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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	call_v	heaven_n	zion_n	17	3	8.1315	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58958	The Second and last collection of the late London ministers farewel sermons preached by Dr. Seaman, Dr. Bates, Mr. Caryll, [brace] Mr. Brooks, Mr. Venning, and Mr. Mead ; to which is added a farewell sermon preached at Dedham in Essex by Mr. Matthew Newcomen ; as also Mr. Lyes sermon at the conclusion of the last morning-exercise at All-hallows in Lumbard-street, being a summary rehearsal of the whole monthly-lectures.	Seaman, Lazarus, d. 1675.; Bates, William, 1625-1699.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.; Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.; Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699.; Newcomen, Matthew, 1610?-1669.; Lye, Thomas, 1621-1684.	1663 (1663)	Wing S2257; ESTC R41075	195,536	326

a spark in the Sea yet he keeps it alive till it shall break forth into a triumphant flame That life that is encompassed with so many enemies and liable to so many weaknesses the Lord Jesus will bring forth judgment to victory and will make them to be powerful over spiritual and eternal enemies The sum is this The Lord Christ is so perfect a Shepheard so compleat as to all the qualifications of that office that the Prophet David breaks forth into exaltation Psal 23. The Lord is my Shepherd c. and then afterwards expresses all those provisions which are made for him by God as a Shepheard He makes me to lie down in green Pastures he leadeth me beside the still waters So that you see Christ whether for diligence love tenderness for preserving us from danger for securing us to life eternal he is only the great Shepheard he is the God of shepheards as well as the God of sheep and all other shepheards are but inferior to him and must be accountable to him for the souls of his sheep which are more valuable than all the world It follows The great Shepheard of the sheep I shall not spend any time in making any resemblance between the people of God and ths sheep only 1 They are sheep in respect of their Innocency You know of all creatures the sheep are unarmed other creatures either they are armed with strength or skin or swiftness to guard themselves and offend others but the sheep hath neither the strength of the Lion the craft of the Fox swiftness of the Deer and of all creatures is most weak inoffensive and most liable to dangers and injuries Of all persons Gods people are most liable to danger and when out of Christs protection the weakest persons in the world 2 In respect of their Meekness A sheep is an emblem of meekness that 's their temper and therein they imitate Christ who hath propounded himself to be their pattern Learn of me for I am meek and lowly both these qualities are exprest by the Prophet Isa 11. where speaking concerning the times of the Gospel saith The Lamb shall lie down with the Wolf now where the Prophet expresses their safety there he expresses their innocency meekness This is the reason why the Prophet saith For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter because of all Creatures most liable to injuries that which doth least resent them And where ever the Grace of Christ comes it sweetens the most cruel nature and polishes the most rough disposition and makes them to be like Christ meek and lowly 3 In regard of their profitableness for of all Creatures they are most profitable the food as to their flesh the cloth as to their fleece And the people of God however they are exposed to the contempts and injuries of the World they are the most profitable for were it not for them the whole frame of Nature would fall into pieces the Stars would fall like leaves in Autumn and all the Elements would fall into confusion we see it by one Lot who kept showers of fire and brimstone from falling on Sodom till he was got out of it And it is the people of God for whom this frame of Nature is continued and when they are brought into the Fold of Christ the Justice of God will have a solemn triumph over all the World 4 As they are liable to wandring Sheep are wandring Creatures and when strayed not able to reduce themselves And in this respect the people of God are sheep they have a thousand allurements to draw them from the ways of God and if God should not guide them by his eye 't is impossible they should go in the way that leads to Heaven Therefore David saith I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant Psal 119.176 This shall suffice to make the Parallel and Resemblance of the people of God and Sheep The second Argument is this That he hath design'd Christ to be the Shepherd of the Church The great Shepherd of the sheep this is another Argument and Evidence that he is reconciled to us and that he is the God of Peace For when God gave Christ to be our Sacrifice and raised him up to be our Shepherd these are the most clear testimonies of his love For although Christ now sits in Heaven and all the Angels of God worship him yer he doth not disdain to exercise the same care and to express the same love to his people that he did when he was upon Earth All the Offices of Christ express God's love to us for he feeds us as a Prophet dyed for us as a Priest governs and defends us as he is King and all these meet together in this Title feeding of us dying for us defending of us as he was God he loved us as he was Man he dyed for us This doth express the effects of his two Natures in this Title and therefore an admirable Evidence that God is at peace with us It follows Through the Bloud of the Everlasting Covenant The Bloud of Christ is that which cements God and us together For you must remember our original peace with God was broken that peace we have with him now is called Reconciliation it is as a broken bone which well set is stronger than before because Nature conveys most liberal supplies to the weakest part so now being reconciled to God through the Bloud of his Son we stand upon surer terms with him then we did in Innocency The Bloud of Christ speaks better things for us than all our sins speak against us it speaks peace to our souls and that in Heaven purchased by his Death Christ dyed as a Testator and bequeathed to the Church a Legacy of Peace he lives as the Executor of that Covenant and now in Heaven conveys to us that blessing of peace which he bequeath'd in his Death And as our peace was founded in his Bloud so it is conserv'd by his Intercession he appears in the Court of Heaven as out Embassador to make up all those differences which fall out between God and us for you know Amity and Friendship is kept between Foreign States bp their Residents and Agents that are kept in their several Courts so we have an Agent in the Court of Heaven the Lord Jesus Christ that was raised from the Dead And as a Believer falls into sin which is a breach of peace between God and us so that Peace is made up by the Exercise of Repentance on our part and by sprinkling of Christ's Bloud upon us on God's part The renewed Exercise of Repentance and Application of Christ's Bloud preserves that peace that is between God and Believers And to sum up the force of the Argument when we had fallen from God and it did not consist with the Majesty of God to make peace with us without satisfaction then was he pleased to pay out Ransom

promote the Salvation of his Church in any eminent degree but it is in a way that is cross and contrary to the sense and expectation of flesh and bloud insomuch you know the darknesse of our condition has been the entrance upon deliverance as just before the day dawns it s the darkest of the night when God looked and there was none to help them saies he my arm brought salvation Thus it is with you that are effectually called you have received the sentence of death the entrance upon your deliverance is the darkest time of your condition 3. God can do great things Joel 2. Fear not thy God O Sion can do great things 'T is the disparagement that we offer to God we ascribe more to the Creature than we do to God when we give way to carnal fear● fear not what man can do because of the power of God which was his shield and buckler Is any thing too heavy for God and when God does great things he usually goes on to do greater though he may seem to suffer his work to be thrown back to confusion and his people may be ready to say we thought he had redeemed Israel that degree of Reformation shall not be lost You know in Luther's time take any special degree of Reformation in the Church and it seemed to be opposed by the gates of hell when it was brought upon the stage to any hopeful degree then it was taken as it were utterly out of sight for a while but it was never lost thus God is but making way for his own glory to appear in these great works O but you will say what shall become of my particular It is enough God hath promised that we shall not want any thing that is truly good and that nothing that is evil shall fall upon us and lie upon us though we do not see deliverance it shall be whatever our sad thoughts and tremblings of heart may be yet give God the glory of his Word Take these few Directions 1. Strive to strengthen thy Faith Faith is that which layes hold on Christ and Christ is your strength therefore Faith is said to do that which Christ does let every day drive thee to a renewed act of Faith Take heed be not shaken in the faith of the Cause be not shaken in the Faith of Christ fides Causae fides Christ● Be not shaken upon the Cause which upon utmost examination we find to be according to the word hold that Heaven and Earth shall passe away but not one jot and tittle of this Cause And then do not shake in the Faith of Christ that is in your laying hold in your applying your selves to him in your resting and setling upon him beg of God to strengthen your faith 2. Get more Self-denial we must forsake all we must not except any thing A man would part with his life as easily as with a pin off his sleeve if he had but some considerable growth in Self-denial 3. Get a great deal of love towards that Christ that loved us with a love stronger then death get love of that Christ that may be stronger then life Let nothing in the world be of any consideration with you so us Christ may be magnified in your bodies love will breed courage and cast out fear slavish fear before God carnal fear before men Get a true insight into an account of suffering and troubles whence they are they issue from the same love with redemption of your souls from Hell and your glorification God doth every thing in pursuance of the purpose of his love he doth every thing according to the platform and pattern of his thoughts towards us from eternity Consider what troubles are and to what end not to destroy but to try to wean from the world to fit for Heaven 5. Get an infight into the vanity of the creature you reckon the creature some great matter and that is the reason of your love and of your fear 6. Get the fear of God that may over-rule other sears Fear not him that can but kill the body but fear him that is able to cast body and soul into hell fire 7. Keep a clear conscience void of offence towards God and towards men by a heart abasing confession of what is past and the application of the blood of Christ and by mortification and watchfulnesse therein keep your selves from evil for the time to come 8. Get a better assurance of eternal life a glimpse and sight of this would make a man run through the very flames of hell How comfortable was Stephen when a shower of stones was about his ears to see Jesus standing at the right hand of God! I wonder how they dare to venter their life that have no ground of a better life but for those that have a well-grounded hope of the mercy of God they say We reckon these light affections which are but for a moment to work for us a 〈◊〉 more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Fear all any of these things which you shall suffer Pro. 7. Christ does limit Satan he hath him in a string him and all his Instruments The Devil shall cast some of you into prison c. Every word hath its weight Who shall do it The Devil What shall he do Cast you into prison How far Some of you How long Ten dayes For what use That you may be tryed Christ as he hath Satan in a chain of providence so he hath a chain of restraint it is Christ that puts a circle about him he cannot cause a hair of your head to fall he is in the hand of Christ and they are under him and his hand as they are against him If God lets alone his Enemies what shall they not do If God lets alone his People what shall they do 2. God has a special Providence about the things of his Church by way of eminencie by way of permission and ordination 3. You will not deny but there is power enough in God to destroy all that are against him and to limit all and all shall make to the praise of God and to his peoples good The Lord is exceeding merciful he cannot hold when the Enemy comes to insult to blaspheme and revile Now will I arise saith God and set him at liberty from him that puffeth at him There is not only a judging of their Enemies hereafter but a judging of them here the world shall say Verily there is a God that rewardeth righteousnesse verily there is a God that judgeth the earth 3. God has a special design in hand therefore just so far as he will carry on that design God hath towards his people which is alwayes a design of faithfulnesse just so far shall the Enemy go Isai 10 The Enemy means not so he means to cut off a people not a few but Gods end was otherwise and he will over-rule them this is the Comfort there is a set time there is an end

When Christ was put to death how did his followers lament him Is it not a lamentable sight to behold a poor weather-beaten rotten ship without Mast or Tackling in a tempest Good Lord what will become of the Ship and Mariners Is it not a sad sight to see a flock of sheep invironed with a band of wolves and no shepheard to protect them thus it is with people when their Minister is gone Ministers themselves have wept and lamented when they have thought of departing from their own people and that for these two causes First because they knew they would corrupt themselves suffer others to corrupt them Secondly because they knew they would corrupt themselves suffer others to corrupt them First because they knew they would corrupt themselves Moses he knew this Deut. 31.29 he is there leaving the world and the people thereof Call unto me the Elders of your Tribes that I may speak a word in their audience and call Heaven and Earth to record against them for I am sure that upon my departure you will utterly be corrupted and turned from the way that I have commanded you for behold I being yet alive with you in this day you are rebellious against God how much more then after my death I assure you it is cause of lamentation to think on this Thus it was with Joash while Jehojada that good Minister lived with him and instructed him in the way that he should walk he kept to the true worship of God but after Jehojada dyed he turned Idolater and persecuted the sons of Jehojada 2 Chron. 24.21 Secondly they knew that after their departure they would suffer others to corrupt them This was that that made Paul use these words to the Ephesians Ver. 29. For I know that after my departure grievous wolves shall enter not sparing the flock And therefore well may you mourn when a faithful Minister is taken from you I shall say no more only a word or two to Paul's speech wherein you have First Paul speaking to God for them Secondly Paul speaking from God to them First he spake to them from God and then prayed to God for them I shall divide this speech to them from God into these two parts First he spake something by way of vindication of himself Secondly he spake something by way of exhortation to them First You may observe in Paul's farewell speech something by way of vindication of himself and it is not amisse for a Minister when he is to depart from a people to say something in vindication of himself for there are enow that will when his back is turned lay falshood and scandals to his charge which they never durst do to his face Samuel knew this and therefore provided for it in 1 Sam. 12.1 And Samuel said unto them all Behold I have hearkened to your voice and have made you a King now behold the King walks in and out before you I am old and of grey hairs and must now leave you I have walked before you from a child to this day and now witness against me before the Lord whose Oxe have I taken or whose Asse have I kept whom have I done wrong to or whom have I hurt and of whose hand have I received a bribe to blind mine eyes therewith he stood here upon the justification of his life and carriage towards them that he had not been a self-seeking or oppressing man unto them and thus did Paul vindicate himself to the Ephesians give me leave to divide Paul's vindication into four or five parts First He tells them that he had constantly preached amongst them notwithstanding all the afflictions which encountred him v. 19. Serving the Lord with all humility of mind with many tears and temptations which befel me through the lying in wait of the Jews Secondly He vindicates himself by telling them the manner of his preaching v. 20. I have taught you publickly and from house to house you know I may fitly apply this to my self for I have not only taught you publick●● but in many of your houses also But Thirdly He vindicates himself 〈◊〉 telling them the matter of his preaching and I blesse God it hath been my method ever since I preached among you v 21. testifying to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ and this is my rejoycing now I may preach no more that I have spent my time in declaring unto you the sundamentals and grounds of salvation and not in frivolous Ceremonies Fourthly He vindicates himself by declaring the impartiality of his preaching v. 27. I have not shunned to declare unto yot all the Councel of God Oh my Brethren though I cannot say I have declared all the Councel of God yet this through grace I can say that I have not shunned to declare any of it Fifthly Paul doth clear his Doctrine and withall himself by telling them he had preached freely v. 33. and 34. I have coveted no mans silver or gold or apparel Yea ye your selves know that these have ministred to my necessities and to those that were with me I blesse the Lord I can with a good Conscience safely say I have covered neither your silver nor gold neither am I a penny the richer for what I received of you it was not a desire of any thing of yours that made me at first accept of this place yet this I shall say for your honour that you have richly and liberally bestowed your favours upon me but as there is something in his own vindication So Secondly there is something by way of Exhortation to them v. 18. Take heed therefore unto your selves c. Paul before he leaves them hath something from God to say to them from whence I note this That the Ministers of God before they quite leave have something to say to them from God it was thus with the holy men of old Jacob when he was dying called all his So●● before him and to every one he gave counsel and blessing David when he was upon leaving the world he knew he should not live long he calls all Israel unto him sayeth thus unto them 1 Chron. 28.8 9. Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord and in the audience of our God keep and seek for all the Commandements of the Lord your God that you may possesse this good Land and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you for ever And thou Solomon my Son know the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searches all hearts and under standeth all the imaginations of the thoughts if thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever Thus you see it ●ath been the custome of holy men of olp when they are leaving the World to say something to their people so now here I am

out of his own Treasury and redeem us by the Bloud of his Son so that all his Attributes might shine forth in their lustre and glory in our Salvation and that upon sure terms we might be able to challenge an interest 〈◊〉 his favour and love It follows Through the Bloud of the Everlasting Covenant It 's call'd an Everlasting Covenant 〈◊〉 two respects 1 In opposition to the Old Covenant which was made with Adam in Innocency but that Covenant which secures to us the reward of that life eternal did not secure to us the Condition that was perfect obedience And in reference to this Old Covenant sometimes the Gospel is called a New Covenant sometimes a Better Covenant because it supplyes all weakness in the first Covenant not as if the Law of God was weak or faulty in respect of it self for the Law is holy just and good but we●k in respect of us for it is impossible that that Covenant by the breach of which Sin and Death came into us should reconcile us to God and appease his Ange● and therefore God contrived another Covenant for us a Covenant in the Gospel that was made with us in Christ and this is called an Everlasting Covenant because it remains for ever the renot of it shall not be chang'd for the first Covenant is onely abrogated and made null while frustra●ed as to the intent it was first given 2 It 's called an Everlasting Covenant as in brings to those that are parties in it an everlasting glory So the Lord Jesus his Bloud is called an Everlasting Redemption for it ransoms the soul of men from that Eternal Death to which they were liable and gives them a Title to everlasting life for thi Coxenant which now God hath made with us it not onely secures the Reward but the Corditions to which the Reward is made for God saith I will plant my fear in your hearts that you shall not depart from me I have now gone over the Title and that in order to the Prayer which follows Make you perfect to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight The general sum of it is this That God of peace who is reconciled to us in his Son as he is the Father of mercies to us so he is the Fountain of holiness to us and in this respect we can onely expect from him the treasures of grace as he is the God of peace for God as he is our Judge dispenses to sinners nothing but revenge there is nothing to be expected but the curse of his Law the execution of that Sentence of death from him For although the World despise holiness as a base and contemptible thing they had rather be ungracious than inglorious in the eyes of men and upon this account they are afraid to be holy lest they should be the publick scorn and contempt of the place wherein they live although holiness is of solow a price in the World yet in Heaven next to God Christ and the Spirit Holiness is the most rich Jewel that God can bestow upon us and therefore we must first look upon him as the God of Peace before we can beg any grace from him And that is the reason why the Apostle represents God by these Titles that he might encourage the Hebrews to believe God would grant this request When Christ dyed for us it was not his Design only to quiet our Consciences but to quicken our Souls not onely to free us from Damnation but from the domination of sin And therefore you shall find these two are joyned together Tit. 2.14 Wh● gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The Death of Christ as there was a value in it to purchase God's favour so there was a vertue in it to restore to us God's Image And the account of his dying for us it is that we must expect the highest degree of grace and holiness from God And this is the reason why the Apostle prefaces this Now the God of Peace c. I know you expect I should say something as to my Non-conformity I shall onely say thus much It is neither fancy faction nor humour that makes me not to comply but meerly for fear of offending God And if after the best means used for my Illumination as prayer to God discourse study I am not able to be satisfied concerning the lawfulness of what is required if it be my unhappiness to be in an errour surely Men will have no reason to be angry with me in this World and I hope God will pardon me in the next Master BROOKS His Farewel SERMON ALL that I shall do shall be to answer two or three Quaries and then I shall leave a few Legacies with you that may speak when I am not advantaged to speak to you The first Quaery is this What should be the reason that men make such opposition against the Gospel against the plain powerful conscientious Preaching of it This is not the principal thing that I intend and therefore I shall onely touch upon the reason of it 1 Men's hatred and opposition ariseth against the Gospel because it doth discover their hidden works of darkness Joh. 3. They hate the light lest their deeds should be reproved The Gospel brings their deeds of darkness to light and this stirs up a spirit of hatred and opposition against the Gospel 2 Ground is this because sinners under the Gospel cannot sin at so cheap a rate as otherwise they might do the Drunkard cannot be drunk at so cheap a rate nor can the Opposer and Persecutor oppose and persecute at so cheap a rate as they might do where the Gospel doth not shine in power and glory 3 Because the Gospel puts persons upon very hard service upon very difficult work pulling out a right eye cutting off a right hand offering up an Isaac throwing over-board a Jonas parting with Bosom Lusts and Darling Sins Herod heard John Baptist gladly till he came to touch his Herodias and then off goes his head As they say John 6. This is a hard saying and who can abide it and from that time they walked no more with him this is a hard Gospel indeed and at this their bloud riseth 4 Because of the differing and dissinguishing work that the Gospel makes among the Sons of men it softens one and hardens another that ●●ts next to him enlightens one 〈◊〉 strikes the other blind it wins on one and 〈…〉 the other The same Sun hath different effects on the Objects on which it shineth The Gospel puts a difference between the precious and the vile and this the Vile cannot bear It was never good days say they since such and such must be Saints and none else we have as good hearts as any and this enrageth them Lastly It is from Sathan Sathan knows that the very tendency of the Gospel is to