〈◊〉 GREAT DUTY OF Christians TO Go forth without the Camp TO JESUS Set forth in several SERMONS On Hebr. XIII 13. By S. T. M. of A. of Trinity College in Cambridge LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Three Bibles and Crown in Cheapside MDCLXXXII To the Right Honourable WILLIAM Lord RVSSEL Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplied from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ My Lord IT is one of the wonderful Riddles and deep Mysteries of Providence That the Church that hath the least of Sin should yet endure the most of Sufferings That the Metal that is best refined should be most often cast into the Furnace and That they that are most white in their Souls with the Beauty of Holiness should be so black'd in their Outward Man and State by the scorching Sun of Persecution How hard is it for those that live by Sense to believe That they shall wear glittering Crowns and sit on glorious Thrones for ever that now are crushed as Worms under the Feet of Sinners and are bruised as Grapes in the Wine-press of the Worlds Rage and Fury But as the First-born of God's New Family veiled his Majesty emptied himself and hid his Glory Phil. 2.6 His visage was marred more than any man and his form than the sons of men Isa 52.14 so his younger Brethren are arraied in dark Parables of Shame Reproach and Sufferings The blessed Life of Saints is now hidden and a base and course Covering is spread over all their intrinsick Glory they are as it were disguised and incognitol in the World 1 John 3.1 Pignorius observes Quicquid Taetrum Saevum Horribile in Christianos olim excogitatum exercitum est illud omne ut ego Censeo a servis ad illos transivit De Servis p. 9. That is Whatsoever Grievous Horrible and Cruel Torments were of old practised against the Christians in the Primitive Times were just the same that cruel Masters used to inflict on their bought Slaves O what a dark Veil was cast over the Adopted Sons of God when they were treated just as imperious and tyrannical Masters used to handle their poor and vile Slaves Those that the World hath not been worthy of have been driven Into Wildernesses as if they were not worthy to converse with and live among Men The precious Sons of Zion comparable to fine Gold have been reputed as the vile potsheards of the earth Lam. 4.2 and the heirs of Glory been accounted but as Sheep for the Slaughter Psal 44.22 Peter Martyr in Rom. 8.36 thus glosses the Words That they are not preserved as some Sheep for their Wooll and Lambs but are like other Sheep fed and fatted that their Bodies may be for Meat Scultetus thus understands the Words in Psal 44.22 That the Wicked of the World do make no more to kill the Saints of God than a Butcher doth to kill Sheep The Bodies of the Saints have been laid as the mire of the Streets and their Blood poured out as Water on the Ground and Wicked Men have been permitted to do to some of them even as they would Read Isa 51. last Psal 79.3 Matth. 17.12 My Lord This being the State of the Church of God for the most part in the World how necessary is it that every Christian should be armed with Faith and Patience that the Truths of God should be deeply rooted in our Souls that they may serve as an Helmet to guard our Heads in a great Fight of Afflictions and as an Anchor to establish our Hearts in a grievous Storm of Persecutions These following Considerations may somewhat conduce to this great End 1. Christians should consider That Jesus Christ was not of this World neither is his Kingdom of this World John 18.36 and he represents and commends his Disciples to his Father as conformed to him in this John 17.14 16. They are not of the World even as I am not of the World Christ did but Tabernacle John 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our frail Flesh and passed through the World as a Pilgrim and Stranger And all the Gospel-Worship of Christians is set out by keeping the Feast of Tabernacles Zech. 14.16 And what doth this Expression import Surely this among other things may be hinted to us by this Text That as we are most gratefully to acknowledge this great Mercy of the Son of God's Tabernacling in our Flesh so that it ought to have this Effect upon us to make us to sojourn in the World as Pilgrims and Strangers in expectation of a glorious Life and Inheritance in Heaven We should account that this Natural Life is not our Life but that our Life is hid with God in Christ Col. 3.3 That this Earth is not our Country and that Worldly Enjoyments are not our Portion and Treasure Christ hath crucified our Old Man and abolished the Natural Life by his Death Rom. 6.6 Christ hath put an end to the old Stateâ— Week and World and by Rising again the First Day of the Week he hath begun a new Week and World The Eternal Day doth dawn Immortality is brought to light Everlasting Life is begun and exemplified in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ And he is ascended to Heaven to chuse the Inheritance of and prepare a place for all the Family and Houshold of Faith Psal 47.3 To this Jesus we are called to go forth on this Magnetick and Glorious Object are we to fix our Eyes and Hearts If the Wise Men acknowledged him as King when he lay in a contemptible Cradle and the Thief addressed to him as such when he hung on an ignominious Cross shall not we much more confess and adore him now crowned with Honour and Glory and sitting on the Right hand of the Majesty on High Shall we dote on a World that is a sink of Sin and a Scene of Vanity Shall be we fond of the vile and base Life of the First dislike and disparage the glorious Life of the Second Adam Shall we be charmed by or chained to poor beggarly Objects below and despise the glorious Portion and rich Inheritance of Christ above Shall a short Life clogged with Sin clouded with Sorrows â—â—â—â—â—â—tered with continual Temptations and Warfare be preferred before a Life of Immortality ennobled with glorious Holiness perfect Peace and triumphant Joy 2. Christians should consider what this World is and the Men of it are That they are called out from the World it self is devoted to the Fire this Earth must be burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 And shall we feed on that which must be reduced to Ashes Shall we lay up our Treasure and Portion where the Flames will devour and consume all And what are the unregenerate Men of this World but Spiritual Carcases dead in Sins and Trespasses Strabo in his Geography lib. 17. tells us of a City in Egypt calle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The City of Dead Men because of the multitude of Dead Bodies that were Embalmed there And he
hard if not impossible to keep in with the World and that Soul is in a most dangerous case that is fixed and resolved in this that he will be the Friend of the World that he will not venture the Frowns of Men or hazard his stake in the World that will not suffer Shipwrack of his Interests and Concerns on Earth If a Man be thus Principled and affected he is the Enemy of God and Christ he doth prefer something else before and above them he will swallow and practice that which is very grievous and displeasing to God rather than be undone by Men and hereby he proclaims his Enmity against God therefore this should be rooted and riveted in our Hearts that we must suffer with Christ if we would Reign with him we must be Faithful to the Death if we would receive the Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 And Paul saith 2 Tim. 2.11 12. This is a Faithful saying that if we be Dead with Christ we shall live with him if we Suffer with him we shall Reign with him if we deny him he will deny us It is observable how the Apostle ushers in this Assertion what a Character of Truth he puts on this Sentence If we Suffer with him we shall Reign with him this saith he is a Faithful saying Why should he preface thus these two Verses but because he saw there was need of it Flesh and Blood can hardly swallow and digest this Doctrine of Suffering How do men stretch their Wits to distinguish themselves from under an Obligation to Sufferings How do they dread and recoil from the Cross surely they may reign without sufferings Christ will not be so hard to them as to deny and reject them if they shrink and comply in dangerous Times But let not Men beguile and deceive themselves the Apostle is peremptory in this he doth not he cannot mince the Matter this is a Faithful saying if we suffer we shall reign with Christ if you refuse Christs Cross you refuse his Crown 6. Reas We should go forth to Jesus without the Camp for it is but little that we leave or lose by ownning and cleaving to Jesus Christ The Holy Ghost disgraces debases and lays low all the Grandure and Glory of the World by calling it a Camp O! what a short and mutable thing is a Camp How easily is it removed how soon is it gone Our Life is but a Vapour that appeareth a little while and then vanisheth away Jam. 4.14 Our Days on Earth are but as a Shadow that flieth away and there is no abiding Job 14.2 1 Chron. 29.15 Man is like the Flower and the Grass of the Field a Wind comes over it and quickly withers this Flower and blows out this Lamp of Life Ps 103.15 16. The Sentence is already past Dust thou art and to Dust thou must return Gen. 3.19 The Body is dead by reason of sin Rom. 8.10 If God doth but loose our Cords our Tent will presently drop down to the ground if he say return we must presently lie down in the Dust Psalm 90.3 If he give out the Sentence Jer. 15.1 Let them go forth there will be no continuing in the Camp no staying in the World if you cleave and cling to the World never so fast if God saith let them go forth you must be removed from hence Those who embrace and hug their Earthly Comforts and Enjoyments most must be stript and deprived of them whether they will or no The wicked is driven away in his wickedness Prov. 14.32 As the whirle wind passeth so the wicked is no more Prov. 10.25 He shall be driven from light into darkness and chased out of the world Job 18.18 His substance shall not continue neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth Job 15.29 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever he shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy Dwelling-place and root thee out of the Land of the living Ps 52.5 In this Verse we may observe an Elegant Climax It is said God shall pluck a Wicked man out of his Dwelling-place but yet may he not continue and flourish elsewhere No God shall root him out of the Land of the living But if he be rooted out of the Land of the living may he not find Favour and Mercy in another world No to this it is answered God shall destroy thee for ever God sets the men of this Earth in slippery places he casts them down into destruction Ps 73.18 Those that will not go without the Camp to Jesus that hold fast their Riches and Honours how soon may they be bereaved of them Micah 1.15 I will saith God bring an Heir unto thee O Inhabitant of Mareshah And what Heir is meant By an Heir here the Lord intends Robbers and Spoilers which he would let loose to break in upon them such Heirs as they never thought of or intended When men by their care and industry have been like Birds laying up and filling their Nests with Riches as Eggs a Robber may come and take all away as Is 10.14 the King of Assyria glorieth My Hand hath found as a Nest the Riches of the people and as one gathereth Eggs that are left have I gathered all the Earth It will be our Wisdom and Interest to make a Virtue of Necessity We must forsake these things whether we will or no and is it not better to relinquish them for Christ which will turn to our account and unspeakable advantage And is it any great matter to leave a mutable Camp a weak Tent if we look upon things with a Spiritual Eye and judge right judgment we shall have very low thoughts of all Natural Excellencies and worldly Glory Observe how the Scripture represents these things as passing and perishing Their Beauty shall consume in the Grave from their Dwelling Ps 49.14 Doth not their Excellency that is in them go away Job 4.21 All Flesh is Grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the Flower of the Field Is 40.6 When they die they shall carry nothing away their Pomp and their Glory shall not descend after them Ps 49.17 And should we stick at going out of such a Camp where Beauty consumes Excellency goes away all the Goodliness of the Flesh fadeth and all the Glory of it vanisheth away 7. Reas We ought to go forth to Jesus for then there will be a happy issue of all our Sufferings a good return of our Venture a full Compensation of all our Losses Jesus was led without the Gate was put to a servile ignominious and painful Death but did God leave him in the Hand and under the Power of Enemies Did he sink under the burden of his Sorrows Was he swallowed up in a Sea of Sufferings Hath he not abolished Death Hath he not overcome the World led Captivity Captive and Triumphed over the Malice of Earth and the Rage of Hell Is he not returned to his Father arrayed with the Spoiles of his
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken by the Grecian Lawyers vid. Zauch in Locum for a Mulct and Fine It is always a Crime in the Eye of the wicked World to separate from their corrupt ways and cleave to Christs Truth and pure Worship When the world are restrained when the Hands of Wicked men are bound then the Fine runs lower the men of this Earth only reproach and revile the People of God for this reputed Crime of forsaking Satans Camp and Tents and following Christ the Captain of Salvation But there are Times when Satan is loosed when the Dams are broken down and the restraints are taken off from his Instruments then a Flood of Temporal Evils pours in upon the People of God Now the Fine is increased they are threatned with spoiling of Goods loss of Liberty and Life if they will not deny Christ and comply with the inventions and corruptions of men There are Seasons when Sailing towards Heaven seems very dangerous in the Eye of Flesh and Blood As Paul Acts 27.9 10. When Sailing began to be dangerous towards Winter saith Sirs I perceive this Voyage will be with hurt and much dammage of the Lading of the Ship and of our Lives Even so men may perceive and discern such Times when the Voyage to Heaven is like to be with much Dammage of all the Wealth and Riches that they have laded themselves with yea their very Lives may be lost Have you thought of such cloudy times of dark hours of temptation of the gloomy Valley of the Shadow of Death that God may try you whether you will cast all over-board to keep the purity and peace of your Consciences suffer shipwrack of your Estates and Honours rather than suffer shipwrack of Faith and your Integrity You may lay the Foundation of your Spiritual building in a peaceable time in Halcyon days but great storms and fights of Affliction may arise and surprize you before you have finished your Building As the Foundation of the Temple of Jerusalem was laid in Peace without opposition or contradiction from the World but before they could finish it their Enemies bestirred themselves procured an Authority and Order from the King of Persia against them and speedily put it in Execution causing the Jews to cease by force from prosecuting of this Building Compute the 3. of Ezra the 8 9 10 11. with 4. of Ezra 21.23 Thus it may be with you Consider therefore whether your Hearts are fired and your purposess fixed for Christ Can you say with Paul You are ready to be bound and to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus Acts 21.13 Are you not rather resolved against standing any brunt bearing any hardship suffering any loss for that Profession as Henry the 4th of France is said to have spoken that he would venture no further into the Sea of Religion but that he might still see the Shoar and retreat at his pleasure to it Have you not such secret resolutions as these that you will not interest your selves too deeply and ingage too far in any matter of Religion but that you may make a fair and safe retreat if you see need Or have you reckoned up all the troubles and losses that you may be exposed to for Christ and are come to this resolution with Paul Acts 20.24 None of these things move me neither do I account my life dear to me that I may finish my Course with joy Do you judge of all Losses and Afflictions as Paul that said I count the Sufferings of the present time not to be worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 Are you resolved to go forth to a Despised Hated and Persecuted Jesus and with Peter to count your selves safer with Christ on the Waves than in the Worlds Ship without him Matt. 14.26 28 29. Quest 2. Have you sold all for Christ Matt. 13.44 45. He that found the hidden Treasures for joy went and sold all that he had that he might buy the Field and assure the Treasure to himself Christ is a Rich Treasure a Pearl of inestimable Price O! have you found this Treasure this Pearl Do you discern espy and know the Worth and Riches of Jesus Christ Are you so affected with him as to sell all for him And what is it to sell all for Christ Surely it is to part with the esteem to relinquish the inordinate love of this world or any thing in it When the Market is faln the Price of these things beaten down as it were to nothing buy those Spiritual Goods that are imported by Christ the heavenly Merchant from another World O! have your Souls such a sight of Christ and his Excellent Commodities that you are weaned from your Estates and Lives that you little value any thing here below yea count all things but Dung that you may gain Christ Phil. 3.8 If you have indeed thus sold all things it will not be very difficult to yield possession to quit the use and enjoyment of that which your Hearts are dead to That which is truly put and turned out of your Hearts will certainly be cast out of your Hands in the day of Trial and Adversity Quest 3. Are you indeed Married to Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one Husband even to Christ Rom. 7.4 that you may be Married to him that is raised from the dead Hath he spoken and gained your Hearts Hath he allured and drawn your Souls to himself In Jer. 2.2 God speaks of the love of Israels Espousals That she went up after him and followed him in a Wilderness in a Land that was not sown where they might fear want and feel Penury without a miraculous and extraordinary Provision If you are truly espoused to Christ you will follow him in a Wilderness I have read an History concerning the Mogul a Great Prince in the East Indies that grew jealous of his Son lest he should aspire to his Kingdom and dethrone him in his absence from his Imperial City And therefore caused a Tower to be built without any Gate or Door yet well stored with all necessary Provisions in it to shut up his Son during the time of his absence When this was understood the Wife of this Young Prince desired to be shut up with her Husband in this Tower such was the great love that she did bear to him Thus if you love Christ as a Husband you will go out to him you will not be separated and parted from him but will say as Ittai to David 2 Sam. 15.21 As the Lord liveth where my Lord the King is there will thy Servant be whether in Life or in Death As Rachel and Leah were ready to leave and forsake their Fathers House and to follow Jacob their Husband into his Country and Fathers House Gen. 31.13 14 15 16. Even so wilt thou determine to go forth to and follow Christ to his Heavenly Country if he be thy Husband and the
the Heavenly Canaan lyes through the Briars and Thorns of afflictions and that through many Tribulations we must expect to enter into the Kingdom of God We may learn from them that it is possible for poor frail Men to overcome all the Rage and Cruelty of the World that the greatest Torments may be patiently endured and that Christ can Ride Triumphant on such poor Worms as we are and by the weakest conquer all the strength and power of the World The same Spirit that animated and enabled them is yet alive to Cloath us with like Magnaminity and Resolution the Captain of Salvation is the same the Spiritual Weapons that we are to fight with are the same the promises of Spiritual supplies and supports are the same why then should Christians now despond or despair of like success and victory How many of the Primitive Saints did trend in their steps despising Torments and trampling on Death it self Justin Martyr * In dial cum Tryph. Jude◠applies that of Micah 4.4 to the Christians of his time he thus Addresses to the Enemies of the Church saying You behead us burn us and in several other ways kill us but yet you cannot make us afraid or destroy us When the Devil raged in the Roman Heathen Emperour Rev. 12.1.2 3 4. A great Red Dragon standing before the Church that was as a Woman in Travel to devour her Man-Child to destroy any Christians as soon as they were Spiritually brought forth to Christ yet this did not hinder Men from Embracing and Professing Christianity v. 11. but they overcame all the threatnings and cruelty of the World by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their Testimony and they leved not their lives unto the death Cyprian said of old Nos Christiani Spiritu magis viventes sumus quam Corpore We Christians do live rather in our Spirits than in our Bodies They did estimate and value the life of their Better and despise the life of their Baser part Arnobius contr Gentes tells the Heathen You benefit and not hurt us by killing of us our Souls are in our Bodies as in a dark Prison and by Martyring of us you do but pull down the Walls of our Prison and let in the pure and comfortable light upon us What a great Speech is that of Ignatius in Epist ad Rom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now being bound in Christ I learn to desire no worldly or vain thing He intimates he was weaned from and dead to all things in this World And doth not the same Spirit dwell and act in all the Saints of God How then should we trust upon the same Spirit for the same quickning Courage and Strength Direction 7. We must look beyond this World and above our ill Treatment and Usage here Faith sees him that is invisible Heb. 11.27 and causes the Soul to look at the things that are not seen 2 Cor. 4. last Though Christ be withdrawn from the Eye of Sense and Heaven be behind the Vail far removed from the Apprehensions of the Natural Man yet Faith can pierce the Heavens behold the Churches King there in his Glory and see that goodly Heavenly Canaan that is afar off Isa 33.17 If your Eye doth not go out of the World your Hearts will not go beyond it and if your Eye and Hearts do not pass out of this World you will never be willing to go without the Camp to Jesus It is Faith that must survey that glorious City that is above and make report of it to the Soul It is the Belief of what is testified of it in the Scripture that must animate the Soul to overcome all the Dangers and Difficulties that are in the way to it You must listen to what the Word declares concerning this excellent City Glorious things are spoken of this Heavenly Zion the City of our God Christ mentions it as an excellent Privilege to have the Name of the City of his God to be written on any Man and for him to be reputed a Citizen of the New Jerusalem Rev. 3.12 I will write upon him that overcomes the Name of the City of my God There is no Temple or need of the Light of the Sun or of the Moon in this City God is All here to his People to their Souls without Ordinances and to their Bodies without Creatures Rev. 21.22 23. This is a most rich and self-sufficient City it needs not Provisions to be brought in from without the Tree of Life grows in it Rev. 22.1 2. and a River of pure Living Water issues from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. The Fruit of this Tree of Life and this River of Living Water will make a delicious and eternal Feast to all the Inhabitants of this Blessed City Look for this abiding City that hath Foundations Heb. 11.10 Heb. 13.14 from whence all Sorrow Pain Misery and Death are banished for ever and where fulness of joy doth dwell and rivers of spiritual pleasures do flow for evermore All Gods Children shall be gathered into their Fathers House all his Subjects shall be taken into and shall dwell in the Kings Palace And Gods Palace is not like the Great Turk's Seraglio * Turkish Seragl at the end of Tavernier 's Travels which one ingeniously calls a Paradise for one but a Prison to all others that reside in it But this Royal Mansion of the King of Glory is not only a Paradise to Christ but to all his Members they enjoy the Riches partake of the Honours and taste the Pleasures of it Let Faith pass within the Walls and walk in the Streets of this heavenly Jerusalem O! strive by a Spiritual Eye to see the true King Solomon wearing his Glittering and Glorious Crown though men hid their Faces from him as a Leper trod on him as a Worm despised and abbhored him Is 49.7 yet he was glorious in the Eyes of the Lord God the Father received him into Heaven and welcomed him thither with these Honourable Words Sit thou on my Right Hand till I make all thy Foes to be thy Footstool Ps 110.1 And as Christ was treated after his Sufferings so will he entertain his People after their Sorrows and Afflictions How welcome will they be to him when they come out of the Field and arrive from off a Stormy and Raging Sea how will he chear and comfort them How kindly will he speak to them What marks of Honour will he put upon them How will he praise their Faith commend their Love approve and applaud their Constancy and Loyalty to him 1 Pet. 1.7 How honourably doth Christ speak of Antipas Rev. 2.13 He Styles him Antipas his Faithful Martyr So Christ will Paint out the Services and Sufferings of his People before his Father he will acknowledge and confess their Names thus These are they that have followed me in a Wilderness that have walked after me in the Valley of the Shadow of Death that have abode with me in