covetousness 4. Consider Fourthly The unprofitableness of it no man by thinking can add one cubit to his stature how many do we see torment themselves with care fear and trouble and labour and when they have done all they can they are not able to reach to their ends I only desire further to press upon you this one argument of our Saviour which you have in the Text A mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth 1. Consider An abundance is not necessary to this life ad manum est quod sat est saith Seneca Sudamus ad supervacanea a moderate care a moderate labour is enough for necessaries what we sweat for is usually superfluiities an abundance is not necessary for thy own life nor for the life of thy Child something is necessary but an abundance is not necessary God hath so graciously ordained that our life lieth not in the abundance of what we have life is not maintained by the abundance of what we have 2. Consider An abundance will not lengthen out thy life you see Princes Noblemen and rich men they die as well as others something of this world is sometimes necessary to keep a man living but an abundance will not lengthen out a mans life 3. Consider The happiness of thy life doth not lie in the abundance of what thou hast in possession doth not thy happiness lie rather in the rest and quiet content and satisfaction of thy mind when thou hast gotten all thy heart can wish all that thy Childs heart can wish hast thou in the least purchased content to thy self or to him If God arms but one thought against thee or thy Child it spoileth all thy satisfaction if but an humour be disordered in thy body and thy self or thy Child be in a melancholy temper all the world will not give thy mind rest why then dost thou labour why dost thou cark and care and art so solicitous thy life lieth not in the abundance of the things thou possessest but thus much is enough for the first Exhortation take heed and beware of Covetousness and consider whatsoever hath been said as to your selves is true as to your Children so as you need not make that a pretence for your immoderate desires Use 2. My second use is that of the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.1.8 And having food and rayment let us be therewith content Food and Rayment are necessaries if the Lord giveth us but enough to cloath us and to feed us let us never be concerned mark how many arguments might be brought for this from Scripture 1. We brought nothing into the world we can carry nothing out of the world 2. They that will be rich fall into temptation and hurtful lusts 3. The love of mony is the root of all evil 4. Godliness with contentment is great gain if God hath given us but enough let us be therewith content Agur begged no more then food convenient for him he prayed against riches as well as against poverty Gen. 28.20 See Jacobs vow And Jacob vowed a vow saying if God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and rayment to put on c. It is a shame for Christians they should not consider how contented the Heathens were and with what scorn they would look upon all the world What! have Christians principles below those of Heathens there were two opinions of Philosophers the Stoicks thought riches was no ingredient to mans happiness others saw a necessity of some of this worlds gooods for the exercise of Virtue but all agree in this that the happiness of a man doth not lie in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Use 3. What an opportunity doth this offer to those that are poor to bless God The Apostle rejoiced that God had opened a door of salvation for the Gentiles let those that are poor in this world rejoice and let us rejoice for them for this door of happiness which is opened for them by these words of our Saviour if only the rich could be happy if content were entailed upon them only then none could be happy but the rich but blessed be God it is not so the poor man may be happy as well as the rich spiritually happy as well as the rich man Use 4. In the next place see here what an encouragement here is to do good our Saviour viewing those who were throwing into the treasury saw some throw in a great deal and a poor Widow throwing in two Mites our Saviour said she had done more then they all for they had thrown in out of their abundance but she out of her penury and want a mans life doth not lie in the abundance of what he possesseth God doth not call to you to throw away that wherein your life lieth nor those things which are necessary for your life he only calleth to you to throw in out of your abundance he calleth to you only for your superfluities and certainly it is but reasonable that we should part with these when God calleth for them especially if we consider that God hath but made us his Stewards of these and hath therefore given us them that we should at his command part with them Use 5. If a mans life the happiness of it doth not lie in the abundance of what he possesseth if God hath not laid up your life in them do not you lay up your life in them your selves 1. Do not make it your business for to get them do not desudare ad supervacanea do not let the business of your life be to load your self with thick clay Habbak 2.6 There is a woe denounced unto him who thus loadeth himself Woe to him that encreaseth that which is not his how long and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay 2. Be not tormented if the Lord depriveth you of some of your riches blessed be God your life doth not lie in them they are not your happiness they could not preserve your life when you had them let them not destroy you now you want them they could not make you happy in the enjoyment of them do not make your selves miserable in the want and deprivation of them SERMON V. VI VII VIII 2 Tim. 1.8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God MY Text you see is in the Epistle of Paul to Timothy the second Epistle that he wrote to him Who this Timothy was the Scripture abundantly telleth us the name signifieth one that feareth God it was the usual course of Parents in those days to give their Children names that might either express their sense of the mercy that God had given them as Samuel begged of God Reuben see a Son Simeon hearing Levi joined Judah praise or such as might express the Childrens duty to
this promise is to those that fight the good fight that finish their course that keep the faith c. Ah how many are there that fight indeed but is it the good fight They are fighters against God opposers of his interest they would if possible root the very name of of God and profession of Godliness out of the world They have such an antipathy to piety that as they say of the Basilisk it hath such an emnity to man that it will fly upon his picture so they have such an enmity to Christ and holiness that they fly upon any Persons or things who have any thing of Christs Image and Superscription upon them others are fighters great disturbers of humane societies with their quarrels But now for the good fight which is to be managed against our passions exorbitant affections and all the motions of the Soul that are contrary to the will of God how few of those are to be found that fight this fight How few are those that will manage an opposition for the glory of God against the temptations of the world How few are there that can glory in this that they have finished either their more general course as Christians or more particular Course as Christians under such or such circumstances How full is the world of those who have yet their first step to take in the way of Gods Commandments their life is a meer walking in the counsels and Imaginations of their own hearts a meer gratification of their sensitive appetite not only as moving contrary to the law of Christ but to the very law of reason Living beneath the better sort of heathens How many more whose only business is to heap up gold as dust and silver as thick clay but the way of Religion and holiness they have not known How few are there that mind the duties of their particular relation but as they use their own Souls as if they were the meer condiment of their bodies so they behave themselves to their Wives Husbands and Children as if they had no trust of their Souls committed to them How many that have lost the faith first delivered to the Saints and are fallen into pernicious and damnable heresies making Shipwrack both of faith and a good conscience Can these men possibly love the appearanâ—e of Jesus Christ But leaving others let us take the advantage Use 3 of this discourse to enter into our own Souls and to commune with our own hearts inquiring whether we be such Persons as when we shall be ready to dye shall by any Providence of God be made apprehensive that the time of our departure is at hand shall be able to say that henceforth there is laid up for us a Crown of Righteousness which the righteous Judge shall in that day give out to all such as love the appearance of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To satisfy us as to these things we have heard in the explication of this text that we have several things to inquire upon they may be reduced to six or seven heads 1. What opposition we have made to the carnal desires and motions of our own hearts contrary to the revealed will of God You shall observe that a sinful walking in holy Writ is very ordinarily expressed by a walking according to the counsels and imaginations of our own hearts so contrary are the natural desires counsels and imaginations of the heart of man to the revealed will of God there is no surer sign of a wicked man then for him to walk after his own imaginations or for him to use Jobs expression to suffer his heart to walk after his Eyes Hence self-denial is by our Saviour made the condition and character of being one of his disciples and we are often in Scripture Commanded to mortify our members and the deeds of our bodies This kind of conversation which lyeth in the gratifying of our sensitive appetites is the broad way in which many walk but it is the high way to eternal destruction 2. What opposition we have made to the world either the men of the world or the things of it attemping either to frown or flatter us out of the duty which we owe unto God He who is at the worlds beck cannot be at the Command of Christ If we be the Servants of men we cannot be the Servants of God As Christ pleased not himself so neither did he please the men of the age wherein he lived in their oppositions to the will of his Father It is most certain that the generality of the men of the world love no Child of God as such they are two different seeds betwixt which there ever was and ever will be an emnity If they take us by the chin and kiss us it is but that they may have the better opportunity to smite us under the fifth rib The truth is their open war is better than their dissembled amity but that also requires in us wisdom when to oppose so as not to suffer as evil doers and courage and resolution that we may be able to stand 3. How we walk as to our more general conversation It is certainly a true saying grande est Christianum esse non dici It is a great thing not to be called but to be a Christian and in Christianity Tantum es quantum agis a man is just so much as he acteth in an uniform obedience having a regard to all the Commandments of God He that wilfully breaketh any of Gods Commadments is guilty of all for there is the same reverence due to God as to one Precept as unto another We have also further to enquire 4. How we discharge the duties of our particular Relations Not only how we run that race which we have to run in Common with others but that particular course which God hath set us how we have managed our duties as parents Children Husbands Wives Masters Servants Magistrates or Subjects Ministers or People c. 5. What steadiness wee keep as to the faith once delivered to the Saints It is true every warping in opinion from the truth is not damnable but we must take heed of warping in such points as a warping in is inconsistent with the exercise of repentance and faith I will not undertake punctually to determine what things are to be believed upon pain of damnation but I am sure every one that doth not repent and believe in or close with the Lord Jesus Christ is in an ill condition and from thence it follows that such opinions drank in as hinder the exercise of repentance or faith must needs be pernicious unto Souls 6. What particular faith and dependance we keep up in God and the Lord Jesus Christ The Scriptures are so full of texts giving testimony to the necessity of faith in Christ in order to eternal salvation that I need not instance in many see John 3.18 36. the Scripture saith expresly that he that believeth not shall be damned
due respect to those to whom he giveth his Testimony and who agreeth and doth not contradict himself and yet is bold and couragious speaking with freedom hence you shall find that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often used about the testimony that the Apostles did bear to the truth a free bold testimony in any cause doth it great service while the stammering lisping Witness that useth no freedom in his Speech rather hurteth a cause than doth it good the Scripture speaketh much of and commendeth a Christians boldness a boldness in Faith and Prayer and a boldness in a bearing testimony to our Lord when we are not afraid of the Faces of men that would outface the truths of God a Christian should be bold in the Faith bold in Prayer and bold in his Confession 7. Let your Testimony be a hearty testimony a free ready chearful testimony God loveth a chearful giver saith the Apostle indeed in all our Gifts unto God it is so God loveth a freedom and chearfulness of Spirit we should not be subpoena'd into a Testimony to our Lord Jesus Christ indeed we are subpoena'd by that dreadful Text Matth. 9. A Christian should give a Testimony freely not to provoke and challenge danger and dare a Trial but when he seeth suffering at hand so that God calleth him to give a testimony to him and to the truths of the Gospel then chearfulness becometh a Christian chearfulness as it is opposed to grudging 8. I will add but one thing more it should be a patient Testimony Rev. 19 St. John giveth this Character of himself I John who also am your Brother and Companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ Patience under evils is what is often called for in Scripture and pressed upon the Servants of God with a great variety of Arguments by a patient Testimony I understand three things 1. A patient continuance in the Testimony of Christ a flitting and incertain Christian in the truths of God who is of one mind to day and another mind to morrow is no good Witness in the cause of Christ semper idem is the true Motto of every Christian of every such Witness he that is one day of one mind another day of another like a Wave of the Sea tossed about may possibly get to Heaven at last as through fire but he is no good Witness for Christ you know amongst men a good Witness must abide by his testimony if he varieth his testimony is weakned Therefore Christians are highly concerned to examine Propositions well before they profess them and when they profess them to think well with themselves before they part with them a man never is a good witness for the Lord in that point wherein he hath been incertain himself 2. It must be a patient testimony with respect unto those affronts which he may suffer from men while he is giving his Testimony a good and steady Witness in your Courts is not moved by the affronts of any Lawyer that setteth himself to baffle him out of his Testimony he that is a good Witness in the cause of Christ must not be affected at the affronts of Men that would baffle him out of his Testimony he must be patient both as to the flatteries and enticements of enemies and also as to their frowns and menaces 3. A patient Testimony must be a Testimony attended with that patience which they had need of who may suffer for giving their Testimony for though no Man ought to suffer for bearing Witness to the truth yet there is nothing more ordinary then for men and women to suffer for giving a Testimony unto truth and thus now I have shewed you what kind of Testimony it is that every good Christian is bound to give unto the Lord. I have but two things more to do first to encourage you to it by some Arguments then to direct you in the fulfilling of it now for Arguments to perswade you not to be ashamed of the Testimony of Christ you have heard enough already I have shewed you a Ten-fold Obligation lying upon you 1. It is the Will of God 2. Remember Christ is your Lord 3. You cannot otherwise shew your gratitude to him for that Testimony which he gave for you 4. Thus you shall be conformable unto Christ and what is behind of the suffering of Christ shall be filled up in you 5. Remember the nature of the Gospel and of the truths of it 6. Consider the Station which you take up in the World of a Witness a Souldier a Child to our Heavenly Father a Servant to a Heavenly Master 7. Remember the private Law that you have laid upon your selves 8. Remember the duty which lieth upon you to be conformable to your fellow members 9. Remember the danger of forbearing and the reward of your giving this Testimony 10. Consider your oneness with the Members of Christ after all these what need any further Arguments yet because we are of our selves not forward unto this our Hearts are awk and backward to the partaking of the affliction of the Gospel and averse to the giving of this Testimony let me by way of a further Argument in this cause name to you and press upon you the Arguments which the Apostle useth in this place and by which he himself presseth this Exhortation 1. The first lieth in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the power of God One great discouragement that is upon our Spirits to keep us in a day of Testimony that we should not testify is the fear we should never be able to speak and to give our Testimony To give a Testimony for our Lord is a noble thing to receive a Crown the Crown of Martyrdom is a great dignity But when the Lord by his providence seeketh out for us to set this Crown upon our Heads we too frequently hide our selves and the reason is we distrust our selves but Christian fear not we shall have the power of God it is a wonderful thing to observe that the power of God hath been so seen in no other thing as in this you read of a Testimony that Stephen gave to the Gospel First a vocal then a real Testimony Acts 6.9 10. And they were not able to resist the Wisdom and the spirit by which he spake Stephen had then a dispute with the Libertines The power and presence of God from the beginning of the Gospel hath been seen in nothing more than in Gods assistance of his Witnesses you have a promise Luke 12.12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say Matth. 10.19 20. But when they deliver you up take no thought how or what you shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak For it is not you that speak but the spirit of your heavenly Father which speaketh in you Luke saith When they bring you unto the Synagogues and unto