many considerations might have stept up into Abrahams head at this time to have made him refuse obedience to a Command so grievous and ungrateful to flesh and bloud Alas Lord Isaac is my Son the onely staffe of my old Age And if my Son die it will be enough to bring my gray Hairs with sorrow to the Grave Nay more Isaac is my only Son I have none else to keep up my Family and to preserve my Name in everlasting Remembrance and if he die all the hopes I have of a Flourishing Posterity dies with him Nay more Iâ—aac is the Son of Promise In his seed all Nations are to be blessed Christ the Mâ—ssiah is to come of his Liâ—e Sions Deliverer is to spring out of his Race and if he die the World for ought I know must want a Saviour and Israel his Redâ—â—mâ—r Besides if Isaac must be saâ—â—ificed is there none to lay bloudy hands upon him but my self Must an indulgent Father be his own Childs Executioner Must I that gave him life be the cruel Instrument of taking it way Thus Abraham might have Expostulated the Case with God But no no instead of Replying he falls to Obeying Gen. 22. ver 3. without either disputing the Justice of Gods Precept or distrusting the truth of his promise for he considered That God was able to raise him up again from the dead Heb. 11.19 See here an eminent piece of Self-denial his sin must go his Son must go any thing yea every thing must go when God calls for it It was Abrahams will and wish too that Isaac should live but Abraham would not own his will when he saw it did not own Gods and what lost he by it Take this Christian as an Axiome and put it as an Article into thy Creed That there 's never any loss in obeying God let the command be never so dangerous costly or difficult the way to keep Isaac is to give up Isaac and the way to enjoy thy will is to deny thy will The promise is clear Mat. 19.29 A second President you have in David 2 Sam. 15.26 who in that great Cross his chasing from the Crown thus expressed himself Behold here I am let the Lord do with me as seemeth good in his sight As if he had said If the Lord please to change the Nature of my unnatural Son Absalon who seeks to Usurp the Crown and Ravish the Kingdom from me and to settle and re-establish me on the Throne again If God please thus to honour me it shall content me but if he use his Negative Vote and deny me that mercy saying I have no pleasure in thee I will be content still Let him do saith David what seemeth good in his sight Not what seems good in my sight but in his His will shall be my will and his pleasure my delight See what another self-denying Saint here is that God and he should have but one will betwixt them both If God would favour him he would be for it and if God would afflict him he would not be against it Which disposition mindeth me of that passion which I have read of Socrates when a Tyrant threatned him with death I am willing to dye Socrates Nay then replyed the Tyrant you shall live against your will No said Socrates what ever you do with me it shall not be against but with my will O friends I question whether some of you who pretend to Grace may not go to School to thiâ— Heathen who had no other Pilot but Nature to steer him Could not the Tyrant by altering the mans condition make him to alter his Countenance and is your condition up and down as your comforts or discomforts ebb or flow did natural Qualifications make him quietly submit to Fortune and shall not Theological considerations make him acquiesce in a Providence Did the Spring-head of meer Reason rise so high as Contentation and shall not Religion like the waters of the Sanctuary rise as high O Christians lye down at the foot of Gods Mercy saying Thy will be done 1. Otherwise you will grieve God 2. And you will gratifie the Devil 3. And lastly you will no way advantage your selves Reas 1. First I say you will grieve God * This expression is not to be taken properly but Theologically See Heb. 3.10 Wherefore I was grieved with that Generation saith God What Generation was that which God was thus grieved with Look but into Exod. 16.8 and you 'l finde it was a murmuring Generation a dissatisfied and discontented Generation It 's a
for ever O thou heavenly Samaritan that once poured in Wine into the half dead Traveller draw near draw near here 's a Church full of souls not half dead but wholly dead their eyes closed they cannot they cannot see thee their hearts grown stiff and cold and hard and have no feeling of thee unless in mercy thou speak a Resurrection word and make them live again to praise thee Oh let this be the time of life Oh let it be a time of love apply unto their festered sores this saving salve of Christs Bloud that they putrifie not to death nor languish in despair drop into their wounded souls the sharp Wine of thy wrath search them and pour in also the supplying Oyl of thy tender Mercy to heal them that so both them and their wills which further than they are driven will not go may be brought into a Conformity to thee and thy will Secondly It speaks terror to those that do the Devils will It was an Indictment which Christ prefer'd against the Jews and may I fear too truly be laid to the charge of many Nomical Christians John 8.44 Yeare of your Father the Devil and the works of the Devil you will do Adam when the will of God and the will of the Devil hung in equal ballance before him we know how ready he was to chuse the wrong Scale God said Touch not the forbidden fruit Satan said Take and eat the forbidden fruit and you know the sad event of that affair Now if Adam was at the Devils beck in the slate of Creation when his Nature was not depraved with sin nor his Soul debaucht with lust who in the state of Corruption can say my Heart is clean Object It may be some will Object None is so devoid of Grace sure none gone so far in the Sâ—upiâ—ication of their Conscience as to do the will of the Devil Answ Ah poor soul I could wish that the party here concern'd be not nearer than thou art aware of put thy hand into thy bosom and it may be thou mayest resolve the Objection thy self Thou wouldst possibly take it ill should I come to thee as Nathan did to David and clap thee on the shoulder with this Arrest Thou art the man I confess this would be more than my Commission warrants me to do yet give me leave to whisper one word or two in thine ear When thou makest a lye whose will dost thou Gods or the Devils not Gods for God saith put away lying Surely lying is the work and will of Satan whom the Scripture Records for a Lyar from the beginning Again when with Jezebel thou paintest thy self with pride and standest sacrificing many a precious morn to the Idol in the Looking-glass whose will art thou doing at such a time sure not Gods for in Isa 28.1 you have him declaiming against such practises Wo to the crown of pride to the crown of pride When thou art acting the good-fellow upon tâ—â—â— Ale-bench and with thy drivling Oaths damning all that are wedded to the Rules of Sobriety and dares not break off thy drunken Fraternity whose will art thou doing and in whose work art thou imployed at such a time Certainly not Gods he calls no such Conventicles nor allows no such Societies witness that Alarum which he sounds under the window where such Swaggerers fit Joel 1.5 Awake awake ye drunkards weep and howl all ye drinkers of wine for the time is at hand when your sweet draught shall be cut off from your mouth In a word when thou art finning whose will art thou doing not Gods for he saith Cease to do evil and learn to do well Certainly while it is thus with thee the words of Christ are applicable to thee Thou art of thy Father the Devil and the work or will of the Devil thou wilt do John 8.44 Vse 3. Thirdly Is it so then ever make Gods will the Standards of yours and think not to bring down his will to yours but resign up your will to his That Epitapth would not become a Christian Tomb-stone which was found Engraven upon a Misers Monuments Here lies one against his will the blessed Apostle was of another minde when he said I have learnt in what ever state I am therewith to be content Many can be content in an Honorable Estate or in a wealthy Estate or in a plentiful or prosperous Estate but to be reproacht and yet content to be bely'd and yet content to be affronted and wrong'd and yet content in such Estates as these to be content is far above Nature and none can do it but he that hath learnt it I have learnt saith Paul But alas how few Scholars hath this Great Doctor St. Paul in his Heavenly Academy Children can learn to be proud can learn to be covetous can learn to be undutiful to their Parents can learn to lye and swear before they have well learnt to speak But he must be a Man nay more than a Man that can learn to love an Enemy to forgive an injury and with Paul to be content with every Contingency For the Lords sake MAN ply this lesson well if thine Enemy lay thy Honour low intreat the Lord to lay thy heart as low and be content If Authority bring thy Estate down beseech God to bring thy Spirit down and be content when thy comforts runs a tilt and thy blessings runs dregs then let patience have her perfect work and be content feast upon thy own Lentiles quash thy penitential tears instead of luscious Wine and count thy sins instead of pounds keep thy heart at home and suffer not thy ambition to climb up beyond thy Makers pleasure Mahomet when he could not make the Mountain come down to it he went up to the Mountain So when thou canst not enlarge thy Dominions to thy minde then confine thy minde to thy Dominions and when thou hast more be the more thankful and when thou hast less be content This is the third Use Make Gods will the stan dard of yours Now if you put Pauls Query Lord what wilt thou have me to do I will answer the question tel you what God would have you to do 1. God would have you obey his Command and live piously 2. God would have you bear his Cross and suffer patiently First It 's Gods will you should live piously For the proof of this you may read 1 Thes 4.3 4. This is the will of God what is even this saith Paul your Sanctification that every one of you should possess your vessel in holiness Mark this in holiness and if so what will become of all those befooled and abused souls who debauch their vessel with uncleanness and defile themselves with drunkenness If Belshazar was so severely punisht for dissecrating and prophaning the Vessels of the Temple dedicated unto God of how much sorer punishment shall these wretches be thought worthy who have adulterated and defiled the Temple of the Holy Ghost He drank
ye also may come to joyn with the Apostle in saying I am perswaded nothing shal separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Secondly The Apostle is perswaded neither Death nor Life can do this Deaâ—h in its self hath in it by reason of its terrors and torments a great tendency to separate those from Christ which have not real firm hold of him but those that have seen everlasting love and thereby have had love bâ—gotten in them unto Christ that love also being everlasting have something that will cause them never to depart from him Death is Christs servant he did abolish it and carry it Captive in his Resurrection and then as it were renew unto it its Commission to bring his Beloved out of the world unto him Therefore with what terrors soever Death cometh it is granted to him by the Commission of the Prince of Life and this is only to shew that neither its terrors not torments can overcome the love and life of Christ Jesus in the soul but they remain still everlasting Neither can Life separate us Although a love unto Life and a fear of Death are of like power to separate from Christ It doth sometime happen that we see persons out-live thâ—ir goodness and how much better had it been for such to have died sooner But the Apostle is confident neither Life nor Death could separate him from Christ This ye shou'd expect the tryal of every Christian whether there is any thing he feareth more then God or loveth more then Christ yea even his own life And it is only Faith that makes this union with the love of Christ that neither life nor death can separate from him Did we understand the smal value of this outward life we should not adventure our everlasting health for it Thirdly Neither Angels nor Principalities nor Powers These are Powers on which are built sereral gradations of Angelical eternal Dominions and in each Dominion are multitudes of Angels divers of which rebelled against God and these only he here mentioneth for the other would not endeavour to make any separation from Christ neither are these able though Angels in the highest gradation of evil spirits because stronger is he who comes to save us than he who attempts to destroy us Yea Christ's derivative power is greater than the power of evill 1 John 2.14 I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one Fourthly Nor things present These were the Opposition envy and malice of the Jewe they called the wayes of the Christians Heresie and resolved to extirpate them under a sense that thereby they did God good service 2. Opposition from the Gentiles who lived in common prophaneness and so contrary to the Christian Profession 3. That which the Apost a mentioneth with more regret the Divisions among the Christians them selves some glorying to be of Cephas some of Apollo and false Brethren also watching to betray them yet the Apostle saith while in the view of all these round about him did perswade him all these could not separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus tour Lord. Fifthly Nor things to come And this not only in reference unto the time of the Apostles life on earth but after also so that the Apostle wroke not only for his own faith but of those also which were to be true Christians hereafter and he saw there was to come a time of Apostacy wherein men would give out Doctrine of Devils and Wolves which should not spare the Flock but here was Faith which all these things could not separate from this love in Christ Many times things to come are greater terrors then things present because fear consults what they would be and that is apt to multiply things in the imagination and render them also greater than indeed they are how many soever therefore of these may come upon us let us see that they have not power to work this separation in the Apostles example Sixthly Neither height nor depth Heights have in them a great power to separate from Christ high Gifts Saint Paul himself saith There was a Thorn given me in the flest least I should be exalted above measure God would not have sent that remedy had he not been in danger And therefore Paul would not have his Bishop a Novice 1 Tim. 3.6 One newly planted in the faith lest when he is listed up in his Office he he lifted up in pride also and fall into the Devils condemnation being cast down for lifting up himsel too high To fall by pride is a dangerous snare to separate from Christ Jesus These God beholds afar off but giveth more grace to the humble It is a great grace to have exaltations in temporals or spirituals which leads us into no danger Nor depths this is that the Pselmist tels us Psal 44.9 c. But thou hast cast us off and put us to shame and goest not forth with our Armies Thou makest us to turn back from the Enemy they which hate us spoil for themselves Thou hast given us like Sheep appointed for meat and hast scattered us among the Heathen Thou sellest thy people for nought and doth not increase thy wealth by their Price Thou makest us a reproach among our Neighbours a scorn and derision to them which are round about us Thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen a shaking of the head among the People My confusion is daily before me and the shame of my face hath covered me For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth by reason the enemy and avenger All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant The deep distress could not separate them from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Seventhly Nor any other Creature Let it be what it will so it be but creature and not God it cannot separate from the love of the Creator Exalt Creator in your hearts and creature will be but little in your eyes Eightly Shall not be able There are many enemies want nor will but they shall not be able So it was with the enemies of Gods King in the Psalms Psal 21.11 For they intended evil against thee they imagined an evil device which they were not able to perform Ninthly To separate us To make us without the love of God in Christ Jesus they may drive us and turn us into it but not beyond it there the malice of Man and the Devil leaving those that are truly Christs And this because it is 1. The Love of God 2. In Christ Jesus It must be somthing able to turn the Divine affections which nothing can do nor alter the love of God in Christ Jesus because it is not built on our worthiness or stability but on Christ And none can cause the Father not to love his son And if ye