THE GALE OF OPPORTUNITY OR A SERMON Preached at Lidbury-North at the Funerall of the Worshipfull HVMPHREY WALCOT of Walcot Esq JUNE 8th 1650. And now Published by Thomas Froysell Minister of the GOSPEL at Clunne in Shrop-shire As we have therefore opportunity let us doe good unto all men especially to them that are of the Houshold of Faith Gal. 6. 10. Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you bee hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin Heb. 3. 13. Filij hominum usquequo gravi corde ut quid diligitis vanitatem et quaeritis Mendacium Tempus hocanimabus non corporibus enim assignatum dies salutis utique non voluptatis Omnia tempus habent Animabus nunc operam dare necesse est nam in carne qui seminat solum exinde metet corruptionem St. Bernard in declamat LONDON Printed by M. S. and are to be sold by H. B. at the Signe of the Castle in Corne-hill 1652. To the truly vertuous and his much Honored Mistris Anne Walcot of Walcot IT was your Husbands desire when alive that I should preach His Funerall and 't is yours that I should Print it Else for ought I know it had never seen the light For I count not any of my Grapes worth the Presse Therefore since it is your pleasure to see this Sermon in a Printed dresse I pray accept of it When your deare Husband was alive Yee were Two precious Diamonds set in the Ring of Marriage God hath taken him away to shine in another World and hath left you to shine a while in this world It is but a while and therefore spread forth all your beams before you set in the West of Death and be seen here no more If we would shine with God in Heaven we must shine for God on Earth Let this Sermon of opportunities make you improve your opportunities Shall the men of this world hugg their opportunities for the world and shall not we Husband our opportunities for Heaven Society with Jesus Christ even on this side Heaven is a kinde of Heaven and those Christall streams of Joys which we might suck from God here outid all the pleasures and braveries of this world which made Bonaventure when the Devil tempting him told him he was a Reprobate and Si Non datur frui Deo et virtute post hanc vitam fruamur eo in praesenti therefore perswaded him to drinke in the present pleasures of this life for saith he Thou art excluded from the future joyes with God in Heaven Answer No not so Satan If I must not injoy God after this life yet let me injoy him as much as I can in this life Oh that drooping Soules would thus quench Satans suggestions This were enough to rebound all his temptations back againe upon him Fruition of God a far off in this life though we should never injoy him in the next is much better then all the pleasures of the world below him Ah! What then will our fruition of him in Heaven be Joy in him here and you shall enjoy him hereafter Live to him here and you shall live with him hereafter And to this â—nd God gives you all your opportunities to this high and happy end that you may attaine him That himselfe and all that he is worth may be yours And let me tel you 1 That a Sermon of opportunities is almost as necessary to be preached as to preach Christ himselfe because the opportunity to receive Christ is in its kinde as necessary as Christ to be received as Christ is called Salvation so our opportunity is called the Day of Salvation Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation We loose Salvation it selfe if we loose the day of Salvation we loose Christ himselfe if we let passe the day of Christ If thou hadst knowne in this thy day the things which belong unto 2 Cor. 2. 6. Luke 19. 42. thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes A man that is to have a summe of money tendred him upon such a day must be sure to watch and wait the day if he would receive the money He that hath a suite at Law must observe the Terme-time if he loose the Terme he will loose his suite as Luther said that Much of Religion consists in Adverbs so say I That much weight of our Salvation lyeth in circumstances in the circumstance of time and opportunity As the whole weight of our Salvation is laid upon Christ so the whole weight of our getting Salvation is layd upon our time our opportunity 2 Let Faith give you a presentiality of things to come of Death to come of your Account to come Faith gives them a present Existence set the Period of your Time neer unto you behold it is at hand when you shall live no longer pray no longer have the helpe of Ordinances no longer We know not how few sands are left in our Glasse of opportunity and when they are once spent God will not turne the Glasse againe for us 'T is this that affects the heart 'T was this that awaked Niniveh to repentance Yet forty dayes and Niniveh shall be destroyed How did this Alarum stirre their Hearts what say they but forty dayes Are our dayes shut up into so narrow a roome What are Forty dayes How soon will they see an end This frighted them into a fit of Repentance It is time for us say they to fast and pray and rise out of sin if our Sun be so neer setting I am perswaded if God had sent Jonah with this message Yet forty years and Niniveh shall be destroyed it had made no worke at all upon them it might have amazed them but not started them up to such a present repentance It is the neer approach of our end that drives the worke home in us Tell a Scorner in his ruffe and jollity that he must dye one day He receives it carelesly and makes nothing of it but tell him yet forty dayes and you must be called to judgement Nay Sir but two or three dayes hence and dye you must This goes to the quick at this news the proud Ruffler is sodainiy dismounted and his courage degraded he looses his blood in his cheeks and shivers at the heart like the leaves of the forrest that are shaken with the winde Ah then see death upon us Look upon our end as standing by us as neer as are the shadow and the substance so neer are Life and Death our life is but the shadow death brings substance with it substantiall woes or substantiall joyes in the bosome of it Cato Had oftentimes spoken in the Senate that the City Carthage must be destroyed being too neer a neighbour to the City of Rome For a long time together he formed no Oration in the Senate but he usherd in that still as the conclusion yet he could not carry it because Scipio Nasica being made up of a contrary
opinion alwayes pleaded on the other side that it was for the good of the Romane Common-wealth that Carthage should stand At last Cato on a day brought a green Fig into the Senate among them and told them that this Fig was growing in Carthage but three dayes agoe and thereby warned them that a Navy might within three dayes arrive from Carthage and lay fiege to their City When they heard this The neernesse of the danger made such impression on their thoughts that whereas before they could never be won upon to assent now they voted not to give over till they leveld Carthage to the ground And shall not eternity affect us the neernesse of it write deep Characters of feare and care upon our hearts Within three dayes and death may lay siege to our City to our Soul beware of evill at hand of death at hand of Judgement at hand Thou Fool saith Christ This night thy Soule shall be required of thee ah then let us Act betimes let not the night take us in a night let not the night of Death take us in a night of sin and security then we shall have a double night at once upon us 3 Opportunities are very precious Every one according to the objects they lay out for value their opportunities ther 's no Prince or great person in the world hath more Clients and attendants then opportunity hath All sorts Court her and wait with humblest service on her The Husbandman waits opportunity to plow and sow and reap The Tradesman attends opportunity to make his bargains at lowest rate and sell off his wares at highest price The Ambitious man stands at the door of opportunity to raise himselfe All but fools according to their occasions runne out to meet and bow the knee to opportunity and shall not the dearest opportunities be precious to us shall we not take the best opportunity by the hand Opportunity to gaine the most precious things is the most precious opportunity opportunity to get the best treasures is the best opportunity Godlinesse is great gaine Heaven is the highest advancement The Soule is the Crowne and Master-piece of man surely then the opportunity to get and save these should be counted precious opportunity All things here that are of the world are but nothings but Idols and shadows of the best things and an Idol is nothing Time is 1 Cor. 8. 4. Tempus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Idol of Eternity and things Temporall but the Idol of things Eternall Our estate and our dayes here are but an Idol Ther 's no divinity nor immortality in them but God is an absolute and eternall Being the spring of all Divine satisfactions They that live in him live at an high rate and live for ever How can he complaine to want light that lives in the midst of the Sun How can he complaine of Thirst out of whose belly flow rivers of living water Surely then opportunity to injoy God is the most precious opportunity John 7. 38. Your Importunity hath setcht out this Sermon of Opportunity from me and I have given you here more then I preach't the time being too narrow to deliver all at once and therefore I was faine to omit many things in the Pulpit which I had in my papers The Spirit of the Lord Preach it all over againe to our hearts I commend you to the Lord Who am Yours most deeply obliged to Honour and Serve you Tho. Froysell Clunne Octob. 8. 1651. To his highly HONORED Mr. John Walcott of WALCOT Esquire SIR In publishing this Sermon Preached at your Fathers Funerall I could not but publish your Name to it or it to your Name you beeing so neer to him for Every Child is the Father multiplied He loved you dearly for his and your owne sake I cannot but love and honour you highly This Sermon was Preached for him but it was Preached to you and therefore God looks that it should worke upon you For at that time you had two Preachers at once Preaching to you the Preacher in the Coffin and the Preacher in the Pulpit He preacht to you that you must dye This Sermon preach't to you how you must live His Death preach't to you that time will be gone This Sermon Preacheth to you how you should improve your time As Death is the way to eternall life so an holy life is the way to an happy death Your Good Father dyed old and you may dye young as God writes some mens life in words at length so sometimes God is pleased to write in short-hand and cut a long life into a small Monosyllable and therefore turne and winde your present stock of time to the best and grow rich in grace upon it Remember 1 You cannot begin too soon to serve Jesus Christ One may begin too late but he can never begin too soon to serve Christ Where should the Flower of your Age grow but in the Garden of his service Bp. Hall It is the Policy of the Devill to discourage Early holinesse He that goes out betimes in the morning is more like to dispatch his Journey than he that lingers till the day be spent 2 You can never doe too much for Jesus Christ Religion know sno a Religio non potest habere excessum secundum quantitatem absolu am potest tamen habere excessum secundum quantitatem proportionis prout scilicet in cultu divino fit aliquid quod fieri non debet Aqui. 22ae q. 92. a 1. ad 3. excesse you cannot savour too much of holinesse as there be some persons that cannot beare the smell of Muske and sweet perfumes it fils their brains and makes them sick so Hypocrites and they are Hypocrites that cannot abide the smell of holy precisenesse and the sent of strictnesse Paul bids us be servent in spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is seething hot serving the Lord Quinon zelat non amat He that hath not zeale for Christ hath not love to Christ True zeale is a Seal of our Election Strictnesse and exactnesse is the beauty and lustre of Religion I say you cannot doe too much for Jesus Christ be hath done so much for us And what doth Christ require of you but he did the same for you Is hee not upon equall termes with you Nay before hand with you If he cals you to bear the Crosse for him did he not bear a greater Crosse for you Grace puts no limits to Holinesse Sus non potest ferre rosas amaracum Franz Plin. Rom. 12. 11. Iracundi sunt qui amant Lucian in dial Merc. Maij Finis appetitio non habet limites defini o Aristot Finis praescribit media sed ipsi fini non praescribitur Eccl. 7. 29. Gen. 1. 26. He that makes God his End thinks he can never have enough of God or bee too holy for God And though his actions of Holinesse and his forwardnesse in them over-run his Credit or
over-throw his Estate yet he cares not repents not for 't is not his End to preserve himselfe but to serve Jesus Christ upon him selfe 3 Holinesse is no upstart Vunder which notion the world lookes upon it as if precisenesse in Religion were a new fashion taken up and put on by some but of late No Holinesse was the first Suite that ever was put upon the back of mans nature 'T is elder then Sin 'T is the first borne God made man Righteous 'T is more naturall to man to be righteous Sin is against nature T is a defect of nature It came as I may say of the wrong side of the Hedge a meer Bastard God is not the Parent of it it hath nothing of God in it 't was the Devil that begat it upon mans nature and therefore 't is of a later Edition then grace Grace was when sin was not Let us make man saith God in our Image after our likenesse You see Grace is of a most ancient house of the highest antiquity and therfore if any thing will it will ennoble you 4 And that you may be beated into zeale for Jesus Christ Live in the Scripture fire as the Salamander they say lives in the fire so doo you live in the Scripture as your Element It will scorch you into en holy love to Jesus Christ No book becomes your hand like the Bible It made David wiser then his Teachers 'T is this Book that makes Preachers and this Booke is the best Preacher This Booke will preach to you in your Chamber By this Booke all Preachers and Hearers must be judged at the last day This Booke will expound to you that hidden Booke that is within you your Conscience The Booke of Conscience is a secret and intricate piece very few are well read in it most deceived by it but this Booke of Scripture I say this Booke will discover it and shew you all the Errata in it it will search your very heart and tell all its secrets to you nay this Book will tell out Gods heart to you and his minde concerning you cc Ego odi libros meos saepe opto eos interire quod metuo ne morentur lectores abducant a lectione ipsius Scripturae quae sola omnis sapientiae fons est c. Luther hated his owne Bookes and saith hee I often wish they were all lost fearing least they should hold Readers in delay and take them off from reading Scripture Ierome gives a strange narrative of himselfe how he was dragged to the Tribunall because he had read Cicero more greedily then he did the Scripture Being asked of my condition saith he I answered I was a Christian Thou lyest saith the Judge Ciceronianus es non Christianus Thou art a Ciceronian not a Christian for where thy Treasure is ther 's thy heart also Presently saith he I was put to silence and had not a word to say and among the stripes for he had commanded me to be beaten I was scorched more with the fire of Conscience considering with my self that Verse In the Grave who will give thee thanks Then I began to crâ— Have Psalm 6. mercy upon me O Lord have mercy upon me This voice sounded loud amidst the scourgings At last they that stood by casting themselves downe at the Presidents knees prayed him that he would pardon my youth and give place of Repentance to my Errour Then he requiring punishment if at any time I read heathen Books I who in such a case would have promised greater matters began to sweare deeply saying Lord If at any time I should read those secular Books I have denyed thee And so upon this Oath he was dismissed And he addes moreover Neither was this a sleep or a vaine dreame with which we are often deluded Witnesse that Tribunall before which I lay witnesse that severe judgement which I trembled at that I pray God I never fall again into such examination by torment I confesse I had my shoulders black and blew and felt the blowes after my sleep and have since read Gods word with such endeavour as I never read before any humane writings Thus far Saint Jerome Now let this passage awake you and all of us Let us lay aside the sublimest curiosities of mans witt all Volumnes for Scripture And all imployment for Heaven Wing your haste you have the flourishing plumes of Age upon you How farre might you fly and soar up quite to an heaven of experience and communion with Jesus Christ if you would loose no time I say if you would loose no time I hope you will not I pray you may not For you may see in this Sermon That opportunity is an unvaluable Treasure and yet a transient Treasure it carrieth lasting things along with it and yet it selfe lasts not stayes not with us You may see in this Sermon what great things you may loose if you loose your opprotunity you may loose your selfe if you loose your opportunitie God hath set you upon the higher ground above many in the world Act highly for him Lay up a Rich stock of Grace within you that you may have an heart to act for him in publick I wish you prosperity here felicity hereafter Accept t his Dedication from him who doth and shall ever rest Your real Servant in CHRIST JESVS THO. FROYSEL CLUN Octob. 8. 1651. JOHN XII VIII For the Poore alwayes yee have with you but me yee have not alwayes Mee-thinks I see a sad concourse of people before me this day and truly who can be here and not bee sad A great man and a good man is fallen this day He lived amiable and dyed desirable I am perswaded you could all finde in your hearts to wish him into life againe but that you are loath to displease God Wee must submit and kisse the hand of providence in the death of our dearest Friends and Saints We are now to performe our last office to him wee have brought him from his house to his house I meane his grave which must house him up till the great day of the Resurrection Eccles 12. 5 You see what Death doth it plucks up the tree by the roots the Cedar as well as the Shrub To day we are green within a little while we are not seen Stay but a few dayes and such a day as this will be thy day And therefore that we may make a serious and spirituall use of this occasion turne your eye and cast your thoughts upon the words of my Text. For the poore ye have alwayes with you but me yee have not alwayes These words are the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and they are an Apology or Defence which he makes for a poor Saint who having done a good worke an act of love to Jesus Christ was censured for it 1 The worke which was done you shall see in the third ver Then tooke Mary a pound of ointment of Spikenard very costly
and annointed the feet of Jesus And wiped his feet with her hair and the House was filled with the odour of the ointment Observe Observation 1 The dear Saints are full of love to Jesus Christ 2 Love will spare no cost the Saints will spend the Spikenard of their credit and the oyle of their life upon Jesus Christ where we dearly love Christ nothing is too dear for him 2 You shall finde this worke of love ecclipsed and censured in th 4th ver Then saith one of his Disciples Judas Iscariot Simons Son which should betray him Why was not this sold for three hundred pence and given to the poore Observation There is no action so good but some or other will be quarrelling with it and finde some fault in it The best actions are capable of censure and disallowance The noblest actions may have a scarre of reproach and censure put upon them And this he said saith the 6. verse not that he cared for the poor but because he was a Thiefe and had the bag and bare what was put therein Observation Avarice wants not beautifull pretences Hypocrites carry foul sins under a fair vail 3 Now follows Christs Apology and Defence of her v. 7. Then said Jesus Let her alo ne Observation Jesus Christ will take his Saints part and plead their cause â—hil nocet caâ—uniator si te 〈◊〉 tua opera proâ—t Deus Ferus against the wicked The Lord Christ pleads and justifies her action by two arguments 1 The one Argument from the end of the action The honour of Jesus Christ ver 7. Against the day of my burying hath she kept this That is yee doe willingly allow sweet balmes and rich perfumes for the dead Now I am within a little of death Behold this woman hath herein reached beyond your conceit she hath done this as her last office toward my buriall I hope you will affoord me those solemnities of honour which are given to others at their buriall now against the day of my Buriall hath she kept this 2 The other Argument of defence he takes from the opportunity of it she hath now an opportunity to shew me kindnesse â—aesens pro fuâ—o ut infra â—h 16. 10. â—at 28. 20. which within a little while will be taken from her For the poor alwayes you have with you but me yee have not alwayes and therefore let her shew me kindnesse while she may Yee have not me alwayes with you that is yee shall not have me alwayes with you Indeed I am with you alway even unto the end of the world in respect of my divine presence but me yee have not alwayes with you in respect of my humane presence Six dayes hence I dye and goe to Heaven I goe quite away from you and you shall neither seeme nor have me againe among you to performe any such offices of respect to me and therefore as for this action she doth well to take the opportunity which will be taken from her Observe and 't is the point I shall discourse of at this time The Doctrine There is an opportunity for good which if we neglect we may never have the like againe And therefore Marke rendreth it thus for you have the poore Mark 14. 7. with you alwayes and whensoever you will you may doe them good i. e. at any time but me saith Christ yee have not alwayes That is you shall never want the opportunity of shewing kindnesse to the poor for yee shall never want poor among you the poor that want you shall not want among you they shall always dwell among you some poor or other as objects of your Charity but you cannot always performe service to me in my body for you shall not have mee always in this visible forme and presence with you And therefore be not angry with this woman in that whilst I am present in body shee hath done this service to my body The houre is comming you shall wish to doe the like but cannot The opportunity will be Luke 17. 22. gone when I am gone ye shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Son of man and ye shall not see it And therefore I say Docemur hoc verbo ut non cessemus bene operari quandocunque et quamdiu occasionem habemus non enim semper id poterimus Ferus in Loc. There is an opportunity of good which if we neglect we may never have the like againe Time and opportunity differ Time is the duration or succession of hours days or years opportunity is a concurrence of all other helps with time to crowne your desires and give birth to your designes opportunity is a meeting of time and means together to effect the end when time and the means are married and lodged together they beget opportunity What opportunity is Occasionem pars Temporis habens in sed alicuius rei idoneam fuciendi aut non faciendi opportunitâ—tem Cicero lib. 1. de invent As the Marriner that intends a voyage Riggs his Ship lyeth ready in the Haven and waits the winde his time is all the time he stayes there His opportunity is when time and tide and winde and all other accommodations meet together to send him away If you would speak with a man upon such a day your time is any hour in the day but your opportunity to speak with him is when he is at home and can be at leisure and will afford 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tempus spatium temporis in genere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vero opportunitas Rei gerendae quam Terentius articulum vocat Pasor in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 55. 6. you his company When all these claspe together that 's your opportunity So suppose thy businesse be-to speake with God and seek him for grace or comfort thy time to speake with God is all thy life time but thy opportunity to speak with God is when he is at home and can be found when he gives thee a heart to speak to him and hath a heart to speak with thee and therefore saith the Prophet Seek yee the Lord while he may be found call yee upon him while he is neer when all these are twisted together that 's the thread of thine opportunity Time without opportunity is like a body without the Soule a dead thing and meer inanimate carcasse and as the body is left without the Soul so is time many times left without her opportunity So that time may stay when opportunity is lost time may be present when opportunity Is past the tree of time may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stand when the leaves of opportunity are dropt of The stump of time may stick fast in the root when the branches of opportunity are cut down the head of time may stand when the golden haires of opportunity are fallen off when opportunitie is gone the head of time is bald And therefore I say that there is an opportunity for
but to aggravate his sin as if he should say my fellow-commoner one of my familiar friends that eats of the same dish with me shall betray me And here Christ endeavours to melt the heart of Judas and cause him to forbeare by an argument fetcht from all the kindnesse and intimacy that had been so long between them what my friend my familiar who doth not onely sit at the same Table with me but eat of the same dish with me will he betray me will that hand that hath been with me in the same dish dip and dye it selfe into a Crimson colour in my blood he disswades him by love by the law of love and friendship 2 He disswades him by Terror The Son of man goes as it is written Mat. 26. 24. of him but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed it had been good for that man if he had not been born where observe 1 The Lord Jesus Christ be wayles not himself but Judas even whilst he threatens Judas he pities Judas woe unto that man by wom the Son of man is betrayed 2 He doth not yet unmaske and disclose Judas he carries the person yet in the clouds he doth not as yet say in individuo Woe to thee O Judas but speaks still in the general Woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betraied the individual discovery of Judas comes in afterwards and here Jesus Christ does with this threatning way-lay Judas to make him retreat b Paena predicitur ut quem pudor non vicerat corrigant denunciata supplicia Hieronim in cap. 26. Mat. seeking his salvation It had been good for that man if he had not been borne as if he had said if nothing else yet will if nothing that hath been said yet can recall the Traytor from his purpose of sinning yet let this one thing bespeak him and turne his heart quite about his owne safety his owne fearfull condition which will follow upon his sin let that put a stop to his progresse Woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed it had been good for that man if he had not been borne Here the door of opportunity stood open to Judas and Jesus Christ stood in the door to invite Judas but he had not an heart to goe in and the opportunity was presently shut against him and he never had the like againe he goes away and becomes his own Executioner Judas betrayes Christ and after betrayes himselfe when Christ called him he would not repent kindly and now he meets with an unkind repentance that Swallows him up in the gulph of despaire 3 A man may have an opportunity given him to save his life and so by consequent to save his soule which if he neglects he may never have the like againe I will give you two Gen. 19. 12 13 14. sad instances the one is Lots children in Sodome Then the men said unto Lot whom hast thou yet here either Son in Law or thy sons or thy daughters or what soever thou hast in the City bring it out of this place for we will destroy this place because the cry of them is great before the Lord and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it Note The Saints are so neer to God that he will save those that are neer to them for their sakes God would be a friend to Lots friends a father to his children And Lot went out and spake unto his sons in law which married his daughters and said Vp get yee out of this place for the Lord will destroy this City Behold here 's their opportunity an opportunity to save their lives from fire and brimstone and for ought I know their soules from the fire of hell O golden opportunity for a mans life is his Treasure an opportunity to save ones life is the life of all opportunities and therefore poore Lot goeth to them Grace doth not extinguish nature he flyeth upon wings of love to them and tels them he warnes them like a Prophet and bespeaks them like a Father but what say they he seemed as one that mocked to his sons in Law and so he leaves them for his time was short and now their opportunity is gone and they are gone too Farewell now you are all dead men and women God first raines downe the golden drops of opportunity upon them to save their lives which they neglect and presently he raines downe showres of fire and brimstone on them and takes away their lives 1. Kings 22. 4 5 7 8 17. 28. Another instance is Ahab in the first of the Kings Wilt thou goe with me to battel to Ramoth Gilead and Jehoshaphat said to the King of I Israel I am as thou art my people as thy people my horses as thy horses and Jehoshaphat said unto the King of Israel enquire I pray thee at the word of the Lord to day And Jehoshaphat said is there not here a Prophet of the Lord besides that we might enquire of him And the King of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat There is yet one man Michaiah the son of Imlah by whom we may enquire of the Lord but I hate him for he doth not prophecie good concerning me but evill And Jehoshaphat said Let not the King say so And he said I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills as sheep that have not a Sheapheard and the Lord said these have no Master let them returne every to his house in peace And Michaiah said if thou returne at all in peace the Lord hath not spoken by me Here was his opportunity to save his life but goe he will his opportunity expires and his life too for he never returnes alive againe for a certaine man drew a Bow at a venture and Verse 34. smote the King of Israel between the joynts of the harnesse wherefore he said unto the driver of his Chariot Turne thine hand and carry me out of the Host for I am wounded certaine man drew a bow at a venture the man shot the Arrow but God aimed it the man shot at a venture but God leveld it at Ahab the man shot at he knew not who but Ahab in the whole Army was Gods marks-man Carry me away saith Ahab out of the Host for I am wounded Oh Ahab What thinkest thou now of Gods opportunities What saist thou now of Micaihas words I am wounded saith Ahab I beleeve thee and the losse of thine opportunity wounds thee more ther 's death wounds in thy Soule as well as in thy body 4 When an hypocrite will not obey Gods expresse command he may lose his heart and his restraining grace for ever after when a man loves a sin better then Gods command God leaves him to his sin When a man gives up himselfe to a lust God finds a time to give him up also and sets him a going faster he opens the sluces and puls downe the bankes that the mans lust may run in
flame dyed not in this Gentlemans breast till the oyle of his life wasted surely 't was a true worke it lasted in him It was his care to get as godly Ministers and able as he could and how dear were his Ministers to him I dare say next to his wife and children First he was a father to them they were to oversee the flock and truly he would over-see them that they should want nothing according to his ability When they came to visit him his common quxre was Is it comfortable with you do you want tell me if you doe let me know it I would not have you discouraged nor goe on drooping in Gods work I speak but truth themselves are witnesses He was a mirrour and example of temperance to all the Gentry in the countrey I know no greater infirmity did lye upon him then timerousnes he had not that height of masculine spirit which dwelt in some men But my beloved he that is without sin among you let him cast the first stone He was as meek as a Lamb a child might reprove him an inferiour might boldly tell him where he thought he went awry I never found any like him in this he would ever love a man for it As for Covetousnes I dare say he was not much acquainted with it for 1 when he had an opportunity to exercise covetousnesse in the disposure of the Vicarage of Clun he gave it me as freely as the Sun shines upon me in the day time he was no mercenary Patron 2 Covetousnes and mercy never dwell together a covetous man cannot be a mercifull man but he was a man made up of pity and mercy to the poor I speak but what you all know the bellies of the hungry and the backs of the naked did every yeare proclaim his bounty and charity 3 Besides a covetous liver is no free giver in secret a covetous man when he gives will cause his gifts to run in a visible channel to be seen of men but to my knowledge he was a secret and hidden reliever of godly widdows and others that were in want he refresht their bowels with his hid treasures he would send to know their indigencies and their straits they need not sent to him he would send to them 4 Yet more a covetous man is not a cheerfull man under losses but he was sweet and smiling under all his losses 'T is well knowne these times srown'd upon him and made him a great looser yet he had a most composed and contented heart under them with a great deal of acquiescence in God 5 Besides no man knew the dimensions of his estate better then himself so that knowing what I now do know I admire at his constant liberality He was of a meek spirit wonderful free from the tang of revenge I know no man had such a rare art of forgiving injuries as he had if any had spoke ill of him or done ill to him he would be silent passe it by with this They are but men they shew themselves to be men He was a pattern of patience under affliction Surely there was much worth in this Gentleman your faces speak such sadnesse for his losse and departure Methinks I read a sad love and loving sadnesse written upon your faces for him It may be some may think that in setting out his graces and his works that I place some merit in these things No I doe not and therefore let me tell you that when he was like to dye before for now God took him suddenly he uttered this speech when he saw his dear wife and servants weeping before him Why doe yee weep thus cannot a man dye without all this adoe and sayth hee I doe rely wholly upon the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ and recovering that time he did renounce all his own works that ever he had done desiring to be accepted in Christ And thus I have done speaking of him and so speaking longer to you only I would entreat you to pray for his family He hath been an instrument of good unto the countrey and now he is gone pray for his Family pray good on his Family that much good may still come out of that Family And what shall we say of our selves what shall I say to you I say againe as I did before Loose not your opportunities shall we suffer the time to condemn us that was given to save us we must either be saved in it or condemned in it ah then let us time our businesse aright for heaven you that have no grace get it I say get it you that have any grace use it for God and increase it use your grace to Gods glory act more grace and get more Rom. 1. 17 grace It is a sad signe when men doe not go on in grace the righteousnesse of God saith Paul is revealed from faith to faith That is they which have faith shall have more faith therefore this is a fearfull signe that we have no faith nor grace if God doth not increase our faith and grace in us Againe If men will sleep and doe no good God comes and takes away their gifts Take his Talent from him saith Christ from the unprofitable servant in Act. 26. 18. You have God opening eyes in Isa 6. 10. you have God shutting eyes in Joh. 15. 1. you have God dressing trees in Mat. 3. 10. you have God hewing down trees and in Mat. Mat. 25. 28. 21. there you have him cursing the tree Never fruit grow on thee hereafter If thou neglect prayer God will take away the gift of prayer if you will not exercise repentance God will take away repentance it selfe from thee thy graces shall drop away one after another and ane vertue dye after another untill the Soul dye too Thus doth God smite the unprofitable servant that crumbles away his time here his opportunities here and acts not for God Take Verse 29. away from him even that which he hath and then as the figtree began to wither so doe his gifts begin to flag and paire in him as if a worme were still gnawing at them his knowledge looseth its rellish like a dying mans palate his judgement in him rusts like a sword that is not used His Faith withereth as if it were blasted the Image of death is upon all his profession he thinks like Sampson to pray as he did speak as he did he shakes himself to duty as at other times but his strength is gone from him Wo to the Soul of such a one Soul-losses and Soul-Judgements are the worst In one word Sinners wing your hast delay not but home to God your opportunities are flying fly you as fast home to God let me argue the case with you as Abraham did with God peradventure faith he there be 50 righteous in Sodom peradventue 20 peradventure but 10 and wilt thou not spare it for these as Abraham reckoned up the righteous that might have bin in Sodom so give me leave to number your days it may be thou hast 20 years yet to live and wilt thou not serve God 20 years for a Crown of glory 20 years service is too little for so great a Crown of glory when thou com'st to dye thou would'st be saved for ever and wilt thou not serve out 20 years to be saved an eternity It may be thou hast but 10 years yet to live and wilt thou not serve God 10 years who hast served a lust twice 10 It may be thou hast but 7 years yet to live an apprentise serves out 7 years for a trade and wilt thou not serve 7 years for an heaven Jacob served twice 7 for Rachel and wilt thou not serve one 7 for Christ It may be there are but five cards in all left in the deck but 5 years yet to live nay it may be but 5 months nay it may be but five weeks nay it may be but five days nay it may be but five hours as soon as you are come home from burying the dead you it may be may return your selves to be buried ah then is it not time for you to make hast you that have no grace yet a little while and you may loose heaven and is it not time then for you to make hast and you that have grace yet a little while and you may arrive at heaven and is it not time also for you to make hast up then and be doing you Saints I say up and be doing it may be your worke is almost at an end be not weary pluck up your spirits he which is tyred can crawl a little way a little farther put on a little farther yet one step more for a Kingdom Lastly I would charge every one of you that have heard me this day not to gather from any thing I have said that his opportunitie is past for me up no such conclusion I doe not I dare not say to the vilest sinner that his opportunitie is past Though thine opportunitie be passing away yet I doe not say it is past away this Sermon is not to shut any Sinner out of Heaven but to hasten him towards heaven because you have lost so many opportunities I would hasten you to come in to Christ whilst there are any yet left because opportunties may be lost I would quicken you to come in before all are gone Sinner yet take Christ and God will yet receive thee repent now and God will save thee now Say not thy opportunity is gone for God cals thee linger and delay no longer because opportunity will be gone Deo soli Gloria