clear and quiet conscience and finished hereafter in the Haven of endless happiness When the man in my Text becomes perfectly perfect he shall then become perfectly peaceable However we may see that sometimes I say not alwayes God sets a signal character of his favour on some of his servants enjoying at their end a generall calm and universal tranquillity towards all to whom they are related Amongst the many priviledges of Saints reckoned up Iob 5. none more remarkable then that verse 23. For the Stones of the field shall be at league with thee and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee Have we here a Dichotomy of all wicked men or a sorting of them all into two sides Some are Stones like Nabal 1 Sam. 25. 37. stupid sottish senseless no Rhetorick with its expanded hand no Logick with its contracted fist no Scripture no reason no practice no precedent can make any impression upon them so that the best of men may even despair to get their good will Well the way to do it and procure a perfect peace with them is to please God Others are beasts like the Cretians Tit. 1. 12. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} so fierce so furious so crafty so cruel no medling with them without danger As the former could not conceive so these will not abide any rational debate with them The former were too low and silly too much beneath these high and haughty too much above perswasion to peace mention but the name thereof and they psal. 112. prepare themselves to battel The art then to make these friends with a man is only this to endeavour to please the high God of heaven and then Solomons words will come to pass Prov. 16. 7. When a mans wayes please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him It once came to pass in England and but once it came to pass in England namely when * Sir Thomas Moor was Lord Chancellor that the Cryer in Chancery being commanded to call the next cause returned this answer there were no more causes to be heard Not that there was no more on the file for that day which is ordinary and usual but which is strange that then there was no more sutes depending in the whole Court of Chancery but that all ripened for Trial were decided Then was Ianus his Temple shut clean throughout England in Cases betwixt Plaintiff and Defendant relating to equity and conscience Whether this proceeded from the peaceableness of people in that age not so quarrelsome and litigious as in ours or from the goodness of the Judge either happy privately to compound differences without any sute or dextrous publickly to decide them with all expedition But when some good man hath lyen on his death bed though having many sutes in his life all then are ended and composed Call the sute betwixt this man and his God long since it is attoned and both made friends in Christ Cal the sute betwixt this man and his conscience it is compremised and both of them fully agreed Cal the sute betwixt this man and his enemies Stones and Beasts it is compounded and they at peace with him Call the sute betwixt this man and all other Creatures it is taken up and he and they fully reconciled Thus I say sometimes not alwayes God graceth some of his servants that they depart in an universal peace a personal favour indulged to some select Saints But generally and universally all the true servants of God whatever their outward condition be go from peace to peace from the first fruits of peace in their conscience to the full fruition thereof in heaven Mark the perfect behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Come we now to the direction of the Living Mark the Perfect behold the Vpright It is not said Gaze on the Perfect Stare on the Vpright this men of themselves are too prone to do without any bidding nay contrary to Gods positive command Heb. 10. 33. Whilest ye were made a gazing stock by reproaches and afflictions And David in the person of Christ complains Psal. 22. 17. they look and stare upon me partly with eyes of wonder as on so many Monsters and Prodigies 1 Pet. 4. 4. Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of Riot partly with the eyes of scorn as on so many miserable wretches Indeed God and wicked men agree in this point that good men are not worthy to live here But upon different yea contrary accounts God esteems them too good to live here Heb. 11. 38. Of whom the world was not worthy Wicked men conceive them too bad to live here Act. 22. 22. Away with such a fellow from off the earth for it is not fit that he should live Which makes them to behold the perfect and upright with scorn and contempt However mark the Iust behold the Vpright do it solemnly do it seriously not with a cursory look fix thy sight and for some time let it dwell on so eminent an Object Mark the perfect as a Schollar marks his copie to write after it Then will it come to pass with thee as with Moses Exod. 34. 29. He so long had seen the back-parts or Suburbs of Gods glory that the skin of his face shone guilded with the reflexion thereof So those who mark the Perfect and behold the Vpright not only with a fore-cast but chiefly with a reflexed look cannot but be gainers thereby For the godly who as S. Paul saith Phil. 2. 15. shine as lights among a crooked and perverse Nation in the world will make such as effectually mark them become like unto them and shine accordingly We see that such who look on Bleer-eyes have their own sight infected therewith and those who diligently mark and stedfastly fasten the eyes of their souls on the perfect and upright man will in process of time partake of their perfection Vse 1. It serveth to confute such who though living long in this world and conversing with varietie of persons yet mark and observe nothing at all If a privy inspection might be made into the Diaries and Journals of such mens lives how would they be found filled with empty cyphers whose total sum amounts to just nothing When Messengers and Trumpeters come into the Castles and Garrisons of their enemies commonly they are brought blindfolded that they may make no dangerous discoveries to report to their Party at their return What out of Policie is done to them that many out of idleness and ignorance do to themselves mask and hood-wink their souls do take notice of nothing in their passage through this world Others mark but only such things which are not remarkable Dina marks but what Gen. 34. 1. The fancie-ful fashions of the daughters of Canaan and we may generally observe that all observations follow the humour of the Observers so that what vice or vertue in him
PERFECTION AND PEACE Delivered in a SERMON By THO. FVLLER B. D. LONDON Printed by Roger Norton for Iohn Williams at the Crown in S. Pauls Church-yard 1653. TO The Honoble and truly Religious GEORGE BERKELEY Sole Son and Heir to the Right Honourable GEORGE Lord BERKELEY c. SIR WHen I look on the Crest of your ancient Arms A Mitre powdered Wth Crosses I read therein an abridgment of the Devotion of those darker dayes the Mitre shewing your Ancestors actions in Peace the Cross their atchievements in the Holy War the Mitre their doings at home the Cross their darings abroad Yea I fancie to my self each ancient Lord Berkly like one of the Israelites at the walling of Jerusalem Neh. 4. 17. With a Trowel in one hand and a Sword in the other We alwayes find him either fighting or founding either in a Battel or at the building of some Religious Fabrick as besides others the intire Abbey at Bristol afterwards converted into a Cathedral was solely founded by one of that Family This was the Devotion of those dayes wherein the world knew no better and scarce any other Since the Reformation your Noble House hath not had less heat for having more light Your Charity hath not been extinguished but regulated not drained dry but derived in righter channels and flowing with a clearer stream free from the mud of superstition As for your particular that your ancient Crest is worthily born by you the Mitre speaking you a Patron of Learning the Crosses a Practicer of Religion Qualities which encouraged me to present this small Treatise unto you Acceptance is more then it can expect pardon being as much as it doth deserve being so long in coming so short when come But because it had its first Being by your Command it hopes to have its well-being by your Countenance Should I desire so many Lords of your Family hereafter as heretofore have flourished in a direct line by desiring a particular Happiness to your House I should wish a general mischief to mankind that men should live so many years in sin sorrow before the coming of the necessary and comfortable day of Judgment My prayer therefore shall be That the lustre of your House may continue with the lasting of the World so long as God will permit the badness thereof in that honourable Equipage of your Ancestors May Perfection here and Peace hereafter light on you your vertuous Lady and hopeful issue which is the daily desire of Your Honours most bounden Servant THO. FULLER PERFECTION AND PEACE PSAL. 37. 37. Mark the Perfect behold the Vpright for the end of that man is Peace THIS and the 73. Psalm are of the same subject wherein David endeavours to cure an Epidemical disease with which the best Saints and servants of God are often distempered Observe in this Disease the nature danger cause and cure thereof The Nature namely fretting fits of the soul at the consideration of the constant peace plenty and prosperity of wicked men The Danger thereof It causeth the Consumption of the spirit and is destructive to the health of the soul Yea when this disease comes to the Paroxism the height and heat thereof it becometh dishonourable to God aspersing and be-libelling him as if he wanted Goodness and would not or Power and could not or Justice and doth not order matters better then they are The Cause thereof it proceedeth from a double defect in men 1 Want of Faith to trust in God 2 Want of Patience to wait on God This is the reason why the practice of these two graces is so often inculcated by David in this Psalm The Cure thereof David applyes many Cordials for less then Cordials will not do the deed seeing by his own confession Ps. 73. 21. His heart was grieved with his fretting fits We will onely instance on the two last One is a serious consideration ver. 35 of the short pleasure and certain pain of the wicked It was a good prayer of a good man Lord keep me from a temporal heaven here and an eternal hell hereafter True it is Psalm 73. 4. that to the wicked there are no bands in their death and no wonder when they have all bands after death The second is a studious observation of the perfect Mans condition who though meeting with many intermediate broils and brunts and bickerings in this life yet all at last winds up with him in a comfortable close and happy conclusion Mark the Perfect behold the Vpright for the end of that man is peace Observe in the words two general parts 1 The description of the Dead 2 The direction to the Living In the description of the Dead we have two particulars 1 What he was A practicer of Perfection and Uprightness 2 What he is A possessour of a peaceable end In the direction to the Living we have an invitation or rather an injunction to mark and behold 1 What was done by the man when living his Holiness 2 What was done to the man when dead his Happiness This our Sermon being now preached in the juncture of the old and new Year What better subject to end the old then to speak of the description of the dead What fitter matter to begin the new then to treat of the direction to the living Mark the Perfect behold the Vpright for the end of that man is peace Before we enter on the words it will be a charitable work to reconcile the seeming variance betwixt the two Translations I mean that which is commonly prefixed at the beginning and what is constantly inserted in the middle of our Bibles The Old Translation Keep innocency and take heed unto the thing that is right for that shall bring a man peace at the last The New Translation Mark the Perfect man and behold the Vpright for the end of that man is peace See here a vast difference betwixt the divers rendring of the words If the Trumpet 1 Cor. 14. 8. give an uncertain sound who shall be prepared for the battel But where shall the unlearned though honest hearted Reader dispose of his belief and practice when there be such irreconcileable differences in the Translation of Gods Word I answer the seeming difference ariseth from the latitude of the Hebrew words so extensive in their signification for Shemor which in my text is translated Mark according to the first and most frequent acception thereof signifieth also in a secondary sense to Keep seeing those things which we mark we also keep at the least for some short time in our memorie The same may be said that the word Behold in my Text is rendered in the Old Translation take heed seeing the Hebrew wil bear both Tham and Iaschar most commonly and constantly denote the Concrete Perfect Vpright Righteous and Innocent But sometimes signifieth the abstract also Perfection Uprightness Innocencie Let not therefore the two Translations fall out for they are Brethren and both the sons of the same Parent the
is predominant plainly appears in their discoveries The Covetous man marks but whom those who are rich and wealthy The ambitious man but whom those that are high and honourable The lascivious man marks but whom such as are beautiful and wanton few there be of Davids devout disposition who mark the Perfect behold the Vpright for the end of that man is peace 2 Vse Let all who desire this peaceable end labour whilest living to list themselves in the number of those who are perfect and upright King Ahaaz coming to Damascus was so highly affected with an Idolatrous Altar which he there beheld that he needs would have that Original Copyed out 2 King 16. 10. And the like made at Ierusalem according to the fashion of it and all the workmanship thereof Fool to preferre the pattern of the infernal pit before the pattern in the Mount But this his prophane action will afford us a pious application You that have marked the Just and beheld the Upright ought to be affected with the piety of his life cannot but be contented with the peaceableness of his end This therefore do Such who are pleased with the pattern of his perfection and uprightness go home and raise the like fabrick erect the like structure for all considerable particulars in your own soul Vain and wicked was the wish of Balaam Numb. 23. 10. Let me dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his He would commence per saltum take the Degree of Happiness without that of Holiness like those who will live Papists that they may sin the more freely and dye Protestants that they may be saved the more certainly But know that it is an impossibility to graft a peaceable death upon any other stock but that of a pious life 3. Vse Let it retrenoh our censuring of the final estate of those whom we know led godly lives and we see had shameful deaths Let us expound what seems doubtful at their death by what was clear in their life A true conclusion may sometimes be inferred from false premises but from true premises the conclusion must ever be true Possibly a good life in the next world may follow a bad one in this namely where though late sincere repentance interposeth But most certain and necessary it is that a good life here must be crowned with a good condition hereafter What then though Iohn Baptist lost his head by Herods cruelty he still held his head in the Apostles phrase Col. 2. 19. By a lively faith continuing his dependance on and deriving life and comfort from Jesus Christ in which respect he may be said to have dyed in peace There is a sharp and bitter passage in Scripture Luk. 9. 23. And yet if the same be sweetned with a word or two in my Text it may not only easily be swallowed but also will certainly be digested into wholsome nourishment the words are these and let him take up his Cross daily and follow me His Cross some will say I could comfortably comport my self to carry such a mans Cross his is a slight a light and easie mine a high a huge and heavy Cross Oh but children must not be choosers of that rod wherewith they are to be corrected that is to be let alone unto the discretion of their father Men may fit cloaths but God doth fit Crosses for our backs no Cross will please him for thee to take up but thy Cross only that which his providence hath made thee the proprietarie thereof Well take it up on this assurance that the end thereof shall be peace Take up thy Cross Is it not enough that I be passive and patiently carry it when it is laid upon me What a Tyranny is this for me to cross my self by taking up my own cross But God will have it so thou must take it up that is First thou must freely confess that nothing hath befaln thee by chance or fortune but by Gods all-ordering Providence Secondly Thou must acknowledge that all afflictions imposed upon thee are the just punishment of thy sins deserved by thee if inflicted more heavily seeing all things is mercy which is on this side of hel fire This it is to take up thy cross do it willingly for it will be peace at the last The last is the worst word Daily Not that God every day sends us a new affliction but he requires that every day we should put on a habit of patience to undergo whatsoever cross is laid upon us This I conceive to be Davids meaning Psal. 73. 14. and chastened every morning Daily superstitious Fryers never esteem themselves ready till they have put on their Crucifix and religious Protestants must never accompt themselves ready till they have put on their cross The Papists have besprinkled their Calendar with many festivals having no foundation in Scripture or ancient Church History One day they call the Exaltation of the Cross which is May 3. another the Invention of the Cross which is September 14. But we must know there is one day of the Cross more Day which continueth from the beginning to the end of the year namely the Assumption of the Cross every one must take it up daily do it do it willingly for the end thereof wil be peace And yet there is a fourth thing remaining in the Text when we have took up our Cross we must follow Christ it is not enough to take it up and then stand still as if suffering gave us a supersedeas for doing but God at the same time will have our hands back and feet of our soul exercised hands to take up back to bear our Cross and feet to follow him and happy it is for us though we cannot go the same pace if we go the same path with our Saviour for the end thereof will be peace O the amiableness of the word Peace oh the extensiveness of the word End Peace what can be finer ware End what can be larger measure The amiableness of Peace especially to us who so long have prayed for it and payed for it and sought for it and fought for it and yet as yet in England have not attained it For the Tragoedy of our war is not ended but the scene thereof removed and the Element only altered from earth unto water Surely had we practised Davids precept Psal. 34. 14. Eschew evil and do good seek peace and ensue it before this time we had obtained our desire It is to be feared we have been too earnest prosecutors of the last and too slow performers of the first part of the verse great have been our desires but small our deeds for peace Had we eschewed evil and done good God ere this time would have crowned our wishes with the fruition of peace The Marriners Act. 27. 30. men skilful to shift for themselves at Sea had a private project for their own safety namely to quit their crazie ship with the souldiers and passengers
Original Though give me leave to say the youngest child is most like the father and the newest Translation herein most naturally expresseth the sense of the Hebrew Let none cavil that such laxity in the Hebrew words occasions uncertainty in the meaning of the Scripture For God on purpose uses such words importing several senses not to distract our heads but dilate our hearts and to make us Rechoboh Room for our practice in the full extent thereof Psal. 119. 92. Thy commandement is exceeding broad and is penned in words and phrases acceptive of several senses but all excellent for us to practice So that both Translations may be happily compounded in our endeavours Mark the perfect keep innocency and behold the upright and take heed to the thing that is right for the end of that man is peace and that shall bring a man peace at the last Begin we with the description of the dead Perfect and what is a good Comment thereon Vpright Object It is impossible this world should afford a perfect man What saith David Psal. 14. 2. The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek after God They are all gone aside they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth good no not one But what saith Solomon Eccles. 2. 12. For what can the man do who commeth after the King even that which hath been done already But what shall he do that cometh after the King of Heaven can Subjects hope that their discoveries will be clearer then their Soveraigns shall man living on earth see more then God looking from heaven he could not meet with one good where then shall we mark a perfect man Answ. David in the place alledged describes the general corruption ad prae varicationem of all mankind by nature in the latitude whereof we confess the perfect man in my Text was involved As all Metals when they are first taken out of the earth have much dross and oar but by art and industrie may afterwards be refined so the man in my text was equally evil with all others by nature till defecated by grace and by Gods goodness refined to such a height of puritie as in some degree will endure the touch and become perfect In a four fold respect may a servant of God be pronounced Perfect in this life 1 Comparatively in reference to wicked men who have not the least degree or desire of goodness in them Measure a servant of God by such a dwarf and he will seem a proper person yea comparatively perfect 2 Intentionally The drift scope and purpose of such a mans life is to desire perfection which his desires are seconded with all the strength of his weak endeavours He draweth his bow with all his might and Perfection is the mark he aimeth at though too often his hand shakes his bow starts and his arrow misses 3 Inchoatively We have here the begining and the earnest as of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1. 22. So of all spiritual graces expecting the full not payment because a meer gift but receipt of the rest hereafter In this world we are a perfecting and in the next Heb. 12. 23. we shall come to the spirits of just men made perfect But blame me not Beloved if I be brief in these three kinds of Perfections rather touching then landing at them in our discourse seeing I am partly affraid partly ashamed to lay too much stress and weight on such slight and slender foundations I hasten with all convenient speed to the fourth which one is worth all the rest A servant of God in this life is perfect 4 Imputatively Christs perfections through Gods mercy being impuâ—ed unto him If I be worsted in my front and beaten in my main Battel I am sure I can safely retreat to this my invincible Reeâ— In the agonie of temptation we must quit comparative perfection Alass Relation is rather a shadow then a substance quit intentional perfection being conscious to our selves how oft our actions cross our intentions Quit inchoative perfection for whilest a servant of God compareth the little goodness he hath with that great proportion which by Gods law he ought to have he conceiveth thereof as the pious Jews did of the Foundation of the second Temple Haggai 2. 3. Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing But stick we may and must to imputative perfection which indeed is Gods act cloathing us with the Righteousness of Iesus Christ This is the reason the Saints are unwilling to own any other perfection for though God Iob 1. 1. is pleased to stile Iob a perfect man yet see what he saith of himself Iob 9. 20. If I say that I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse God might say it Iob durst not for fear of pride and presumption Indeed Noah is the first person who is pronounced perfect in Scripture Gen. 6. 9. But mark I pray what went in the verse before But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord Not that his finding grace is to be confined to his particular preservation from the Deluge which was but one branch or sprig of Gods grace unto him But his whole person was by Gods goodness accepted of Noahs perfection more consisting in that acceptance then his own amiableness approved not so much because God found goodness in Noah but because Noah found grace in God Come we now in the description of the Dead to what he is The end of that man is peace Object Some will object that daily experience confutes the truth of this Doctrine what more usual then to see Gods servants tossed tumbled tortured tormented often ending their painful lives with shameful deaths Cushi being demanded by David to give an account of Absaloms condition 2 Sam. 18. 32. made this mannerly and politique return The enemies of my Lord the King and all that rise up against thee to do thee hurt be as that young man is But some will say if this be a peaceable end to lead an afflicted life and have an ignominious death may the enemies of God and all goodness the infringers of our Laws and Liberties the haters of Learning and Religion the destroyers of Unity and order have their souls surfet of such a peaceable end Resp. In answer hereunto we must make use of our Saviours distinction the same for substance and effect though in words there be variation thereof Being taxed by Pilate for treason against Caesar he pleaded for himself Ioh. 18. 36. My kingdom is not of this world So say we to salve all objections our peace that is the peace in our Text and God make it ours not only to treat and hear but partake thereof is not of this world consisteth not in temporal or corporal prosperity but is of a more high and heavenly nature Indeed this peace is in this world but not of this world begun here in the calm of a
therein and secretly to convey themselves into the boat But their design miscarried being discovered by S. Paul to the souldiers who cut the ropes of the boat and let her fall off All men ought to have a publick spirit for the general good of our Nation the success where of we leave to the al-managing providence of the God of heaven and earth But I hope it wil be no treason against our State and I am sure it wil be safe for us who are but private persons to provide for the securing of our souls and to build a little Cock-boat or smal Vessel of a quiet conscience in our own hearts thereby to escape to the Haven of our own Happiness We wish well to the great Ship of our whole Nation and will never desert it so but that our best prayers and desires shall go with it But however providence shall dispose thereof we will stick to the petty Pinnace of Peace in our own consciences Sure I am no souldiers shall be able to cut the Cables I mean no forcible impression from without shall disturb or discompose the peace which is within us O the extensiveness of the word End It is like the widows oyl 2 King 4. 6. Which multiplyed to fill the number and bigness of all Vessels brought unto it so here bring dayes weeks months years myriads millions of years end will fill them all yet it self is never filled as being the endless end of eternity We will conclude all with a passage of Columbus when he first went to make discoverie of the new world Long time had he sailed and seen nothing but Sea insomuch as the men and Marriners with him begun to mutiny resolving to go no further but return home again Here Columbus with good words and fair language pacified them for the present perswading them to sail forward for one month more That month elapsed he over-intreated them to hold out but 3 weeks longer that three weeks expired he humbly and heartily sued unto them that for his sake they would sail on but 3 dayes more promising to comply with the Resolutions of returning in case that within those 3 dayes no encouragement to their contrary was discovered Before the ending whereof they descryed fire which was to them a demonstration that it was not subjected on water and wâ—â— invited them for the finding out of those Islands whereby others afterwards discovered the whole Continent Whilest we live here below in our bodies and sail towards another world in our souls and desires we must expect to meet with much disturbance in our distempered passions yea such as sometimes in the hour of temptation will amount to a mutiny and much dishearten us when tost with the tempest of afflictions we can make no land discover no hope of happiness It must then be our work to still and calm our passions perswading them to persevere and patiently to proceed though little hope appear for the present Not thaâ— with Columbus we should indent with our souls to expect any set-time of years months or dayes this were unlawful and with the wicked Psal. 78. 41. To limit the Holy One of Israel but indefinitely without any notation of time Let us till on our souls by degrees a while a little while yet a very little while to depend on God and go on in goodness Then at last a pillar of fire a comfortable light of a conscience cleared through the blood anâ— merits of Christ will appear unto us not only contenting us for the present but directing us for the future to that bliss and happiness enjoyed by the Subject of my Text Mark the Perfect behold the Vpright for the end of that man is Peace AMEN FINIS PAg. 7. l. 4. for {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} r. and prevarication p. 12. l. 5. for {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} r. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} * See his life lately printed