God taketh us as he findeth us at his appearing and his coming If after all men can attain this Crown better cheap I envy not their ease onely in a case of such high concernment I would have them careful that they lose not their soul for a pleasing conceit and perish fatally whilst they think to be saved so Let the Candidates of so rich and radiant a Crown be but as perseverant in good as the Candidates of wrath and death are in evil let them take Heaven but with such violence as these take Hell and they cannot miscarry And do they expect God to deal with them upon greater disproportions I am sure they serve a better Master have nobler employments greater encouragements a crown that shall last as long as God is God and run parallel with the ages of eternity and may therefore more than recompence the services and sufferings of a short life Faithful unto death then he must be that would be crowned after it and not unto death onely but even in and into it also As he must offer up his body a living sacrifice to God so if occasion be a dying one too Act. 21.13 being ready with St. Paul not onely to be bound as the sacrifices were wont but to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus And he is most unworthy of that high and honourable name who will not take up the most painful and ignominious Cross that weareth the inscription of Jesus of Nazareth upon it Matth. 5.10 11. This name will plait his thorns into a crown turn persecution into a beatitude and the flames of Martyrdom into Bonfires of joy This will make him sing at the stake like a dying Swan suffer death with more serenity and satisfaction than the witty cruelty of his enemies inflicts it lye down in a bed of flames as if it were a bed of roses and having prayed for his murtherers to fall a sleep And if the Heathens have thought it discreetly eligible to give their life a ransom for fame or virtue well may the Christian who is an Heir of better hopes do this to eternal and never failing purposes to secure Christ's honour his own innocence and to have Gems added to his Crown Death herein shoots its sting but to lose it and though it kill him it cannot hurt him all it can do is but to kill the body i. e. to prevent a more lingring death by the feeble hand of sickness or old age and to cure it of those diseases which kill with equal certainty and greater torment And for the Soul which is the better part if not the whole of man it knocketh but off its chains and fetters and restoreth it to it self and to God that gave it Thus whilst we seem to love God better than our selves we never love our selves so well as in this very act for if in love and loyal duty to God we lay down our life for him he will give it us again and a crown of bliss and immortality together with it And here passing over from the precept to the promised reward I might if I had affections and expressions answerable to the matter in hand rap both my self and you into St. Paul's Extasie 'till we were even lost in it But these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unspeakable words 2 Cor. 12.4 as St. Paul by a pretty seeming contradiction calls them All the tongues of men and Angels are here too short or if they could speak who could hear It shall suffice to give you a transient glimpse of this Crown so far as may incourage your fidelity and constancy in God's service and not the least glimpse of it but will make all the labours and sufferings of this life vanish in the comparison A Crown then it is and what can be said or conceived more and greater Exerce ambitionem tuam set thy utmost ambition on work thou man of desires here is that which will fill all the appetites of it The most towring thought riseth no higher than a Crown or onely to set one Crown upon another and were other Crowns accumulated 'till they reached to this they would cast down themselves before this crown of life this crown of glory which fadeth not away Within the compass of this crown meets all that Religion or Reason calleth the chiefest good as so many orient jewels in this crown there is perfect knowledg perfect holiness 1 Cor. 15.27 perfect peace perfect love perfect joy and which is the Crown of this Crown here is God All in all The Woman in Revel 12.1 hath a crown of twelve Stars upon her head but were all the Stars united into one Constellation and should dishevel all the pride and glory of their beams it would not equal the glory of this Crown but be as a dark and opacous shadow to it Through the light and lustre which this crown will shed upon us all faithful Christians according to the promise of our Saviour Mat. 13.43 Dan. 12.3 and the corresponding predictions of the Prophets shall shine like the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father even as the brightness of the Firmament and as the Stars forever and ever Should our now deceased Brother from under this crown see what scuffling there is for Crowns and Scepters those fine gay guilded Nothings here below he would look upon it with such becoming scorn as a Philosopher upon Boys scrambling for shells of Nuts and fiercely contending for tinsel gayeties of no greater value The richest of these crowns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. de Tranquill. animi cannot keep off or cure a fit of the head-ach but within the circle of this Crown cometh neither sorrow nor pain The glory of these crowns dum nitet cadit whilst it glittereth falleth and breaketh maketh a blaze like a Meteor then shooteth and dyeth out but this crown onely burnisheth with the wearing the massy glory whereof no time no eternity impaireth These crowns at best are more honourable than happy sit heavy upon the head which they seem to adorn and whilst they sparkle with Diamonds are stuffed with thorns But the joys of this Crown equal the glories of it with their crowns the Saints have harps and free from all inward and outward distractions do nothing but in consort with the Angels sing soft requiem's to themselves and triumphant songs of joy and praise to God and to the Lamb who is blessed for evermore Thus is Christianity certamen sed bonum a fight but a good one whilst Kings have usually their Crowns crossed the faithful Christian hath his Cross crowned and that weight of glory which this Crown hath in it may make all the labour of duty and pressure of the Cross mere ease and delight Let Atheists and Epicures look upon the Divine life but as a zealous frenzy such as hath no real object nor solid fruits and scorn or pity the strict Professours of it as men soberly and gravely beside
of this Book I leave to those who love to see where they have no light and to look most upon God where he hideth himself from them My Text is a piece of plain Morality a business not of the head but of the heart Here are no Riddles unless of love and wonder that God should twist our duty with our interest and encourage the short exercise of virtue with everlasting rewards faithfulness in a little so it be unto death with a crown of life which knoweth neither measure nor end Accordingly the words present you with 1. A Precept 2. A Promise 3. The necessary connexion of both The first contains mans duty Be thou faithful The second Gods Grace I will give thee c. The third the mutual relation and dependance of the one upon the other Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life I begin with the Precept as you also must do if ever you would attain the promised crown and there are these two things in it 1. The duty it self Be thou faithful 2. The extent of that duty unto death The first thing that offers to our consideration is the duty it self which containeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole of man and consisteth in the careful and conscionable discharge of all the rest This is Vniversale Officium an Office of universal necessity and importance What is spoken to this Angel speaketh to me to you and to every one that hath an ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Most men are apt enough if not too much to read this Lesson to the Angels of the Churches To say unto Archippus Take heed to the Ministery which thou hast received of the Lord that thou fulfil it Col. 4.17 and it is well if they say it in such modest terms as these They are better acquainted with his duty than their own and are rigid exacters of it That burthen which even real much more these metaphorical Angels are insufficient for they aggravate upon them and weigh them out their work by the Shekel of the Sanctuary They must be Angels not in name and stile only but in all the measures of Angelical Perfection and wherein they fall or seem to fall short each man darteth his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be thou faithful at them and doth not so much admonish as censure and upbraid them But however men may turn the edge of this exhortation another way yet it is levelled at all speaketh to as many as desire and expect the crown and none may exempt himself or plead a priviledge Christ as occasion is saith aliis alia several things to several men one thing to one and another to another according to their various necessities and capacities but this omnibus singulis to all and every one and whatever his place and state is he must adorn it with fidelity This is not a meer Evangelical Counsel for those that would be great in the Kingdom of Heaven that would have crowns more rich and radiant than their fellows or not content with crowns would have coronets added to them for their supererogatory virtue and merit It is not appropriate to Christians of the highest form in Christs School or whose place and state giveth them the advantage of singular perfection It is not confined to the Monks Cloister and Cowl to those that live out of the world whilst they are in it The Laity may not shuffle it off to the Clergy nor men of the active to men of the contemplative life But it is the duty of all Christs Disciples in common absolutely necessary to constitute them Christians and to make them capable of being Saints It saith unto the Magistrate Be thou faithful Behave thy self as one that is Gods Vicegerent upon earth that holds his place represents his person and hath the impress of his power See that thou bear neither the Scepter nor the Sword in vain but stand up like Phinehas and execute judgment lest thou fall under the stroke of it thy self See that God and his Honour to whom thou owest all thine suffer no detriment Reflect those beams of his with which thou shinest and be in effect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the breathing Image of God It saith unto the Minister Be thou faithful Take heed to thy self and to thy Doctrine Be a pattern to the Believers in word in conversation in charity 1 Tim. 4.16 Ibid. v. 12. in spirit in faith in purity Shine like a Star burn like a Seraphim and think Christ hath fixed thee in so eminent a Sphere that shouldest shed thy rays upon all about thee Watch for those Souls which God hath given thee in charge as at the peril of thine own and when thy Lord cometh let him find thee so doing It saith unto the rich and honourable Prov. 3.9 Be thou faithful Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of thy increase Thy lot is fallen to thee in a good ground only be thou careful to cultivate and improve it Know God hath given to thee that he might give to others by thee and if thou embezzle or bury thy Talents they will only aggravate thy accompt Thy opportunities and advantages set thee nearer heaven and give thee the capacities of a more orient crown if thou wilt work salvation out of them but otherwise they will add precipitation to thy ruin Thy authority and example are very influential and thou canst neither perish nor be saved but in state and therefore in respect to other mens souls be faithful to thine own It saith yet again to the poor and abject Be thou faithful Faithful though in a little And by how much less it is thy care is more concerned to use it well and to make up what is wanting in stock by a wise and faithful improvement of it like Zachaeus supplying what he lacked in stature by climbing up into a Sycamore Tree Thou maist be zealous for God though thou canst not make so great a blaze and moving in a lower and lesser Sphere thou maist the better fill it Another stands upon higher but thou upon safer ground and with smaller helps and means thou hast fewer temptations also Briefly it saith to every man of what kind degree or quality soever he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be thou faithful Faithful in thy general and faithful in thy special calling faithful to God to man to thine own soul faithful in all relations and conditions and in all the actions and offices both of common and christian life Give suum cuique to every one his due to God his due and to thy neighbour his Attend the place and station wherein God hath set and settled thee finish the work which he hath given thee to do and refer the wages to him who never faileth to pay his servants that which he hath promised them Thus the duty of the Text looks on every man alike and is his
faithful Monitor He may hear this as a voice behind him Is 30.21 saying This is the way walk in it when he turneth to the right hand and when he turneth to the left One man cannot be as enlarged in his piety as diffusive in his charity as useful in his place as another of greater abilities and opportunities but he may and must be as faithful in his measure Some other duties have their peculiar objects and appropriations to times persons places with the like but faithfulness is an ingredient to all and gives them acceptance Our Saviour putteth wise and faithful servant together Matth. 24.45 good and faithful servant together Mat. 25.21 and as he is not a wise who is not a good so he is neither wise nor good who is not a faithful servant also St. Paul recounts this as a special mercy from God to be found faithful 1 Cor. 7.25 and it is the Crown of Antipas his Cross that he was Christs faithful Martyr Revel 2.13 He that without this giveth his body to the fire only taketh Hell by violence and the first death consigneth him only to the sencond We call Christ Lord and Master and we say well for so he is but it is not enough to treat him with this easie formality and to pass such cheap complements upon him unless we pay him that fidelity which is due from servants to their Master and that humble and loyal alliegeance which is due from subjects to their sovereign Lord. God is faithful for his part 1 Thes 5.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faithful is he that hath called you who also will do it The Gospel is faithful for its part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.11 12. This is a faithful saying that if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him Christ is faithful for his part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The faithful and true witness Rev. 3.14 or as he is also stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that saith Amen to both And accordingly those that are Rev. 17.14 or expect to be with Christ must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called and chosen and faithful not called and chosen only for this every one will arrogate and assume and in the want of other evidence vote himself so but faithful also and herein they approve themselves called and chosen because they have obtained mercy to be Faithful Yet men are not with more ease called and chosen than admitting their own conceits they are faithful too And in their sense of it they are faithful more than enough So faithful that they can at once provoke Gods justice and trust in his mercy and rely upon Christs merits without doing any thing that he commands So faithful that they can at once sin and saint themselves and securely expect to be saved by him whom they daily crucifie So faithful that their faith removeth mountains Mount Sinai and Mount Zion at once the Law both of Moses and Christ So faithful in short that they can reconcile the most unchristian practices with the faith and affiance of a Christian the confutation and contradiction of the whole Gospel with hopes and comforts of it i. e. faithfulness with the greatest unfaithfulness in the world and whilst they take Hell by violence of endeavour take Heaven by violence of usurpation Such faithful ones as these the world is full of who have such a plerophory or fulness of faith that none of the other virtues or duties of Christianity can find room with them so faithful that they do onely believe But this is Insidelis fiducia an Infidel faith faith without fidelity Which kind of unfaithful unfruitful faith hath damned more than a true faith in Christ his name hath saved and the more any man believeth with it the more he may tremble This faith when Christ cometh he shall find upon the earth and scarce then be able to beat men out of it Many shall say to him even in that day Domine Domine Lord Lord we are they that have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets and if such as we find not admittance and acceptance with thee who shall But in all this true faith will be hard to be found and it is neither slander nor solaecism to say that the greater part of the Christian world in this sense is Infidel True faith is that which maketh a man faithful to Christ Lib. 3. de Gubern Dei p. 70. l. 4. p. 100. and to keep all his commands faithfully as Salvian defined it long since which maketh us Christi fideles Christ his liege-men in the same sense that they are called Regis fideles the Kings liege-subjects and servants who yield that homage and fealty to him which they owe. This was Abraham's faith Heb. 11.17 24 26. by which he offered up his onely son Isaac and himself a whole burnt-offering with him This was Moses his faith which made him esteem the very reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt This was the faith of the glorious company of the Apostles of the goodly fellowship of the Prophets of the noble army of Martyrs and Confessours which exerted it self in the sanctimony of their lives their strict observation of the divine laws their persevering in holy actions with patience and hope their despising earthly their prizing and pressing after heavenly things their contempt of death their courage for Christ and all the other instanees of an excellent piety and virtue From this active faith faith commensurate to fidelity they and all good Christians are not onely called but constituted faithful not from that unactive easie faith which maketh men rest wholly upon what Christ hath done for them without doing any thing either for him or for themselves which leaneth hard upon his Cross but doth not take it up and believeth in not obeyeth him This maketh faith a very accountable thing and well worthy of that wisdom and holiness which hath attributed so much to it in the Gospel as that by faith we are justified by faith we live by faith we are saved i. e. by a faith which so believeth in Christ as by believing to love him by loving to adhere to him and by adhering to him to live and dye in his embraces which sacrificeth a man's whole honour and interest to the service of Christ and his own salvation and thinketh nothing too much that he can do or suffer for Christ who hath wrought such wonders of mercy for him To be faithful then in the notion of my Text consists not in giving a naked assent to the Doctrins of Christianity not in arrogating and appropriating to our selves the promises of the Gospel or rather promising to our selves that which the Gospel promiseth us not nor yet in the most stedfast recumbency upon Christ or the strongest application of his merits to our souls But it consists 1. In praestandis promissis in