sound Christian is here described viz. by his pains and industry in digging deep and cometh next in order to be spoken of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui fodit fodit in altum which digged and digged deep Idlenss beloved is a cruel stepdame to vertue and want of employment the most corrupting fly that can blow in any humane mind Ezek. 16. 49. By this Egistus grew adulterate by that the Sodomites incestuous He therefore that would be a good Christian he must take pains he must dig deep Bonav Per descensum humilitatis as Bonaventure speaks Stella Dura poenitentiae opera exercendo so Stella commenting on this place We must not think to go to Heaven with a wet finger 't is not a Lord have mercy on us will bring us thither No Beloved we must be digged yea and deep digged too here in Gods vineyard before we can come to receive our reward We must weep we must watch we must pray in the evening morning and at noon-day and that instantly We must search the Scriptures with diligence read Gods word with delight and meditate in the same with continuance both day and night Non est à terris mollis ad astra via The way to Heaven is no easie way 't is no going thither in a Feather bed Menand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if thou wilt be happy thou must labour for it so Menander Many there are I know who fain would go to Heaven but loth they are to take the pains gladly would they enter in at the streight gate that leads to life but loth they are to strive yea and willingly would they receive the penny but loth they are to undergo the labour Sed numen non favet otiosis nec pigris vult enim sua munera ad nos per nostram venire industriam so Plutarch The supreme power cares not saith he for sluggish and sloathful persons but will have his gifts come to us through our own industry Applic. Away then away I say with that dangerous and diabolical suggestion of Satan if I am predistinated to salvation I shall certainly be saved I 'le therefore take neither care nor pains but live as I list No no beloved our industry must co-opperate with the grace of God inciting us and diligence must be given to make our calling and election sure so Saint Peter tells 2 Pet. 1. 10. us For though it be most sure in Gods electing purpose Yet can no man know the certainty of it but only by this viz. by yielding prompt obedience to Gods commandments by joyning vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience with patience godliness with godliness brotherly kindness and with brotherly kindness 2 Pet. 15 6 7. 8. love For if these things be among you and abound they will make you that you neither shall be idle nor unfruitful in the acknowledging of our Lord Jesus Christ so farre Saint Peter Vse 2. Be admonished now therefore O ye fruitless fig-trees at length to bring forth fruit worthy of repentance and cumber not the ground here in Gods vineyard with barren idleness Let not your Talent which God hath lent you lye rusting in a napkin but now imploy it to the best advantage and if you would be partakers with Gods children in their happy recompence be you sure then to participate with them in their laborious paines Socrates I remember reports of one that quenched his ardent desires of going to see the olympick Games with the thought of the tedious travaile thither but farre be this from us beloved Let not the conceit of a painful passage to eternal happiness deterre any of us from undertaking this so profitable though painful a journey thither nor drive us with the unjust Steward in the Gospel to Luk. 16. 3. a quid faciam fodere non valeo to a what shall I do I cannot dig No no Hierom. Nam nullus labor durus nullum tempus longum videri debet quo gloria aeternitatis acquiritur as St Hierom speasts No labour ought to seem great no time to be esteemed greivous by which eternal glory is attained There was never good thing easily come by The Heathen man could say that the Gods did sell knowledge for swet and so may I say that our God sells Heaven for industry Plutarch wherefore my beloved brethren work yea and dig out your salvation with fear and trembling fight the 2 Tim. 4. 7. 1 Cor. 9. 24. 1 Cor. 15. 58. good fight and so run the race of Christianity here that ye may obtain the Crown of immortality hereafter Be ye stedfast and unmoveable and abundant alway in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. And thus I pass from this second thing by which a sincere Christian is here described viz. from his paines and industry in digging deep unto the third which is his wisdome and discretion in laying his foundation on a Rock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And laid his foundation on a Rock The Papists though perhaps hitherto may seem to appropriate this description to themselves alone or at the least to challenge a priority in it before us Protestants and that because they are most beautiful builders in works of merit most industrious laborers in painful pilgrimages yea and most deep diggers too even under Parliament houses yet because they are defective in this third thing by which a true beleiver is here described viz. because they want wisdome to lay their foundation on a Rock they are therefore hence excluded from among the number of Gods faithful and fruitful builders who do not only build houses and dig deep but lay their foundation also upon a Rock Posuitque fundamentum supra petram And laid his foundation on a Rock Positio est or do partium in loco so the Philosopher Position is the true ordering of several parts in their proper place hence therefore after the removal of all impedimental rubbish taken away by our digging deep immediately here followeth a positio fundamenti a laying a foundation Which foundation is faith in Christ for other foundations can no man lay saith the 1 Cor. 3 11. Apostle Now this foundation of faith must be laid upon a Rock even upon that spiritual Rock Christ Jesus as the 1 Cor. 10. 4. same Apostle speaks Non super petrum sed super petram Not upon Peter nor yet his successors the Popes I mean as the Papists would fain have it meant but upon that firm sollid and immoveable Rock of Peters confession Math. â—… 16. 18 Thou art the Son of the living God upon this Rock will I build my Church saith our Saviour As if he should have said upon this thy firm confession by which thou dost acknowledge and beleive me to be Christ the Son of the living God will I build my Church Flock and Family
and them will I endue by my spirit with the like faith in me That confession which thou hast made shall be the foundation of all beleivers so Theophylact. Supra Petram aedificat qui supra Christum aedificat so Stella He that buildeth and layeth his foundation on Christ buildeth and layeth it on a Rock Four reasons I find why Christ may and that not unfitly be resembled to a Rock First Because a Rock is a sound firm and stable stone Petca enim est rupes penitus immobilis on which whosoever buildeth buildeth most strongly buildeth most surely Christ in like manner is a stone yea a corner stone utterly unmoveable He that buildeth on him buildeth most firmly buildeth most safely against whom Math 16 18 the Gates of Hell cannot prevail Secondly a rock is a stone as well of offence as defence it defendeth and keepeth from ruine that which is built upon it so likewise doth it offend and break to peices all obstacles that shall justle against it Christ in like manner is a stone of offence as well as defence as he defendeth and keepeth his Elect that are founded and built upon him from ruine and destruction So likewise doth he offend and break to peices like potters vessels all wicked and ungodly obstacles that shall jussel against him to them is he made a stone to stumble at and a Rock of offence as Saint Peter speaketh And that they that justle against Christ thus must needs be confounded hear what our 1 Pet. 2. 8 Saviour Christ himself saith Whosoever shall fall on this stone he shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall it will dash him to pieces Take heed therefore beloved of justling Christ either Math. 21. 44. by your contemptuous mocking of his service or disdainful deriding of his servants lest the like confusion seaze on you that sometime fell on Julian that justling Apostata which constrained him in horrour of heart to confess and to cry out Sozom. Vicisti Galilee vicisti Galilee Thirdly A third reason why Christ is resembled unto a Rock is because that hence did refreshing water sometimes gush out and that in abundance for the miraculous releife of the children of Israel in the dry and thirsty wilderness And Moses lift up his hand and with his Rod he smote the Rock twice and the water came out abundantly Numb 20. 11 Ps 78. 15 16 Wisdom 11. 4 He cleft the Rock in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depth He brought floods also out of the stony Rock so that it gushed out like the Rivers so the Psalmist And again when they were thirsty they called upon thee and water was given them out of the high Rock and their thirst was quenched out of the hard stone This all this Saint Paul explaineth and applyeth to Christ And the Children of Israel did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank saith he of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ This 1 Cor. 10. 4 Rock was struck for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities as the Prophet Isaiah saith From whence floweth unto all Gods children that live in the dry and thirsty wilderness of this wicked world most large refreshing Isa 53. 5. streams of living water Salientes in vitam aeternam springing up unto everlasting life as our Saviour Christ himself telleth us As therefore the children of Israel in their dry necessities quenched their souls with the sweet streams that Jo. 4. 14. issued out of that typical Rock in the wilderness So let us beloved in all our dry dolours and thirsty distresses run unto this Rock of Christ refresh our parched souls Psal 46. 1. with the living fountains of his holy Gospel and quench our thirsty hearts with the most comfortable waters of his evangellical promise Fourthly and Lastly Christ is resembled to a Rock because a Rock is a receptacle for innocent Doves to preserve them in safety from the piercing claws of devouring Birds so likewise is our Saviour Christ a receptacle for all faithful simple meek harmless Dove-like Christians to defend them from the raging malice of all the malignant Kites of the World that would devour them he he is the Rock of our salvation and present help in trouble A Rock beloved beyond the reach of all though never so malevolent adversaries in whose cliffs the Dove like-Christian abides most safely on which he builds most surely Statuitque fundamentum super petram And laid his foundation on a Rock Obs It is then you see the duty of every good Christian not to build on merits but to lay their foundation on a Rock not to trust confidently in their own deserts but to rely faithfully on Christs deservings The Father of the faithful built not on merrits But laid his foundation Gen. 15. 6 a Rock For Abraham believed in God and that was accounted to him for righteousness Behold he that lifteth up himself his minde is not upright in him but the Habac. 2. 4. just shall live by his faith To trust then in our selves or in any worldly thing besides is never to be at quiet The only rest is to rely upon God by faith for being justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Rom 5. 1. Christ our Lord. The reason of the point or cause why Gods children ought not to rely on good works is evident For by faith 2 Cor. 1. 24 Gal. 2. 16 ye stand saith the Apostle And again We know that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ so the same Apostle Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and from all things which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses by him every one that beleiveth is justified so Saint Paul Act. 13. 38 39 Good reason therefore have we to distrust our selves and to disclaim our own righteousness seeing that in us there dwelleth no good thing seeing we are all gone out of the way and that there is none that doth good no not Rom. 7. 18 Psal 14. 3 Isa 64. 6. one In a word seeing that we have all been as an unclean thing and all our righteousness as filthy cloutes And great reason have we to lay the foundation of our faith on the Rock of Christs merrits who of God is made unto us wisdom sanctification righteousness and redemption as Saint Paul expressly telleth us 1 Cor. 1. 30 Applic. How grossely then do they erre that forsaking this Rock fasten their foundation chiefly on the fickle sand of good works and that as Maldon in loc Rom. 7. 24. Firmissimum salutis suae fundamentum as Maldonat the Jesuite on this place Whenas alass who knows not how miserable and how wretched we are in our selves carrying alwayes about us no
and prudent inspection and revising I commit it desiring that they may rather see more than they expect than look for more than they find in it And if then after their perusal they acquire any emolument either of delight to please their fancy or of wholsome instruction to regulate their conversation let them bless God thank the High Sheriffe of the County of Dorset and send up a Supplication to Heaven for me who do unfeignedly desire the truth of Grace in them and the increase of it also on all the Israel of God and am Your most humble Servant in the work of the Ministry JOHN STRAIGHT A SERMON Preached at the Assizes held at Dorchester in the County of Dorset March the 4 th 1669. Luke 6. 48. He is like a man that built an house and digged deep and laid the foundation on a rock and when the waters arose the floods beat upon that house and could not shake it for it was founded on a Rock SAint Paul travelling from Malta to Rome sailed Act. 28. 11. in a Ship of Alexandria whose badge by which Ships are usually discerned one from another was Castor and Pollux Gods Children are travelling hence to Heaven and sailing through the turbulent waves of this troublesome World to the tranquil Haven of eternal happiness though not in a Ship of Alexandria yet in the bark of their bodies their badg to discry them from hypocritical time-servers and cognizance to discover them from such as call Christ Lord Lord but do not the things that he speaks is not Castor and Polux but he that heareth my word and doth the same he is like a man that built a house and digged deep and laid the foundation on a Rock and when the waters arose the floods beat upon that house and could not shake it for it was founded on a Rock The words you see are the cognizance of a sincere Christian the very badge of a true beleiver Metaphorically deciphered out unto your view by these six subsequent things First by his care and providence in building him a house Secondly by his pains and industry in digging deep Thirdly by his wisdome and discretion in laying his foundation on a Rock Fourthly by the ensuing perils and dangers in the rising of the waters and beating of the flood Fifthly by the invalidity and weakness of those perils and dangers in that they could not shake it Sixththly and lastly by the cause and reason of its firm validity for it was founded on a Rock He is like a man which c. A sound and sincere Christian is first described by his care and providence in building him a house He is like a man which built an house I find in Scripture four kindes of Builders First God himself Secondly Gods Ministers Thirdly one building up another And Fourthly every particular Christian building up himself The first kind of Builder is God himself So the Psalmist except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost Psal 127. 1. that built it Now God he builds four sorts of houses As First a house of his providence to wit the great and glorious fabrick of this Universe The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work Secondly a house of his Psal 19. 1. 1 Cor. 6. 19. spirit Know ye not that your bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost which is in you so the Apostle Thirdly a house of correction for those that are incorrigible Tophet is ordained Isa 30. 33. of old saith the Prophet Isaiah Fourthly and lastly a white-Hall a Star-Chamber a house of glory not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens so Saint Paul 2 Cor. 5. 1. Let the house of Gods providence banish distrust and teach us thankfulness Let the house of his Spirit bridle our carnal concupiscence and induce us to consecrate our bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God Rom. 12. 1. Let his house of correction make us tremble at sin and move us to newness of life And lastly let his house of glory instruct us to wean and withdraw our affections from the transitory things of this present World and Phil. 1. 23. perswade us to a longing with Saint Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all And this of the first knd of Builders 2. Gods Ministers are a second kind of Builders For behold this day have I set thee over the Nations and over the Kingdoms to pluck up and to root out to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant its God own commission Jer. 1. 10. to the Prophet Jeremiah Now these they build three manner of wayes Verbo Vita Precibus By Preaching by Practising and by Praying First By preaching Peter lovest thou me feed my Joh. 21. 17. Phil 3. 17. Lambs Secondly by practising Brethren be followers of me and look on them which walk so as you have us for an example Thirdly by praying For this cause we cease not to pray Cor. 1. 9. for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his wiâ—l in all wisdome and spiritual understanding so St Paul 3. A Third kind of Builder is one building up another Wherefore exhort one another and edifie one another even as ye do so the Apostle Jonathan must build up David 1 Thes 5. 11. and David Jonathan Brethren if a man be suddenly taken in any offence ye which are spiritual restore such a one with Gal. 6. 1. the spirit of meekness the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 build him up by putting him in joynt again 4. The Fourth and last kinde of Builder is every particular Christian building up himself So Saint Jude in his Jude vers 20. General Epistle But Beloved edifie your selves in your most holy faith And this is he that heareth the word of God and doth it This is he whose foundation is faith and whose house is good works Bonav Similis est hic aedificanti domum peâ— profectum virtutum so Bonaventure this is he which is like a man that built an house Obs Gods Children they are not careless hearers but careful builders Their Religion rests not in the ear rowles not in the eye floates not on the tongue nor in a word doth it only consist in the bare shew of outward holiness No no its foundation remains in the heart and its rootes in the inner man They hear the word and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience so our Saviour tells us they seek not so much to seem as indeed to be religious they are therefore builders not of slight Luk. 8. 15. or superficial boothes but of solid and substanstial buildings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is like a man that built an house Dyonis Carthus Qui verbis Christi obedit spiritualem demum secretumque mentis thalamum el virtutum