graces Ah! when mens graces shine as Moses his face did when their lives as one speaketh of Joseph's life is a very heaven sparkling with variety of virtues as with so many bright Stars ah how are others stirr'd up to glorifie God and to cry out these are Christians indeed these are an honour to their God a Crowne to their Christ and a credit to their Gospel Oh! if they were all such we would be Christians too 'T is a very great stumbling-block to many poor sinners to see men that make a very great and large profession Those in whom virtue is extinguished are like unto painted and printed papers which ignorant men honour and worship instead of Christ Rawleigh of Christ never to exercise and shew forth the virtues of Christ they professe they know him and yet by the non exercise of his virtues they deny him 'T was one of Matchavils Principles That the appearance of virtue was onely to be sought because the use of it saith he is a trouble but the credit of it a helpe I am afraid that this cursed soule-damning Principle is the best flower that growes in many mens Gardens in these dayes Though there is no virtue but is as a bright stone in a dark night it shines and shewes its clearnesse and beauty 't is as pure gold the brighter for passing through the fire yet how doe most Hypocritis nihil est crudelius impatientius vindicta cupidius There is not a more cruel creature more impatient and vindictive then an hypocrite saith Luther who had the experience of it therefore trust not to the Matchavils of the times covet rather the name of virtue then to be really virtuous Such I believe shall have the hottest and the lowest place in hell Well Christians remember this 't is not a shew of grace but the exercise of grace that will provoke others to glorifie the fountaine of grace That 's a very remarkeable Scripture 1 Thess 2. 2 3 8. compared We give thanks to God alwayes for you making mention of you in our prayers Remembring without ceasing your worke of faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our father For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not onely in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad In this eighth verse you have an elegant Metaphor which signifies that their faith was so lively that with its sound as it were it stirred up other Nations The Greek word Exechetai is to sound as with the sound of a Trumpet to make sound afar off Sayes the Apostle your graces made a noise like a Trumpet Pliny tells of some in the remote parts of India that they have no mouths We have many such Monsters among us that have no mouths to blesse God for the good that shines in others they stirr'd up others to be gracious and active as the Trumpet stirs up men to warre So in 2 Pet. 1. 3 4. Wee are bound to give thanks to God alwayes for you brethren as it is meet because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth So that we our selves glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure Hoc enim Angelicum this is the Character of the Angelicall nature to rejoyce in the graces and gracious actings of others He that acts otherwise holds forth the Image of the Devil and declares himselfe a native of hell Thirdly Consider That the exercise and improvement of graces may be a speciall means to stir up the exercise of grace in others Your improvement of grace may be a speciall means to stir The complaint is ancient in Seneca That comonly men live not ad rationem but ad similitudinem Se◠de vita beati cap. 1. up others to improve their graces also 1 Thess 1. 7. So that we were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia Or as the Greek is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You were Types moulds Patterns of piety to them that were in Christ long before you So in 2 Cor. 9. 2. For I know the forwardnesse of your minde for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia that Achaia was ready a year agoe and your zeale hath provoked very many I knew you were forward and this I beasted of I made it my glory to tell how grace shin'd in your soules And saith he your zeale hath provoked many When they saw how warm and lively and active how open-handed and open-hearted you were to the poor Saints their hearts were stir'd up to acts of charity also Stories speak of some that could not sleep when they thought of the Trophies of other Worthies that Praecepta docent exempla movent Precepts may instruct but examples doe perswade went before them The highest examples are very quickning and provoking That this may stick upon your souls I beseech you bed and board rise and walke with this one Consideration viz. That all the good you provoke others to by Counsell or example shall be put downe to your Account It shall certainly turne to your internall and eternall advantage In the great day Christ will make honorable mention of all the good that thou hast stir'd and provok't others too and will reward thee for it before Angels and men The faith the love the hope the charity the patience c. that thou hast provok't others too shall be put downe to thy account as if thou hadst been the onely actor of them c. As all the sins that men provoke or stirre up others to by their Counsell or example shall be put downe to their Accounts as you may see in David David did but send a Letter concerning the death of Vriah and yet the 2 Sam. 12. 9 charge cometh Thou hast staine Vriah with the sword as whatsoever is done by letter counsell or example to provoke others to sin shall certainly be charged upon mens accounts at last so whatsoever good thou doest stirre up others to that They shall shine as so many Suns in heaven who are much in stirring and provoking of others to the exercise of grace and holinesse Dan. 12. 3. Dan. 6. 1 2. shall be set upon thy score and shall turne to thy eternall account in the day of Christ Oh! who would not then labour with all their might even day and night to stirre up the Grace of the Lord in themselves and others seeing it shall turne to such a Glorious Account in that day wherein Christ shall say to his Father Lo here am I and the children that thou hast given me c. Fourthly Consider this The exercise and Improvement of Grace Contributes very much both to the stopping the mouths of your enemies and to the rendering of you lovely
19 20. there came a multitude of people to eat the Passeover but they were not prepared according to the preparation of the Sanctuary therefore Hezekiah puts up a Prayer for them and the Text saith That the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people lookt upon their uprightnesse and so past over all their other weaknesses He did not cast off Peter for his horrid sins but rather looks upon him with an eye of love and pity Mark 16. 7. But goe your way tell his Disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee there shall ye see him as he said unto you Oh admirable love Oh matchlesse mercy where sin abounds grace do's super-abound This is the glory of Christ that he carries it sweetly towards his people when they carry themselves unworthily towards him Christ looks more upon Peters sorrow then upon his sin upon his tears then upon his Oaths c. The Lord will not cast away weake Saints for their great unbeliefe because there is a little faith in them He will not throw them away for that hypocrifie that 's in them because of that little sincerity that 's in them He will not cast away weak Saints for that Pride that 's in them because of those Rayes of humility that shine in them He will not despise his people for their passions because of those graines of meeknesse that are in them We will not throw away a little gold because of a great deale of drosse that cleaves to it nor a little wheat because mixt with much chaffe and will God will God We will not cast away our Garments because of some spots nor our Books because of som blots nor our Jewels because of some flawes and do we think that the Lord will cast away his dearest ones because of their spots and blots and flawes Surely no God looks more upon the bright side of the Cloud then the dark James 5. 11. Remember the patience of Job 'T is not Remember the murmuring of Job the cursing of Job the complainings of Job the impatience of Job but Remember the patience of Job God looks upon the Pearle and not upon the spot that is in it So in Heb. 11. 30 31. there 's mention made of Rahabs faith love and peaceable behaviour towards the Spies but no mention made of her lye the Lord overlooks her weaknesse and keeps his eye upon her virtues Where God sees but a little grace he doth as it were hide his eyes from those circumstances that might seem to deface the glory of it So in 1 Pet. 3. 6. Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord. Mark there was but one good word in Sarahs speech to Abraham she call'd her Husband Lord the speech otherwise was a speech of unbeliefe yet the holy Ghost speaking of her in reference to that speech conceales all the evill in it and mentions onely the reverent title she gave to her Husband commending her for it He that drew Alexander whilst he had a scar upon his face drew him with his finger upon the scar So when the Lord comes to look upon a poore soule he layes his finger upon the scar upon the infirmity that he may see nothing but grace which is the beauty and the glory of the soule Ah but weak Christians are more apt to look upon their infirmities then on their graces and because their little gold is mixt with a great deale of drosse they are ready to throw away all as drosse Well remember this the Lord Jesus hath as great and as large an interest in the weakest Saints as he hath in the strongest He hath the interest of a Friend and the interest of a Father and the interest of a Head and the interest of a Husband and therefore though Saints be weak yea though they be very weak yet having as great and as large an interest in them as in the strongest Saints he can't but overlook their weaknesse and keep a fixed eye upon their graces A fourth Support is this 4. Support That the Lord will graciously preserve and strengthen those weake graces that are in you Though your graces be as a spark of fire in the midst of an Ocean of corruption yet the Lord will preserve and blow up The tallest Oak was once â—n A corn the deepest Doctor was once in his Horn-book that spark of fire into a flame It was the Priests Office in the time of the Law to keep the fire in the Sanctuary from going out and it is the Office of our Lord Jesus as he is our High Priest our Head our Husband our Mediator for to blow up that heavenly fire that he hath kindled in any of our soules His honour his faithsulnesse and his goodnesse is engaged in it and therefore he cannot but doe it else he would loose much love and many prayers and praises did he not cherish preserve and strengthen his owne work in his owne people The faith of the Disciples was generally weak as I have formerly shew'd you and yet how sweetly doth the Lord Jesus John 16. Acts 2. carry it towards them He was still a breathing out light life and love upon them he was still a turning their water into wine their bitter into sweet and their discouragements into incouragements and all to raise and keep up their spirits His heart was much in this thing therefore sayes he 'T is necessary that I leave you that I may send the Comforter to be a comfort and a guide unto you I will poure out my spirit upon you Isa 60. 22. that a little one may become a thousand and a small one a strong Nation and that the feeble may be as David and the house of David as God as the Angel of the Lord. That 's a sweet Zech. 12. 8. Text Isa 65. 8. Thus saith the Lord as the new wine is found in the Clusters and one saith destroy it not for a blessing is in it so will I doe for my servants sake c. Oh! saith Christ to the father here are a company of weak Saints that have some buddings of grace Oh doe not destroy it father there is a blessing in it though it be but weak The Genuine sence of the similitude I think is this when a Vine being blasted or otherwise decayed is growne so bad and so barren that scarce any good Clusters of Grapes can be discerned on it whereby it may be deemed to have any life or of ever becoming fruitful againe and the Husband-man is about to grub it up or cut it downe to the ground One standing by sees here a cluster and there a little cluster and cryes out O don't grub up the Vine don't cut downe the Vine it ha's a little life and by good Husbandry it may be made fruitfull We may look upon the Lord Jesus Christ as thus pleading with his fathers Justice Father I know thou seest that these soules are dry and barren and that
downe yea they would have him downe root and branch but there 's no such way for his totall and finall overthrow as the Preaching of Christ for the more the glory fullnesse perfection and excellency of Christ is discovered the more the horrid vilenesse and matchlesse wickednesse of the man of sin will be discovered and abhorred c. 2 Thess 2. 3 4 7 8 9 10. And then In the Canon Law the Pope is said to be Sâ—lutus omni lege humana shall that wicked one be revealed The Greek word Anomos properly signifies a lawlesse yokelesse masterlesse Monster one that holdeth himselfe subject to no Law Pope Nicholas the First said That he was above Law because Constantine had stiled the Pope God And of the same opinion were most of the Popes Whom he shall consume The Greek word signifies to consume Analosei by little and little till a thing come to nothing With the spirit of his mouth That is with the evidence and glory of his word in the mouths of his Messengers The Ministers of the word are as a mouth whereby the Lord breatheth Bellarmine confesseth to his great grief That ever since the Lutherans have declared the Pope to be Antichrist his Kingdome hath not only nâ—t increased but every day more more decreased and decayed Lib. 3. de papa RoÌ„ cap. 21. out that glorious mighty and everlasting Gospel which shall by degrees bruâ—se Antichrist and all his adherents and break them in sunder like a rod of Iron c. When Christ was born all the Idols that were set up in the world as Historians write fell down When Jesus Christ comes to be lifted up in a Nation in a City in a Towne in a Family yea in any heart then all Idols without and within will fall before the power presence and glory of Jesus Since Luther began to lift up Christ in the Gospel what a deale of ground ha's Antichrist lost and he does and will looâ—â— more and more as Christ comes to be more and more … ened and lifted up in the Chariot of his word Many in these dayes that speak much against Antichrist have much of Antichrist within them And certainly there is no such way to cast him out of mens hearts and out of the world as the Preaching and making knowne of Christ as the exalting and lifting up of Christ in the Gospel of grace A fourth Reason why they are to Preach Christ to the people is this Because else they contract upon themselves the blood of soules There 's no other way for them to avoid the contracting of the blood of men and womens soules upon them but the The Germans have this Proverb say they The pavement of hell is made â—f the bare skuls of Priests and the glorious Crests of gallants Theâ—r meâ—ning is that the more eminent any one is in Church or State doth not imploy his eminency accordingly the more low shall they lye in hell Rev. 18. 11 12 13 14. Preaching of Christ unto them Now a man were better to have all the blood in the world upon him then the blood of one soule The blood of soules of all blood cryes loudest and wounds deepest The lowest the darkest and the hottest place in Hell will be the sad and dreadfull portion of such upon whose skirts the blood of soules shall be found at last Hence that passage of Paul in 1 Cor. 9. 16. Woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel The Motto that should be writ upon Preachers Study doores and on their wals and on all the Books they look on on the beds they lye on and on the seats they sit on c. should be this The Blood of soules The Blood of soules The soule is the better the noble part of man it bears most of the Image of God 't is capable of union and communion with God Christ sweat for it and bled for it and therefore woe to those Merchants that make merchandize of the soules of men This was a comfort and an honour to Paul that he kept himselfe from the blood of soules Acts 20. 25 26 27. He appeales to them that they were witnesses that he was free from the blood of all men Paul had held out Jesus Christ in his Natures in his Names in his Offices and in all his excellencies and perfections and so frees himselfe from the blood of all men And Ministers can no way secure themselves from the blood of soules but by Preaching up and living out a crucified Jesus The last Reason is this Because the Preaching of Christ contributes most to their comfort here and to their reward hereafter therefore they are to Preach the Lord Christ to the people When Luther was upon a dying bed this was no small Bernard comfortably observes That Ministers have their reward Secundum laborem not Secundum proventum joy and comfort to his spirit Thee O Lord saith he have I knowne thee have I loved thee have I taught thee have I trusted and now into thy hands I commend my spirit There can be no greater joy to a Minister then by Preaching Christ to win soules to Christ 1 Thess 2. 19 20. For what is our hope or joy or Crowne of rejoycing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming ye are our glory and joy They that by Preaching Christ win soules to Christ shall shine as the Starres in the Firmament Dan. 12. 3. Every soule won to Christ is a glorious Pearle added to a Preachers Crowne 1 Pet. 5. 4. And when the chief Shepheard shall appeare you shall receive a Crowne of glory A Crowne imports perpetuity plenty and dignity the height of humane ambition It is the opinion of some That there are three places of exaltation in heaven The first and highest is for converting Ministers The second is for suffering Martyrs The third is for persevering Christians Without doubt those Ministers shall be high in heaven who make it their heaven to hold forth Christ and to win soules to Christ who are willing to be any thing to be nothing that Christ may be all in all to poore soules And thus I have given you the Reasons of the Point I shall now come to the second thing which is the maine and that is to shew you How Ministers are to Preach Christ to the people Many weak and slight spirits in these dayes think that 't is 2. Cor. 2. 16. Who is sufficient for these things Almost every Upstart in these dayes thinks himself sufficient Who am I sayes Moses who am I not saith every green-head in these dayes as easie to Preach as to play and so they hop from one thing to another and those that are not qualified nor fit for the least and lowest imployment yet judge themselves fit enough for the greatest and the weightiest imployment in the world and that which would certainly break the backs not onely of the
a treasure of rare abilities in them would as soon part with their hearts as their conceptions I think they are rather Monsters then reall Christians that are of such a spirit The third and last thing to which you are to improve your gifts and graces is To the benefit and profit of your own soules The good of the soule is specially to be minded 1 Because 't is the most Noble part of man 2 Because the Image of God is most fairly stampt upon it 3 Because it is first converted 4 Because it shall be first glorified Not to improve them to your owne internall and eternall good is with a high hand to crosse the maine end of Gods conferring them upon you Ah Christians you must improve them to the strengthening of you against temptations to the supporting of you under afflictions to the keeping under of strong corruptions to the sweetning of all mutations and to the preparing and fitting of you for the dayes of your dissolution I shall content my selfe with giving you this hint because I have before spoken more fully to this head And thus we have done with the Doctrinall part We shall come now to make some Use and Application of this Point to our selves If this be so That 't is the Duty of Christians to improve and exercise the gifts and graces that the Lord hath given them Then in the first place this looks very sowrely and wishly upon all lazie idle negligent Christians that doe not stir up themselves to lay hold on God that doe not stir up the grace of the Lord in them 'T is sad to consider how many Christians Cupid complained He could never â—asten upon the Muses because he could never find them idle No Christians so fâ—ee from Satans assaults as active Christians are nor none so tempâ—ed as idle Christians can stir up themselves to lay hold on all opportunities to make themselves great and rich in the world and yet suffer their golden gifts and graces even to grow rustie for want of exercise 'T is sad to see how busie many men are to exercise and improve a Talent of riches who yet bind up their Talents of gifts and grace in a Napkin By these God looses much honour and praise and themselves loose much comfort and content and others loose much profit and benefit and the Gospel looses much credit and glory But the maine Use that I shall make of this Point shall be To exhort and stir you all up to make a blessed improvement of your graces And indeed it is a Point of most singular use to us all our The Jewish Rabbins report That he same night that Israel de parted out of Aegypt towards Canaan all the Idols Idolatrou Temples in Aegypt by lightning and earth quakes were broken downe So when grace holinesse is set up in the heart all the Idols of Satan which are meâ—slust are throwne downe dayes a truth that is every day of very great concernment to our soules Now there are seven Considerations that I shall propound by way of Motive to stir up your soules to make a blessed improvement of the grace and gifts you have received And the first is this Seriously consider that the exercise and improvement of grace in your soules will be more and more the death and ruine of sin in your soules Take it from experience There is not a choycer way then this for a man to bring under the power of his sin then to keep up the exercise of his grace Sin and Grace are like two Buckets at a Well when one is up the other is downe They are like the two Lawrels at Rome when one flourishes the other withers Certainly the readiest and the surest way to bring under the power of sin is to be much in the exercise of grace Rom. 8. 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse The life and activity of Christ and grace in the soule is the death and destruction of sin in the soule The more grace acts in the soule the more sin withers and dyes in the soule the stronger the house of David grew 2 Sam. 3. the weaker the house of Saul grew As the house of David grew every day stronger and stronger so the house of Saul every day grew weaker and weaker So the activity of the new Mat. 21. 12 13 14. man is the death of the old man When Christ began to bestir himselfe in the Temple the money-changers quickly fled out So when grace is active and stirring in the soule corruption quickly flyes A man may find out many wayes to hide his sin but he will never find out any way to subdue his sin but by the exercise of grace Of all Christians none so mortified as those in whom grace is most exercised Sin is a Viper that must be kill'd or 't will kill you for ever and there is no way to kill it but by the exercise of grace Secondly Consider this by way of motive to provoke you Mat. 5. 16. The exercise of virtue will draw I ve from a mans very enemies Tilligny for his â—are virtues was reserved from death by his greatest enemies at the Mâ—ssacre of Paris as you may see in the French History in the life of Charls the Ninth to exercise and improve your Graces The exercise and improvement of your Graces will provoke others to blesse and admire the God of Grace Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaven The light of your Conversation and the light of your graces Oh! how many thousand soules be there now triumphing in heaven whose gifts and graces shin'd gloriously when they were on earth and ah how many thousands are there now on earth that blesse and admire the Lord for the shine of their graces who are now in heaven That blesse the Lord for the Faith of Abraham and the Zeale of David and the Meeknesse of Moses and the Patience of Job and the Courage of Joshua c. Ah Christians as you would stirre up others to exalt the God of grace look to the exercise and improvement of your graces When poor servants shall live in a family and see the faith of a Master and the love of a Master and the wisedome of a Master and the patience of a Master and the humility of a Master c. shining like so many stars of heaven oh how doth it draw forth their hearts to blesse the Lord that ever they came into such a family 'T is not a profession of Religion but the exercise and improvement of grace that contributes so much to the lifting up of the glory of the Lord and to the greatning of his praise in the world Many Saints have had their hearts warmed and heated by siting by other Saints fire by eying and dwelling upon other Saints