heart he is perfect with the Lord Deut. 18. 13. Nothing will hold out but sincerity Psal. 25. 21. Let integrity preserve me When Job could not hold fast his Estate yet he held fast his Religion whence was this from his sincerity Job 27. 6. My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live The garment of Job's profession did not tear because it was lined with sincerity 3. The third part of the Text is St. Paul's Crown Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness it is Corona recondita a Crown laid up A Christians best things are to come Well might the Apostle say It doth not yet appear what we shall be 1 Joh. 3. 2. We are here as Princes in disguise the world knoweth us not but there is a Crown laid up While we are laying out for God he is laying up for us And what Crown is this a Crown of Righteousness The felicity of Heaven is described sometimes by a city for riches Heb. 11. 10. sometimes by a country for pleasure Heb. 11. 16. sometimes by a Crown for honour And this Crown hath various Appellations 1. It is called a Crown of Glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. it is full of splendor therefore said to be bespangled with Stars Rev. 12. 1. We can no more bear a sight of this Crown till God enlarge our capacities than a weak eye can bear the dazling beams of the Sun 2. It is called a Crown of life Jam. 1. 12. whoever heard before of a living Crown It is a Crown of life not only as Grotius saith because it is bestowed in the life to come but because it enlivens with joy it not only Crowns the head but chears the heart 'T is a living Crown 3. It is called a Crown of Righteousness in the Text not that it is of right due to us or comes of merit as the Papists corruptly gloss we cannot deserve a crum at Gods hands much less a Crown That which merits must be a gift not a debt whatever service we do for God is a due debt nay we cannot pay all nay that which we pay is not in currant money our duties are stained with sin where then is merit but it is called a Crown of Righteousness because it is purchased by Christs righteousness and because God having promised this Crown it is righteous in him to bestow it Hence observe thirdly for the persevering Saint there is laid up a Crown of righteousness in Heaven a Crown is the highest ensign of worldly happiness 'T is only for Kings and Persons of renown to wear there is a Crown of righteousness laid up for the Elect. 'T is a massy Crown The Hebrew word for glory signifies a weight things that are precious the more weighty they are the more they are worth The weightier a chain of Pearl is the more it is worth The Heavenly Crown is expressed by a weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. This Crown of righteousness doth out-vye and exceed all earthly Crowns 1. It is more refined earthly Crowns are interwoven with troubles they are not made without crosses It was King Henry the Sevenths motto a Crown of Gold hung in a bush of Thorns But the Saints Crown is not mixed with care it adds no sorrow with it 2. The Crown of righteousness is given to every individual Saint Here the Crown goes but to one person a Crown of gold will fit but one head but in Heaven every Saint is a King and hath his Crown 3. The Crown of righteousness doth not draw envy to it David's Crown was an eye-sore to Absalom and he would have plucked it from his Fathers head but in the life to come different degrees of glory shall neither stir up pride nor cause envy for though one Crown may be bigger than another yet every ones Crown shall be as big as he can carry 4. The Crown of righteousness is everlasting that which disparageth earthly Crowns is they are corruptible Prov. 27. 24. Doth the Crown endure to every generation Terrestrial Crowns soon moulder into the dust but the Crown of righteousness is a Crown of Immortality it neither spends nor fades 1 Pet. 5. 4. Ye shall receive a Crown of righteousness which fadeth not away Corona virens non quales illae ex hedera lauro marcescens Eternity is a Jewel of the Saints Crown Quest. What is the quiddity or matter of which the Coelestial Crown is made Answ. The Crown it self consists in the Beatifical sight and fruition of the all-glorious God What else is the Angels Crown but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beholding of Gods face Mat. 18. 10. Deus Coronator Corona to have intellectual transforming sights of God will ravish the Elect with infinite delight Chrysostom saith The souls of the blessed shall be bespangled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with some of those illustrious beams of Gods glory which shall be transparent through the bright mirrour of Christs Humane nature If there were such gladness when Solomon was Crowned 1 King 1. 40. They rejoiced with great joy so that the earth rent with the sound what mighty acclamations and triumphs will be on the Saints Coronation day such will be the extasies and divine raptures of joy as exceed our very faith The delights of Heaven may be better felt than expressed Whatever can be said of the Coelestial Crown is but gutta de mari as a drop to the Ocean nay scarce so much Quest. When shall the Saints receive this Crown of righteousness Answ. They shall receive it in part immediately after death before their bodies are buried their souls are crowned 2 Cor. 5. 8. Absent from the body present with the Lord if the Crown were not instantly bestowed after death it were better for believers to stay here for they are here daily cucreasing their Grace here they have some bunches of Grapes by the way sweet foretasts of Gods love so that they had better stay here if they had not a speedy transition and passage to glory But this is the consolation of believers that they shall not stay long for their preferment no sooner did Lazarus die but he had a convoy of Angels to carry him to Abrahams bosom Christians you may be happy before you are aware it is but winking and you shall see God The full Coronation will be at the Resurrection when the bodies and souls of Believers shall be reunited their Bodies shall be Crowned with immense felicity and clarified like Christs glorious body Quest. But why is the Crown at all deferred why is it not set on a Christians head presently Answ. It is not yet the proper season 1. We are heirs under age we receive but Primitias spiritus the first-fruits of the spirit Rom. 8. 23. Grace is in its minority now though some Princes have been crowned in their Cradle God crowns none
armed with love will go through a Sea and a Wilderness he will dye in Gods service 2. A Christian must get his weapons ready 1. The shield Ephes. 6. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Above all things taking the shield of faith Epaminondas was not so careful of his life as of his shield A shield is of great use it defends the head it guards the vitals it keeps the arrow from entring into the body the shield of faith defends the heart and beats back the fiery darts of temptation Scena a Roman Soldier did so long resist Ponipy's Army till he had above an hundred darts sticking in his shield Densam portans in pectore sylvam Hold forth the shield of faith and nothing can hurt you 2. The sword Ephes. 6. 17. The sword of the spirit which is the word of God 'T is good for a Soldier to be well skill'd in his weapon the word of God is a weapon to stab lust at the heart 't is observable when the Devil tempted our Saviour he ran to Scripture 't is writen three times Christ wounded the old Serpent with this spiritual weapon And having gotten into this warlike posture a Christian must in arenam descendere enter the lists and fight the good fight of faith In the future life the Saints shall be out of the noise of the Drum and Canon and not one stroke shall be struck more then they shall not appear in their armour but their white robes and with palm-branches in their hands in token of victory but here they must fight the Lords battels and no cessation of arms till death and there is a threefold Regiment they must encounter with 1. The lusts of the flesh which war against their souls 1 Pet. 1. 11. The flesh is a sly intestine enemy and least suspected an enemy got within the walls of the Castle is most dangerous Luther said he feared his own heart more than Pope or Cardinal the heart is the somenter of sin it mints evil thoughts and blows up the coals of fiery passions it is the Trojan horse out of which comes a whole army of lusts And shall not we fight the good fight and discharge with the fire of zeal against this bosom-traytor the flesh The Primitive Christians cryed Ad leonem potius quam lenonem they chose rather to be destroyed by Lyons without than lusts within 2. The second Regiment to be resisted is Satan and the infernal Powers 1 Pet. 5. 8. Your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lyon walketh about He walketh about not as a Pilgrim but a spy that narrowly observes there were lyers in wait for Sampson Judg. 16. 12. Satan like a muskiteer lies in ambush and his design carries death in the front seeking whom he may devour He tempts one man to be drunk another to be unclean he sets Kingdoms a-quarrelling that at last he may devour them like him who sets two cocks of the game to fight that having killed each other he may sup with their carcasses Doth this hellish Goliah come into the field and defie the living God and shall not some spear be lift up against him 1 Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist stedfast in faith 3. The third Regiment Christians must fight against is the inchantments of the world the world is a flattering enemy it kills with embracing worldly things are retinacula spei they hinder our passage to the holy Land they choke good affections as the earth puts out the fire whom the world kisseth it betrayeth Heliogabalus made ponds of sweet water to drown himself and guilded poysons to poyson himself the world destroys millions with her sweet waters of pleasure and her guilded poysons of preferment let us then gird on our Armour and fight valorously Good reason we should fight the fight of Faith because we carry rich treasure about us he who carries a charge of money about him had need be in a fighting posture We carry a precious soul about us if the Cabinet of the body be so curiously wrought and embellished Psal. 139. 15. Then what is the jewel in it The soul is a spark and beam of celestial brightness a blossom of eternity and shall not we by our martial prowess and chivalry defend this treasure to be robbed of the soul is an irreparable loss God saith Chrysostom hath given thee two eyes if thou losest one thou hast another but thou hast but one soul and if thou art robbed of that thou art undone for ever Use 1. Is the Christian life military To blame then are they who have no spiritual Artillery nor do they make one sally out against the Enemy 'T is death to go abroad unarmed People spend time in dressing themselves by the glass and putting on their jewels but do not put on their sacred Armour Job 21. 12. They take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ as if they were rather in musick than battel Lycurgus would have no mans name written upon his Tomb but his who dyed manfully in War God writes no mans name in the Book of Life but his who dyes fighting the good fight of faith Use 2. Give battel to Sin and Satan and pursue them with an holy malice and to encourage in the fight let these things be weighed 1. It is certamen praeclarum a good fight 'T is a lawful War Princes may commence a War to invade other mens rights and properties but God hath proclaimed this War against sin Col. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members fornication inordinate affection 2. We have a good Captain Jesus Christ is the Captain of our salvation Hebr. 2. 10. If a flock of sheep have a Lyon for their Captain they need not fear the Wolf Christ is the Lyon of the tribe of Judah Revel 5. 5. He not only leads us on in our march but helps us in the fight A Captain may give his Soldier armour but he cannot give him strength Christ animates and strengthens us Isa. 41. 10. He puts his spirit within us and so we are more than conquerors Rom. 8. 37. 3. Our Enemy Satan is beaten in part already Christ hath given him his deaths-wound upon the Cross Col. 2. 15. The Devil may roar against a Child of God but shall not hurt him he could not touch Job's life much less his soul therefore fear not resist the devil and he will fly from you Jam. 4. 7. Satan is a conquered Enemy he knows no march but running away 4. Fighting is the best way to have Peace by sitting still we tempt the Enemy to fall upon us and wound us our peace is preserved by War with Satan he who hath been skirmishing all day may take Davids pillow at night and say in pace enbabo I will lay me down in peace Quest. How may we so fight the good fight as to overcome Answ. 1. Let us fight in the strength of
would we be to be caught up for ever into the Heavenly Paradise 2. You who are the heirs of Glory be exhorted to work with all your might for God Love and serve God more intensly than others who hath laid up such things for you as eye hath not seen nor can it enter into mans heart to conceive 1 Cor. 15. 58. Always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing your labour is not in vain in the Lord immensum gloria calcar habet St. Paul had a spirit of activity for God 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more abundantly than they all St. Pauls obedience did not move slowly as the Sun upon the dial but swiftly as the Sun in the firmament whence was this his eye was upon the Crown Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness The recompence of reward may add wings to duty and oyl to the flame of zeal What are we that God should incircle us with happiness and not others that he should as Jacob cross his hands lay his right hand upon us and his left hand upon others O discriminating grace for ever to be adored how can we serve God enough If there could be tears shed in Heaven it would be for this that we have been so lame in our duty and have brought no more revenues into the Heavenly Exchequer 3. Let this be as Bezoar-stone to revive and bear up your hearts under all your present sufferings Act. 20. 23. Bonds and afflictions abide me Affliction is the Saints diet-drink instead of Roses they are crowned with thorns You may aswell separate weight from lead as sufferings from a Saints life 2 Cor. 9. 8. We are troubled on every side Believers are as a ship that hath the waves beating on both sides but this Text may buoy them up from sinking there is glory which doth succed and exceed all their sufferings The Saints now drink in a wormwood-cup but shortly they shall drink in a spiced cup and tast the same heavenly Nectar as the Angels One days wearing the Coelestial Crown will abundantly pay for all their sufferings Rom. 8. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us The weight of glory makes affliction light O ye Saints who are the true birds of paradise sing in winter there is glory behind and every suffering will be like a grain put in the scale to make your glory weigh heavier Suffering Saints shall have more Jewels hung upon their Crown 4. Let this be an antidote against the fear of death The day of death is as Seneca calls it aeterni natalis the birth-day of eternity believers are not fully happy till death Death therefore is made a part of the inventory 1 Cor. 3. 22. Death is yours When the mantle of the flesh drops off the soul ascends in a triumphant chariot God hath promised his people a portion but it is not paid them till the day of death 'T is their fathers good pleasure to give them a Kingdom Luk. 12. 32. but they cannot see it till death hath closed their eyes Why then should the Saints be troubled at death indeed I wonder not that the wicked are appal'd and scared at the approach of the King of terror they are in debt to Gods justice and death as Gods Serjeant arrests them and drags them before the Divine Tribunal But why should any of Gods children be under such consternation and have the trembling at the heart What hurt doth death do to them it pulls off their fetters and puts jewels upon them it leads them to gates of Pearl rivers of pleasures Faith gives a title to Heaven death a possession Go forth my soul said Hilarion on his death-bed what fearest thou why should the godly dread their priviledg is a Prince afraid to cross the narrow Seas who is sure to be Crowned assoon as he comes at shore This puts Roses into the pale face of death and makes it look more ruddy and amiable it is aditus ad gloriam it crowns the Saints with all the delights of the Empyraean Heaven I Have done with the Text it remains that I should speak something to the occasion It hath pleased the all-wise God to take to himself lately that reverend and faithful Minister Mr. Henry Stubs whose death we now commemorate The memory of the just is blessed Fulgentius calls a good name the godly mans heir it lives when he is dead This man of God hath left a sweet favour and perfume behind in Gods Church besides his atchievement of humane learning he was enriched with the knowledg of Christ crucified The Graces excell the Muses He was very humble humility is the best garment a Minister can preach in He was one of a thousand for integrity The plainer the Diamond is the richer He was a grave Preacher and did chuse rather to speak solidè than floridè He spake as became the Oracles of God Levity is below the majesty of Preaching He was a painful labourer in Gods Vineyard he preached in season and out of season The souls of people were dearer to him than his life Praying and Preaching was rather his delight than task He was a burning lamp consuming himself to give light to others He preached feelingly he felt those truths in his own soul which he recommended to his Auditors an unconverted Minister is like a Lute making sweet Musick to others but it self is not sensible this elect vessel retained a scent and rellish of those sacred Truths which he poured out to others He lived much by faith and had sweet converse with God all the Saints have Gods heart but some have more of his company He was Exemplary in his deportment he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministers by vertue of their calling approach nearer to God Exod. 19. 22. The Elements the higher they are the purer the fire is purer than the air The higher we are by office the holier we should be Quo sublimiores eo sanctiores This blessed person deceased did live as an incarnate Angel I may say of him as Basil of Gregory Nazianzen he thundred in his Doctrine and lightned in his Conversation He was charitable-minded I have been credibly informed that out of that little he had gathered together while he was in his Living he appointed two hundred pounds which he intrusted in the hands of Feoffees to be improved annually for the good of the poor to buy them Bibles He was of a sweet temper never fierce but against sin He was devout towards God affable to his Friends loving to his Relations The Lord honoured his Ministry very much he had a double Crown the souls he converted were his Crown of rejoicing and now he wears a Crown of Righteousness How great a loss hath Glocestershire and London of this eminent Minister It hath been told me that he set apart some time every day to pray for the Church of God he like Moses lay in the breach to turn away wrath we shall soon grow poor if we lose such praying friends During the time of this good mans sickness he was asthmatical and laboured much for breath so that he could not utter himself so freely but what was heard to drop from him was very savoury He said he had fled to the city of refuge and recited that Scripture 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day I pray God give all who are concerned in this loss wisdom to improve this present stroke and make a living Sermon of their dead Minister He is now voti compos he enjoys the sight of that God whom he so pathetically longed for upon his death-bed He is got into the upper region above all storms His body is returned to dust and his soul to rest He is enclosed in happiness as the word for Crowning imports He is as rich as the Angels though he hath lost his life yet not his Crown FINIS Chryfost * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. * Galta caput tuetur * Job 8. 14. * Duae tamen supersunt mamillae una fidei altera spes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignatius * Lucan * Mat. 4. 10. * Rev. 7. 9. * Certent singuli ut accipiant coronas Cypr. * Si soris hostâ—m non habes domi invenies Livy * Fomes peccati Aug. * Ephes 6. 12. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Tertul. * Damascen * Qnis sanctorum sine certamine coronatus est Hierom. * Gen. 3. 15. * Forti animâ— pugnare deceâ— sub Christi auspiciis vexillo Calv. * Eph. 6. 10. * Erek 36. 2â— * Pax nostra bellum contra daemonem * Tertul. * Non pugnanti sed vincenti dabitur corona Aug. * 2 Tim. 4 10. * Heb. 10. 38. * Non quaruntur in Christianis initia sed finis Hierom. * Domine quod capisti perfice nè in portu naufragium accidas * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Rev. 1. 6. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. * Menochius * In visione Dei ut primi veri amore Dei ut summi boni consistit Corona * August * Premium quod side non attingitur Aug. Use 1. * ubi nec qui torquetur moritur nec qui torquet fatigatur Bern. Flor. * Gen. 50. 1. Heb. 3. 18. * Sen. Herc. Fur. Non est ad astra mollis è terris via * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Mr. Rollock Act. 10. 11. * Sicut testa ovorum quamvis pulchre formata necesse est tamen eam frangi ut inde pullus procedat ita hujus corporis necesse est testam ut status ille sublimior regni coelestis effulgeat Clem Al. * 1. Pet. 5. 5. * Nec propter vitam vivendi perdere causam D. Reyn. * 1 Thes. 2. 19. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉