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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01935	Certaine sermons preached upon severall occasions viz. The vvay to prosper. The vvay to be content. The vvay to vvell-doing. A summer sermon. A vvinter sermon. Vnknowne kindnesse. The poore mans hope. By Iohn Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex.	Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to prosper.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to be content.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to well-doing.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Summer sermon.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Winter sermon.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Unknowne kindnesse.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Poore mans hope.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Oracle of God.	1636 (1636)	STC 12071; ESTC S120526	199,234	334

An old disciple that is to be a ●ollower of Christ from ones youth and to continue Christs faithfull servant to ones age Age is a crowne of glory saith Salomon Prov. 16 31. When it is found in the way of righteousnesse that is when an old man is found to be a just and a righteous man then he truely deserves reverence but when a man hath lived to those yeares that he comes to have Caput album and cor nigrum a head white with hoary haires and the heart blacke with wicked deeds it is the most lamentable incongruity and disproportion in the world It is observed out of Gen. 25. 8. that Abraham was the first in all the Scripture that is called by the name of an old man and yet there were many before him that were much elder in yeares and had lived a longer time in the world than he had done why then should Abraham be called an Old man rather than any of his elder ancestours Philo gives this to be the reason that it was propter canitiem virtutum not so much for the age of his body as for the antiquity of his vertue though they were elder in yeares than he yet Abraham was elder in grace and vertue than they and had beene a vertuous a religious man and had served and feared the Lord a longer time than any of his predecessours and for this cause was he written the first old man in the Register of Almightie God And so at this day not he that is first Christened but he that is the first and best Christian is the eldest man in Gods account and comes nearest unto him who is the Ancient of dayes Whereas he that is full of dayes and empty of grace that hath attained bonum se●ectutem as one saith a good old age but wants the maine of all which is Bonum senectutis the goodnesse of old age who when the harvest of his yeares is come doth not bring forth that fruit unto God of devotion and piety of wisedome and gravity of temperance and charity that is to be found in men of fewer yeares Most wretched and miserable is his condition for he comes as it were to the borders of Canaan to the very point of time wherein Gods children make their happy transmigration into heaven but by reason of his sinnes is thrust backe againe so that when he should die and ascend to the place of eternall blessednesse he dies and descends to the pit of utter darkenesse where is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Such is the miserable condition of that man or woman whose body is declining to the grave but his spirit hath not learned to ascend to God that gave it You therefore that are aged persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ready and ripe for the grave learne to resemble the Sunne whereof the Prophet David speaketh Psal 104. Sol novit occasum suum the Sun knoweth his going downe and therefore before his setting sends forth the brighter and the clearer and the sweeter beames so you cannot but know that it will not be long ere the sunne of your life goe downe therefore before the night of death come upon you send forth some beames of light some good prayers to God some good deeds to the poore shew some token for good before your death that it may appeare that your soules are gone the way of life And then looke how the Rivers when they come neere the sea the tide comes forth to meete them so when your soules come neere to heaven your God and Saviour shall meete you in the way and receive you into those eternall mansions which himselfe hath prepared for you So much for the Time how long David had beene an observer and an eye-witnesse of Gods Providence sc from his youth to his age I come now to the observation it selfe Non v●di justum derelictum I have not scene the righteous forsaken Wherein are two things remarkeable 1. The persons priviledged and they are the Righteous 2. The priviledge of those persons and that is they are never forsaken 1. The persons priviledged to wit the Righteous Here the question will be where any such persons are to be found for it is certaine that a Righteous man is Rara avis in terris as this world goes The Prophet once cried O yee heavens drop downe righteousnesse When Righteousnesse saith a learned man was taken up into heaven and the earth was utterly devoid of it But we trust in God the world is not altogether now so bad but that by Gods grace there are some though not many righous persons to be found amongst men but who be they that deserve to be so called and so accounted Ans I will shew you some particular instances out of the Booke of God what kind of persons went under the name of Righteous men in the dayes of old and leave the application to your selves ● The first that ever went under the name of a Righteous man was Abel of him you shall read Heb. 11. 4. That he offered a more excellent sacrifice than Caine by which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous God himselfe testifying of it Now wherein did Abels righteousnesse consist or what was it for which Abel was accounted righteous the text sheweth it was for that he offered uberius sacrificium a richer a fuller a better sacrifice than Cain for Caine also offered a sacrifice to God such a one as it was but it was a pinching sacrifice and the fruits that he offered were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the refuse of that he had that which he cared not for himselfe that he offered to the Lord but Abel made choise of the best and offered the most so that his sacrifice was both more and more excellent than Caines it was better and bigger too and for this he obtained testimony from God that hee was a righteous man Hence I note that they which are voluntary and free in their offerings to God that are willing God should have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best and principall part of all their substance that hold it in scorne as David did that it should be said they should worship the Lord and be at no cost these are they in the first place that deserve the name of righteous men Contrariwise they that are of a base and niggardly disposition to God-ward that thinke as Iudas did every thing to be perditio to be waste and lost that goes to the maintenance of the worship and service and Ministers of God they are farre from Abels disposition and consequently farre from being Righteous in Gods account 2 The next Righteous man was Abraham of whom the Apostle speakes Rom. 4. 3. Abraham beleeved God and this was counted to him for righteousnesse Now wherein did Abrahams righteousnesse consist the text saith in his faith in his beleefe of God God Almighty called him out of his owne Countrey and made him leave all his friends and meanes behind him

than so is he that is a servant of sinne My brethren saith S. Iames he not many masters Iam. 3. 1. every man naturally hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many masters in himselfe every temptation every sinne every lust is a wicked mans master pride comes and that masters him then comes anger and that masters him then comes covetousnesse or worldlinesse or filthy uncleannesse all these get the mastery of him and keepe them in subjection that he is not himself O quam multos dominos habet qui unum not habet Oh how many masters and Lords hath that man that hath not thee O God for his Lord and master the very devill himselfe is his master yea more than that he is his God therefore he is called the god of this world 2 Cor. 4. 4. And why the god of this world mee thinkes that should be too high too happy too honourable a title for so base a fiend doubtlesse the reason is this because as God at the beginning did but speake the Word and it was done Gen. 1. so if the devill doth but speake the word as it were but give the least hint of any sinne that hee would have committed and done presently they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeke opportunity to bring it to passe at such a becke are wicked men to the mortall enemy of their soules Can any man say or doth any man thinke that these men are themselves or that they can enjoy true contentment Alas no for their case is just as the Israelites was in Aegypt who when they had wrought hard in the brick-killns all day were well whipt and beaten for their labours at night or as Sampson among the Philistims who after he had laboured and ground like a horse in the mill all day was put into the prison house at night And what content could either of these take in their worke or in their wages Thus will Sathan serve them that serve him after they have wrought hard in the workes of darkenesse the whole day of their lives when the night of death comes without great mercy on Gods part and great repentance on their owne part they shall be sure to be cast into the prison of hell and there whipt and tormented everlastingly for their paines And if there be any content in such worke or in such wages judge ye By this you perceive there is more belongs to selfe-sufficiency than perhaps you are aware of there may be self-love self-will or self-pleasing or self-conceit where there is no true grace nor feare of God but there wil be no self-sufficiencie no solid contentment till a man be delivered from Nabals drunkennesse from Nebuchadnezzars madnesse and from Satans villinage and so be truly converted and come to himselfe for there must be a conversion before there can be any contentation never looke to be contented till first thou be converted and come home to God and to thy selfe for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe before sufficient Hence then I observe foure corollaries or singular circumstances touching the nature and quality of this selfe-sufficiencie that it is 1. Res seria a serious thing as Seneca said of true joy mihi creds res severa est verum gaudium so may I say of true contentment it is not a light and frothy but a grave and weighty thing he that would be truely contented must sit downe and consider seriously with himselfe in what tearmes hee stands with God for such as a mans conscience is to God-ward such is his contentment to himselfe-ward There is no peace to the wicked saith my God Esay 57. 21. a wicked man can have no comfort nor content Why For hee is like the troubled sea whose waters cast up mire and dirt saith the Prophet in the same place and why like the troubleth sea and not like the troubled aire for the same wind troubles both The reason is because when the aire is troubled if the wind doe but cease it is presently calmed so is the heart of a godly man when his troubles are over his heart is presently at rest but a wicked mans heart is like the sea which when the winds are layed and there is no outward thing to trouble it it still workes and foames and troubles it selfe with its owne motion so though a wicked man have nothing outwardly to trouble him yet his owne unquiet heart troubles it selfe and will not suffer him to be at peace Take this for a Maxime that a wicked man can never be a contented man Try thy selfe therefore whether thou be filius pacis a sonne of peace or filius irae a child of wrath looke well into thy selfe to see how the case stands betwixt thy soule and thy God if upon inquiry thou findest that God and thee are friends then goe thy way as Solomon saith Eccles 9. 7. Eate thy bread with joy and drinke thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy workes if otherwise thou be one that livest at variance with God then change thy note and say Droope O my soule hang downe thy head and heart be in bitternesse of spirit Inhaere poenitentiae usque ad finem vitae Amb. repent and mourne to the very death never suffer one chearefull thought in thy heart one cheerefull looke in thy face one chearefull word in thy mouth till thou hast reconciled thy selfe to God and make thy peace with heaven never seeke to give thy selfe content till first thou hast given thy God content for all the sinnes wherewith thou hast grieved and discontented him Let no man therefore be mistaken in the matter of contentment to thinke that it is a wanton and a lascivious thing he that truely learnes it shall find that it is Res seria a weighty and a serious thing 2. It is Res sacra a holy thing therefore the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. 6. joynes Godlinesse and contentment together to shew that none can be a contented man but hee that is a godly man A stranger saith Salomon doth not intermeddle with this joy Prov. 14. 10. he that is a stranger to God and a stranger to godlinesse hath nothing to doe with true contentednesse In which respect the Apostle saith that God giveth to the godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things richly to enjoy 1 Tim. 6. 17. It is one thing to use a thing another to enjoy it a wicked man may use the creatures and the ordinances and bessings of God but he cannot be said to enjoy them for that imports a sweete and sanctified use of them which is the gift of God only to them that are godly and it is certaine no man in the world takes so much content in his meates and drinkes and lawfull recreations as a godly man doth for he enjoyes God in all these Contrarily The joy of the wicked saith Salomon elsewhere hath a snare in it i a secret guiltinesse of sinne that strangles all

downe into the soule Though we cannot command or forbid the raine to water the earth as Eliah did if we can water and mollifie the earthen hearts of men with the supernaturall raine of heavenly Doctrine and make a dry and barren soule beare fruit to God Is not this as great a wonder as the other Though we cannot cause nor command the thunder as Samuel did to terrifie the people for their sinnes yet God hath his Boanerges his sonnes of thunder still that by ratling from heaven the terrible judgements of God against sinne and sinners are able to make the stoutest and the proudest heart upon earth even tremble and quake and fall downe before the presence of God and is not this as great a miracle as that of Samuel to bring an unhumbled sinner upon his knees and make glad to cry God mercy for his sinnes In a word though wee cannot cast out devils out of mens bodies as the disciples of Christ could doe if we can cast the devill out of mens soules by the powerfull Gospell of Iesus Christ is it not as great a wonder Beleeve it brethren the conversion of a sinner to God and bringing of a soule to heaven is absolutely without comparison the greatest miracle the greatest wonder in the world And these be the miracles wherewith it pleaseth God to grace the Ministers of the Gospel therefore ye observe that the Collect for Ministers runnes thus Almighty God which onely workest great marvels c. When a soule is sicke to the death with a surfeit of sinne is recovered and revived againe by that same healthfull spirit of grace which God together with his Word doth breathe into the soule it is so great a marvell so rare a wonder that the Angels of heaven rejoyce to see it I have held you over-long in the former part of Eliahs prayer which brought the judgment heare now in a word or two the Reversing of the judgement and I have done And he prayed again the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit It well becomes the Prophets of God to be mercifull Good Eliah had not the heart to hold the people too long under a judgement when hee saw hee had done enough to humble them he desires God to reverse the judgement As it is observed of the good Angels in the old and new Testament when they appeared to any either man or woman their method and manner was this Primò terrent deinde laetisica●t they first terrified them and put them into feare then presently comforted them and put them out of feare Thus did Eliah with this people thus did Moses with Pharaoh that good man had not the heart to hold wicked Pharoah alway under a judgement but upon the least entreaty made suit to God to reverse it So dealt the Prophet with Ieroboam 1 Reg. 13. 6. when he had smitten him with a judgment and had him at the advantage that his hand was withered Ieroboam was glad to submit and say Intreate now the face of the Lord thy God and pray for me that my hand may be restored me the man of God had not the heart to deny him but immediatly besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored and became as it was before When a judgement comes then Prophets are in season Abraham is better than a King in this case Gen. 20. 7. 17. Restore the man his own for he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee and ver 17. Abraham prayed unto God and God healed Abimeleeh c. Goe to my servant Iob saith God to his friends Iob 42. 8. and my servant Iob shall pray for you for him will I accept So Act. 8. 24. When Peter had denounced a curse on Simon Magus he was glad to crouch and cry unto him Oh pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me Thus ye see that judgements and plagues will bring Prophets into request men commonly deale with their Ministers as boyes do by Walnut-trees and other fruit-trees in faire weather throw cudgels at us in foule runne to us for shelter In the dayes of peace and prosperity we are past over as superfluous creatures of whom there is little use and lesse neede but when the wrath of God falls on the naked soule when the conscience is wounded within and body pained without then the Minister is thought on I say no more if you desire their prayers and that God should heare them praying for you in your extremity do not slight them doe not wrong them in prosperity Remember how Ahab and all Israel were glad to be beholden to Eliah to reverse their judgment and you doe not know how soone the case may be your owne therefore as you love your soules love those that have charge of them And he prayed againe c. When I looke into the Story 1 Reg. 18. I can finde no direct prayer that Eliah made for raine But I ●iud there a twofold prayer that he made 1. A virtuall 2. A formall prayer 1. A virtuall prayer not for raine but for their conversion Oh Lord saith Eliah bring backe or b●ing home the heart of this people unto thee vers 73. and this includes all other prayers that can be made A prayer for Conversion is a prayer for every thing Ier. 31. 18. When Ep●ratm prayes for conversion Turne thou me and I shall be turned saith God I will surely have mercy upon him c. Such is the goodnesse of God that he will with-hold no good thing be it raine be it plenty be it any thing that is good for them from them that are converted and brought home by true repentance to him Therefore if thou standest in neede of any temporall mercy pray first for conversion and all other good things shall be super-added and throwne in unto thee or if thou prayest for any child or for any friend to doe him good indeed pray for his conversion and thou prayest for every thing that one prayer is instar omnium insteed of all the rest If hee be in an ill way desire God to bring him backe and for future things take no care 2 A formall prayer when he saw that the people were truely humbled and that their hearts were indeed brought home to God insomuch that they cried out with an ingemmination The Lord he is God the Lord he is God then hee buckles his head betweene his knees to shew the humble prostration of his soule and falls a praying to God for raine After humiliation any prayer comes in season Esay 1. Wash ye make ye cleane put away the evill of your doings c. And now come saith God and we will reason together now let us parle now let us confesse now pray and I will heare you Iud. 10. 17. When the Israelites put away their strange gods and turned themselves to the true God by sincere repentance and reformation the text saith

onely promising him to be his exceeding great reward now if God should have failed Abraham when hee was in a strange place he had beene utterly undone but Abraham gave credence to his Word and wholy cast himselfe upon the Promise and the Providence of his God and this was counted to him for righteousnesse Hence I gather hee that beares a true faith to God dares repose and cast and roule himselfe upon the mercy of his God and the merits of his Saviour for the pardon of his sinnes the preservation of his life and the salvation of his soule he that dares trust his God in a case of exigence and extremity when if God should faile him hee were undone by it I dare say that man is a righteous man in Gods account 3 The next shall be Let of whose righteousnesse you read ● Pet. 2. 8. That righteous man dwelling among the Sodomites vexed his righteous soule from day to day with seeing and hearing their unlawfull deeds Now wherein did his righteousnesse consist the text saith in vexing and grieving at the unrighteousnesse of others Try thy selfe by this Art thou vexed and grieved at the heart to see the unlawfull deeds and the ungodly courses of the world Dost thou mourne in secret as Samuel did for Saul so dost thou mourne for those who in mens understanding are in the high way to hell and destruction is it an Hazael to thine eyes and a griefe to thy heart to see that men should have no more grace nor care to serve and feare the Lord but to dishonour and provoke him every day and dost thou wish in sincerity before God Oh that it lay in thee to further the cause of God and to hinder the increase and growth of Satans Kindome in the world art thou thus minded thus affected as Lot was in Sodome then take it as an undoubted testimony to thy soule that God who counted it to him will count it so to thee for righteousnesse Whereas he that can make himselfe merry with that which makes God and his Angels sorry is farre from Lots disposition and consequently farre from being righteous in Gods account 4 Come next to Job who saith of himselfe Iob 29. 14 15 16. I put on righteousnesse and i● cloathed me meaning that his soule was clad with righteousnesse within as his body was clad with cloathes without but how did that appeare I was eyes to the blind feet to the lams and a father to the poore These be the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the infallible markes and badges of a righteous man 1 He must be eyes to the blinde Ignorant em 〈◊〉 saith Lyra by giving counsell direction and advice the 〈…〉 can to them that are ignorant and simple here signified by the blind which are not able to guide themselves without Seer 2. Hee must be feete to the lame Impotent●m adjuvando by giving countenance helpe and assistance the best he can to them that are impotent and of meane ability here signified by the lame for he that wants his limbs cannot stir without some helper and supporter He must be a father to the poore Indigentem subl●vando by giving reliefe and protection the best he can to them that are destitute of friends and meanes like poore Orphans or Fatherlesse children that are not able to provide for themselves nor to live without the charity and the mercy of good minded people These are the objects of the care and compassion of the righteous and these are the touchstones and trials of undissembled righteousnesse He that lends his eyes to the blinde to direct them his feete to the lame to support them and his bread to the poore to sustaine them that 's a Iob-like-disposition and a righteous man without doubt in the sight of God 5 Looke next to Phineas of whose righteousnesse you may read Psal 106. 31. Phineas stood up and prayed and the plague ceased and this saith the text was counted to him for Righteousnesse Now what was it that made Phineas a righteous man It was his praying or his pacifying of God for so the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and in the vulgar Latine it is St●●●t placavit he stood up and pacified or appeased God and this was counted to him for righteousnesse Hence I gather He that labours to pacifie God by prayer when he is provoked and displeased by sinne he that takes a speedy course to reconcile himselfe and others and to make attonement with God by a sound and serious humiliation when hee sees that wrath is gone our from the Lord that mans name is surely recorded in heaven amongst the number of the righteous in the Booke of God Whereas he that goes on daily to provoke God and never goes to pacifie God is farre from Phineas disposition and farre from being righteous in Gods account 6 It is said of Zachary and Elizabeth Luke 1 6. They were both righteous before God How did that appeare the text saith They walked in all the Commandements of God though no doubt they had many a rub many a slip many a fall yet still they kept on their way and walked in all the Commandements of God But how did they walke the text saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unblameably or unoffensively sine querel● non sine peccato as a Father saith not without sinne but without blame not that God could find no fault with them but that men could not charge them with any open crime and herein consisted their righteousnesse before God Hence I note they that make a conscience to frame their lives according to Gods Commandements to keepe themselves unspotted of the world and to be innocent from the great offence as David speaketh Psal 19. so that though they cannot be free from sin will endeavour to live unoffensively and to be free from blame these are surely righteous in Gods acceptance though they fall short of that righteousnesse which Gods Commandements doe require 7 Lastly to come home to my text if ye would know what kind of qualited man David meant by a righteous man Hee expounds himselfe in the very next words to my Text and saith He is ever mercifull and lendeth There be lenders enough in the world such as they be but they be unmercifull lenders that lend upon usury whose lending is as unmercifull and for the most part as unrighteous as a Robbery The mercies of the wicked are cruell saith the Scripture Viscera impiorum as it is in the Originall the very bowels of the wicked which are the tenderest parts about them and if their bowels be so cruell Oh how cruell are their Bills and Bonds if there be cruelty in their mercies Oh what cruelty is there in their malice and if their best dealings be so bad Oh how bad how vile are their worst This unmercifull kind of lending is farre from making or shewing a man to be righteous in Gods account But then there is another sort of Lenders which are