you God had been glorious in this but now there is infinitely more mercy shewed when God shall say You miserable creatures have sinned against me and such is your condition that except the Son of my bosome be made a curse for you there can be no mercy for you well I am content that he shall not be spared but shall be given to be a curse to prepare mercy for you here is glory indeed Therefore when Christ was borne the Angels sung glory to God in the highest Luke 2. 14. As if they had said this is the highest pitch of the glory of God in providing such a way of reconciliation with the children of men and God was so set upon this work of shewing mercy to mankinde that though it cost the death of his Son he would have it and that shews it to be infinite mercy and love indeed when it breakes through such mighty difficulties there is the glory of his mercy And then secondly there is the glory of his Justice God sets out the glory of his Justice here more then if all mankind had been eternally damned Gods Justice would not have been honoured so much in that as in this way of Gods reconciling man unto himself and that in these two regards First because in Christ Gods Justice is glorified actively whereas if all men had eternally perished it should have been glorified but passively and t is more to have it glorified actively then passively and as God delights more in active obedience then in passive so he delights more in the active glory of his Justice then in the passive though there is a kinde of activenesse in suffering and so in Christs suffering therefore that distinction of active and passive is needlesse for his active obedience was passive and his passive obedience had activenesse in it But Secondly Gods Justice is now glorified perfectly the debt is fully paid whereas if all mankinde had been damned the debt should have been but a paying and not have been paid to all eternity As suppose a poor man oweth a thousand pounds and he payeth two pence a week he may be paying of it but cannot pay it in all his life but now if a rich man shall come and at once lay down the money for him the debt then is paid and this is a great deal more then if it should have been alwayes paying So I say if all mankinde had been damned eternally God should have had his debt but paying but the debt would never have been paid but now Christ comes and layes down the payment at once upon the borde and asketh Justice whether it hath enough or no so that Justice is more glorified this way And Thirdly the infinite glory of his wisdome appeares in reconciling Justice and Mercy together that God should be infinitely merciful and just both in one thing this is that that no Angell in Heaven could ever have imagined suppose God should have said thus to all the Angels in Heaven Mankinde is in a lost and undone condition yet I am willing to save him but so as that I will have infinite mercy and Justice reconciled if all of them should have gone and consulted together they could not possibly have told how this should be Now the infinite wisdom of God and nothing but infinite wisdom could finde out such a way as that God should be infinitely mercifull and infinitely just too And Fourthly the infinitenesse of Gods holinesse is hereby manifested if God in a generall way should have thrown his mercy as it were up and down in the world without any more adoe Gods holinesse and hatred of sinne would not have appeared as now it doth when nothing can expiate sinne but the death of his Son if God should carry any of you to the brinke of hell and there let you see all the miseries of the damned and heare all their yellings under the fruits of divine wrath O you would say how doth God hate sinne but be it known to you in the sufferings of Christ there is a greater manifestation of Gods hatred of sinne then in all the torments of hell You that would know how infinitely hatefull sinne is to God come and behold Christ God and man sweltering under the wrath of his Father look upon him in the garden sweating drops of blood come and follow him to the Crosse and heare him cry out in the bitternesse of his soule that dolefull cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me behold Jesus Christ God man who was God blessed for ever made a curse for sinne and for thy sinne look upon sinne in this glasse and here see Gods hatred of sinne There are two glasses wherein we see the evill of sinne the bright christall glasse of the law and the red glasse of the sufferings of Christ and this latter doth more fully more sensibly I am sure set out the nature of sinne and Gods hatred of it and by this you may see the meaning of 2 Cor. 3. 18. where the Apostle speaking of the mystery of the Gospell sayes But we all with open face marke beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord c. We behold but Gods back parts in his works as God sayes to Moses we behold but the footsteps of God in his workes but when we behold him in Christ we behold him with open face Now look what difference there is in knowing a man when we only see the print of his foot upon sand and when we look him in the face so much difference there is between the knowing of God and his glory as it shines in the workes of creation and as it shines in the face of Christ that God therefore might manifest his glory he would not pardon sinne so freely as to say you have sinned but yet I will pity you and pardon you and there is an end no though he would pardon sinne yet he would doe it this way A Third reason why God would bring things about this way is this because God saw there could be no such way to draw poor sinners to himself as this When God shall reveal to a sinner that he is not only a mercifull God but that he hath provided such a strange way to convey his mercy this hath a mighty efficacy to draw the soul to God for the poor soule apprehending its own guiltinesse and Gods hatred of sin and understanding withall that the heart of God is set upon such a way of mercy is by this as by a mighty argument prevailed with to draw neer to God in a way of dependance upon him for thus will the soul argue Well I heare that God to the end he might let out mercy to poor sinners hath of his own infinite wisdome provided such a strange way of conveyance as this is and when God hath made it appeare by revealing to me the mystery of the Gospell how his heart is set upon this way of shewing mercy to sinners
cut then thou art gone for ever For after death comes judgement In the meditation of this point me thinks I cannot but look upon God as beholding all the children of men in their fallen lost sinful and miserable estate with pity and compassion saying poor creatures they have sinned against me and have made themselves liable to eternal wrath which they understand not which they are not able to beare well a little time I will grant unto them to sue out their pardon and to come in and make up their peace with me and I will give them meanes for that end but let them look to themselves for according to the improvement of the time that I now give them so shall it be with them to all eternity if they neglect it they are gone for ever mercy then shall doe them no good so that the tenour upon which we all hold our lives it is no other then as a malefactor condemned to dye who hath granted to him through the favour of the Prince a little time of reprieval and some intimation withal given of a possibility in that time to sue out his pardon and according as he spends that time so it shall be with him for life or death Thus I say we all hold our lives we are all condemned before the Lord onely God hath out of his infinite grace provided a way and meanes of salvation for the children of men and gives us a little time we know not how long whether two or three dayes but as long as we live to look about us to provide for the making of our peace with him and if that be neglected all is gone and we are undone for ever great things then doe depend upon this uncertaine small time of our lives It is reported of Alexander that when he went against any City he did use to set up a lampe burning and would make proclamation that whosoever came in while this lampe was burning should finde favour and have his life but whosoever staid till this lampe was out he was but a dead man and must expect no mercy brethren know that God hath set up a lampe and our life is this lampe and God proclames Whosoever comes in while this lampe is burning shall finde mercy but if you stay till the lampe be out there is nothing but eternal misery to be expected Now this lampe of your lives may not onely goe out upon the consumption of the oyle but it may be put out by accidental meanes and if this lampe be once out and your work not done you are lost for ever We read 1 Kings 6. 7. that when Solomon was preparing the Temple he made all things so ready before hand that there was no noise of axe or hammer heard there Whosoever God intendeth for a living stone in the glorious Temple of Heaven he squares and fits them here there is no noyse of repentance and sorrow for sin after this life what is to be done must be done here nothing will doe it hereafter Whatsoever thou hast to doe doe it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nos knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whòther thou goest Eccles 9. 10. and Chapter 11. vers 3. In the place where the tree falleth there it lyeth Which way thou fallest when thou dyest that way thou shalt lie eternally if Godward then God is thine for ever if sinward then misery and destruction is thine for ever Eccles 12 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God who gave it The souls of wicked men doe returne to God that gave them as well as the souls of the godly that is they doe presently returne to God to receive the sentence of their eternal doome from him and to be stated in their everlasting condition there is a mighty change in the soul immediately after it is departed from the body and is brought to stand before the glorious God to be stated in its eternal condition There are twelve houres in the day sayes Christ wherein a man may worke but the night comes when no man can work John 9. 4. The time of this life is thy working time I but the night is coming and then no man can work Revel 6. 8. And I looked and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was death and hell followed him Hell immediately followes death where death surprizeth any in their natural condition that have not finished the work of making their peace with God 2 Cor. 5. 10. We must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ to receive according to what we have done in the flesh whether it be good or bad It is not according to what we doe afterwards but according to what we have done here in the flesh so it must be with us for ever There can be no repenting no believing after this life body and soul being parted the whole man is not capable of a work of God upon it And besides immediately after death God takes all meanes away you shall never heare Sermon more never have admonition more never have good connsel more never have any working of Gods spirit more to draw you soules to Christ And not onely so but God then withdrawes himself so fully in regard of all the common workes of his spirit that there is a kinde of stating the soul in sin which yet cannot so properly in regard of God be said to be sin as evil so that it shall be impossible for thee to doe any thing but sin as the Saints though while they live here they have many lusts and corruptions in them yet immediately after death their souls are so fully possessed of the spirit that then they cannot sin so on the contrary though wicked men while they live here have divers common gifts of Gods spirit and many restraints upon them yet immediately after death they are so fully separated from God and God so fully withdraws himself from them that it is impossible for them to doe any thing else but sin and rebell against God and blaspheme him to his face There was in Adam in innocency a possibility not to have sinned there is in us while we live in this world an impossibility but that we should sin but in the world to come there is in the Saints an impossibility that ever they should sin and look how the impossibility is on the one hand with the Saints so is the impossibility directly contrary on the other hand with the wicked therefore the wicked must needs be stated in an everlasting evil condition There is no more possibility for the damned souls in hell ever to doe any thing but to blaspheme God then there is a possibility for the Saints in heaven ever to sin against God And yet further at the great day Christ gives up the kingdome to the Father and then there will be another manner of administration then before
Christ will not then be exercised in the work of his mediatorship to mediate any further for those for whom he did not mediate in this life And presently after the separation of the soul from the body the spirit of God wholly departes from the soul and the wrath of God is let out so fully into it that it breaks the soul and fills up every faculty of it so that it is impossible in regard of the strong current of divine wrath that carries the soul along with it that ever it should be exercised to all eternity any one moment in any thing but onely in bearing of torment and divine wrath As the Saints shall be filled up with the presence of God and carried on with such a strong current of divine mercy that it shall be impossible that their souls should ever to all eternity be exercised in any other thing but in the enjoyment of God and living to his praise so on the quite contrary is it with the wicked therefore after death there is a stating of both I will enlarge my self no further in the opening of this point but come presently to apply it for this point is applicatory rather then doctrinal and I shall content my self with three or foure branches of application and so conclude In the first place hence we may see what cause we have to blesse God for the continuance of our lives especially any that are here this day that have not throughly made their peace with God that are not upon certaine and infallible termes in this great businesse of providing for their eternal estates If there remaines but any doubt in thy heart concerning thy eternal condition and if the feares of eternity have been upon thy spirit thou Wilt from this point that hath been thus briefly spoken to see cause to blesse God with thy face up on the ground adoring the riches of his grace that thou art alive this day why because thy life it is the time of making up thy peace with God it is the time of providing for thy eternal condition if thy life be at an end and this work not done then all is gone then judgement comes and thou wilt be infallibly and unalterably stated in a lost and undone condition O therefore it s well that thou art alive this day if a man have a great businesse to doe that concernes his whole estate or life and it must be done in a very little time O what a favour would he count it to have his time lengthned out though but a little because his businesse is of great weight and he thinkes with himself if I miscarry in it I am lost and undone for ever so all those that have ever had serious apprehensions of the infinite consequence of what depends upon their lives here they cannot but sit downe and blesse God for lengthening out their lives for the time of this life is a happy time it is a day of grace a day of salvation O how happy would those poor creatures upon whom this judgement is past that are stated in their eternal condition think themselves if they might have but one day wherein it might be said there is a possibility for them to make provision for themselves concerning their eternal estate As they were not long since so art thou now and therefore know how to prize thy life O the lives of men and women especially such as have not yet done that great work are worth a thousand thousand worlds I remember I have heard of a speech of a great Gentleman who being very sick and Physitians telling him that there was no way for him but death O sayes he that I might live though it were but as a Toad and indeed what man or woman is there that hath not got a thorough and Scripture-assurance of this great work that their peace is made up with God but may upon very good ground if sicknesse be upon them desire to live though but as a Toad because such great things depend upon their lives here in this world Brethren doe but say this to your own hearts upon serious meditation of this that I am now speaking of What if God should come now to this Congregation and say to every one of you Well now the time that I have given you to provide for your eternal estate is at an end if you have done your work well and good you shall be saved and possesse eternal glory but you must be cast according to that which is now done I feare if such a message should come from heaven to many of us it would make our hearts to ake within us and we should cry out O Lord give me a little space before I goe hence and be no more seen O that I might yet have a little more time Suppose God had taken you away when he took away such a kinsman or kinswoman of yours such a neighbour or friend and death had come then and judgement had then been past upon you which way doe you thinke you must have been cast cannot some of you remember that if God had taken you away at such a time or when such a one dyed you were then in such a case that you have cause to think you had been certainly stated in a condition of eternal misery therefore blesse God that you are alive at this day to heare of such a doctrine as this is that so long as you live God gives you time to provide for your eternal estate Psalm 78. 38. the Text sayes God did not stirre up all his anger but called back his wrath when sicknesse comes upon men and women some part of Gods anger is let out I but if God had let out his anger but a little more what would have become of you you had been gone one stroake more had cast you for ever I but God was pleased to call back his anger and did not stirre up all his wrath O blesse God for sparing you at such a time for certainly had you died then your condition had been as irrecoverable as the Devells themselves now t is a day of grace now you have the voyce of the Gospel and the glad tidings of salvation sounding in your eares but then you had been past the time of grace past praying and past repenting now that you are not past this day you are to prize your lives And brethren know wherein consists the worth of your lives and the continuance of them there is a horrible impudence in some men they would faine have their lives lengthened to have their lusts more satisfied did God give thee thy life for this end no the end why thou shouldst desire to live is that thou mayest have further time to make provision for that which is of such infinite consequence which if it be not done it had been better for thee to have been a Toad or Serpent or the vilest creature that ever lived O that we had hearts to give God
things that concerne your souls and eternal condition which you have to doe and you spend your time to get estates to get a little pleasure or honour in the world but now when the conclusion of all shall come and you shall look back to see what you have done and God shall come and call you to an account and say Well now there is an end of your time what have you done in this world It may be you can say Lord I have got an estate and I have led a merry and jovial life but all this while what hast thou done for thy soul what hast thou done for eternity what hast thou done for the making up of thy peace what hast thou done about those things that are of such infinite weight and consequence thy heart now will be overwhelmed with this thought O Lord I did forget my soul I had no thoughts about my eternal estate I have spent a great deal more time in playing then in praying at least more time in playing then I have done in praying to God in private to make my peace with him however it may be you can passe away your time merrily here yet it will be a dreadful thing to you hereafter when you shall know what was the businesse of your time and what you were borne for I remember Bernard hath a notable expression speaking of some calling one to another Come let us be merry till an houre be past sayes he speaking with indignation against such folly What wilt thou doe thus and thus till an houre be past till time be past what passe away that which the mercy of thy Creator hath so farre indulged to thee as to give it thee for repentance and to get grace and to obtaine pardon What to passe away time in which thou oughtest to be breathing after that life and blessednesse which thou hast lost It becomes men that have not made up their peace with God to spend their dayes in bewailing of their sinful and miserable condition and not in merrinesse and jollity in chambering and wantonnesse how wilt thou wish one day that thy time had been spent rather in mourning and lamenting sayes Abraham to Dives Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy pleasures this life is not the life of thy sensual pleasures but to make all even between God and thy soul when God is so gracious as to give us space for such great ends as he doth in this world he expects that all the children of men should spend their dayes in seeking his face and in making up their peace with him in prizing his mercy in admiring and adoring the riches of his grace and goodnesse in his Son but where doe we finde this what a different course of life is there in most men from what God expects they are guilty of desperate folly that squander away their precious time seeing all depends upon it Thirdly If after death comes judgement certainly then when death findes any man unprepared in an estate of unregeneracy that hath not made his peace with God it must needes be exceeding dreadful because it brings judgement and states such a one in his eternal condition Job 18. 14. Death is called there the King of terrors and well may it be so for indeed it is the most dreadful thing in the world to those that understand the meaning of their own sinful state and condition there is enough in this to daunt the heart of the proudest stubbornest wretch that lives upon the earth to consider that now I am launching into the ocean of eternity but God knows I have made little provision for it it may be it is the ocean of the wrath of this infinite God that I am now launching into and must be in for ever certainly except thou hast good assurance of the work done between God and thy soul the sight of the infinite ocean thou art launching into immediately after death cannot but make thee give a dreadful shrieke when thou seest thou art now like to miscarry eternally death taking an ungodly man it is no other but the cutting asunder of the thred upon which he hung over the pit of eternal misery It is the pulling up of the flood gates of Gods eternall wrath Here when afflictions are upon men and women Gods wrath is but onely like the little droppings of water through the flood-gates as you see in flood-gates there will be some leakings forth of some drops of water onely but there is a vast difference between those drops and when the flood-gates are pulled up then the streames gush out abundantly just so is it with Gods dealings here in the world with ungodly men it may be Gods hand is upon them in many afflictions but these are but as some few drops of his wrath but when death comes and findes them unprepared then God pulls up the flood-gates and then the streames of the wrath of the almighty overflow them death to them will be no other then the Sergeant of the Lord of hosts to hale them to prison It will be a taking up of the draw-bridge It will be to them a dismal and dreadful Sun-set that brings with it a night of eternal darknesse and that will be a most dreadful Sun-set that shall never have day more why know that at death the day of grace and salvation sets to thee and an eternal night of dismal blacknesse and darknesse will be upon thee so that when thou art going out of this world and thy peace not made with God thou must then bid farewel to all comforts and to whatever thou didst enjoy Now farewel those excellent truths of God that I have had revealed to me I shall never heare such gracious truths out of the mouthes of Gods ministers more Now farewel all my loving friends that I rejoyced so much in and all the mercy meetings that ever I have had I shall never have them more Farewel now wife husband children I shall never see your faces more Yea farewel house and lands and all delights farewel Sun and Moon and Stars and all the world I shall never see you againe till I see you all of a light fire at the great and dreadful day of Christ And now I am leaving the world and all the comforts here and all the meanes of grace here and O Lord whither am I going It was a speech of Pope Adrian when he was to dye sayes he O my soul my soul whither art thou going thou shalt never be merry more as thou was wont to he It is a doleful thing for a poor creature whose time is at an end not to know whither he is going to think of former pleasures and delights and never to have them more Me thinkes when I consider the death of any ungodly man that place in Isaiah 10. 3. comes to my minde And what will you doe in the day of visitation It is true thou doest now ruffle it out in
you are a dead man it would make him call in his thoughts and compose his spirit so if thou hast a slight and wandring heart this is said to thee this day friend poor soul know what thou art doing even this dayes work concernes thy life thy eternal estate and take your selves off from all creatures til you have done so great a work so saies the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 29 30 31 32. Brethren the time is short it remaineth that both they that have Wives be as if they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not and they that buy as though they possessed not the time is short The word is the time is wrapt up it is folded up it is a Metaphor taken from cloth that is folded even to the very fag end the time is all folded up sayes the Apostle therefore let your hearts be taken off from the creature Truly brethren whatever you think of this point yet those that understand themselves aright would not venture to be in an unconverted estate one half houre for ten thousand worlds for they know that when death comes then judgement also comes And you that are poor people who live hardly and in great extremity in this world yet so long as you live here your condition is comfortable for you have time to doe that worke that is of such mighty consequence for the good of your souls And indeed upon the consideration of this point peoples hearts should be taken off from the creature for a man had better live here in order to that great work though as a stock or log in the fire then to be taken away before he hath done that work he was sent into the world for When men are in paine they would faine dye I but did they know what will be the state and condition of a wicked man immediately after his death they would rather live though as the miseablest creature in the world And consider all you young ones now while God gives you time of this great work of making your peace with him If a man were to goe over Sea about a businesse of great weight after he comes upon the shore what should his first thought be let him first make sure of his great work and then be merry afterwards If thou hast made sure of this great work that thy peace is made up with God and that thy everlasting estate is secure then thou mayest be merry amongst thy friends and mayest live joyfully and comfortably all thy dayes It was the complaint of one that Art is long and life short but surely the art of providing for eternity is a long and difficult art and thy life is short and uncertaine O therefore doe not put off this great work as Seneca speakes of some they are alwayes about to doe they will and they will and are about to live but never live O that you that are young ones would begin betimes and this point setled upon the hearts of young ones would cause them to apply themselves with all their might to the great work of their souls And that which you do be sure you do it with all your might which is the Argument of the Holy Ghost Eccles 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe doe it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest If ever thou hadst a work to put forth thy strength about O doe it here doe not onely have some faint wishes and desires and some sudden good moods as perhaps at the hearing of such a truth as this is you have some sudden wishes and inclinations no but work out your salvation with feare and trembling and be sure to take hold of all opportunities seeing so much depends upon the short time of your lives If a man were to goe over Sea for his life and had a faire day and winde it were desperate madnesse for him to say Well I have two or three dayes more to goe over in and therefore I will not go now and so neglects his gale and when those days are past and the last day comes he thinks to go over but cannot have a wind for a world so many think they will repent when they come to dye O but take heed when thou hast a gale that thou doest not neglect it for feare it never come again and know that if the Lord stirres any of your hearts this day or any other day by his word and you neglect it and goe to your businesse and shops and to your sensual pleasures and delights you may hereafter desire to have such a time of the working of Gods spirit againe and if you would give a thousand worlds for it were it in your power you cannot have it therefore take heed you doe not neglect this great work And upon this ground labour to make sure work for if a man had a work to doe and having done it amisse he might mend it afterwards he need not be so exact about it but if a man be set about a work and he knowes when it is gone out of his hands he can never mend it he will not be carelesse in it but will lay his work to the rule and labour to make all sure Know it is so with you about your eternal condition that which you doe in this world must be available for ever you cannot mend it afterwards If after you see your selves cast you should say O Lord give me farther time and let me come into the world againe and then I will mend this and the other fault that I was rebuked for God will say no you cannot returne into the world again therefore it neerly concernes you to make all sure while you have time And doe not rest upon blinde hopes and desperate adventures I hope it will be thus and thus with me but entertaine this thought What if it should prove otherwise what if I should miscarry this will mightily daunt the heart of a man especially if he knows that upon his miscarriage he is undone for ever Yet further which is another branch of the exhortation my brethren never baulk any way of God for feare of suffering be willing to suffer any hardship for Gods way How doth that follow thus If the time of thy life be that upon which the stating of thy eternal condition depends then it concerns thee to goe through stitch whatever comes in thy way as for instance suppose a man were going to such a place and he must be there at such a time for his life and riding apace through the streets the dogs bark at him as usually the dogs bark most at those who ride fastest how little doth he regard the barking of the dogs but did a man ride onely for his recreation then it would be a little troublesome to him And when a man rides for his life though the clouds gather
JEREMIAH BVRROUGHES Late Minister of the Gospell J. Croâ—s Sculpsit THE SAINTS TREASURY Holding forth 1. The incomparable Excellency and Holinesse of God 2. Christs All in All. 3. The glorious enjoyment of Heavenly things by Faith 4. The Naturall mans bondage to the Law and the Christians liberty by the Gospell 5. A preparation for judgement Being sundry SERMONS preached in LONDON By the late Reverend and painfull Minister of the Gospel JEREMIAH BURROUGHES LONDON Printed by T. C. for John Wright at the Kings head in the Old-baily 1654. TO THE HONOURABLE FRANCIS ROUS Esq Speaker of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England and Provost of Eaton-Colledge Honoured Sir IF a Heathen Poet could say Non omnis moriar I shall live though I die supposing his Works immortall though himselfe were mortall Upon how much better an account may a Prophet of the Lord say Non moriar sed vivam I shall not die but live both in respect of his immortall soule to which death is as the gate of life and in respect of the immortall travell of his soule being conversant in the Word of the Lord that abideth for ever The workes of the Saints of God in whom is the spirit of prophecie not onely live when they are dead but are instrumentall in the hand of grace both to plant life where it is not and water it where it is that it may spring forth more abundantly The chosen Vessell of the Lord by whose Ministry he was pleased to give out the Heavenly treasures laid up in these Sermons hath some yeares since put off his earth and put on that Inheritance of the Saints in light for which the Lord seemed earlie to have fitted him by his earnest and assiduous Travail in sitting others But though the Vessell be broken or rather indeed refined and translated to his masters more immediate use yet the Treasures abide for the common enrichment of the Saints For spirituall Treasures like the loaves blessed by our Saviour multiply in their use and when thousands have been enriched by them doe still remaine sufficient to enrich thousands To you honoured Sir is this small but Precious treasury presented not as though your own store were not already full for who knowes not how many precious Jewels through the riches of Christ in you you have richly set and polished for the adorning the Bride the Lambs wife Surely the spirit of Christ seemes to have chosen and sealed your Spirit to celebrate his own Nuptials in your Mystical Marriage and song of loves But as gold besides its own internal worth receives an Authentick impression from the Image and Superscription of the Prince And as in honouring the Lord with the best part of our substance An humble acknowledgement of his Interest both in the whole and our selves not any Addition to his fulnesse is intended So is this Treasury presented to the touch and test of your Judgement First as the Standard of approving things that are excellent And then as an humble testimony how much he owes himselfe to you that presents it That the Lord would make you long an Ornament and defence to his Saints and prosper his own pleasure in your hands is the prayer of Honoured Sir The most humble and most obliged of your Servants J. W. To the Christian Reader THe Authour of these ensuing Sermons hath so abundantly approved himselfe to the Church of God by his former labours both in preaching and writing that it would be rather a disparagement to him to offer any thing by way of commendation His name is yet like a precious Oyntment and so may it be so long as the Sunne and Moon endures These Sermons will discover themselves to be his genuine issue the severall lineaments and proportions of his stile though stiles differ as much as faces are here discernable Those that had the happinesse to be conversant with him and auditors to him are able to say Sic oculos sic ille manus sic ora ferebat So he opened his Text so he handled his Doctrine so he delivered his Application It is true these fragments of his are under the prejudice of being Posthumus works yet we may say of them as Paul said concerning himselfe We suppose they are not inferiour to the rest of his Works though they are born out of due time and fragments though they are yet are they to be esteemed Ramenta auri sunt pretiosa These Sermons are to be prized for their own worth and intrinsecall excellency whoever was Authour And this Authour is to be honoured for his reall worth whatsoever he is the authour of We shall adde this also for thy encouragement that these Sermons have been very happily taken by the pen of a ready writer Mr. Farthing now a Teacher of Shortwriting one who hath given ample testimonie of his great skill and dexteritie in writing Short-hand We think we may say there are not many words delivered by the Author that are left out However confident we are that there is nothing materiall which was by him preached but is here by the care and faithfulnesse of the Scribe presented to thy view The desire of the publishers is that the name of this worthy man of God may be kept in honour that thou maist transferre these things to thy own use and expresse them in thy life that what was spoken to some may be common to all what was accepted by them that heard it may be received and improved by those that read it This is all we have to communicate to thee it would be an injury to detaine thee longer from the reverend Author we only commend thee to the grace of God which is able to make thee abound in every good work and bid thee Fare-well Ja. Nalton Wil. Cooper Tho. Jacomb Matthew Poole Allen Geare Ralph Venning Septemb. 29. 1653. Imprimatur EDM. CALAMY THE SAINTS TREASURY EXODUS 15. 11. Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders THis Scripture is this day fulfilled in our Eares and before our eyes that which God hath already begun to doe for this Kingdome and the neighbour Churches doth shew unto us that there is none like unto the Lord Who is glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders The words though they be in the middle of the song yet they are a kinde of an Epiphonema which usually is at the end but the spirit of Moses being raised in admiring at and blessing God for the great things he had done for his people he containeth not himselfe till he comes to the end but breakes forth in the very middle with this applause of the glory of God Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises doing wonders You see then the words are a part of Moses his song occasioned upon the goodnesse of God in delivering of his
them as certainly as if they were already 73 2. Faith looks upon the present possession of things ibid. 1. In Christ our head ibid. 2. We have the first-fruits of the Spirit ibid. 3. This time is nothing to eternity ibid. 4. Faith eyes the things of Heaven continually 74 5. The Saints enjoy all in God ibid. Faith it selfe is a very substantiall thing ibid. The vanity of the faith of most people discovered 75 We must learn to strengthen and exercise our faith in the things we hope for ibid. Spirituall and heavenly things are things not seen 76 1. They are hidden 77 2. They are beyond the principles of reason ibid. 3. The blindness of man naturally is such that he can not see these things ibid. 4. God orders things so in his providence that he goeth a contrary way as to sense and reason to what he hath promised ibid. We should cease wondering that men of excellent parts and reason doe not see the things of God 79 Faith doth evidence and make spirituall things clear 80 If faith be an evidence to other things then it is an evidence to it selfe 81 One way to be freed from doubts and feares is by renewing the act of faith it selfe 82 It is no presumption to cast ones selfe upon the free grace of God in Christ ibid. Christians should be afraid of unbeliefe as well as of presumption 83 The admirable use of faith 84 T is a wonderfull mercy to have faith to evidence all the glorious things of God ibid. Faith can make those that are of weak parts to see the great things of God 85 SERMON IV. Doctrine THere is a blessed liberty that Christians enjoy by Christ and onely by him 88 In what sense Christians are freed from the Law 89 The rigour of the Law opened in seventeen particulars 1. It requires hard things of those that are under it 90 2. It requires things which are impossible to be performed by those that are under it 91 3. The Law exacts all of us under the condition of perfection ibid. 4. The Law accepts of no surety 92 5. The rigour of the Law is such that it acceps of no endeavours short of perfection ibid. 6. The Law requires constancy in all we doe ibid. 7. The Law exacts the obedience it requires exceeding rigorously 93 8. There is this rigour in the Law that upon any the least breach of it it doth utterly disenable the soul for ever performing any obedience to it again ibid. 9. The Law requires as perfect obedience as if we had all principles that might enable us to keep it ibid. 10. It requires it of us and yet gives us no strength to doe what it requires 94 11. In all the Law doth it strikes at our life ibid. 12. Vpon any breach it doth presently binde over the soul to everlasting death ibid. 13. When the Law is once offended it will never be made amends again by any thing we are able to doe ibid. 14. The Law accepts of no repentance 95 15. The Law when it hath opened our wounds and miseries it shews us no means of deliverance ibid. 16. The Law accidentally stirs up lust ibid. 17. The promises of the Law are but mean and low in comparison of the promises of the Gospel ibid. This rigour of the Law will not seem hard if we consider 1. That we have to deale with a God of infinite justice and worth 96 2. If we consider that state of perfection wherein God made man at first ibid. 3. If we understand aright what sin is ibid. 4. If we consider those things that we all take for granted that yet are as hard as these ibid. Use 1. All men in their naturall condition are in a very evill case 97 2. The saving of a soule is a great and mighty work ibid. 3. T is a vaine thing for carnal hearts to trust to their good meanings ibid. 4. If God reveal himself to a man onely by the law it is impossible but the soul must flye from him ibid. The liberty of the Gospel is a precious liberty 98 Our bondage under the law and liberty under the Gospel opened from Gal. 4. 21 c. ibid. The liberty of the Gospel opened in seventeen particulars 1. If thou beest a believer in Christ thou shalt not be cast for thy eternal estate by the law 100. 2. Thy Law-giver is no other then he that is thy husband and thy advocate ibid. 3. Thou art made a law to thy self by having the law of God written in thy heart 101. 4. Though there be many imperfections in what thou doest yet if God can spye out but the least good thing in thee he will take notice of that and cast away all the evil ibid. 5. If there be a desire in thee to doe good God accepts the will for the deed 102 6. Though the Gospel call for obedience yet it doth it in a sweet and loving way ibid. 7. The Gospel and liberty of it comes with abundance of life and strength 103 8. God doth compassionate those that are made free by the Gospel ibid. 9. The Gospel hath a mighty efficacy to melt the heart ibid. 10. The Gospel as it hath a melting power so it hath a healing power ibid. 11. Sins against the Gospel shall not have power to root out any habits of grace 104 12. The Gospel takes advantage at our misery to pardon us ibid. 13. All that is required of us may be accepted from another ibid. 14. The grace of the Gospel shewes a way wherein God shall have all the wrong made him up that ever thy sins did him ibid. 15. There is a perfect righteousnesse made over unto us in the Gospel 105. 16. The Gospel proclames admirable promises ibid. 17. The covenant of the Gospel shall never be forfeited ibid. SERMON V. THe Text opened 107. 108. Doctrine That the onely time that men have to provide for their eternal condition is the time of this life if it be not done here there is no help afterward for after death comes judgement 109 This point is one of the most serious points that concernes the children of men ibid. Wicked men when they die are stated in an irrecoverable evill condition ibid. The tenor upon which we all hold our lives 110 There can be no repenting nor believing after this life 112 After death God takes away all means of grace ibid. The souls of wicked men are then stated in such a condition that they can doe nothing but sin ibid. At the great day Christ gives up the Kingdom to the Father 113 Presently after death the wrath of God is let out fully into the soules of the wicked ibid. Use 1. We have cause to blesse God for the continuance of our lives especially those that have not throughly made their peace with God and are not upon certain and infallible terms in this great businesse of providing for their eternall estates ibid. 114 115 Use 2. Those are to be reproved that mispend and squander away the precious time of their lives about vanities and neglect the great businesse that they were sent into the world for 116 Time an exceeding precious thing ibid. Few think of the passing away of their time or that any great matter depends upon the time of their lives here in this world 117 Use 3. When death findes any man unprepared in an estate of unregeneracy that hath not made his peace with God it must needs be exceeding dreadfull because it brings judgement and states such a one in his eternall condition 120 Gods wrath let out fully upon the wicked immediately after death 121 Then they must bid an everlasting farewell to all comforts that ever they did enjoy ibid. The dreadfulnesse of death is applicable 1. To old people whose time is neer at an end therefore had need be sure that that great work be done of making their peace with God 123 2. To prophane wretches who instead of doing the work of their time and preparing for their everlasting estate goe directly backwards and make the breach between God and their soules wider 124 3. To those that have heretofore been in a good forwardnesse in the way of life and salvation but yet through the violence of their lusts have been turnd back againe ibid. 4. To those that upon every discontent wish themselves dead 125 5. To those that upon every drunken occasion for a word or two will venture their lives ibid. 6. To those that in trouble and anguish of conscience are ready to lay violent hands upon themselves ibid. 7. To those that have been upon their death beds as they thought and in danger of everlasting ruine and did then promise if they lived what new people they would be but afterwards forgot all 126 The efficacy and worth of a thing is when it is done in the season of it 127 The consideration of time and the worth of it should take off all sleightnesse of heart and roving dispositions 128 The consideration of this point should take off peoples hearts from the creature ibid. All young ones should now while God gives them time labour to make their peace with him 129 The danger of putting off the worke of repentance till we die 130 We should labour to make sure work in the great business of our eternall estate because that which is done in this world is available for ever ibid. Wee should not baulk any way of God for feare of suffering ibid. Temptations to sinne are to be repelled by the consideration of the great business we came into the world for 131 FINIS ERRATA IN some of the books p. 8. l. 33. for reference read inference p. 9. l. 11. for notion r. Nation l. 19. for Numb 27. r. Numb 23. p. 17. l. 27. for so take all r. take all p. 23. l. 19. for them r. him p. 25. l. 3. observe no stop at consciences p. 26. l. 26. for in this holy worship r. in his holy worship p. 31. read the text thus but Christ is all and in all p. 37. l. 33. for the humane r. humane p. 54. l. 24. read doe but take this one rule for that p. 76. last line for 2 Cor. 2. r. 2 Cor. 4. p. 99. l. 30. for Levit. 29. r. Levit. 25.