of the heart such as wherein the heart shews its own nature As for example the Univocal act of Light is to lighten the room but now you cannot judge of the Light by the heat so well as you may by the shining So an ill savour must be judged of by the stinking which is the univocal act of it It causeth abundance of other effects but this is the proper act whereby it shews it self So the thoughts of men are the univocal acts of their hearts therefore in Scripture called the way of the heart just as the heart is so are the thoughts if the heart be proud so are the thoughts just according to the nature of the heart so are the thoughts 5. They are the swiftest acts of the heart If I judge of a Scholar I will judge him by that which he doth extempore if a fool study he may speak to purpose but look what a man doth by his own inclination that a man discovers himself to be Thoughts are the extempore acts of the heart if thy heart be heavenly it will scatter out heavenly meditations if carnal then thy thoughts are carnall thoughts are as the visions in the night ergo we use this proverb his thoughts are gone a sutering If then they be the swiftest acts of mens hearts then are they most â—it to expresse the nature of the heart 6. Thoughts are the peculiar acts of the heart peculiar to God only the world may see what thy outward life is but thy thoughts God only sees neither Angel Devil nor Man can see them and as they are peculiar to Gods eye so he most regards what mens thoughts are and therefore the best way for a man to judge himself is to judge himself that way which God doth even by his thoughts The The Lord knows the thoughts of man Psal 94. 11. Examine your selves in this then concerning your thoughts whether they be metamorphosed or no a man may say he hath good thoughts of God but let him examine himself whether it be so or no. 7. Thoughts are the conscionable acts of the heart they are the greatest accusers or excusers of the heart they are Consciences Nose as we may so speak True it is the words of the tongue and the actions of the hands are all in the light and â—ight of the conscience but the neerer a thing is unto the conscience the more able it is to judge of the conscience And therefore St. Paul puts the accusing or excusing especially on the thoughts Rom. 2. 15. We grant a wicked man may have good thoughts but they are thoughts descending not ascending they are cast into the heart by God not raised out of the hear Moses thought in his heart to visit his brethren Acts 7. verse 23. Good thoughts grow out of the heart of the godly they come from the bottom of it a wicked man may have good thoughts cast into his minde but he will fling them out again Secondly we grant wicked men may have good thoughts but examine whether they close with the heart or no all the proper thoughts of a man are the possessions of the heart Job 17. 11. They take hold of the heart and they are at home in the heart Here then examine thy heart whether the thoughts of God close with thy heart Doth repentance close with thy heart dost thou think of death and do the thoughts thereof make thee die daily Or dost thou think of death and dost thou not love to be holden with that thought Dost thou think of hel and wilt thou not be holden with that thought of hell but thy thoughts are on thy pleasures So then if thy thoughts close not with thy heart it is nothing to the purpose Thirdly there may be good thoughts in thy heart but t is questionable whether good thoughts or no if they come out of due season it is nothing to the purpose If a Printer print never so well and make never so good letter yet if he place one word where another should stand he marrs all So good thoughts if they be seasonable and in their proper place they are the effects of the Spirit but if out of season they may be the thoughts of reprobates As if thou be at at Prayer and then to be thinking of a Sermon is nothing to the purpose They must be seasonable and bring forth fruit in due season Psal 1. 3. When thou art at prayer thou must have thy thoughts suteable to thy prayer for if thy thoughts be never so good yet if they be not seasonable and sutable to the action thou hast in hand they are not actions of grace grace cannot away with them Fourthly thou hast good thoughts in thy heart but the question is whether they be counselled thoughts such as thou hast determined to think on Thoughts are called the counsels of a mans heart 1 Cor. 4. 5. it may be thou maiest stumble on a good thought now and then it may be when thou art swearing thou wâ—lt say God forgive me when thou hast been drinking all the day it may be a good thought steps in and cries God mercy but thou goest not to schoole to learn the art of meditation or the science of holy thinking or to say with David O God my heart is fixed Now if that sin in thought be so great a sin this should teach us what a horrible sin it is to sin indeed therefore thoughts are the smallest sins in respect of scandal and the Psalmist makes it an argument of Gods quick-sighted power to see thoughts thou seest my thoughts afar off you will say that man is quick-sighted that can see a pins head a 100 myles off even so God sees thoughts if a pins point can stab a man then a sword can much more Now if thoughts be so haynous and capitall a sin how fearfull a sin is it to commit sinne in deed for thee to swear to lye to commit adultery to keep wicked company to mock at Gods people to live in coveteousnesse c. this is to commit in deed if small sins be so damnable what then are the greatest If the chockatrice in the egge be such poyson what will it be when it is hatcht thought sins are imperfect compared with words or acts following them yet are they perfect in their kinds T is a wicked distinction to say that some sins are Contra legem or Praeter legem for all sins are against the Law as St. James saith when lust is conceived it bringeth forth sin and â—in when it is finished it bringeth forth death thou that art a drunkard thy sin is finished thou art a true sinner in deed if thou livest in the execution of any sin Again sins in thought are simple sins but sins in deed are compounded if after thoughts follow sutable act but when it is in deed it may be the cause of a 1000 sins for a man to think too much of his bellie is a sin but for
Spirit of Christ he is none of Christs now if Christ be in you the body is dead if you consider the body as it hath relation unto sinne Again if you live after the flesh you shall dye verse 13. as if he should have said if your flesh be alive in you if your pride live in you and if your infidelity live in you if your hardnesse of heart live in you if your wrath c live in you and if you walke after these you shall surely die he meaneth not a temporall death for so they must doe howsoever they live but his meaning is they shall die eternally but if you mortify the deedes of the body by the spirit you shall live so then it is plaine there is no life of Christ to bee had so long as you retain your sinnes and therefore sinne must bee mortified First because Christ is a Saviour and hence he is called Jesus Matth. 1. 21. for he shall save his people from their sinnes if therefore Christ doe not save thee from thy sins and if by the power of Christ thou mortifie not thy sinnes and give them a deadly blow assure thy selfe he will never be a Jesus unto thee It is true indeed Christ dyed for sinners but it was not to let them goe on in sinne and therefore if thou goe on in sinne it is for thy damnation and not for thy salvation for he will first save thee from thy sinnes or else he will never save thee from hell so then consider if thy sinnes bear sway in thee if they doe then know thou art delivered up unto the power of thy sinnes and to everlasting darknesse For Christ is the true Physitian of the soule and you know that the Physitian doth not bring a potion to put it unto deaths mouth to kill death and so to save the sicke person alive no but hee putteth it into the sicke mans mouth to kill the ill humours that are in his body that so hee might not fall into the hands of death so Christ came not to quench the flames of hell by his spirituall Physicke but to let his Physicke fall upon the heart and soule of man to save him from hell Therefore unlesse the bloud of Christ doe mortifie thy sinnes and crucifie thy lusts there is no hope ever to get Christ to save thee from hell and everlasting damnation This is a true saying saith the Apostle and worthy to be received that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithfull saying and wicked men like it well indeede For saith the drunkard I am a wicked man yet Christ came to save me The whoremonger saith I am an uncleane person yet Christ came to save me The swearer will say Christ came to save sinners and therefore I hope he will save me too No no Christ came to save sinners that is such as were sinners but now are none they have and doe repent Jesus Christ came to save sinners saith the Apostle whereof I am chiefe I was a blasphemer and a persecuter but now I am not Hence then is the faithfull saying Christ came to save sinners not still sinning No before Paul was injurious a persecuter and lived in ignorance and unbeleefe but now the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was wonderfully abundant through Faith and love towards him so that the grace of God hath appeared to draw men out of blindnesse and ignorance therefore to say that Christ came to save such as live in their sins and will live in them as in sins of drunkeness prophaness or uncleaness is a rotten saying and this onely is the faithfull saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners in whom the power of sinne is broken therefore if ever we looke to have benefit or interest by Christ we must mortify our earthly members Secondly because it is impossible for sinne and grace to live and subsist in one subject it is impossible that they should ever stand together and be in a man at one and the same time it cannot be that one and the same creature can have the life of a swine and the life of a man for if he have the soule of a swine he cannot have the soul of a man for they are two contrary distinct lives and where the one is the other cannot be It is like hot water and cold if it be cold it cannot be hot if it be hot it cannot be cold Even so the life of sinne and the life of grace are two contraries and therefore they that walke in their sinnes walke contrary to God Now the Lord saith if you walke contrary to me I will walke contrary unto you Levit. 26. and two contraries we know cannot goe together He that walks in sinne walkes contrary unto God but he that goes on in the waies of grace he walks towards God Now it is impossible to walk towards Dover and towards London at one and the same time for every steppe he goeth forward to the one it carries him backward from the other so then if ever we will have the life of grace we must forsake our sinnes as it was with the house of Saul and David Sauls house grew weaker and Davids stronger so must it be with sin and grace as grace growes stronger so sinne must grow weaker as grace goes up so sinne must go down And as Saul told David he would not give him Michal his daughter to wife unlesse he brought unto him an hundred fore-skinnes of the Philistines Even so the Lord saith that he will not marry the Lord Jesus Christ unto any soule unlesse he bring the fore-skinne of every lust hee must circumcise the foreskinne of his pride of his covetousnesse of his prophanenesse this must bee the offering and condition of marriage unto Christ even the circumcision of the heart and the mortification of all the corruptions Thirdly because else it is impossible to enter into heaven if we mortify not our sinnes a man can never be capable of glory hereafter that doth not mortifie his sinnes here in this life Suppose a wicked man should enter into heaven it is impossible that he should delight in heaven if he were there You will thinke this a strange point but give me leave to explain it a little I say that a wicked man if he were in heaven he could finde no delight there As for example take a beast for so is every man by his own knowledge in regard of the life of grace as saith the Prophet Jeremy though a man take an Oxe or an Asse and bring him unto the Kings table and set before him all the delicates which appertain unto Kings let him have a dinner before him that cost an hundred pounds yet he had rather be in the fields among his fellowes eating grasse or set a Crowne of gold upon a beasts head he will not regard it but cast it off into the mire for
and am overtaken with my infirmities yet I thank God he hath sanctified my heart For I think of God and of Christ and I oft call upon his name and let my thoughts runne on good things God and heaven are many times in my mind and I am sorry when I do amisse and the Lord hath blest me with a large portion of outward things Besides I see these and these signs of grace in me and therefore I think my case to be haphy And thus securely they live and so they go on and so they dye and so go to hell and perish for ever and ever Here is the misery of it many think of God and of Christ of death and of their last account of heaven of hell of faith and repentance of leaving sinne of crucifying their lusts and practising of holiness Now men think that their thinking of these things is a part of their discharge when indeed they are Additions to and pieces of their talents which increase their judgements God casts in a though of repentance holinesse of the remembrance of death and last account Dost thou find thy heart never the better and holier by them Then know it is only Gods haunting of thy heart and Gods calling upon thee and Gods inviting thee unto repentance to leave thy sinnes to come out of thy deadnesse and formality to prepare for thy death and judgement and therefore I say if thy heart now think not so if thy heart do not repent beleeve and grow more zealous and thou art not drawn the neerer to God I say then that the more of these good thoughts that thou hast had the greater thy doom will be if thou hast had ten thousands of them if they have been only Gods haunting of thy heart think thou then now of grace of God of thy poor soul which is not bettered by them nor made holy then know they are pieces of thy talent and it doth make thy torments in hell the greater Secondly thou hast good thoughts but the question is whether they be fleeting or abiding thoughts Many think of God of grace of heaven of the word of God and when they hear a Sermon they will think of God but these thoughts though they come into their minds yet they go away presently they are in and out at an instant in a trice they passe away and are gone Beloved there are two kinds of vain thoughts 1. vain because the substance and matter of them is vain and so all worldly thoughts are vain 2. or else for their want of durance and lasting and so are all thoughts of heaven of God and grace and of Christ if they vanish away they are all vain thoughts though they seem otherwise Hear what God saith Gen. 6. 5 God saw that the wickednesse of man was great upon the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were only evill continually all the imaginations great is the emphasis of this word all all the thoughts yea all universally are only evill continually But you will say unto me Doth not a wicked man think that there is a God why that is a good thought doth not he think that this God is to be observed and worshipped why this is a good thought doth he not think that sin is to be forsaken that is a good thought doth he not think of heaven and of Christ how then are their thoughts only evil and that continually I answer Because all the thoughts of a wicked mans heart are vain that is vanishing thoughts not vain for the matter which sometimes may be good and Holy but vain because they soon vanish away thoughts that come and carry â—ot that leave no impression in their hearts behind them these are all vain thoughts according to that of the Apostle The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain 1 Cor. 3. 20. Beloved in a godly mans heart when a good thought comes it abides and dwells a good while in him and when it goes away it leaves a good impression behind it it leaves a sweet smell and favour in the heart after it is gone it s made more holy and sanctified by it When a good thought comes into a godly mans heart it leaves the print of it behind when a wicked man hath a good thought he â—osseth it up and down and suffers it not to stay but presently puts it away let a thought of the world come in and he can give it entertainment for seven days yea for seven years yea all his life he sets his heart as a wide gate open to receive them and to entertain them but if a thought of God or of repentance of holinesse and salvation come into his mind he is tyred out with it and it soon vanisheth away therefore so long as thy thoughts are thus vain though for the matter good if thou hast never so many of them yet if they abide not but thou thinkest and unthinkest them again if they come and give thy Soul a jog and so away the more I say thou hast of them though thou hast many millions the greater will be thy doom at the last day Thirdly Thou thinkest of God but the question is whether thy good thoughts be studied or accidental thoughts A wicked man that runs gadding in his thoughts here and there over the whole world upon this and that and I know not what in the midst of a lottery of thoughts he cannot chuse but stumble upon some good he thinks on God he thinks on Christ he thinks on Heaven but it is by the by-gone these thoughts of his are not naturall but if he think of the world of his pleasures of his outward delights and contentments these thoughts arise naturally out of his heart they are his own Now it may be a thought of God comes by the way But a godly man not only thinks of God but he stadies how to think of God it is his continuall endeavour to bring his mind to be fixed upon God it is his whole care to have good thoughts to dwell habitually in him There is an excellent phrase used to set it forth Malac. 3. 16. They that feared the Lord spake one unto another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him of all them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name Where I pray you to mark that thinking upon Gods Name and the fear of God are joyned together for thinking on God comes from the fear of God a godly man thinks upon God and fears him he thinks that God is alwayes with him in every place and he trembles before him he thinks God beholds all his thoughts and affections and trembles at him he thinks as he walks up and down in his way as he he is imployed in his calling as he is performing of any duty of Religion that Gods eye is upon him and beholds him and therefore he fears to offend
in the power and sanctification of holinesse then men would say of themselves of a truth God is in these men Christ dwels in them and the Spirit of God leads and governs them indeed If thou wouldest judge the world take heed how the world judgeth thee lest thou with the world be condemned eternally It was said that Herod feared John because he was a just man Mark 6. 23. So if all thy neighbours did know that thou were a just man a holy and conscionable man in all thy wayes and in all thy actions and that cannot endure swearing lying and deceit but did see that thou wast just and one that feared God truly they would all fear thee THE PUNISHMENT Of Unworthy COMMUNICANTS AT THE TABLE of the LORD DELIVERED In a SERMON preached By that Reverend and Faithfull Minister of the Word WILLIAM FENNER B. D. Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Pastor of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford A SERMON OF M. WILLIAM FENNERS Upon this ensuing Text. 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause many are weak and sick among you and many sleep THE Apostle in this Chapter taxeth two abuses which were then amongst the Corinthians First the unseemly habit of women in the congregation from the 1 verse to the 17. Secondly the prophane usage of the holy Communion both by men and women from the 17 verse to the end of the Chapter and herein from the 23. verse to the end of the 25 he sets down the Institution of the Lords Supper and thence raiseth a point of Doctrine That whosoever would come to this holy communion they must examine themselves that so they may come worthily else it were better that they never came So we may read in the 28 verse But let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup As if the Apostle had said Unlesse a man examine himself and search his own heart and find out his sins and dive into the secrets of his soul to bring out his hidden corruptions confessing them and judging himselfe for them before the Lord let them never presume to come to the holy Sacrament And then he proves it by three Reasons The first is taken from the end of the Sacrament for it is the remembrance of the death and passion of Christ so it is in 26. verse So oft as you Eat of this Bread and Drink of this Cup you shew forth the Lords death till he come It is a reason that the men of this world are not acquainted withall and therefore it was a good wish of a Reverend Father that the Sacrament should never be ministred but there should be a Sermon to teach men the nature of it and to instruct them in the Mystery thereof We approach unto the Sacrament hand over head living in our sinnes not shewing by our coming that Christ is dead we say we profess that Christ dyed for our sins and yet not withstanding our sins live in us as if Christ had not died for us or as if we would proclaim that his death had no effect in us For were we dead with Christ then sin and the living occasions of sin would be dead in us also My beloved we should never come to this Sacrament but we should shew forth the Lords death thereby that is that Christ is dead or rather dyed for sin and that sin is also dead in us The second reason is taken from the damned wrong we offer unto Christ if we come in our sins for we are guilty of the body and bloud of Christ as it is in the 27 verse nay thou sinnest against the Lord Jesus Christ not a jot lesse than Pilate that condemned him than Judas that betrayed him and the Jews that cryed out Crucifie him crucifie him yea thou art as much guilty as if thy own hand in thy own person had been imbrued in his bloud Now we know it is a horrible sin to be guilty of the blood and murther of an ordinary man yea of a very rogue how much more is it a great and fearfull sin to be guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord Jesus Christ the onely and eternall Sonne of God Yet comest thou to this holy Communion and bringest no lesse than the guilt of the Body and bloud of Christ upon thy soul The third Reason is taken from the wofull wrong and injury that man brings upon his own soul that comes unpreparedly without examination of himselfe in the 20. verse he eateth and drinketh his own damnation that is he maketh himselfe guilty of and lyable to the same vengeance that the crucifiers of Christ had inflicted on them Good had it been for that man saith Christ of Judas if that he had never been born So may I say Good had it been for that man and that woman if they had never been borne who come unworthily unto the Table of the Lord for when they eat of that Bread they eat their own bane and when they drinke of that Cup they drinke their own damnation Then commeth he to make some uses of this point and first he condemns those that as they come so they goe away from the Sacrament no more holy no more gracious than before but as they come in their sins so they go away in their sins they came drunkards and they go away drunkards they came worldlings and they go away worldlings they came mockers and they go away mockers they came in their wrath anger malice deadnesse hypocrisie and luke-warmnesse and so they goe away still never the better but living in them as they did before As in the â—â— verse You come together saith the Apostle not for the better but for the worse Whereas â—f they would have come worthily they should have gone away the better they should have received more grace and holinesse to walk with God more power and strength against sin and corruption yea the Lord would have ratified and confirmed his Covenant with them whereas living in contention and not coming with preparation they grow the worse by the Sacrament The Corinthians thought that the Apostle would have praised them for their coming to Church and receiving the Sacrament Shall I praise you saith the Apostle in this I praise you not Secondly He makes an use of terror against all those that dare come in their sins unto this holy Sacrament of the Lord for that man that cometh in his sins unto the Table of the Lord 1. Though he may think he receives the Communion yet he doth not for this is not the Table of the Lord but the Table of devils It is true thou receivest the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ but yet coming in thy sins thou receivest not his body and blood as of a Saviour to save thee from thy sins Indeed thou receivest the body and blood of Christ sacramentally but it is
now can a man stabbe his owne arme through with ease can he cut off his Legg or any other member without feeling any geeat paine no more can a man kill his sinnes and mortifie his lusts with ease It is called mortification to shew that there is a great deal of misery and pain in it The Apostle saith that those that are Christians have crncified the flesh c. Gal. 5. 24. and therfore Repentance is set out unto us by crucifiing which is the hardest of all kinds of mortifying Can a man set his flesh upon the Tenter pierce his hands and feet with nailes laying his whole weight upon the Tenter and yet feele no paine Cicero a wise Heathen saith that crucifiing was a torment that cruelty it selfe had invented to put a man to death it being the soarest kind of death that could be devised And the Apostle to set forth Repentance what it is shews it by crucifying It is an easie matter to cut off the outward act of sinne as of swearing or drunkennesse c. this is an easie matter but to crucifie a mans lusts and to mortify daily the body of death which be beareth about him this is a hard thing indeed A Father saith it it is the hardest Text in all the Bible and the hardest dutie in all Christianity that we can goe about they that can do it can doe all things and therefore let a man resolve with himselfe that unlesse he attain unto this there is no Christ for him How shall we saith the Apostle that are dead to sinne live any longer therein Romans 6. 2. The Apostle makes it a Paradox and wonders that men should be so unreasonable as to thinke that they are crucified with Christ and yet live in their sinnes Is it possible that you can be dead with Christ and yet live in your sinne No no it cannot be But some may object and say what doth the Apostle meane to exhort the Colossians unto Mortification were they not already mortified did he not say a little before that they were crucified and buried together with Christ Yes it is true but they that have mortified their earthly Members must go on and persevere in this Mortification and that for three Reasons First because the very same sinne that hath been killed will live again unlesse it be continually mortified for sinne is strong-hearted it is not every blow that will kill sinne stone-dead no no we may say of sin as some I say of Cats they have nine lives kill sin once and it wil revive again kil it the second time and it will yet live kill it the third time it will yet have life unlesse it be continually mortified it will never be starke dead and therefore the worke must be continued as Christ said of his disciples If you continue in my Word then are you my Disciples indeed So if we goe on in mortification then verily are we Christs Disciples Secondly suppose the sinne mortified doe not rise againe yet if wee goe not on in the way of Mortification there will arise another sinne in the roome of it Sinne is like the Monster Hydra cut off one head and many will rise up in its roome Even so it is in the body of sinne therefore thou must dayly mortifie it or else it will grow again There is a History that speakes of a Fig-tree that grew in a stone wall and all means was used to kill it they cut off the branches and it grew again they cut down the body and it grew again they cut it up by the roote and still it lived and grew untill they pulled downe the stone wall Even so it is with sinne lopp off the branches it lives cut downe the body it will not die digg up the rootes and it will still revive and will never leave growing untill God pull downe the stone wall of this our earthly Tabernacle and lay it in the dust and therefore we must still be mortifying of it Thirdly because as we mortifie so we mortifie but in part as saith the Apostle in another case we know but in part c. so may we say of this duty we mortifie but in part as we may say of a man breathing out his last breath he is a dying but not quite deade so we may say of sinne though it lie sprawling upon the ground yet it is not dead the last gaspe is not past Nay it may be sinne is more striving in the heart of a child of God converted then it was before conversion As an Oxe or an Asse when they have their deaths blow will lash and struggle more then then they did in all their life time before but this is nothing but the pangs of death being giving up their last breath Hence it is that the Apostle saith that the flesh lustâ—th against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh Gal. 5. So that they could not doe what they would verse 17. as if he should say sinne is so mortified that it hath his deaths wound in thee else thou canst not be the childe of God yea such a deaths wound as it cannot possible recover again If a man that hath received his deaths wound should send for all the Physitians in the world and take all the Physicke hee could and use all the meanes under Heaven yet they can never recover him So when a man is converted unto God as soone as ever the worke is wrought in him sinne hath his deaths blow and although the Devill come as Physitian with all the Cordialls Juleps and Balmes under Heaven and use all the shifts and devises in the world yet he shall never be able to recover it again all will not doe why because it hath received its deaths blow it may be with his industrie and cost hee may make the face of sinne loke fresh and faire for a time but it hath it deaths wound and it will down at the last The last Use may be of triall and examination whether sin be living or dead Now that we may know whether we have mortified our sins or no let us observe these markes following First they that have mortified their sinnes live in the contrary Graces Hence it is that the Psalmist saith that They worke no iniquitie but walke in thy pathes Psalme 119. 3. First they crucifie all their sinnes they doe no iniquity Secondly as they doe no iniquity so they take up all the wayes of God contrary to that iniquity as they give up all the wayes of sinne so they take up all the wayes of Grace they walke in all Gods wayes So that here is the question if a man giving over his sinnes doe take up all the Graces contary to those sinnes This is a rule in Divinity that Grace takes not away nature that is Grace comes not to take away a mans affections but to take them up Suppose a man be subject unto anger when he is a little moved grace comes
the Almighty p. 20. And let thy complaint be 1. Full of sorrow 21. 2. A full complaint of all thy sins ibid. 3. A complaint aggravating all thy sins by all their circumstances ibid. 4. A self condemning complaint wherein the complaint of Ezra is illustrated in eight particulars 22. 4. Let meditation when it hath searched out thy case and made it appear how wofull it is cast thee down before God 23. Four Motives to stir up the soul to Meditation Consider it is the part of a fool not to meditate It is madnesse for a man to walk on in a course and not to consider whither it will tend 24. 2. Consider not to meditate is the brand of a Reprobate ibid. 3. He that meditates not robs God of his honour 25. 4. All the service that a man performeth unto the Lord will be abominable if he meditate not before it and after it ibid. The reason why we have so many vain thoughts in our holy exercises is because we prepare not our hearts thereunto by meditation The Contents of the third SERMON Proverbs 1. 28. 1. THe opening of the context in five particulars 29. 2. The opening of the words of the Text in four particulars 30. 1. Doctrine Those that will not hear the Lord when he calleth upon them by the ministry of his word and voyce of his Spirit the Lord will not heart them when in their misery they call upon him 21. Three Reasons of the point 1. The law of Retaliation of rendring like for like requires it ibid. 2. Because Gods two Attributes of Mercy and Justice have their season in this life and when Mercy hath acted her part then cometh Justice upon the stage for to act her part 32. 3. Because it is Gods manner for to do so in temporall things and therefore much more in matters of grace and salvation 33. God giveth to men a day and no Man nor Angel knoweth how long this day lasteth or when this season of grace shall have an end 35. And as there is a personall day so there is a Nationall day 36. Objection 1. A man may be called at the eleventh or twelfth hour of the day 37. Answer Those that were called at the first hour came in at first hour those that came in at the twelfth hour were not the same that were called at the first hour ibid. Objection 2. The day of grace lasteth as long as the day of life ibid. The Objection is cleared under three particulars Answer And it is answered that the day of grace may end to a particular man long before his death 1. Because God may harden a mans heart 38. 2. Because God may sear mens consciences ibid. Objection 3. Suppose I go on in my sin and repent upon my death bead will God hear me Answer The answer is negative 39. Objection 4. Suppose I humble my self by fasting and prayer will not God hear that The answer is negative if thou neglect the day of grace ibid. Object 5. At what time soever a sinner repents he shall find mercy Ans It is true if he repent from the bottom of his heart but a man may have many a degree of repentance and yet never repent from his heart ibid. Self love may make a man do much ibid. 2. Doctrine It may be this very day even this particular Sermon this instant hour may be thy day that art now in thâ— sins that if thou repent not at this very one Sermon thou neglectest eternal life for ever 40. Four Reasons of the point 1. Because Gods patience is in his own breast and who can tell how long it will last ibid. Wherein Joel 2. 12. is opened in five particulars ibid. 2. God usually giveth some signes of death beforehand 41. But the day of grace may end and a man never have any warning of it Because Gods patience giveth no marks or inkling of its ending before it ends ibid. 3. Because God keepeth a strict account how many opportunities he hath vouchsafed 42. 4. Consider it is a wonder that the day of grace is not ended already and that thou art not now in hell 43. The Contents of the fourth SERMON upon upon Philip. 3. 18 19. 1 AN Explaination of the severall parts of the Text in five particulars 43. Doctrine That those whose minds and thoughts run habitually on earth and earthly things their end must needs be destruction 44. 6. Reasons 1. The curse of God is the desert of vain thoughts ibid. 2. The curse of God is the event of vaine thoughts ibid. 3. The man whose thoughts are habitually on the things of the world can never truly repent 47. 4. Because that man whose thoughts run habitually on earthly things hath no part in Jesus Christ 48. 5. Because so long as a mans thoughts run habitually on things of the world that man hath no true love of God in him ibid. 6. Because so long as a mans thoughts run after the world he can never depart from his sins 49. 2. Uses 1. For humiliation because these vain thoughts bearing sway in the heart they make that mans end to be destruction 50. 2. For the terrour of those men who suffer their hearts to be taken up with vain thoughts 51. Objection But I think of God and of Christ of faith and repentance 52. Answ 1. Consider whether thy good thoughts be meerly cast into thy heart or whether they be raised by thy heart ibid. A wicked man may have a thousand good thoughts and yet goe to hell in the midst of them 53. 2. Thou hast good thoughts but consider whether they be fleeting or abiding thoughts 54. There are two kinds of vaine thoughts 1. vaine because the matter and substance of them is vaine 2. vaine for want of durance and lasting though not vaine for the matter of them ibid. 3. Thou thinkest of God but consider whether thy thoughts be studied or accidentall thoughts 55. A godly man not only thinketh of God but he studieth how to think of God ibid. 4. Thou thinkest of God but consider whether thy thoughts of God be profitable or unprofitable thoughts ibid. Thoughts how free and not free Free from mens knowledge and mens Courts Not free 1. From Gods knowledge ibid. 2. They are not free from Gods word ibid. 3. They are not free from the wrath of God 57. Three meanes in the use whereof we may rid our selves of vain thoughts 1. Love the word of God ibid. 2. Go unto God by prayer ibid. 3. Consider thou hast not so learned Christ 58. All vaine thoughts arise from these three Heads 1. From the variety and abundance of the thoughts of the world ibid. 2. From the Fountain of corruption that is in mens hearts ibid. 3 From the damned malice of Satan and his temptations both within and without ibid. Thoughts become vain four manner of wayes In respect of the Matter In respect of the Forme In respect of the Efficient In respect of the
upon him ibid. Five Motives to walke worthy of God 1. If we do walke worthy of God then we shall answer all the labour and cost that God hath been at 193. 2. Then we shall walk with God in white 194. 3. Then we doe not disappoint Gods account ibid. 4. Then we shall be importunate beggers and so worthy of mercy ibid. 5. Then we shall adde humiliation to every duty we do performe ibid. 2. If we do not walke worthy of God then 1. We walke worthie of destruction 195. 2. Then we are guiltie of the death of Christ ibid. 3. Then we shall be condemned ibid. Use We must be as it were even of the very nature of God 192. The Contents of the fourteenth SERMON on Col. 1. 10. IT is possible to walk in all manner of pleasing unto the Lord 200. Reas 1. Because God is not a rigorous God ibid. 2. There is a way wherein if we walk we shall please God ibid. 3. The Lord hath shewed us this way ibid. 4. Many have walked in this way before us ibid. Doct. It is a fit duty to please God ibid. Reason 1. Because God is a great King 201. 2. His pleasure is a good pleasure ibid. 3. Christ who is our better did thâ—se things that pleased God ibid. 4. If we do not please God our consciences will condem us ibid. 5. It is a duty most sutable to humane society ibid. Doctr. Pleasing of God is a large duty 202. Reason 1. It is the end of all our duties ibid. 2. It is the most acceptable of all duties ibid. 3. It is unconfinable to place or time ibid. 4. It is in all things without limitation ibid. 5. It is an everlasting duty 203. 6. It is the whole duty of the new man ibid. Doctr. It is a necessary duty to please God ibid. Reas 1. Because we have no saving grace unlesse we labour to please God ib. 2. We are in a woful case if we do not please God ibid. 3. If we doe not please God we are continually in danger of the wrath of God Use To condemn 1. Those that please not God ibid. 2. Those that please men ibid. 3. Those that please themselves 205. The Contents of the fifteenth SERMON on Luke 23. 42. EXtraordinary cases never make a common rule 209. That a wicked life will have a cursed end this is the ordinary rule ibid. Yet in some extrtardinary cases it may be otherwise 1. When God is pleased to shew his prerogative royall ibid. 2. When a sinner hath not had means of salvation in his life but only at his death 210. 3. When a sinner shall be made exemplary ibid. 4. When the Lord may be as much honoured by a mans death as he hath been dishonoured by his life This repentance of the thief was extraordinary as is proved by five arguments 1. Because it was one of the wonders of Christs passion ibid. 2. We read not of any other that was converted at the last hour as the thief was 211. 3. Because of the suddennesse of it ibid. 4. In regard of the Evangelicall perfection of it Containing 212. 1. His penitentiall confession ibid. 2 His penitential profession ibid. 3. His penitentiall satisfaction ibid. 4. His penitentiall self-deniall ibid. 5. His penitentiall faith ibid. 6. His penitentiall resolution 213. 7. His penitentiall prayer ibid. 5. This repentance was extraordinary in regard of the incomparablenesse of it ibid. Use To condemn those that rely upon this example 214. This example is once recorded that none might despaire and but once that none might presume 215. None because of this example should defer their repentance 1. Because this thief had not the means of life and grace before 216. 2. Because we never read that this thief put off his repentance till the last ibid. 3. Because at that time God was in a way of working miracles 218. The Contents of the seventeenth SERMON on Psal 147. 3. THe words of the Text opened 223. What is meant by wholenesse of heart ibid. What is meant by brokennesse of heart 224. Doctr. Christ justifies and sanctifies Or heals the broken-hearted 226. Four Reasons 1. Because God hath given grace unto Christ to heale the broken-hearted ibid. 2. Christ hath undertaken to do it ibid. 3. Christ hath this in charge to bind up the broken-hearted ibid. 4. None but the broken hearted will accept of Christ ibid. Severall objections are answered 227. 228 229. Three Reasons why Christ will heale the broken-hearted 1. This is the most seasonable time to be healed when the heart is broken 232. 2. It is the most profitablest time ibid. 3. It is the very nick of time the heart can never be healed untill it be broken ibid. Three signes of a broken heart 1. A breaking from sin 234. 2. A breaking in it self with sorrow ibid. The history of Zacheus conversion is opened in seven particulars ibid. 3. When the heart is broken then it will stoop to Gods word in all things 237. The Contents of the eighteenth SERMON on Isaiah 57. 1. The words of the Text explained Doct. ALl men must die 241. Reason 1. Because God hath so appointed it 242. 2. Because all men and women are of the dust ibid. 3. Because all have sinned ibid. 4. Because as death came into the World by sin so sin might go out of the world by death ibid. Two Objections against this are answered ibid. Use 1. Let no man look to be exempted from death for his righteousnese 243. 2. Hence we should learn to draw our hearts from this present world ibid. 3. To teach us to prepare our selves for a better life ibid. Doct. The death and losse of good men must be laied to heart as an especiall cause of grief and sorrow 244 Reason 1. Because the instruments of Gods glory are taken away ibid. 2. Because of the great losse that others have by their death ibid. 3. Because of the evill to come for while they live they are as a wall to keep off the wrath of God ibid. Use 1. To reprove those that rejoyce at the death of the righteous 245 2. To informe us what a losse it is when the righteous are taken away ibid. Doct. When God will bring any great judgement upon a people or Nation ordinarily he takes away his faithfull servants from amongst them 146. Use 1. To inform us of Gods extraordinary love to his Children ibid. 2. To inform us that when the righteous are taken away we are certainly to expect some great judgement from God to fall upon us ibid. The Contents of the nineteenth SERMON on Jeremiah 14. 9. THe opening of the context in many particulars 251. Doctr. God many times doth cast off a people 252. Four Signes of Gods casting off a people 1. When he takes away his love and respect from a people 253. 2. When he takes away his providence from them ibid. 3. When he breaks down the wals of Magistracy and Ministry ibid. 4.
as the Judge to condemn thee unto the pit of destruction for thy damned impudency in coming so unworthily unto this holy Sacrament For that man cannot eat the body of Christ that is not a member of Christ therefore thou must be a limb of Christ if ever thou wilt receive worthily 2. If a man come unto the Sacrament and come in his sins he cometh to his own destruction for though it be a sweet banquet to refresh an humble and weary soul and to make it walk more cheerfully in the wayes of God all the dayes of his life yet he that cometh unto it in his sins and receiveth it in his uncleannesse speedeth thereby his own damnation and receiveth it as his vâ—aticum to hell The Apostle compares Baptisme to the Red Sea 1. Cor. 10. from which place Crysostome saith that as the Red Sea was a way for the Israelites to passe through to Canaan so it was as a grave to swallow up the Egypptians to their destruction So the Lords Supper is as a grave an open pit whereby many plunge themselves into eternall destruction but as a chariot to the godly to carry them to heaven Thirdly by coming in thy sinnes thou makest thy selfe lyable to Gods temporary plagues and judgements as appears in my Text For this cause many are sick and weak among you and many are fallen asleep For this cause which is not only a note of conclusion but of the cause For this cause namely because they examine not themselves but come in their sins and receive it unworthily One man hath a disease in his body that he liveth not out halfe his dayes another is sick and weak neer unto death a third is fallen asleep Wherefore why saith the Apostle for this cause of receiving unworthily the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Fourthly for instruction that because the people of God as well as wicked men are guilty of unworthy coming to the Lords Table therefore he exhorts them that if they would not have the Lord judge them that they would judge themselves as in the 31. verse For if we would judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord. If we would sit down and search our own hearts and try our own spirits and pry into our owne bosomes and out with our old corruptions and unclean lusts and enter into a new covenant with God of holy walking before him for after-time if we would thus judge and condemn our selves and mortifie our sinnes comming with grace unto this holy banquet that we might come with comfort unto this blessed Sacrament assuring our selves that we shall escape the judgement of the Lord. For those of the Corinthians whom God struck with sicknesse weaknesse and death it was to instruct others that are well and in health that they venture not to enter upon these holy mysteryes with unholy hearts and unclean hands Fifthly he concludeth with an use of exhortation in the 33 and 34. verses Wherefore brethren when ye come together to partake of the holy Communion tarry one for another As if he should have said Away with all your disorders and come not with a temporall but with a spirituall appetite provide not thy teeth but thy heart for these dainties for this is not a feast for the body but for the soul therefore away with all your disorders and unseemly coming unto this blessed Sacrament take heed and repent of this sin among you and of all other sins which you know your own conscience to be guilty of and so come unto this holy communion Now the verse that I have read to you is a part of that use of terror which the Apostle makes against the unworthy receivers of the Sacrament and it contains Gods severe hand and punishment against those that come unworthily wherein note three things First the cause of their punishment which is the unworthy eating of the Communion For this cause many are sick and weak among you and many are fallen asleep Secondly the punishment inflicted for this sin weaknesse sicknesse and mortality For it seems saith Peter Martyr that the Lord sent a sore plague and pestilence among them to revenge himself of them for their abuse of the Sacrament for this cause Thirdly there is the Delinquents which are you Corinthians Many are sick and weak among you and in them all others that come unpreparedly to the Sacrament Chrysostom notes here that our Apostle doth not fetch here an Argument or example of judgement from others as he had done in the former chapter but he brings it from themselves who sensibly felt the wrath of God upon them for this very sin As if the Apostle should have said How is it O Corinthians that you dare venture to come unto the Communion so unpreparedly and that you have no more regard of so weighty a businesse as is the receiving of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ See you not the wrath of God upon your dwellings and the curse of heaven to take hold of your town you see it this very time that some are weak and very sick amongst you near unto death and others have been struck with death before your eyes and the wrath of God is not removed but lies yet upon you What will you alwayes goe on and never cease to provoke the Lord to indignation and wrath against you for your sins until his jealousie hath utterly consumed you and clean cut you off and howsoever many of you may think that this sicknesse weaknesse and mortality comes upon you by chance as from the infection of the ayr or other secundary causes I tell you nay but it is for this cause onely even your unworthy coming to the Supper of the Lord. Whence we may observe this point of instruction That God doth most severely punish the unworthy receivers of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper He punished the Corinthians here with sicknesse weaknesse feavers pestilence death temporall and God knows how many with death eternall Theodoret observes that the Apostle told them of a thing that was acted amongst them for if he had told them of such judgements as had been hid from them and not manifest before their eyes as if they had not felt the sicknesse in their bodies and heard the bels tolling dayly in their ears they might have thought that the Apostle had but lyed unto them So the people of Israel as we may read in 1 Cor. 10. 2 3. verses they were baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea and they did all eat the same spirituall meat and drink the same spirituall drink yet as it is in the fifth verse with many of them God was not well pleased Nay God was so wroth with them that within the space of forty years many thousands of them were destroyed by death here and God knoweth how many thousands of them in hell For God speaketh of hell as well as of death and their sin was so great that it made God
man or woman rich or poor that person was to be cut off from the presence of the Lord Levit. 12. whereto the Lord sets his Seal for the confirmation thereof I am the Lord and as sure as I am the Lord so will I see it accomplished So my beloved let me say unto you of England from Dover to Newcastle or from the one end of the town unto the other that soul who toucheth any one of these holy things with an impure heart and cometh to partake of them with his uncleannesse upon him living in his sinnes and wallowing in his lusts casting off the fear of the Lord and making no conscience to walk in Gods wayes that soul shall surely be cut off that cometh so unworthily unto the Table of the Lord not only the hand that taketh it and the mouth that eateth it but even the very soul of him that cometh shall perish from the presence of the Lord. So Levit. 7. 20. That soul that eateth of the flesh of the Sacrifices of peace offerings that pertain unto the Lord having his uncleannesse upon him even that soul shall be cut off from his people Now you know that all those sacrifices had relation unto Christ but yet under the Law they were but shadows and typicall relations and were not so lievly and effectuall means for the exhibiting of Christ as the Lords Supper is And therefore if such as came in their uncleannesse unto them were punished with no lesse punishment than a cutting off from fellowship with the Lords people what wrath and vengeance will the Lord bring upon thee that comest with thy uncleannesse upon thee unto this holy Communion Augustine saith that man that receiveth the Sacrament unworthily receiveth a great plague to his own soul and a great torment to his own conscience yea and heapeth up a store of wrath unto himself against the day of wrath Me thinks thou that livest in thy sinnes and wilt not come out of them when thou hearest these words This is my body and seest the bread broken before thy face it should even make thee tremble and quake to look upon it more to touch it and most of all to tast it for it is the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ and how darest thou come in thy sins to defile it A third Reason is in regard of the form of the Sacrament which is Christ too for as he is the efficient cause that instituted it and as he is also the matter of the Sacrament so in the third place Christ is the form of the Sacrament also wherein the confirming grace of God is sealed up unto thee Now as it is treason for a man to offer contempt unto the Kings broad Seal so certainly is it high treason against this King of Kings to contemn this blessed Sacrament which is the Seal of the righteousnesse of faith If thou shouldest clip the Kings Coyn I will say that thou art a Traitor Oh what a traytor art thou then yea accursed traytor in the account of God and Christ if thou clippest his holy Communion if thou clip it of thy examination and due preparation and so come hand over head not regarding so holy an Ordinance Thou sinnest against the Court of heaven That which Saint James speaks in general of the whole worship of God Draw near unto God let me apply it in particular unto this drawing near unto God in his holy Communion James 4. 8. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded Draw near unto God in the hearing reading and meditating on Gods Word draw near unto God in Prayer and in his holy Sacrament and receive it for your amendment of life Draw near unto God I that I wil saith the wicked man I wil come to Church and draw near unto the holy Communion Will you so saith the Apostle No first Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purge your hearts ye double-minded As if he should say never think of drawing near unto God or setting foot on this holy ground and handling those holy mysteries of Christ unlesse thou first purge thy heart and cleanse thy soul from all thy filthy lusts and cursed corruptions lest otherwise thou coming in thy sins with thy uncleannesse on thee and so receiving unworthily thou eatest and drinkest thine own damnation as our English translation hath it damnation to thy self and not to another No God forbid that thou shouldest by thy unworthy coming eat and drink condemnation to another for thou that art a child of God and comest unto the Table of the Lord with repentance and a sound measure of preparation though others that sit in the same pew with with thee for their prophanenesse eat and drink their own damnation yet thou shalt be sure to receive the seal and assurance of thy reconciliation and salvation with free acceptance of God through the Lord Jesus Christ for every man shall bear his own burden The last Reason is in regard of the end of the Sacrament which is Christ also For as he is the efficient material and formal cause so Christ is also the final cause of the Sacrament So it is in the 26 verse As oft as you eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup you shew forth the Lords death until he come Not that Christ may be eaten with the teeth or corporally received in the Sacrament or as if he were there productively or transubstantially as the Papists say no the Apostle shews that the end of the celebration of this Sacrament is to shew forth the death of Christ untill he come I but say the Romists unlesse we eat the body and drink the blood of Christ really and not the consecrated bread and wine how can any man by this unworthy communicating eat and drink his own damnation and make himself guilty of the body and blood of Christ I answer a man cannot bring this guilt upon himselfe by eating a peece of bread or drinking a cup of wine but the Apostle hath an answer so fitted for this as that all the Papists in the world shall never be able to gain say and therefore I pray you to mark it for he hath joyned these two verses together as oft as you eat of this bread and drink of this cup you shew forth the Lords death till he come Wherefore whosoever eateth this bread or drinketh this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord even for this cause because it is the shewing forth of Christs death till he come Therefore if thou eatest and drinkest unworthily coming in thy sins and resolvest to go on in them that as thou wert proud before thou camest to the Sacrament so thou art still as thou wert cholerick angry and impatient before so thou art still as thou wert luke-warm and dead-hearted in Gods service before so thou remainest still remember I pray thee that as oft as thou hast come unto the
will never do so any more I have been wicked and sinfull disobeying and rebelling against all thy holy commandements and respected not thy judgements and thy promises and have been carelesse of thy glory But now Lord as I eat this bread and drink this wine so I covenant unto thee and promise to thee that I wil amend all my sinfull ways and become a reformed Christian And as I ever look that the body and the bloud of the Lord Jesus Christ represented in the elements should nourish my soul unto eternall life so I promise to be disobedient unto the Devill but faithfull and obedient unto thee I will stop my ears against the alluring inchantments of the world and wicked suggestions of the Devil but I wil open them wide to hearken to thy voice that I may obey thy commands But now as thou hast made it so if thou hast broken this thy covenant with God returning to thy former courses of sin and disobedience against him know thou that this covenant of thine which thou hast broken shal stand in full force against thee for God will assuredly require it at thy hands and all the Sacraments which thou hast received thou hast received them but as so many seals and pledges of thy just deserved condemnation But some man may object and say Do all that come unworthily unto the Sacrament eat and drink their own damnation Then many hundreds yea thousands are damned Are all damned that have eat and drunk unworthily Ans No but a man may eat and drink his own damnation three ways First in regard of guilt and liablenesse unto Gods wrath and so he that eateth and drinketh his naturall food his dinner supper or breakfast in his sinnes eateth and drinketh his own damnation yea whosoever thou art that comest unto this holy banquet in thy sins in thy pride choler malice wrath or revenge covetousuesse hypocrisie and deadnesse in Gods service thou never eatest a bit of bread but thou eatest and drinkest thine own damnation that is thou eatest and drinkest that which will witnesse against thee another day Deut. 28. 16 17 18 19. ver c. If thou â—ilt not hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God to observe and do all his commandements then all these curses come upon thee and shall overtake thee Cursed shalt thou be in the City and cursed in the field cursed shall be thy basket and store Now if thy bread be cursed then thou art cursed also that eatest it Secondly in regard of the seal and obligation in the conscience so he that eateth and drinketh the Sacrament in his sins eateth and drinketh his own damnation that is he eats and drinks that which seals up his damnation against the great day of account And thus many amongst us and I fear the most part of this congregation have eat and drunk their own damnation But this seal may be broken off and God grant it may Thirdly in regard of sigillation in heaven and so he that eats and drinks unworthily and will not be reformed he that receives the Sacrament time after time yet still retains his sins and will not be humbled for them nor forsake them he setteth a seal in heaven upon his own damnation that all the whole world can never break off but such an one most certainly is a damned creature And now my brethren God forbid there should be any such here but that this seal may be broken off And O that God would put some strength into this word that it may be broken off by your godly sorrow for your sin and forsaking of them all for if this seal be set on your damnation why do I yet speak unto you and intreat and beseech you in the name of Christ to come home and be reconciled to him and I desire to stand here as Jehoiadah set Porters at the gates of the City and of the house of the Lord to keep off all those that come in their uncleannesse 2 Chron. 23. 19. So I stand this day as the Porter of the Lord to keep the Lords watch that no prophane wretch no proud hearted sinner that means not to enter into a new course of life that no such one come unto this holy communion I charge you as you will answer the guilt of Christs bloud before Gods Throne that you meddle not with it But now if there be any that would absent himself because he will the more freely go on in his sins let him know that such an one excludes himself from the benefits and merits of Christs death and shall never have the benefit of a Redeemer at the day of judgement but shall perish in his sins for his carelesse neglect and fearful contempt of so effectual and powerful means of salvation and purging as is the bloud of Christ truly and really offered in the Sacrament Wherefore if thou comest or comest not woe is thee if so be thou livest and continuest in thy sins and goest on in thy unholy courses And now to conclude as the Cherubin stood before Paradise with a naked sword to keep Adam out that he might not enter and so eat of the tree of life so I bring with me the sword of God to run it up to the hilt in the heart and bowels of every ungodly man every rebellious and impenitent sinner this day that dares presume to rush upon this holy Ordinance of God with a polluted and an unclean heart Therefore let me exhort thee that as thou tendrest the eternall good of thy soul so thou be careful not to eat the body of Christ nor drink his blood in thy sins lest thou eat thine own bane and drink thine own curse Nay so doing thy misery wil be so great as a good man wel weighing and considering of it said I professe I had rather have all my veins cut open and my bloud spilt on the ground than deliver the body and blood of Christ unto a prophane sinner for why should I deliver his own bane and destruction unto him But now my brethren and beloved come out of your sins come and welcome if you part with your lusts and so come you shall be sure to have his bloud to wash your heart and cleanse you his righteousnesse to clear you and cloath you his graces to strengthen you his spirit to heal and to sanctifie your hearts and natures the Lord Jesus Christ to supply all good that is wanting in you But if yet notwithstanding all this that hath been said you will go on in your sins and live as you did in your swearing whoring lying and drinking and all manner of filthinesse and as you came to it unclean so you depart away from it more unclean and never make any conscience of any reformation I pronounce this day before God and his elect Angels that thou shalt surely perish and thy soul and body be damned and tormented in the scorching flames of hell for evermore Therefore
on him How dost thou tell me of pride and worldlinesse and covetousnesse Who is proud and covetous as thou Thus a man shall be ready to be hit in the teeth Fourthly such a reprover is an hypocrite It is no Christian reproof for a man to do so Wilt thou goe and find fault with thy servant for his lazinesse of thy service when thou art lazie in Gods service Wilt thou find fault with thy brother for his pride and thou art full of fashions Wilt thou condemn the sinnes of the times and thou livest in some lust This is nothing but hypocrisie Thou makest as if thou didst stand so much for obedience to God and oh there is this and that sin against God when thy selfe art a sinner in that or in another kind this is hypocrisie as Christ saith here Thou hypocrite first cast the beam out of thine own eye and then thou shalt see clearly to cast the moat out of thy brothers eye Thou hypocrite Mark it is an act of hypocrisie when a man goes to find fault with another before he has gone to redresse his own soul to purge his own conscience and have shook hands with the wages of iniquity his own selfe before a man hath done this it is hypocrisie to deal with another For when a man reproves another he takes a form upon himselfe of one that is zealous against sin and an enemy to all sinfull practises Now what is this but hypocrisie when a man hath not this in him that he pretends when a man finds fault with anothers pride as if he were humble forsooth with anothers worldlinesse as if he were liberall when a man doth so he incurres the guilt of hypocrisie in reproving another Fifthly another reason is because such a reprover is inexcusable his reproving another mans sin makes himself inexcusable if his own as the Apostle speaks Romans 2. 1. Therefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou doest the same thing Mark thy own mouth shall condemne thee thou findest fault with another mans pride it seems he is to be condemned for it then God condemnes thee for thy pride Thy pride is a fair mark for Gods justice because thou condemnest another Dost thou find fault with anothers hardnesse of haart and ill will and backwardnesse to any thing hat was good and yet thou art backward Thou exposest thine own soul to the judgement of God thou hast taught as it were Almighty God how to condemn thee for thy own lusts and corruptions Again sixthly another Reason is this because such a reprover is an absurd person It is absurd to reprove another and be faulty ones self as it is Rom. 2. 21. Thou that teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe Thou that preachest another should not steal dost thou steal This is a strange absurd thing this reproof doth not sound well in thy mouth thou stealest and forbiddest stealing thou preachest against adultery and committest it thou speakest against such and such sinnes thou findest fault with them in the children of God and art guilty thy self or in thy children or servants or neighbours and art obnoxious to them in thine own practice this is an absurd thing these rebukes and reproofs sound not well in thy mouth Lastly it is a sign of impudency Psalm 50. What hast thou to do to take my covenant into thy mouth when thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my covenant behind thy back And to the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to take my statutes or covenant into thy mouth since thou hatest instruction What hast thou to doe to reprove thy brother If he be proud what is that to thee as long as thou art proud thy selfe thou goest and flingest stones at him fling them at thine own heart first It is a sign of impudency But it may be objected Shall not a wicked Magistrate punish sinne and a wicked minister preach against the corruptions of the times and a wicked Master rebuke his servants and a wicked Father correct his Children Because he is wicked himself shall he make himselfe more wicked and contract more guilt upon his soul I answer that such a man is in a dilemma for the man is bound to reprove in regard of his office and yet he is bound in conscience to go and amend himself first I say he is bound to reprove all those that God calls him to reprove in regard of his office but in regard of conscience he is bound to go and amend his own fault first Therefore if he be a Magistrate such as sit upon life and death Nifi prius or any action between man and man if he condemn a malefactor and there remember himself guilty he is bound in conscience to arise from the Bench and go and amend his own sin And we that are Ministers when we preach to the people and remember our selves guilty let us lay our hands upon our mouths at least in votis before ever we have the face to go and find fault with the people it is necessary it should be so Therefore I say a man is in a dilemma if he do not reprove sinne it is against his office and the person he bears when God calls him to it and if he be reproved then he sinnes against the command of God that binds him to be blamelesse this is to bear the place of a reprover The Use of this is first to let us see that a man that reproves I speak not of Ministers only or of Magistrates or Fathers but of every man that reproves either by tongue in word or in thought if he find fault in his thought with another man for his sinnes and his strange doings Let him take heed he doth but pull a judgement upon his own head he makes himselfe inexcusble as in Rom. 2. 3. the Apostle there speaing of this very point Thinkest thou O man that judgest him that doth these things and doest them that thou shalt escape the judgement of God A man that judgeth another and doth the same things that man certainly shall not escape the judgement of God as his brother doth not escape his judgement Secondly another Use shall be for councell to every man and woman for it is every ones case God hath called every one of us to reprove one another Ministers to reprove the people and Magistrates to judge between man and man and every neighbour is to reprove when he is called thereto Now let us mark and observe this rule let every one of us labour with all care and conscience to be unblameable unoffensive to humble our own souls to cleanse our own consciences that we may be able to perform this duty Beloved we wrong our own souls if we find fault with others and suffer our selves to be faulty When Paul was to preach to the people knowing that his office of preaching
mock at preaching c. Tush thou wilt not be so precise If ever thou be one of his thou wilt not only obey him but also be circumspect in all thy obedience nay if thou be broken in heart thou wilt not only stoop to every commandment of God but also count it thine honour and glory though it be the meanest office in his service Thou art my glory sayes David David that was broken from his pride counted it his glory to obey God his glory to serve God yea his glory to be reproched for his sake Thou art not broken in heart till thou count it thine excellency to serve God We use to say such a ones excellency is in his learning or wit c. but he is too precise and too holy as if it were not a mans excellency to be pure and zealous and to serve God But I tell thee if thou count it not thine honour to be forward for God and to be nicknamed for Christ thine excellency to lie in this that thou art godly and heavenly thou art a proud fool when John Husse was to write upon the Epistle of Saint James he counted it such an high office of dignity that he was confounded at his own indignity saying unto God Hei mihi laudare te contremisco he counted it such an honour to doe any thing for God that he was ashamed at his own vilenesse O my brethren God is called the excellency of Jacob it was not their valour nor wisedome but this was their excellency that God was their God thy riches are proud riches if thy excellency lie in them more than in God if thou dost not go about every commandment as thine excellency thy obedience is proud This is a third signe of a heart broken from sin if it be broken from its pride A Funerall SERMON Preached By that laborious and faithful Messenger of CHRIST WILLIAM FENNER Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Minister of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford A Funerall SERMON ISAI 57. 1. The righteous perish and no man layeth it to heart mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evill to come IN the end of the former chapter the Prophet reproveth the speciall sin of Idol-shepheards who followed their own pleasures and profits not regarding their flock Now he reproves the generall sin of security in the people and namely in this that whereas the righteous perish yet no man layeth it to heart and mercifull men are taken away none considering c. This verse is a complaint of the Prophet touching the people in generall for that they considered not the Iudgements of God upon them in taking away the righteous from among them In the words themselves we are to consider First the work of the Lord viz. the righteous perisheth and mercifull men are taken away Secondly the peoples sin in not considering it not regarding this work of the Lord which is that the righteous may be delivered from the evill to come By righteous is here meant not such as are legally righteous by the works of the law for so no man is righteous but by righteous is here meant such as are Evangelically righteous by the righteousnesse of faith in the Gospell Perisheth that is from the earth for otherwise the righteous perish not No man considering that is no man lamenting mourning or grieving for the loss of them The first thing then to bee considered is from the first part and it is plain out of the words of the text That all men must dye even the most holy and most righteous for they are all subject to the stroak of bodily death as well as the wicked There is no remembrance saith Solomon of the wise more than of the fool and how dyeth the wise man even as the fool Eccles 2. 16. so zachar 1. 5. Your fathers where are they and the Prophets â—o they live for ever so that we sce Prophets and fathers dye as well as other men yea those Worthies recorded in the Scripture Noah Abraham David c. they are all gone the same way they are all dead The first reason is because it is appointed unto all men once to dye and after that comes the judgement Heb. 9. 27. God hath thus decreed it and therefore it must be so Secondly because all men and women are of the dust and therefore must return to the dust again dust thou art saith God and unto dust thou shalt return Gen. 3. 19. Thirdly because all have sinned even the most righteous man now the wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. The most righteous man must dye Fourthly because as death came into the world by sinne Romans 5. 12. so sinne must goe out of the world by death and therefore it is needfull that the righteous dye that so they may be freed from sin But some may object and say Hath not Christ abolished death why then do the righteous dy I answer he hath abolished death as he hath abolished sin now he hath not taken sin quite away from us for we see it doth still remain in us neither hath he quite abolished death from the righteous for we see they all dye but he abolished the dominion of sin so that it doth no longer reign in us and so he hath taken away the dominion of death so that it doth not rage as a Tyrant over us so that it is not hurtfull unto us as a punishment but as a means to convey us into a better life Christ hath taken away the sting both of sin and death though not the things themselves away from us yet he will one day free us from them both so then the righteous must suffer death as well as the wicked though not in the same kind Let no man then look to be exempted from death for his righteousnesse nor from any outward miseries that may befall the sons of Adam nay if we are the servants of Christ we must look for a greater share in these than other men greater crosses greater afflictions greater sicknesse and harder pangs of death do oft befall the righteous as â—â— did unto this our brother who though he were old and stricken 〈◊〉 yeers yet the pangs of death were strong upon him Those whom 〈◊〉 will make heirs of Eternall life he suffers them to have a greater poâ—â—â—on in these afflictions But the wicked are fat and full and die with â—â—eir bones full of marrow as Job speaks they commonly have little sicknesse and an easie death but the godly do ordinarily undergo greater pangs let none therefore think that for his righteousnesse he shall be free Secondly consider we here how few amongst us have learned this Arithmetique namely to number our dayes and they are but short even a span long who is there almost that thinks on death who prepares himself for it and yet all even the most righteous must die for
taken from among you for who knowes whether God spared this congregation even for this good mans sake for it is the righteous only that God respects and for their sakes he will spare a whole people therefore surely as Solomon saith the righteous is better than his neighbour yea though never so poor and despised in the eyes of the world yet are they precious in Gods account when I make up my Jewels saith God I will spare them Mal. 3. 17. so that the righteous are Gods Iewels the excellent of the earth are precious in Gods sight and have we not great cause then to lament for the losse of such Seeing then it becometh all Gods children to lament the death of the righteous O how farre then are all such from the spirit of God who are so farre from lamenting that on the contrary they rejoyce at the death of the godly man because he stood in their way they could not follow their works of darknesse as they would but he hindered them he stood in their light they could not run on in sin and wickednesse but he would be reproving admonishing and telling them of their faults and this makes them long for the good mans end and to rejoyce in it when it doth come these do not consider that when the righteous is taken from the earth then they lie open unto the judgements of God But as the Sodomites thrust out just Lot out of their city that so Gods vengeance might fall the sooner upon them for till he was gone the Lord would not destroy them Gen. 19. 21. Even so doe these men desire to be rid of the righteous and rejoyce when they are taken away from them not considering that they are open to Gods vengeance which hangeth over their heads ready to devour them We ought then to be most grieved for the death of the righteous when any of the Saints are taken away by death Oh what a comfort is a righteous man to the children of God what a feeling of grace is there in such a one what comfortable words come there from the mouth of such men how full of comfortable speeches was this poor man alwayes ministring comfort to those that came to visit him what a loss is this then unto us it is more than if thousands of the wicked had gone together and shal we not mourn for the loss of such a one If one of our family or friends dye we can mourne for them and good reason and shall we not mourne for the losse of one of Gods Saints one of the spirituall family one of our fellow-members In this then examine thy self how it is with thee when thou hearest of any of the faithfull that are taken away art thou grieved for it dost thou lament and mourn for it if thou doest not surely thou art no true Christian for the children of God cannot choose but lay it to heart and lament when any of the righteous is taken from among them As Israel lamented the death of Samuel 1 Sam 25. 1. Now concerning the sin of the people in not regarding nor laying it to heart this was a great sin of security in them in that they did as it were rest on their pillows and cryed peace unto themselves notwithstanding Gods judgements upon them in taking away the righteous and freeing them from the evill to come we note that When God will bring any great judgement upon a People or Nation he will ordinarily take away his faithfull servants from among them that so they may be freed from the evil to come Thus good Josiah must perish in his young years that so he might not be taken with the evill to come I will gather thee unto thy fathers saith God and thou shalt goe to thy grave in peace and thy eyes shall not see all the evill that I will bring upon this place 2 King 22. 20. So when God told Abraham of the bondage and captivity whereunto he would bring his posterity he saith thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace Gen 15. 13. And thus it was with the ancient Father St. Augustine when the cruel Vandals besieged his crity he prayed that the Lord would either take him away or cause them to leave the siege and the Lord heard him and took him a way and presently after the Vandals destroyed the city So Luther writing upon this text saith that the Lord after his death would bring great affliction upon Germany and two years after it so fell out indeed Thus ordinarily God takes away his servants from the evill to come See here the mercy of God unto his children in that he takes them away from among the wicked he calls them out of this world that they may not partake of the evill to come shall any one then think it a curse to be taken away betimes in his young years nay happy is he that is taken away from these miserable and fearfull times wherein the judgement of God for our sins hangeth over our heads and is ready every day to seize upon us Secondly seeing that God when he means to bring any heavy judgement upon a people doth ordinarily take away the righteous from the evil to come this shews that when the righteous are taken from amongst us we are certainly to expect some judgement of God upon us For these are they which stood in the gap and kept off the fire of Gods wrath from us that it should not consume us but now being gone we lie open to the judgements of God and therefore when any righteous men are taken from us the losse of them ought to drive us to repentance least Gods judgements come presently upon us and consume us therefore we must forsake our sins and evil wayes and performe new obedience unto God so will he be mercifull unto us yea he will be a shield of defence unto us and a wal of fire about us and he will turn away his judgements from us THE SIGNES OF GODS forsaking a People Preached By that laborious and faithful Messenger of CHRIST WILLIAM FENNER Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Minister of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford THE SIGNES OF GODS forsaking a People JER 14. 9. And we are called by thy Name leave us not TWo things Brethren and beloved in Christ Jesus are intended and expressed by the holy Prophet from the first verse to the 13. verse There is first a denomination of a judgement and that is dearth or famine from the first verse to the seventh Secondly the sword is threatned to the thirteenth verse he will send the famine then the sword and he will not be intreated Then in the eighth and ninth verses we have the importunate prayer of the Church to turne away these judgements And the praier is marvellous sweet in confession where they confesse their sinnes and seek to God for succour First they desire God that he would not take
have not the condition how can I beleeve the promise God hath promised Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied There is a Promise of filling but it is with a condition of hungering Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God c. If I have not the condition annexed to the Promise how dare or how can I beleeve the Promise The Condition is not the way to get the Promise the Promise is the ground of faith and the way to get the condition because the promise is the Motive cause that moves the soul to get the condition Now the Mover must be before the Moved then if beliefe of the Promise move thy soul to get the condition of the promise then beliefe of the promise must be before that the soule can keep the condition of the promise Saul made a promise to David 1 Sam. 18. that he should be his son in law in one of his two daughters upon condition that he should give him an hundred fore-skins of the Philistins Now David did first believe the promise and therby he was allured to fight valiantly to keep the condition to get a hundred fore-skins of the Philistins So Psal 116. I believed and therefore did I speak He beleeved Gods promise and then he spake with condition So we believe saith the Apostle and therefore do we speak First the soule believes and then every action of a Christian wherein it moves to the keeping of the condition springs from this root nay beloved a man cannot keep any condition in the Bible without faith he must believe Secondly faith is the inabling cause to keep the condition Dost thou think to get weeping mourning and humiliation for thy sins and then thereby to get the promise to thy self then thou goest in thy own strength and then in Gods account thou dost just nothing John 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing saith Christ therefore first lay hold on me beleeve in me abide in me What doe you first think to pray to mourne to lament and bewaile your sinnes to do this and that in turning your selves and sanctifying of your selves Indeed you may fumble about these things but you can never do any of them in deed and to the purpose without me ye can doe nothing I had fainted saith the Propher unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living Psal 27. 13. where we may see three things First the Promise that he should see the goodnesse of the Lord otherwise he could not have beleeved Secondly the Condition if he do not faint Thirdly The method the Prophet went by he beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord. As if he had said if he had not first laid hold on the Promise if I had not beleeved to have seen the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living I had fainted Beloved it is true that the keeping of the Condition is before the fruition of the Promise but not before beleeving the Promise because the doing of the Condition is effected by beleeving the Promise This is the cause that many fumble about grace but never get it they are ever repenting but never repent ever learning but never learne the knowledge of the truth everlasting ever striving but never get power over their corruptions c. because they fumble about it in their own strength and take it not in the right method Let the soul come with faith in Christ and believe it shall speed and have grace and power from Christ his grace and from Christs power and then it shall speed Christ hath promised John 14. that whatsoever we aske the Father in his name he will give it us Christ beloved is an excellent Surety Indeed our credit is crackt in Heaven we may think to go and fetch this and that grace in our own names and misse of it as the servant may go to the Merchant for wares in his own name but the Merchant will not deliver them to him in his own name unlesse he come in his Masters name and bring a ticket from him and then when the servant sheweth his Masters ticket the Merchant will deliver him what wares he asketh for in his Masters name So when a soul goeth to the Throne of grace with a ticket from Christ if he can say Lord it is for the honour of Christ I come for grace and holinesse and strength against my corruptions Lord here is a ticket from Christ most certainly he shall speed But men must take heed that they foyst not the name of Christ that they foyst not a ticket to say that Christ sent them when it is their own selfe-love and their own lust that sends them it is not enough to pray and at the end to say through Christ our Lord Amen No for this may be a â—eer foysting of the Name of Christ But canst thou pray and shew that Christ sent thee and say as the servant I come from my Master and he sent me Lord it is for Christ that I come it is not to satisfie my owne lust nor to ease and deliver me from the galls of my conscience nor to free me from hell but for Christ Lord I begge grace anâ— holinesse that I may have power to glorifie Christ It is for the honour of my Lord Christ that I come When the soul comes thus in Christs name beleeving it shall speed then his prayer shal prevail Whatsoever saith Christ ye shall aske the Father in my name he will give it you We come now to the third and last part of our Text to wit the supplies they had against danger and discouragements The Lord upheld their hearts from being dismayed in prayer thou saidst feare not There be two things that do much hurt in prayer First groundlesse incouragements Secondly needlesse discouragements First I say groundlesse incouragements and these the wicked are most subject to especially who because they pray hear the Word and perform many duties of religion therefore they incourage themselves in the goodnesse of their estates judging themselves happy though notwithstanding they go on and continue in the hardnesse of their hearts and rebellions against God We have abundance of sayings amongst us that if they were examined would prove false and unsound As that the vipers dye when they bring forth their young for say they the young eat out the old ones bowels that beares shape all their young by licking of them that the Swanne singeth sweetest at her death that the Adamant stone is softned by Goats blood c. These things are not so as may be shewn out of ancient Writers So beloved there are abundance of sayings that goe up and down amongst men concerning Divinity which if they were examined will prove to be rotten sayings as He that made them will save them It is not so saith the Prophet
thou dost not beleeve that God will hear thee if thou dost not believe that thou shalt prevaile that God will deliver thee out of these corruptions and that lust that thou praiest against that God will give thee this grace oâ— that grace if thou dost not beleeve that God will own thee if thou hast these doubtfull discouragements O he will not grant me I shall never get this or that how canst thou call on him thou mayest call so and so but never canst thou call to any purpose if thou dost not beleeve in him A begger though he be never so well able to begge yet if when he comes to the House-keepers dore he be perswaded that he shall not speed that let him beg as long as he will he shall get nothing this blunts his begging and makes him give over his suit without any great importunity So it is impossible that ever a soul should hold out and pray that is discouraged in prayer Secondly thou canst not pray unlesse thou use all thy strength in prayer If thou bee discouraged thou canst not use thy strength A discouraged man his strength melts into feare and whatsoever strength he hath he cannot put it forth How came Jacob to prevaile and to have power with God Why he used all his strength with God and so prevailed Hosea 12. 3. Thou canst never prevaile with God by thy prayers unlesse thou putrest forth all thy strength in prayer If Jacob had reasoned I am but dust and ashes how can I strive with God I am sinfull and evill how can I contend with my Maker and so have been discouraged in his wrastling he could not have used all his strength with God and so had never prevailed with God No Jacob he gathers all the arguments that he could make he gathers together all the promises he could finde in Gods Book or that he could heare of he displaies all the wants that he could shew he petitions all the graces that he could name he used all his strength and by his strength he had power with God If thy confession of thy sins be strengthlesse if thy petitions and thankesgiving for grace be strengthlesse if thou use not all thy strength in prayer thou canst never prevaile nor have any power with God For how can that man prevail and have power with God that hath no power with himselfe Thirdly thou canst never pray and have a fearfull apprehension of evill in prayer thou canst not It is good to have a deep apprehension of thy sinnes apprehend them to be as many hells as thou eanst thou canst never apprehend them deeply enough but if thou hast a fearfull apprehension of them thou canst never pray When the Apostle would exhort the Philippians to continue in one Spirit and in one minde fighting together through the faith of the Gospell he exhorts them that in nothing they fear Phil. 1. 27 28. For if a man be terrified with his adversary with the power of his adversay and fears he shall never be able to withstand him but must fall before him through his subtilty that he can never be wary enough for him Alas he can never strive with hope and courage against him So beloved if we have a fearfull and discouraged kind of apprehension of evill we can never pray so as to prevail Apprehend thy sinnes to be as hellish and as damnable as thou canst Feele even the fire of hell in every one of them but take heed of a fearfull apprehension of them so to apprehend the evill of them as to thinke with thy selfe that because thou art guilty of these and these sinnes that thou shalt never get in with God again God will never be reconciled to thee these will eate out thine heart in prayer Fourthly we can never pray if we have any secret despair that there is any difficulty too hard for us to grapple withall or to get through in our prayers Howsoever a man praies yet if he have any spice of these fears in him to think now I have taken a great deale of paines but am never the better I have prayed and prayed but have got no good I may goe on and doe thus and thus but shall never prevail or speed all my labours all my prayers and indeavours will be lost this takes away the very spirit and life of a mans prayers Judas after he had betrayed the Lord Jesus he was discouraged from ever praying for mercy Why because he thought it was impossible for him to get it I have betrayed innocent blood saith he Matth. 27 3. as if he should say I shal never outwrastle this sin this sin is my death I have brought the blood of the Son of God on me I shall never claw off this sin now Judas thus despayring we never read one letter of any prayer that he made to God to get out of it no he thought it too hard for him to get mercy Despaire drives a man from that he did hope for because now he thinks there is an impossibility in getting of it Beloved mistake me not there is a double desperation First there is a desperation of infidelity and that deads and drawes the soule from God Secondly there is a desperation of extremity And if ever you mean to come to God and to get any grace from God you must come with desperation of extremity this desperation puts life into a mans prayers and indeavours As a Souldier when he seeth nothing but to kill or be killed that he sees his state desperate why this will compell a very coward to fight this will make a coward fight as if he would kill the Devil saith the Proverb it will make him fight like a spirit he will be afraid of nothing Take a Souldier that fights desperately for his life with a kill or be killed he feares nothing neither Pike nor Sword nor Gun why he fights for his life Therefore one notes that sometimes it is the nearest way to victory to be desperate in attempts and in fight Therefore when William the Conquerour came first into England at Hastings he sent back his Ships again that so the Souldiers might have no hope of saving themselves by flying back And so at Battle at one encounter a little Army of the English slew a great Army of the French Why they grew desperate So could men pray desperately could they pray with a pray or be damned begge with a begge or be damned seek to God for grace that you want with a speed or be damned then would their prayers be more earnest and powerfull to get grace O did men pray thus they would pray otherwise then they doe Men pray but they pray deadly coldly and lazily as if they had no need of prayer or as if they had no need of the grace they pray for they pray for grace but get it not they pray for zeale but have it not for repentance and holinesse but obtaine it not Beloved either
in the congregation but he will find it out if he preach in particular he will discover every mans corruption fling wilde fire in every wicked mans face and throw balme of comfort into every godly troubled spirit As King James said well of a reverend Prelate of this Land Me thinks this man preacheth of death as if death were at my back so should Ministers preach as if Heaven were at mens backes or as if hell were at mens backes When he preacheth of mens sinnes and corruptions he must preach so that their consciences may see that the word of God looks into the very thoughts and hearts when he preacheth of the wrath of God and of condemnation c. he must preach so that the conscience may feele even the fire of hell flaming in it this is the way to teach the people the good knowledge of the Lord as it is called 2 Chron. 30. 22. every Minister may teach the knowledge of the Lord but not the good knowledge of the Lord. There is great difference between teaching of the knowledge and of the good knowledge of the Lord. Men may know God and his word and their sinnes but if they go on in their sins it is not good knowledge then indeed a Minister teacheth good knowledge when he makes his people so to know sin as to loath it and to come out of it so to know repentance as to repent indeed Secondly Discrimination As if he should say there are some that are in him and some that are not in him if any man say he abideth in him he ought himselfe to walk even as he walked so that here the Apostle would put a difference between the sound and the rotten-hearted in his congregation Hence observe this point That every Minister is bound to preach so as to make a difference between the precious and the vile Saint John preached so as that his hearers might say the Spirit of Christ is in me or the Spirit of Christ is not in me that themselves might know whether indeed they were true members of Christ or but hypocrites This is the duty of Ministers Ezek 44. 23. They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and prophane and cause men to discerne between the cleane and unclean Here is two things First they shall teach them the difference between the holy and prophane Secondly they shall not onely shew it before them but if they will not see it they shall cause them to see it that is they must beat it into them and rubbe it into their consciences it may be when men may see they will not then he must make them to see If there be any prophane person any luke warme or dead-hearted professor or close hypocrite in the congregation the Minister must make him see his prophanesse his deadnesse and hypocrisie in Gods worship or if there be any godly soule or broken heart the Minister must make them to see that they have a broken heart First reason because else a man defiles the pulpit and prophanes the holy things of God Ezek. 22. 26. Her Priests have violated my law and prophaned my holy things they have put no difference between the holy and prophane neither have they shewed difference between the cleane and unclean Those Ministers prophane the holy place of God when they make not mens consciences know which is holy and prophane when prophane persons may come and go from Church and have not their prophanenesse discovered to them a drunkard a swearer c. and hath not his sinnes laid open to him Is there any prophane person here that hath not an arrow shot into his heart but he can goe away and not take any comfort from the Sermon these men prophane the holy things of God When God gave Benhadad into the hands of Ahab and Ahab spared him and let him goe 1 King 20. the Prophet tells Ahab ver 42. Thus saith the Lord because thou hast let goe a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life c so if there be any Minister over any congregation in which there is any drunkard any swearer or whoremaster or wordling or lukewarmling or any other that lives in such sinnes which God hath apointed and decreed to eternal destruction in hell if we tell them not their sinnes and make their consciences feele them then our life shall goe for their life our soule for their soule for we might have given them such a wound as might have been a means to have cured their soule Secondly We are not the Ministers of Christ if we preach not so as that men may know that they are not converted if they are not c. God saith to to the Prophet Jeremiah if thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth Jer. 15. 19. Jeremiah could not be Gods mouth to the people unlesse he would divide between the precious and the vile Unlesse Ministers preach so as to make the consciences of their hearers feele in what state they live in they may be Ministers of Satan Idoll-shepheards but they are not the Ministers of Christ Thirdly because otherwise they can doe no good Ezek. 34. 17. and as for you O my flock thus saith the Lord God behold I will judge between cattell and cattell c. As if he should say woe unto the shepheards will they not preach so as to make a difference between cattell and cattell woe unto the Priests will they not preach so as to feede my flocke I will require my flocke at their hands and now saith God will not the shepheards of my people doe it I will now doe it my selfe I will convert those that are to be converted c. I will feed and provide for my flock my selfe Austin notes that after that Peter had smote off Malchus his eare Peter came to be a shepheard and an Apostle of Christ after Paul had persecuted the Church he came to be a Preacher and an Apostle of Christ so after Moses had killed the Egyptian God made him the Captain and deliverer of his people Austin observes from this that God appoints none for his Ministers but Smiters such as be men of blows men that will smite men home to the heart men that wil wound the consciences of their hearers This I speak that you may not be offended at the ministers of Christ when they apply the word of God to your severall consciences and whensoever you have the truth of Christ preached to your soules let your hearts make use of it for if thou apply not the word of God to thy soule as it is preached thou art guilty of thine own bloud If you apply not the word you put off the word of God and then what saith the Apostle Acts 13. 46. It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing you put it farre from you and judge
thoughts thy vain words and thy vain lusts and wilt thou not If God had redeemed us with silver and gold that were but drosse no he hath redeemed us with the bloud of his Sonne if now thou wilt part with the bloud of Christ rather then with thy sinnes that the word of God commands thee to part with how great is thy hatred of the word Bloud it is necessary to the life of every living creature I am sure the Bloud of Christ is necessary to the life of a Christian without it a man can never be washed nor never be sanctified nor made acceptable to God That man that will rather part with his bloud rather then lay down his hatred of such an one whom he hates he hates him for ever he hates him to the death Thou that rather then thou wilt part with thy evill courses from those sinnes that Gods word would have thee to to give over and forsake wilt part with the bloud of Christ I say thou hatest the word and thou hatest a reformation of thy wayes for ever with an everlasting and damnable hatred That man that had rather be damned then leave his sinnes that had rather goe to hell then be a new creature he hates the parting with his sinnes he hates to be a new creature It is truth man is a reasonable creature and therefore cannot reason so in expresse words as to say I had rather be damned then to give over my drunkennesse my lying my swearing my lust I had rather goe to hell then be so pure and so holy c. But every wicked man is so unreasonable in very deed for the word of God tells that wicked men that live and die in such sins and such sins shall be damned yet they will not give over their sinnes Doth not your own conscience tell you that as long as you pray no better as long as you walke no better in your profession God abhorreâ— you and all that you doe and will damn you doth not thy conscience cell thee that yet thou hast no assurance of salvation that as yet Jesu-Christ was never given to thee that as yet you never had the Spirit of Christ to kill sinne in you if that thou wilt goe on in thy sinnes and not get Christ and his Spirit into thy heart as the word of God commandeth thee and thy own conscience perswadeth thee I say if yet thou wilt goe on in thy sinnes then thou choosest to be damned rather then to part with sin Doe we not say such a rogue will be hanged that such a hasty furious man will undoe himselfe doe we not say of a rebellious child that he will be disinherited not that any man reasons so in words I will doe thus and thus and undoe my selfe I will steale and be hanged I wil be a rebellious child and be disinherited I will goe on in my sinnes let the world say what it will and be damned But when a man knows that the wages of sin is death that the end of drunkennesse of swearing of lying of pride security hypocrisie formality in religion c. is death When a man knows that the end of that sinne which he lives iâ— is damnation and yet will goe on in those sinnes he wills to be damned Ezek 18. 31. Turne you turne you why will you dye O house of Israle why were any so madde as to be willing to dye to perish for ever yet saith the Prophet why will you dye as if he should say why will you sin that man that wills to sin he wills to be damned that man that will be damned rather then part with his sinne that man loves sin for ever and so hates the light Beloved be ashamed to carry so many plague-tokens upon your hearts so manny sinnes in your soules so many oppositions and rebellious against the word That man that hates and rebells against the word can never be saved by the word You that have had the preaching of the word look that you give way to it take heed that you withstand not the breath of it I could tel you one thing I pray God to send it home to your hearts commonly when God sneds his word to a people those that are wrought upon for the most part are wrought upon at the beginning generally it is so I will give you a convincing place for it Acts. 13. 48. And when the Gentiles heard they glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved Paul and Barnabas were come to Antioch and had preached one Sabbath day and now had preached another The Gentiles glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved as if he had said all that were ordained to eternall life beleeved at those Sermons as if he should say again all that beleeved not at those two Sermons were reprobates Those that did belong to God they did beleeve and hearkened to the preaching of the word to them on those two Sabbaths All that were ordeined to life they beleeved at these two Sermons the rest that beleeved not are branded and marked out for despisers and wonderers Heare O despisers and wonder and perish c. Agree with thine Adversary whilst thou art in the way Matth. 5. Beloved you are now in the way of salvation your Adversary is the Lord himself til he be reconciled unto you you are in the way while you are under the preaching of the word you know not how soon God may take you out of the way you know not how soon God may take his word away or if that continue yet he may withdraw his Spirit and then if God once take away his Spirit then you may seek to be converted but shall never find it you may seek for grace but shall never get it you may seek for Christ but never obtaine him if men stand out against the word and Spirit of Christ while it is beating upon their hearts and offering them grace then Christ will be a swift witnesse against them Malach. 3. 5. Doth Christ come to thee now obey now beleeve now give over thy sins Doth he bid thee now repent c. O give way to the Words of Christ give way to the spirit of Christ otherwise Christ will come swiftly I will be a swift witnesse I tell you the Covenant of grace will not stay long God is about to put up his wares When no Customers come the Merchant puts up his wares so God will even close up all his graces then Preachers may preach but none shall be converted People may heare but never be turned which the Lord deny from ever being amongst us therefore while it is called to day hearken and the Feare of God be with you GODS IMPARTIALITY IN HIS JUDGEMENTS In a SERMON By WILLIAM FENNER Minister of the Gospel sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Lecturer of Rochford in Essex London Printed
if all were true the Minister speakes I but the Scripture says it Is all true that is in the Scripture the Lord have mercy upon us and thus like fooles they build with untempered morter therefore I exhort all such as are yet in the gall of bitternesse to listen to what I say Redeeme the time yeild to the motions of Gods Spirit and blesse God for Mercy offered unto you in the meanes and if any affliction be laid on you intreat the Lord that he will doe you good by it If thy Conscience speake or the Spirit work doe as Joseph did who got him into a corner and there wept his belly full so intreat the Lord that he will breake the Heavens and come downe on thee to thy comfort put not off till thou art old A gentleman will not alwayes wait at the gate neither say thou as Felix to Paul I will send for thee at another time but say with Samuel Speak Lord for thy servant heareth Meanes First consider the fearfull condition of such as are given over Suppose one should come from Hell with the fire about his eares you would aske what is the newes the cry is my time my time Oh my people sayes the Minister Oh my Minister sayes the People The young man cries oh my time Doe not make a tush at this lest thou say the word was preached but I scorned it the spirit said this is the way walk in it the means of grace was sent unto me but I refused Mercie and now for ever I am in Hell to be tormented Secondly consider the great danger of putting off If thy will be stubborne to day it will be worse to morrow Thirdly consider the time 1. Pet. 4. 3. It is enough for the time of our life we have lived that we have wrought the works of the Gentiles let us live no longer in sinne it is too much that you have resisted the Gospell so much say then oh that the Lord would break this heart of mine Fourthly and lastly though God should be calling and egging you all the day long yet your lives are but short and therefore crie out with the Psalmist teach me O Lord to number my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisdome do not say it is too late as one did once say of Prayer doe you thinke that I can pray now which never prayed in my life I am sure it will be too late when God comes to Judgement for then the Divell will stand on tip toe and say what dost thou now thinke to goe to Heaven the Lord did waite on thee untill he was weary but here is a company of Drunkards I did but hold up my finger and they presently followed me Heaven came down to them but they would none of it they could not hear of that ear and would you now go to heaven Therefore goe now for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and when Mercie is offered refuse it not but blesse God for it A SERMON FOR Spirituall Mortification Delivered By WILLIAM FENNER Minister of the Gospel sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Lecturer of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford A SERMON FOR Spirituall Mortification COLOS. 3. 5. Mortify therefore your Members which are upon the earth Fornication Uncleanness Inordinate affection evill Concupiscence and Covetousnesse which is Idolatry THE Apostle having in the Chapter foregoing shewed that the Colossians were buried together with Christ in his death and that they were also risen with him maketh two speciall uses thereof First in regard of the resurrection if then yee be risen with Christ seeke those things that are above The second is in regard of their buriall with Christ in these words Mortify therefore your members c. There be many men that look for participation in Christ yet notwithstanding mortifie not themselves they would fain live with Christ yet are loth to dye to sinne but we may say to these men as Paul to the Atheist Thou foole that which thou sowest is not quickened unlesse it first die so unlesse the seed of the word be sowen upon thy heart thou canst not be quickned unlesse thou fist die The things to be mortified are described two manner of waies either in generall the members or else in particular Fornication uncleannesse evill affections c. or as in the tenth verse all the fruits of the old man The words containe in them these three parts or truths First He that ever means to have Christ must have him with a therefore As if he should say if you look to have benefit by the death of Christ looke to have a therefore with it for no man can have Christ without a condition Secondly this condition consists in mortification we must mortifie our earthly members this is the qualification of all those that partake of the death of Christ even mortification Thirdly those that are made partakers of the death of Christ are enabled thereto so as the Apostle may well put this exhortation unto them Mortifie therefore your members c. He doth not say civilize your members many there be that civilize their earthlie members as from mortifying to purifying of them they come out of prophanenesse and enter into Civility and a formall kinde of profession but the Apostle saith mortifie and not civilize your members doe not pare the nailes of your corruptions but cut them quite off and give them their deaths wound that so your sins may breath out their last breath in you Sin may be civilized five wayes First when it is laid asleepe Pharaohs sinnes were asleepe but not dead Many mens sinnes are asleepe in them though they seeme to be dead in them for a time A man while he is asleepe is like a dead man yet he is alive yea and his sinnes are alive in him also but when temptation comes to awaken him out of his sleepe though before he seemed to be patient and meeke and hardly to be provoked yet let a temptation come and rouze him then he will finde his old wrath anger and impatiencie So likewise for a covetous man though he seeme to mortifie that sinne yet it is but asleepe in him for let a temptation come and he will quickly finde out his covetousnesse again so that here sinne is not mortified but it is with these men as it was with Sampson all the while he was laide to sleepe the coards and fetters held him but when they said Sampson the Philistines are upon thee and awaked him out of his sleepe the Pinne and Webbe was not strong enough to hold him Thus it is with many men when temptations are downe and they are not provoked all this while they seeme to have their sinnes mortified and thus the devill is of a good temper when he is not stirred so it is with many whom you would thinke to be good Christians while the windes are downe and the stormes doe not
so long as the beast is not transformed and made capable of the honour that is in a man he cannot conceive of the pleasures and delights that doe belong unto man Even so let a wicked man enjoy all the glory of heaven and what will he say We may perceive a little by bringing him to the Word and Ordinances of God tie him to the constant use of them to meditate on heaven and to walk circumspectly and precisely in his whole course of life and he will say this is more then needs this he thinks is too precise too austere a life for him he cannot away with such purity and strictnesse but if he thinke this so strange which is nothing in comparison and is but a shadow or poore resemblance of the holinesse and purity that shall be what thinke you would he doe if he were in heaven where there is nothing but continuall praysing and glorifying of God for evermore where there shall not be so much as one earthly thought or word pertaining to the world or the affaires of this life but a continuall sounding forth of the praises of God there is nothing but grace and speaking of heaven all their words are heavenly their joies are heavenly and their whole delight is nothing but sounding forth uncessant Hallelujahs unto God for evermore Now if a wicked man were there what would he say surely he would say they are all Puritans and would never endure it Alas in this life there is but a little praying a little grace a little holinesse in comparison of that which shall be Here we do but as it were peepe into heaven now then if this be so tedious that wicked men cannot endure it how will they like to be in a place where there is perfection of all graces where there shall be nothing but praysing God for ever and ever Sure as I am the devill was once in heaven and he cast himselfe out from thence God did not though he did deserve it and God would have done it had he not been gone as saith the Apostle Jude verse 6. They left their first habitation the originall saith they flung it from them that is as soone as they had sinned against God and changed their natures away they went heaven was no place for them they thrust themselves out and could not endure to stay there any longer for having changed their natures they changed their delights and therefore to praise and yeeld glory unto God was death unto them they being now corrupted through sinne and of an impure nature heaven became a hell unto them Is any man weary of grace and holinesse wearie of well doing weary of praying and of hearing the word preached Is any man wearie of good duties of the worshippe and service of God Let him know then that he can never endure the Kingdome of Heaven for if he be weary of a little what will he doe when he shall come into a place where there shall be nothing but continuall praysing of God Is it so that sinne must be mortified if ever we meane to partake of Christ then this condemnes all those that goe on in their old courses in deadnesse and in security in ignorance c. taking hand over head vaine hopes for true feeding themselves with perswasions of salvation But the Apostle tells us that the foundation of God standeth sure The Lord knoweth who are his and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity A wicked man cannot name the name of Christ till he depart from iniquity much lesse can he look for salvation because he cannot be saved without Christ nay he cannot be saved by Christ unlesse he depart from iniquity You say you hope to be saved it is well but God knoweth who are his God goeth by his own rule the foundation of God standeth sure But who then are his onely those that name the name of Christ and depart from iniquity those onely will he save and none other he will be no baâ—d to thy sinnes or lusts and wicked courses for saith the Apostle If any man be in Christ let him be a new creature as if the Apostle in more words had saide If any man hope hee is a Christian let him see that he is a new creature for there is no expectation of being in Christ unlesse he be a new creature All old things are passed away and behold all things are become new if thou be in Christ all thy old praying is gone all thy old hearing is gone all thy old receiving of the Sacrament is passed away and all things are become new with thee thou must hear anew pray anew receive anew beleeve anew thou must live after a new sort for all old things are passed away Instruction to teach us that it is not enough for us to let our sinnes dye in us but we must kill them the Apostle doth not say let your earthly members die of themselves but mortifie them many there be that let their sinnes die in them as for example when one is an infant the sinnes of his Infancie naturally fall from him when he is a child of more capacity and when he is a youth the sinnes of his childhood naturally drop away from him so when he is a man his youthfull sinnes fall from him and when he is old and dieth all his sinnes naturally droppe from him But he must not let sinne die in him but he must kill it Austin saith if thou kill not sinne till it dyeth of it selfe sinne hath killed thee and not thou thy sinne It is with sinne as with a beast if an Oxe fall into a pitâ—e and die of it selfe it is good for nothing the hide only excepted but if it be killed it is good meate and becommeth profitable unto the owner even so if sinne die of its own accord it will doe thee no good it is worth nothing it may lessen thy condemnation somewhat but if thou kill it then it will bee profitable unto thee In the fourth Chapter of Jeremy we have a similitude taken from an Husband-man where the Lord saith plough up the fallow ground of your hearts and sow not among thornes Now will a Husbandman say there are abundance of thornes and bushes in my ground but I will let them alone till they die of themselves sure I am that they will one day die no no the Prophet gives other counsell plough up saith he the fallow grounds and sow not among thornes if thou dost not they will grow up to that height and ranknesse that they will spoile the whole harvest Even so if thou kill not thy sinnes but suffer them to die of themselves they will spoile all thy spirituall harvest and quite banish thee out of Heaven for evermore The Third use may manifest unto us that the work of our Redemption is no easy work as many men in the world think it to be The Apostle saith mortifie your members