the people but leaves it to Davids liberty whether he would have seven years famine or three months to flee before his enemies or three dayes pestilence This was a posing Question and David had cause to be in a great strait for these objects are not amiable in their own nature they are objects to be avoided and declined in the first view of them they seem to be equally miserable therefore David had cause to say He was in a great strait 2. This perplexity was not only real but exceeding great I am in a great Strait and there are two things made it so great 1. The greatness of the punishments proposed Famine Sword and Plague these are the three beesoms with which God sweeps mankind from off the earth these are Gods three iron-whips by which he chastisetlâ—… sinful man these are the three arrows shot out of the quiver of Gods wrath for the punishment of man they are as one calleth them Tonsurae humani generis In Râ—… 6. you shall read of four Horses when the four first Seals were opened A white-horse a red-horse a black-horse and a pale horse after Christ had ridden on the white-horse propagating the Gospel then followes the red-horse a type of War then the black-horse an Hiâ—…roglyphick of Famine then the pale-horse the emblem of Pestilence Now God was resolved to ride on one of these horses and David must choose upon which God should ride this was a great Strait Let me present David lifting up his eyes to Heaven and speaking to God thus O my God what is this message thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou offerest me three things I am in a strait â—… 〈◊〉 which to refuse but which to choose I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Land of Cannan a Land flowing with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall this Land endure seven years famine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a Wilderness and dis-peopled And shall I whose hands thou hast taught to fight and whose fingers to war shall I that have subdued all my enemies shall I in my old age and all my Captains flie three months before our enemies and be driven to caves and rocks to hide our selves O thou my God who art my refuge shall I and my people be a prey to the pestilence that walketh in darkness and destruction that walketh at noon day O my God I know not what to do I am in a great Strait 2. The second reason why this strait was so great was because of the guilt of sin that lay on Davids spirit for David knew that this severe message was the fruit of the sin he committed in numbring the people But you will say Why was it a sin in David to number the people Moses had often numbred the people three times and it was not counted sin Iosephus answereth The sin of David was because he did not require the half-shekel which he was to have had from all were numbred Ex. 30 12 13. Others say He sinned in numbring all ages whereas he was to number but from twenty years but these are but conjectural Reasons I conceive the â—…in of David was because he did it without a lawful Cal and for an unlawful End Sine causa legitima he sinned in the manner rather then in the matter for there was no cause for him to number the people but 〈◊〉 â—…nd 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 ver 2. Davids heart was liâ—…red â—…p with pâ—…ide 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 pâ—…ick the bladder of his pâ—…ide as if God should say I will teach you to number the people by lessening the number of your people Now the burden of his sin did add much to the burden of this heavy message Ver. 13. After David had numbred 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 distressed 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 took joyfully the spoiling of their goods Act. 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 great Enlargements therefore Pul gloryeth in this 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 sin and that made it so unwelcome and uncomfortable so that from hence I gather this Observation Doct. That sin and iniquity brings Persons and Nations into marvellous labyrinths and perplexities into true real and great molestations a man free from sin is free in the midst of straits a man guilty of sin is in a straâ—…t in the midst of freedom After Adam had sinned in eating of 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 murdered 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 was there then in the world we read but of his father and mother yet such was his distress that he cryeth out every one that met him would slay 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 Feavours Gout and Stone and all manner of Diseases yea sin brings death it self which is the wages of sin Read Levit 26. and Deut. 28. and you will see a black role of curses which were the fruit of sin Sin brought Sion into Babilon and when the Jews
had murdered Christ forty years after they were brought into that distress when the City was besieged by Titus and Vespasian that they did eat one another the mother did eat her child And 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. Sins bring Persons Nations into internal straits sin brings soul-plagues which are worse than bodily plagues sin brings hardness of heart blindness of mind a spirit of slumber a reprobate sense sinne brings a spiritual famine upon a Land it brings a famine of 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 Iudas after he had betrayed Christ Into what a strait did sin drive Spira Saint Paul gloryed 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 he saith They are too heavy a burden for him to bear Awounded 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 Matth. 25. When a wicked man shall be bound with everlasting 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 Use 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 choose to commit sin to avoid perplexity There are thousands in England guilty of this that to avoid poverty will lye cheat and cozen 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 sorts of men and O that my words might prevail with them 1. Consider It is sin only that makes trouble to 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 Q. Maries days 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 Master Sanders Famous is the story of the three Children they were in a great strait when cast into the fiery Furnace Bind them hand 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 lo 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 captive by the Amalekites I but that was a distress of danger not of sin therefore he encourageth himself in the Lord his God Iehosaphat 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 loth to enlarge here St. Paul was in a great Strait Phil. 3. 23. but this was a blessed strait an Evangelical strait saith Saint Chrysostom 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 Luk. 12. 15. I have a Baptism to be baptized withall and how am I straitned till it be accomplished I am to shed my blood for my Elect that 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 straits caused by sin these are imbittered and eâ—…venomed 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 lie though he might save all the world from hell for there is more evil in one lie than there is good in the salvation of all the world I have often told you the story of Saint Austin saith he If hell were on one side and â—…in on the other and I must choose one I would choose Hell rather then 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 Condy a zealous Protestant gives him three things to choose 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 eligam The first God helping I will never choose I abhor the idolatry of the Mass but for the two other I leave it to the choice of the King 〈◊〉 do 〈◊〉 he pleases there is more evil in the leâ—…st sin then the greatest misery 3. The third thing I would have you consider is that whosoever goeth out of God's way to
them at last Though things seem to be well with the wicked they have more then heart can wish yet it shall be ill with them at last Vae improbo Wo to the wicked it shall be ill with them In Eccles. 8. 11. It shall not be well with the wicked nor shall he prolong his days that are as a shadow because he feareth not God The God of Truth hath pronounced it this 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 it to you in these following Particulars 1. It is ill with the wicked in this life 2. It is ill with him at his death 3. It is ill with him at the day of Judgement 4. It is ill with him after the day of Judgement First It is ill with the Wicked in this life There 's hardly a wicked man that hears me that thinks so when he hath the affluence and confluence of outward comforts when he eats of the fat and drinks of the sweet he will hardly believe that Minister that tells him it shall be ill with him yea but it is ill with the wicked even in this life foris it not ill with that man that hath a curse yea the curse of God entailed upon him My Text pronounceth a curse against the sinner Vae improbo Wo to the wicked And can that man thrive that lives under a curse Clouds of blood wrath hang over the head of a wicked man he is heir to all the plagues that are written in the Book of God all God's curses are the Sinners portion and if he dies in his sins he is sure to have the portion paid him Woe to the Wicked every bit of Bread he eateth he hath it with a curse like poysoned Bread given to a Dog every drop of Wine he drinks he swallows down a curse with it Wo to the wicked there is a Curse in his cup there is a curse on his table God hath said Wo to him We read of Belshazzar Dan. 5. 4 5. that when he tasted the wine he commanded to bring the gold and silver vessels taken out of the Temple then they brought the gold and silver vessels and drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver He was very jovial but in the midst of his cups and joyallity wo to the Wicked for in the same hour there came forth the fingers of a Mans hand and wrote over against the Candlestick on the wall a curse and wo. Wo to the wicked let a sinner live till he be a hundred years old yet still he is accursed Esay 23. 20. Though a sinner live a hundred years old yet shall he die accursed his gray hairs have a curse upon them Secondly It shall be ill with the wicked at the hour of death that in two respects Death puts an end to all his comforts and death is a beginning of all his miseries First Death puts an end to a Sinner's comforts There shall be no more indulging of the Flesh and pampering of it no more cups of Wine and no more Musick to be seen or heard then In Rev. 18. 14. 22. The things that thy soul lusteth after are departed from thee the voyce of the Harpers Musicians and Trumpeters shall be no more at all in thee it is spoken of the destruction of Rome Thus may it be said of a wicked man at death All joy and pleasure is now departed from thee no more shalt thou hear the voyce of the Harp Organ or Trumpet no more shall the Sinner be cloathed in Scarlet robes or adorned with sparkling Diamonds Now all oyl and balsome all joy and gladness at death shall cease and depart from the Sinner Secondly As death puts a period to a Sinners mirth so it layes a foundation for all his sorrows Usually before death doth close the eye of the Sinners body the eye of his Conscience is first opened Every sin at the hour of death stands with a drawn sword in his hand Those sins that delighted the sinner formerly now terrifie and affright him All his joy and mirth is turned into sadness As sometimes you have seen Sugar lying in a damp place dissolve and turn to Water Thus all the sugarly Joyes of wicked men at the hour of death turn to water even the water of tears and sorrow Thirdly It shall be ill with a wicked man at the day of Judgement when he is cited before Gods Tribunal when he shall leave courting his wickedness and stand at Gods Barr to answer for it You read of Foelix that when he heard Paul speak of Judgement Foelix trembled Iosephus observes that Foelix was a wicked man and she that then lived with him her name was Drusilla whom he had enticed away from her Husband and lived in sin with her Now when Foelix heard Paul speak of Judgement he trembled his conscience that check'd him for his sin Now if Foelix trembled at the hearing of Judgment what will sinners do when the day of Judgment shall come when all mens secret sins shall be made manifest when all their midnight wickedness shall be written upon their Foreheads as with the point of a Diamond At the day of Judgment my Beloved there will be two things 1. The Legal Tryal 2. The Sentence 1. The Legal Tryal God will call forth sinners by Name and say Stand forth Hear thy charge Let me see what thou canst answer to it What canst thou say for all thy Sabbath-breaking for all thy Drunkenness and Perjury for all thy Revenge and Malice for all thy persecuting of my Members what canst thou say for all these Guilty or not guilty Thou Wretch darest not say Not Guilty for have not I been an eye-witness of all thy wickedness Do not the Books agree the Book of thy Conscience and the Book of my Omniscience and canst thou plead Not Guilty Here the Sinner will be amazed with horror and run into desperation 2. After this Legal Tryal follows the Sentence Ite Maledicti Go ye cursed What â—…o from the presence of Christ in whose presence there is fulness of joy and go from Christ with a curse That word Depart said St. Chrysostome is worse than the torments themselves And Beloved remember this ye that go on in a sin when once the Sentence is past it can never be reversed This is the most Supreme Court of Judicature from whence there is no Appeal Here on earth men can remove their Cause from one Court to another from the Common-law to the Chancery but if once the Sentence be past at this Judgment-barr there is no removing your Cause This is the highest Court there is no appealing any where else And thus you see it is ill with the Wicked at the day of Judgement Fourthly It shall be ill with the wicked after the day of Judgement Oh! then there is but one way and they would be glad if they
Saints and bear testimony you shall witness against all false doctrines and false Worship before the whole world By your humility and patience when you suffer not as evil doers but as those that suffer for the word of Righteousness the word of Truth for holding fast the Lord Jesus and his Faith that is more precious then Heaven and Earth then any created thing this will make your name as a sweet savour to all generations when those that apostatize persecute and oppose Jesus Christ their memories shall be left as a curse to the people of God Mr. Calamy's Sermon at Mr. Ashes Funeral Esay 57. 1. The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come 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 Evangelical sence he was one that was justified and sanctified Secondly He was a merciful man both in an active and passive sence 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 gatheted it is the same word that is used concerning Iosiah 2 King 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 in the Barn of Heaven he is taken away from the evil that is to come from the beholding that evil that is coming upon the sinful World he is taken away in mercy that he may not be troubled with the troubles that are coming 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 in 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 suitable but that all of you may lay to heart the death of this ancient merciful righteous man The observations from the words are these six First That the righteous man must perish as well as thâ—… 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 That a righteous man as long as he liveth is the preservative of a Nation and the supporter of a Kingdome the Chariots and horsemen of a Nation Fourthly The death of a righteous man is a warning-piece from heaven a Beacon set on fire to give notice of eviâ—… approaching Fifthly That God doth on purpose take away righteous men that they may 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 First It is a common sin and therefore it is set down in the greatest latitude the righteous perisheth and no man layes it to heart that is very few and merciful men are taken away no man considering that is very few Secondly It is a great sin and therefore the Prophet Ieremy 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 I shall 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 again glorious bodies Nothing perisheth of a righteous man by death totally and finally but sin and therefore the meaning of the word is as Musculus and Iustin 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 this expression is this The righteous perish that is the righteous must die and go down to the house of rottenness as well as others and that upon a four-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 once to die the righteous as well as the unrighteous Indeed 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 Paul's 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 present we are all under the statute of death but at last this enemy shall be destroyed 2 Cor. 15. latter end Secondly The righteous consist of perishing principles as well as the unrighteous the righteous are earthly vessels made of dust their foundation is in the dust their lives are a vapour as well as the lives of the unrighteous Thirdly The righteous must die as well as others because they have a body of sin that they carry about with them for there is no man so wise that lives and sins not Eccl. 7. 20. Wherefore there is that which deserves death in a righteous man Lastly and especially The righteous must perish upon a peculiar account For if we had 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 Periissem nisi periissem they must die
's the wisdom of the Serpent how happy is it where these two are united the Dove and the Serpent the Dove without the Serpent is folly and the Serpent without the Dove is impiety 14. Be more afraid of sin than of suffering A man may be afflicted and yet have the love of God but he cannot sin but presently God is angry sin eclipses the light of Gods countenance in suffering the conscience may be quiet When the hail beats upon the tiles there may be musick in the house and when there is suffering in the body there may be peace and musick in the conscience but when a man sinneth wilfully and presumptuousâ—…y he loseth all his peace Spira abjured his faith and he became a terrour to himself he could not endure himself he professed he thought Cain and Iudas in hell did not feel those terrors and horrors that he felt He that will commit sin to prevent suffering is like a man that lets his head be wounded to save his shield and his helmet 15. Take heed of Idolatry In 1 Ioh. 5. 21. Little children keep your selves from Idols Idolatry is an Image of jealousie to provoke God it breaks the mariage-knot asunder and makes the Lord disclaim his interest in a people What kind of Religion is Popery it is the mother of many Monsters What Soul-damning doctrines doth it hold forth as the meriting of salvation by good works the giving of pardons the worshipping of Angels Popish indulgencies Purgatory and the like it is a Soul-damning Religion it is the breeder of ignorance uncleanness and murder the Popish Religion is not defended by strength of Argumenr but by force of Arms keep your selves from Idols and take heed of Superstition That is the Gentleman-usher to Popery 16. Think not the worse of Godliness because it is reproached and persecuted wicked men being stirred up by the Devil do maliciously reproach the ways of God such were Iulian and Lucian though wicked men would be godly on their death-beds yet in the time of their life they revile and hate godliness but think not you the worse of Religion because it is reproached by the wicked Suppose a Virgin should be reproached for her chastity yet chastity is never the worse if a blind man â—…eer the Sun the Sun is never the less bright Holiness is a 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 wayes 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 Oaths to say then Lord Because most men did so will be but 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 Eccl. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work or device in the grave whither thou goest This is an Argument why we should do all 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 sphere of Obedience Rom. 12. 12. Fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Take heed of a dull lazy temper in Gods service you must not only say a prayer or read a prayer but you must pour out your soul in prayer not only love God but be sick of love to God God in the old Law would have the coals put to the Incense Lev. 16. 13. why so to typifie that the heart must be inflamed in the worship of God your Prayers must go up with a flame of Devotion I confess Hell will be taken without a 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 no 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 Fountain runs freely and so does the myrrhe drop from the Tree every Creature doth as it were deny it self for us the Beast gives us its labour the Bird gives us its musick and the Silk-worm its silk Now hath God made every thing useful for us and shall not we be useful one for the good of another O labour to be helpful to the souls of others and to supply the wants of others Jesus Christ was a publique Blessing in the world he went about doing good we ate all members of the body politick nay are we not 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 die 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 is status interminabilis sayes Roetius no prospective-glass can see to the end of Eternity Eternity is a sum that can never be numbred a line that can never be measured Eternity is a condition of everlasting m sery or everlasting happiness If you are godly then shall you be for ever happy
had hid and in this sense it is well with the Righteous in time of publick misery But you will say Sometimes it is worse than all this with them sometimes the Righteous dye and perish and are carryed away with a tempest How is it well with them then Yes yet still it is well with the Righteous though their Life be taken away yet still it is well with them and that in a two-fold sense First Many times God takes away the Righteous by death in great mercy he takes them away that they shall not see the miseries that are coming upon a Land as Virgil the Heathen Poet said They were happy that dyed before their Countrey meaning before they saw the ruins of their Countrey And truly many times God takes away his Children in mercy that they shall not see the miseries that are coming on a Land you have a pregnant and clear Scripture for this 1 King 14. 13. He only of the House of Jeroboam shall come to his grave it is spoken of Aâ—…ijah his Son He only shall come to his grave because in him there was found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel God would put this man into his grave betimes in mercy because he should not see the evil that was coming upon the Land You have a parallel Scripture to this 2 King 22. v. ult It is spoken of Iosiah I will gather thee to thy Fathers thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace and thine eye shall not see the evil that I will bring upon this place Why Iosiah died in battel How is it said then that he went to his grave in peace the meaning is this because Iosiah was an holy man he had made his peace with God and so went to his grave in peace and because he should not see the evil approaching therefore God gathered him to his grave in peace Ierome speaks thus of Nepotian itseems Ierome lived to see some troubles before he died Meeting with some storms Now said he how happy is my friend Nepotian that sees not these troubles happy is he that is gotten 〈◊〉 of the storm and is in the haven Thus Luther died in mercy before the troubles of Germany began to break forth Thus it is well with the Righteous though they do die God takes them away in mercy that they may not see approaching evils Secondly Though the righteous do die are taken away and perish in astorm yet is it well with them because death cannot hurt them it can neither hurt their Bodies nor yet their Souls the Body is safe it doth not perish though it doth die the bodies of the Saints are very precious dust in Gods account 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 a blessed time of resurrection How precious is the dust of a Believer though the World mind it not yet 't is precious to God The Husbandman hath some Corn in the Barn and other Corn in his ground the Corn in the ground is as precious to him as that in the Barn Why the Bodies of the Saints in the grave are Gods Corn in the ground and God makes a very precious account of this Corn the bodies of the Saints shall be more glorious and blessed than ever at the resurrection Tertullian says the Bodies shall be then Corpora Angelica the Body shal be angelified in regard of that beauty and lustre which shall be put upon it As it is with a piece of silk or cloth that is died of a Purple scarlet colour it is made more bright and illustrious than it was before Thus it is with the bodies of the Saints they are dyed of a brighter colour at the resurrection they are made like Christs glorious body Phil. 3. 20. Thus shall it be well with the righteous in their bodies they shall not perish Secondly At death it shall be well with the righteous as to their souls O it shall be a blessed time Methinks it is with a Saint at the time of death just as it was with Paul in his voyage to Rome the ship did break into many pieces but yet he got safe to shore so it is with a believer though the ship of his body may be snap't and broken at death yet the passenger is safe the soul gets safe to shore even to the heavenly Ierusalem then surely it is well with the righteous at his death the day of a believer's death is the birth-day of his blessedness it is his ascension-day to heaven his death-day is his mariage-day with Jesus Christ faith doth but Contract us here but at death the Nuptials shall be solemnized in glory and shall it not be well with the righteous they shall see God face to face And says Austin Ipse Deus sufficit ad praemium It will be heaven enough to have the â—…ight of God The Saints shall then enter into joy joy now enters into them here but then they shall enter into joy they shall drink of that pure river that runs from God the ever lasting Fountain Thus you see it shall go well with the righteous however things go though troubles come though death it self come and therefore let those that are the people of God comfort themselves with these words To conclude this first point what encouragement is this to all you that hear me now to begin to be righteous This Text may tempt us all to be godly Say to the righteous It shall be well with him when things go never so ill with him yet still it shall be well with him Grant that all things are ill with you in your estate in your relations yet then if you are righteous all things shall be well with you your pardon is sealed you are an Heir of Gods Promises all things shall work for good you have God for your Father you have heaven in reversion for your inheritance and is it not well with you how may this make us all in love with godliness how may this tempt us to be godly For if ever we would enjoy happiness we must espouse holiness Say to the righteous it shall be well with him And so much for the first proposition The godly mans comfort in life and death Now if this will not prevail with men to make them leave their sins and become righteous I must passe in a few words to the next branch of my Text to scare men out of their sins to affright them out of their wickednesse Wo to the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him This my beloved is the dark side of the cloud and it may cause in every wicked man that hears me a paâ—…pitation and trembling at the heart Wo to the wicked it shall be ill with him And so the Proposition is this That when things seem to be well with wicked men it shall be ill with
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 sath the house where it is 〈◊〉 treasures cannot secure themselves but if we keep this treasure it will secure us Discretion shall preserve thee and understanding shall keep thee Prov. 21. 11. thus you see the excellency of this spiritual wisdome 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 we 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 fulness 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 of 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 〈◊〉 regard of his humane birth and 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 â—…nd accordingly rendred 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 then others in regard of their education knowledge gifts and employments being more free from those defilements and snares that others are intangled in yet through the remainders of the flesh in them they have many infirmities so Satan watches them more then oâ—…hers lays more snares for them in regard of their parts and imployments so that they are more subject to his temptations then 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 regard of the frailty 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 glasse which are soon 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 weakness Thus the servants of God are subject to many infirmities Besides the reason 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 might 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 sicknesse or other affliction cannot preach from experience of such truths that concern such a condition they cannot preach so feelingly and savoury 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 that Messâ—…nger 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 pleased 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 the discovery of his frailty Let us improve this Use 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 then in former times it was the condition of the Apostles themselves they were Earthen Vessels they had such weaknâ—…sses men subject to the like passions as we Use 2. Secondly As for the people this may improve in all the notions and considerations of an Earthen Vessel First In regard of the meanness you must