if he gives you the upper spring of Grace he will give you the neather spring of Peace for they go both together If he gives you the Dew of Heaven you need not question the fatness of the Earth if his right hand be full of mercy his left hand shall not be empty Therefore grace and peace be with you from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Grace hath a double sense either for the grace of God to us that justifies us or the grace of God in us that sanctifies us Now there is a different flowing from each of these but still it is grace and peace First justifying grace hath a peace attending that Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God So far as we have confidence in justifying grace there remains no conscience of condemning sin As there can be no bitterer War than between conscience and the ear so there can be no sweeter Peace than when Mercy and Peace meet together and when Conscience and Peace kiss each other The former is the taste of Heaven the latter is the perambulation of Heaven both which the Believer shares in upon his Justification by faith If Christ had peace who was made our sin needs must the Believer have peace who is made the Righteousness of God in him Seconly Sanctifying grace hath a peace attending it and this peace differs from the former as the Root from the Fruit. The peace of Justification is a radical Peace the root of Peace but the Peace of Sanctification is the bud the blossom of the Tree the former flows from the bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience the latter from the conformity that is between the Word and the Will between the Commands and the Conscience As many as walk according to this Rule grace be unto them and peace Gal. 6.16 So that Peace is the fruit of sanctifying Grace Now as the bloud of the Pascal-Lamb which was a token of peace was not to be struck on the posts of the Egyptians but upon the posts of the Israelites so neither is the bloud of sprinkling which brings perfect peace to be struck on the Posts of the carnal Sinner but on the Posts of the true Believer an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile no Grace no Peace that is Gods Law How can a sinner have peace in a state of sin when God and conscience when Word and conscience when Law and conscience and all the Attributes of God are against a sinner No Peace saith my God to the wicked Pray mark that chapter it begins with the peace and ends in no peace In ver 2. it is said He shall enter into peace that is the Righteous in the last verse There is no peace to the wicked It is the state of Grace that is the only state of peace And thus I pass from the double Grace desired Grace and Peace to the double Fountain discovered God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ But here 's a question to be answered If Grace and Peace be from God the Father then how is it said to be from Christ and if from Christ how then from God the Father Answ It 's a known Rule that the transial external works of God are attributed to all the three Persons in the Trinity the same works that are attributed to the Father are also attributed to the Son and the same works are attributed to the Son the same also to the Father so Grace and Peace are here ascribed both to God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ that is they are both from Mercy and from Merit From Mercy on Gods part to us from Merit on Christs part for us they are from God the Father because he wills them to us from God the Son because he works them in us they are from God to Christ from Christ to us they are from God the Father originally and from Christ derivatively and to us actually God the Father is the fountain of all Grace and Peace Christ as Mediator is the Conduit of all Grace and Peace Man in union to Christ is the cistern into which these streams of Grace and Peace runs God wils Grace and Peace to us Christ works them in us God gives Grace Peace to be applied to the Creature this is from the love of the Father but the Application of this peace to the soul is from the Merit of Christ the Redeemer Thus you see there 's a double spring of this double blessing Time will not serve me further The only Observation is That all the Grace and Peace which Believers share in is derived from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ these three things opened will clear this 1. That Grace and Peace are the Believers priviledge 2. That the Fountain of this grace and Peace is from God the Father 3. That it is not given out from God the Father but through Christ First That Grace and Peace are the Saints priviledâ—e if Grace is then Peace is But Grace is the priviledge of every Believer and that whether you look upon it as taken from the love and favour of God to us this is the Believers priviledge God can as well forget Christ at his right hand as cease his love and favour to the soul of a Believer the Believers title to all their blessings arises out of this never-failing love of God or if you aske grace for the fruit of Gods love to the soul still it falls to the Believers priviledge Vocation Justification Adoption pardon of Sin purging from Sin strength against sin Holiness Faith Love Obedience Perseverance all these are the priviledges of every Believer nay a man cannot be a Believer without any one of them they are as essential to the Being of a Christian as reason to the Being of a man Secondly As Grace so Peace is the Believers priviledge There is peace external peace supernal peace internal and peace eternal There is peace external this peace with men there is peace supernal that is peace with God there is peace internal that is peace with Conscience all these three are to be had here upon earth and then there is peace eternal and that is only to be had in Heaven The Apostle here doth not exclude the former but chiefly intends the latter peace with man is a good thing to be desired but peace with God and Conscience is much more to be desired Peace with God is the spring of all things both within and without both below and above both in time and eternity so saith Job if he gives peace who then can make troâ—ble Now this peace is the Saints priviledge it is a Legacy left to every Believer by the last Will and Testament of a dying Redeemer Will you see a copy of his Will then look in Job 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you There is it seems a
which the Apostle uses by way of insinuation for Audience are contained in the words of the 20. verse wherein we have a very large description of the Person prayed unto The God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus c. He describes him under such notes and marks as serve much for enlargment and enforcement in the matter of prayer But here a Question may arise Seeing Grace is the thing the Apostle principally desires and 't is usual with holy men both under the Old and New Testament to chuse out such Attributes as sure most with their particular occasions and are most agreeable to those requests they have why he doth not apply himself to God as the God of all grace but rather the God of Peace Therein first the Apostle seems to make use of that same liberty which belongs to holy men As there is in the General a Liberty left to Gods People from God himself Paul in this place makes use of that liberty he had as to the manner of prayer using such a description of God as seemed good to him at present But secondly if he be the God of Peace it follows he is the God of Grace If God hath glorified himself so far among the Hebrews as to reconcile them to himself by the blood of Christ then there is no question God will proceed further and having provided for those things which appertain to their Justification no question but he will for those things that are necessary to their Sanctification Therefore the Apostle argues plainly from Justification to Sanctification He that justifies his people through the Blood of Christ Sanctifie you by the spirit of Christ make you perfect to do his will working in you that which is wel-pleasing in his sight c. So desires we should be Sanctified on the consideration of our Justification having provided for Justification by the blood of Christ followes Sanctification by the spirit of Christ 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. that God who is ally'd to you the God of peace and hath provided for you Peace I desire he would further provide Sanctification for Sanctification is nothing else but the effect of that grace which is procured for Believers through the blood of Christ There is no access to God for Sanctification of our Natures until we prevail with him for the Justification of our persons and he first shews himself to be a God of peace by way of Justification before a God of Grace and Sanctification But to proceed First for the description of the person wherein take notice of him 1. By one of his Attributes 2. By one of his special works whereby he hath manifested that Attribute 1. The Attribute of God is implyed under those words that he is called the God of peace The Gracious God that provides for reconciliation between himself and sinners that finds out ways and means to win those who are by nature Children of wrath to be the Children of God There is no peace but God is Author of whether natural peace or civil peace or political peace he is pleased to provide for them but there is a transcendent kind of peace which doth with a peculiarity belong to Gods people i.e. Spiritual peace between God and sinners and that inward peace that we enjoy if our conscience hath been troubled with terrour of sin Wrath c. Peace belongs so to God as none of the Creatures can have any Glory of it Psal 4.7 The peace is Gods peace none can effect it or devise it but God and with respect to this he is more especially called the God of peace because he hath found out a way to make reconciliation between God and his sinful perishing Creatures 2 Cor. 5.19 Ephes 2.14 c. Col. 1.13 2. There is a special Work of God attributed to him that the Apostle takes into consideration i.e. That he brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that Great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant wherein we have many words and every word its weight and we shall scarce be able to weigh every one so as to take the full sense and emphasis of them In the words there is 1. Something implyed 2. Something expressed 1. Something implyed namely That the Lord Jesus Christ was sometimes in the state of death and that being in the state of death it was not any ordinary power way or means could ransom him He was in the state and condition of the dead he was for a while under the power and dominion of Death his body for the space of three dayes lay in the Grave and in that sense he was under the dominion of death as all dead men are The Great Shepherd of the sheep could not have his own life in some sense no interest he had in God by vertue of Sonship or any of his Offices could save him from death though the Son of God and Head of the Church and Christ looked upon it so far from being below him as he thought it necessary for him and it was his glory Jâ— 10.11 12. I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep but he that is an Hireling and not the Shepherd whose own the sheep are not seeth the Wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth c. Hirelings they have no spirit or principle in them that they should lay down their lives for the sheep but he so much respected his Fathers glory and good of his flock finding there was no way to bring them to salvation as he denyed himself in all other respects for their good so in this respect lays down his life for them And herein the Church of God seems to have a deadly kind of wound to be at a deadly loss Zach. 13.7 I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered But herein lies the wonderful goodness and wisdom of God he is pleased to improve as the life so the death of Christ for the good of his Church Luk. 24.16 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things it was very expedient that seeing the sheep could not otherwise be saved but by the Shepherds dying that the Shepherd should lay down his life for the sheep and seeing no other way to make reconciliation to God it was very expedient Christ should die Therefore 't is to be taken notice of that it doth not mis-become the Head therefore not the members of the body They must be content to lay down their lives for the Flock for so did the great Shepherd 2. Something expressed Where take notice First of the person spoken of Secondly of that which is given us to be taken notice of in particular 1. The Person to be taken notice of is our Lord Jesus Christ That which we have considerable is First The Title that belongs to him in his Church in this regard called The Great Shepherd of
honour in the World they shall be sure of this that abundance of peace and joy and comfort shall possess their souls that keep their garments White they shall walk in the inward White of joy and peace with Jesus Christ and this is a blessed reward Indeed now this joy this White of joy arises in the Soul three wayes 1. From the testimony of their own Consciences O they who have a good testimony from their own consciences walk in White 2 Cor. 1.12 We have this for our rejoycing the testimony of our consciences that in all simplicity and godly sincerity we have our conversation in Heaven that is walking in White this is our rejoycing our conscience speaks well of us and kindly to us and who is able to express the sweetness of this thing None can know what this is but they that have it as it is said of the New Name written upon the White Stone Rev. 2.17 'T is a thing beyond expression what the joy and peace of a good Conscience is Now this I say that our White garments and our walking in White ariseth from the testimony of our Consciences 2. As from the testimony of our Consciences so from that testimony which is greater than our Consciences the Spirit shedding abroad of Divine Love thus it is with those that do not defile their garments but endure any thing rather than defile their garments Rom. 5.3 4 5. And not only so but we glory in tribulations knowing tribulations worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed and whence was all this because of the Holy Ghost which was given to us this causeth joy unspeakable The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God This witness doth cause wonderful joy much more than the witness of our own Consciences 3. This joy doth arise from a well-grounded hope which that soul hath that keeps himself clean hope of enjoying Heaven at last hope of future glory is our present joy Rom. 5.2 By whom also we have access by faith into his grace even we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Now they who keep their garments white have good ground of hope of the love of God therefore this must needs cause them to walk comfortably as they who have this hope purifie themselves so they who purifie themselves have good ground of their hope and therein great cause to rejoyce 1 Pet. 1.5 6. Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last times wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through many temptations We walk in white in hope we have of that inheritance now lay these three things together If they who keep their Garments undefiled have the testimony of their own consciences and the testimony of the Spirit shedding the love of God in their hearts and a well-grounded hope of future glory how can it be but these must walk in white with Jesus Christ that is in comfort and joy of the Spirit and of their own spirits Thus David walked he had abundance of joy upon his conscience of his own integrity and of keeping his heart and hands clean from those iniquities his enemies charged him with Psal 3. The Lord shall judge his people Judge me O Lord according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me He appeals to the Lord the Lord shall judge his people Judge me O Lord according to my righteousness Thus he appeals to God himself he had so much confidence and his heart gave him he kept himself from those sins So Job walkt in white though his friends black't him exceedingly yet he walkt in white in his conscience Job 16.10 Behold my witness is in Heaven and my record is on high I have not only a witness in my conscience but my witness is above He walkt in white notwithstanding all his afflictions from God and his friends Hezekiah walkt in this white when death looked him in the face Lord thou knowest I have walkt uprightly with thee I need not stay in the proof of the thing let me make some Use and Improvement of it Vse Is this blessed reward to those who keep their garments white to walk in the white of peace and joy then here we see the happiness of all those who are true to Christ and his ways Psal 119.1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. 'T is just in the language of the Text they indeed shall walk in white it is a great part of our blessedness to have peace of conscience and inward joy Oh how much better is it than the peace and joy of this world and the comforts of this world Prov. 15.13 A merry heart or as another translation saith A good conscience and indeed a merry heart and a good conscience do but one explain the other a merry heart or a good conscience is a continual feast Here is no surfeiting in this feast but a continual musick continual joy and comfort Oh how blessed are they who are undefiled in the way That which Christ said of the Lilly Solomon in all his Glory was not arrayed like one of these so may I say of the Lilly-white soul that keeps himself white in the world who keeps himself white in matter of practice and worship Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these Lilly-white ones Oh the Rivers of Consolations that flows to them that keep themselves out of the puddles of the world if you keep your selves from the puddles of the world from the dung of the world ye shall have rivers of joy flowing into your souls I may say to all such as Solomon saith Eccles 11.9 Go thy way it is a familiar speaking to them Go thy way blessed soul eat thy bread with joy though the world feed thee with the bread of adversity and though the world give thee nothing but the water of affliction yet let thy Garments be always White though the World cloath thee in mourning and cause thee to prophesie in Sackcloth with the Witnesses yet be of good comfort O Lilly-white soul for God now accepteth thy works now drink thy Wine with a merry heart thy labour thy ambitious labour is that whether present or absent thou mayest be accepted of him thou hast the fruits of thy labour the Lord accepts thy works therefore rejoyce in it Here is the happiness of those who keep themselves clean from a defiled and a defiling World 2. This point gives us an account why the servants of Christ stand so strictly upon their terms with the World even while some call it peevishness others ignorance others wilful stubbornness What is the reason the reason is because they understand in some measure and have had experience in some measure what it is to walk in some measure with Christ
Hearts hear what the Text saith A New Command I give unto you c. Wherein First you have the Command A New Command I give unto you It is not left to our discretion but we are bound to it by vertue of a Command A New Command I give unto you Secondly This Command is enforced by Gods own example as I have loved you It is called a new Command but Love is an old Command this Law is written in the Nature of Man It is engraven in every mans heart by Nature and it is an old Command because found among Gods antient Statutes the antient Records of his Law I but 't is a new Command too because pressed by a new Example of Christ As I have loved you so do ye love one another Doct. Christians ought to make Conscience of this duty of loving one another Confident I am We shall never see Religion thrive in the World until we see this Grace of Love flourish in the heart of Christians Nor the illustration of this proposition I shall do these two things First shew you the truth of this Love Secondly the extent of this Love First Truth of this Love If you love one another saith Christ see you do it purely not dissembling but from the heart 1 John 3.18 My little Children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth dissembling love is like painted fire that will never warm we must not be like the Bee that hath honey in her mouth but withal hath a sting in her tail we must not pretend to love to have honey in the mouth but withal have the sting of malice in the heart no said the Apostle Let us love in deed and in truth Secondly Extent of our Love this Fountain of Love must run in three streams 1. We must love all men love their persons although we must not love their sins we have all the same make the same lump and mould and therefore must love there is a natural Love that every creature bears to his own species and kind 2. Our love must especially stream out to the Saints of God the houshold of Faith It is with our love as it is with our fire you keep fire all the day upon the Hearth but upon special occasions you draw it out larger so our Love must always burn to all I but to the Saints you must draw out the fire inlarge your affections we must love as God loves he doth especially love the Saints love every creature with a common love but especially the New Creature and indeed there is that in every true Saint that may excite and allure our Love What are the Graces of the Spirit but so many pearls to adorn the Bride of Christ What is holiness in the heart 〈◊〉 the imbroidery and curious Workmanship of the Holy Ghost here is enough to entice and draw out our Love and Beloved if we love the Saints for their Graces then we love all the Saints And here I beseech you consider these six pariculars First We ought to love the Saints in what condition soever they are although they be poor in the world low in their condition for commonly so it is They that have the lowest hearts have the lowest condition too I read of the King of the Moors that he was offended at the Christians because of their poverty and truly when wicked men do fleece the Saints it is no wonder if they be poor methinks grace in a poor man is like a Pearl that lies in the dust or like a cloath of Gold that is hid under Rags you must love the Gold that is the Grace notwithstanding the Rags The poorest Saint alive hath the Angels riches the poorest Believer is a Member of Christ and shall we not love him we love the picture of a friend although it be hung in a mean frame we must love a rich Christ in a poor man Secondly We are to love the people of God although they have many weak infirmities shew me the man that is perfect and let him throw the first stone even the best Saints like the Starrs they have their twinkling they have their blemishes and their failings in some there 's too much pride in others too much censoriousness in others too much rash anger and passion but we must love the Grace that is in them notwithstanding the infirmities that are in them you love Gold though in the oar and mixed with much impurity a Saint on earth is like a Diamond that hath its flaw like to the Rose that is sweet and perfumed but yet hath its pricks The best Saints have some mixture and infirmity and we must love them for the good that is in them this is our great fault we are apt to over-look all the good and so take notice of the stain and blemishes in them as those that see a little stain in a piece of Scarlet despise the cloath for the stains sake so do we But God doth not do so by us he is pleased to over-look many sad failings he seeth the Faith and winks at the failings of his people you that cannot love a Brother because you see an imperfection in him would you have God do so by you would you have him damn you for every blemish of sin Thirdly We must love the Children of God though weak in parts all are not born Politicians But though the Saints of God have not always so good intellectuals as others yet if they have good Vitals and the life of Faith in them love them for that Grace you do not despise your Children because they are weak but you love them because they are your Children Oh! do not despise a Saint because he is of low parts but love him as he is a Child of your Heavenly Fathers Fourthly We are to love the Saints of God though in some lesser things they differ from us if they keep the foundations of Religion and hold the Head Christ yet we are to bear other things one Christian hath more light than another and shall we un-saint all that cannot come up to our light It s great wisdom to separate between the precious and the vile O what a blessed place will Heaven be because there our light shall be clear and our love shall be perfect And that is the fourth Fifthly Love the Saints of God when reviled and persecuted a bleeding Saint should be the object of our love Onisiphorus saith Paul was not ashamed of my chain a sign he loved Christs Graces in Paul Christ Jesus loveth no Saints more than his persecuted Saints his Martyrs have the highest Thrones reserved in Heaven for them we must love to see Christs Livery upon a man though sprinkled with bloud he that is ashamed of a persecuted Saint will never suffer for a crucified Jesus Sixthly We must love the Saints of God though their Graces may eclipse and out-shine our Graces Beloved in the sweetest fruits worms are apt
to breed and in the best heart the worm of pride is apt to be breeding if God doth not keep us we shall not onely envy anothers Graces if they out-shine us but their persons too What though anothers Graces do out-shine yours yet love him because the eminency of his Graces bringeth much honor to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And thus my Beloved I have shewn you how you must love all the Saints 1 Pet. 2.17 Love the Brother-hood love the whole Fraternity of Beleevers Oh! that this sweet spice of love might send forth its perfume among Christians that we could turn all our heart-burnings into heart-breakings and quench the fire of Divisions and Contentions and keep the fire of love burning upon the Altar of our hearts And my Beloved as we must love all the Saints so we must shew this love by the fruit of it for God doth not value that love that is invisible the fruits of our love to the Saints must be these four Four Fruits of Love to the Saints 1. We must shew love to them by prising their persons above others Psal 15.4 spoken of a man that shall go to Heaven In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord the wicked are so much rubbish and lumber but the Saints are called the Jewels Mal. 3.1 and we must prize these Jewels above all the Lumber in the World as they said of King David thy life is worth ten thousand of ours 2 Sam. 18.3 so is a Godly man above a wicked man God he will give Kingdons to ransom his Saints Isa 43.3 I gave Egypt for thy ransom Aethiopia and Sheba for thee and thus should we set the highest rate upon the Saints of God for that is to love them 2. We must shew love to all the Saints of God by vindicating of them when they are traduced and slandered it s a great sin to slander a Christian it s to go to pollute Christs Image the wicked their throats are open Sepulchres to bury the names of the Righteous in now you that are Christians must not be ready to receive a false and groundless report of a Saint but rather vindicate them for that is to love them 2. We shew our love to the Saints by praying for them you know not what good your prayers may do them Ministers must pray for their People and the People must pray for their Ministers for prayer commands God himself Isa 45.11 Prayer is the golden Key that unlocks the Heavenly treasure of Gods bowels Oh pray one for another we should not strive one with another as is too frequent but pray one for another 4. Shew your love by being ready according to your abilities to relieve their wants to love one another is to be a well-wisher to him and to do all the friendly Offices we can one for another there are my Beloved many of the dear Servants of God in the Ministry that have been already reduced to misery and want and abundance more are like to be reduced to great necessities Now I beseech you to show your love to the houshold of Faith for that is a sign of your true love to God and to the Brother-hood that when as myrrh drops freely from the Tree so works of mercy drops freely from the heart If Jesus Christ should stand in the midst of the congregation and say shew your Love to me by your good works I believe no heart here would be so hard as to deny Jesus Christ Why remember whatsoever you give Ministers and to his Members he takes it as given to himself That is the second Our Love must extend to all Saints 3. Our Love must reach to our enemies we must love them that do not love us Luke 6.1 Love your enemies do good to them that hate you I confesse a mortal enemy I would be loath to make a bosom friend But though policy teach us not to trust our enemies yet piety teacheth us to love them Christ he did pray for his enemies and he shed tears of compassion for them that afterwards shed his bloud So much for the Doctrinal part Now for a word of Application and I have done VSES And first this may serve to reprove those who seem in other things to be excellent and profess much love toward Christ and his Gospel but have no love to the Saints of God there are some that upon this very account have for these great many years absented themselves from the Lords Supper because they pretend not to be in charity This is a double-dyed sin a sin with a witness it s a sin not to come and its a sin not to be in charity But let me say this to them surely such kind of Christians are a shame to their profession What doth not the Gospel teach you charity and love as well as faith Surely that Christian hath no grace in his heart that liveth out of charity with his Brother for as the Philosopher saith All the vertues are linked together and tyed as with astring and where there is one there is all and where one is wanting there is no vertue so I say of the graces they are linked together and where there is one there is all and where one is wanting there is none at all Saith Augustine Thou braggest of thy faith in Christ but shew me thy faith by thy love to Christ for Faith and love cannot be separated For as in the Sun there is light and heat and these cannot be separated one from the other so faith and love is twisted together and where there is one waning the other is wanting as he that did so engrave his name on the Buckler of Minerva that who ever went about to take out his name spoiled the Buckler so Faith and love are so inseparable that if you go to take away the one you spoyl the other Oh! remember and mourn for it thou that sayest thou art not in charity it 's a sad symptom thou art not in a state of Grace Titus 3. v. 5. For me our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers Lusts and pleasures living in malice envy hateful and hating one another that is before conversion we were swelled with poyson of malice and wrath but when once the grace of God came then it was otherwise that man that hath not Love and Charity in his heart surely he hath nothing of God in him for God is Love he knoweth nothing of the Gospel savingly for the Gospel is a Gospel of peace he hath none of the wisdom which cometh from Heaven for that is meek and gentle and easie to be entreated If there be any on the other side that are not in charity and yet will come to the Lords Table remember this you get no good by the Ordinance you do but defile the Ordinance The Apostle calls it the leaven of malice it doth sower all your Holy Duties Sermons Prayers and
they may see God face to face and be for ever with the Lord which they cannot do till they dye therefore blessed by God that the righteous must perish If a man should always live on earth always be young rich and healthful it would be unwelcome news for while we are in the body we are absent from the Lord and subject to sin and therefore when Peter asked Christ what should be done with John Christ tells him If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee from henceforth there went a report abroad that John should not dye Now the Apostle himself was much displeased with this report and looked upon it as a great affliction that he should not dye and therefore he himself confutes it But yet Jesus said he said not that he should not dye as if he had said God forbid that I should not dye Before I come to Application of this point give me leave to speak somthing to the second point and so I shall apply them both together The second Doctrine is this That the perishing of a righteous man is nothing but a gathering him to God Christ and the blessed society of Saints and Angels in Heaven This is contained in the second expression merciful men are taken away the word in the Hebrew is Colliguntur they are gathered it is evegetical of the former they did not perish but they are gathered to God and Christ there is a great deal of excellency and a Magazine of sweetness in this expression They are gathered It implies two things First That the righteous are in a scattered condition while they are in this world and that three ways 1. They are scattered among the wicked and ungodly of the world as sheep among wolves as lambs among Lyons rent and torn in pieces forced to wander up and down in Sheep skins and Goats skins 2. The righteous are scattered in the world one from another and that two ways 1. They are scattered by their different habirations for the godly are forced one from another as Lot from Abraham 2. They are scattered one from another by the cruel persecution of wicked men and therefore you read Acts 8. that at that time when there was a persecution against the Church at Jerusalem that they were all scattered abroad 3. The godly are scattered in this life from the glorious presence of God in Heaven indeed they are never scattered from the gracious presence of God but sometimes they are scattered from the comfortable presence of God as long as we live in the world we shall be scattered from the glorious presence of God for while we are in the body we are absent from the Lord. Secondly This implies a bringing of Gods people out of this scattered condition it is a gathering of the Righteous out of this world into another from a sinful persecuted world into a sinless glorious world from diversity of dwellings on earth to dwell altogether in one Heaven it is a gathering out of the reach of Men and Devils and a gathering them not only to the gracious but to the glorious presence of God and Christ and to the souls of just men made perfect and to the general assembly of the first born and to the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem where they shall live together never to be scattered again To understand this the better let me offer three things to you shewing you that the Godly are gathered to God three ways in this life at death and at the day of Judgment First The Righteous are gathered to God in this life and that is at their first conversion for by nature we are Aliens and strangers to God scattered from any union or communion with God not only scattered from the glorious but from the gracious presence of God God made men at first to enjoy communion with himself but Adam lost this by sin and now we are all Cains and vagabonds scattered from the love of God and from union and communion with God but when God converts any of the Elect he gathers them home to himself for conversion is nothing but Gods gathering them to himself in the second Adam that were scattered from him in the first Adam the first Adam was a Root of scattering a Root of separation from God but the second Adam was a Root of union and conjunction Christ is the head and the Elect are all gathered together in him that he might gather together in one all things in Christ so that conversion is nothing but a gathering of the Elect of God to Christ by faith and a gathering to one another by love and charity Secondly Gods people are gathered at death here they are gathered to Christ by Grace but at death they are gathered to Christ in glory here they are gathered to God by hope but at death by fruition here Christ is gathered to us he comes down and dwells with us but at death we shall be gathered to him we shall go up and be joyned with him There 's a great deal of difference between esse cum Christo and esse in Christo esse cum Christo to be one with Christ is a Christians great security but esse in Christo to be one in Christ it is a Christians great felicity in this life we are gathered to God by Faith but at death by vision Lastly We shall be gathered to God at the day of judgment it is called the day of the gathering of the Saints together a day when all the Saints that are have been or shall be shall be gathered together 2 Thes 2.1 I beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him at the great day At the day of Judgment we shall all be gathered together and shall all be taken up to Heaven I mean all the righteous and be ever with the Lord and so much for the opening of the Doctrine But here it may be objected Are not the unrighteous gathered by death as well as the righteous I answer it is true the unrighteous are scattered in this life and gathered by death as well as the righteous but with a great deal of difference First the wicked are scattered in this life but they are scattered from God but the Godly are scattered for God and for a good conscience many times as they at Jerusalem were scattered The godly are scattered from the glorious presence of God in Heaven but the wicked are scattered from the gracious presence of God on earth Again the scattering of the wicked is a curse to them and it is threatned as a curse Lev. 26.32 I will scatter you among the Heathen and draw out my sword after you and where-ever the wicked come in what part soever of the world the wicked are scattered they bring the curse of God with them and they bring the judgments of God on Towns and Cities where they are as plague famine and
shall inherit the Kingdom of God Damnation is entailed upon unrighteous men 2. If you are merciful you shall be gathered to Christ if you are one that is full of bowels of compassion to the distressed members of Christ Jesus for Christ hath said it Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy now if you are hard-hearted covetous worldly minded remember that Text He shall have judgement without mercy that shews no mercy 3. He that is gathered to the second Adam by faith in this world shall certainly be gathered unto Christ by vision in the other world Christ Jesus will save all his members and you must know that faith is a transplanting grace it is not only a heart-purifying but a world-overcoming grace It takes a man out of the old Adam and puts him into a new Adam it takes a man out of the root of scattering and puts him into the root of union and conjunction Wherefore you that are now joyned to Christ by faith here shall be joyned to Christ in glory hereafter But now you that are vagabonds Cains and aliens from the life of God and from the life of grace You that are wooden members wooden legs in Christs body that have no real conjunction with Christ you shall not be gathered to him in glory Lastly If you are gathered here to the Saints by love then you shall be gathered to the Saints in Heaven and to the everlasting injoyment of God with them to all eternity Confider this every man shall be gathered when he dies to those whom he delights and chooseth to keep pany with while he lives in this world If you are gathered to the wicked in love and affection here you shall be gathered to them at death in hell and destruction for it is pity companions should be parted wheat must to wheat and tares to tares for wheat and tares shall not be bound together at the last day The last use is of exhortation If the righteous must perish and if their death be nothing but a gathering then take this threefold Exhortation First Let us labor to make the best use we can of our godly friends and Ministers before they be gathered let us do as Elisha did he was told that his Master Elijah was to be taken up to Heaven and therefore he would never leave him till he had got the spirit of Elijah doubled upon him If Elisha had not thought that Elijah would have been taken up that day he would never have followed him so punctually and inseparably as he did O beloved did you believe that Text Zach. 1.5 of which we have often had experience Your fathers where are they and the prophets do they live for ever Indeed if they did live for ever we might get good from them when we please because we are sure never to lose them but they live not for ever but must perish and be taken up to heaven And therefore whilst we have them let us make what use we can of them before they be taken away from us It is a great fault among the people of God that they make no more use of their Godly friends and Ministers I have known many that have godly relations that have died that it hath been the greatest burden on their consciences that they got no more good by those Godly Relations while they lived Many of us deal with our Ministers as we do with a strange sight that is to be seen near our doors we are not so much solicitous when we see it but a stranger that comes from a far Country is curious and very careful presently to see it So do we in this City especially I have had experience of it by being here many years strangers that come out of the Country many times get that good by a Minister that his own people do not because they think their Minister is continually with them but a stranger knows he is there but for a day and he hears so that he carries Christ home with him and a great deal of consolation also Beloved this is a great fault I beseech you remember the Righteous must be gathered let us therefore do with them as we do with Books that are borrowed if a man borrows a Book he knows he must keep it but for a day or two and therefore he will be sure to read it over whereas if the Book be a mans own he laies it aside because he knows he can read it at any time Remember your Ministers are but lent you they are not your own and you know not but that God may take away your Elâ—jahs from you this night Therefore make what use you can of them while you have them Secondly Must the Righteous be taken away Then let the Righteous make conscience of doing what good they can before they are taken away Beloved if it were possible for the Godly to grieve in Heaven this would be their greatest sorrow that they have done God no more service here upon earth Be wise for God O ye Righteous do as old men that have rich places offices they labour to buy the reversion of their places for their Children So must you to whom God hath given great gifts and graces labor to propagate your gifts graces that there may be no loss by your death Observe the cares of St. Paul the aged in his exhortation to Timothy 2 Tim. 3.4 5 Watch thou all things endure afflictions do the work of an Evangelist make full proof of thy Ministry why so for I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand and therefore work thou see that thou endure affliction preach the Gospel as becomes a Minister of the Gospel that there may be no loss by my departure So in 2 Tim. 2.2 The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men that shall be able to teach others also Hath God committed any thing to you a treasure of Learning or Grace commit it to young Ministers that they may commit it to others that so there may be a succession of Gifts and Graces Do as Physitians do that labour to communicate their skill to their Children and to others so should we that there may be a succession of Godly ones that Godliness may be entailed upon us and our Relations Thirdly and lastly let us all labour to be such that when we dye when we come to be gathered we may be gathered to Christ and his Angels not to the Devil and his angels And for that purpose let us labour to be merciful and righteous and let us be gathered to Christ by Faith and to one another by love and dear affection and then we shall be gathered at the great day to Christ and the blessed company of the Saints Angels There are 4 observations yet behind but I must wave them at this time I have now another Sermon to preach and I cannot without
injury to you that are alive and without wrong to the memory of my dearly beloved Brother but speak something of him at whose Funeral we are met this Evening not so much for his commendation he needs not but for our imitation it is pity great pity something should not be said that this Reverend Minister though dead may yet preach this night and I have so much to say of him that I know not where to begin and when I have begun I hardly know how to make an end I must confess the little time alloted me for the providing this solemn work and the necessary avocations in this little time have hindred me from enforming my self about his Breeding and manner of Education at Emanuel Colledge under Mr. Steaker and his excellent carriage and converse with Mr. Hildersham Mr. Dod Mr. Ball Mr. Langly and other Ministers famous in their generations and the many pressures and hardships that he suffered in those parts and times for the keeping of his conscience pure from that which he counted sin and therefore I must draw a vail over that part of his life and confine my discourse only to the time since his coming to live with us in London which is about the space of twenty two or twenty three years all which time I have had the happiness to be intimately acquainted with him insomuch as that I can freely and clearly profess and that with a sad heart that I and many others have lost a real wise and Godly friend brother and fellow-labourer in the Lord the Church hath lost an eminent Member and choice pillar and this City hath lost an antient faithful and painful Minister who by his Prayers and Holy life did seek to keep off the judgements of God from falling on us and the less sensible the City is of this loss the greater is the loss I fear we may too truly repeat the words in the Text The righteouus perisheth and no man lays it to heart and mereiful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come I have read of Philo the Jew and by chance met with the same in the life of St. Ambrose that when they came to any City or Town and heard of the death of any Godly man though never so poor they would both of them mourn exceedingly because of the great loss that place had by the death of that Godly man and because it was a warning-piece from God of evil approaching But we have had many Godly men and Godly Ministers taken away of late and yet I fear me but few lay it to heart and therefore as I said the loss is the greater to this City because it is so little sensible of it It is a great loss also to his relations his Wife hath lost a dear and loving Husband his Sister a brother his Parish and Congregation a faithful Pastor The Ministerial excellencies of many Ministers were collected and concentred in one Simeon Ash he was a Bazalcel in Gods Tabernacle a Master-builder an old Disciple a Polycarp a Christian of long standing in the School of Christ a burning and a shining light one whom many Ministers and other good Christians called Father insomuch that it was a common proverb in this City Father Ash and I believe many experimentally weep over him as the King did over the Prophet Elisha My Father my Father the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof for he lived desired and died lamented not only in the City but I believe in many places in the Country where he was known But more particulary there were twelve excellencies I observed in this reverend Minister and my dear Brother that were as 12 Jewels or precious Pearls in that Crown with which God had crowned him I shall name them for your imitation and benefit He needs them not for he is above our Eulogy The first and chief Jewel that did beautifie adorn this our Brother was his sincerity and uprightness in heart which indeed is not a single Grace but the soul of all Grace and the interlineary that must run through all Grace what is faith if it be not unfeigned what will love to God profit you if it be not without dissimulation what is repentance worth if it be not in truth as the body without the soul is a rotten carkass so is all grace without sincerity this is the soul of all grace this is the girdle of truth Sincerity is that which girts all our spiritual armor together and makes them useful what advantage is it to have the breast-plate of Righteousness the shield of Faith the helmet of Hope if they be but painted things it is the girdle of sincerity that makes all the other parts of our armor useful Now this excellent grace of sincerity was eminent in our dear Brother he was a true Nathaniel in whom there was no guile I mean no allowed hypocrisie this was that which carried him through the pangs of death with a great deal of comfort for he was able to say with Hezekiah Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart He could say with Paul this is my rejoycing the testimony of my conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity I have had my conversation in this world 2. Another grace was his humilicy this is a grace that he was cloathed withal and it is a rare grace for God dwells with the humble he resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble This Reverend Minister was low in his own eyes and therefore very high in Gods eyes he had a mean esteem of himself and therefore he was high in esteem with God He was as Jacob said of himself less than the least of Gods mercies and therefore he was made partaker of the best of Gods mercies He was like an ear of Corn full of fruit bowing down in thankfulness to God 3. Another Jewel was the fruitfulness of his discourse for it may be said of him as it was of Christ he went about doing good where ever he went he scattered his goodness this all that knew him knew to be true He was full of good discourse where ever he came when I was with him in his sickness he took occasion to complain much and not without just cause God grant his complaint may make impression upon our hearts he complained that it was a great fault of Ministers that when they met together they discoursed no more of Christ of Heaven and of the concernments of the other world and professed that if GOD should restore him he would be more careful in his discourse and more fruitful than ever yet he had been 3. Another Jewel that beautified this Righteous man was his mercifulness he was a merciful man which he manifested not onely in his charity to the members of Jesus Christ but in his frequent visiting of sick persons and persons that needed Spiritual physick I
is darkest There may be an hour of darkness that may be upon the Gospel as to its liberty purity and glory and yet there may be a Sun-shining day ready to tread on the heels of it And so much for the resolution of these Queries I shall proceed as I said and leave some Legacies with you which may by the finger of the Spirit be made advantagious to you when we are not advantaged to speak unto you Leg. 1. The first Legacy I would leave with you shall be this Secure your interest in Christ make it your great business your work your heaven to secure your interest in Christ This is not an Age an Hour for a man to be between fears and hopes between doubting and believing Take not up in a name to live when you are dead God-ward and Christ-ward Take not up in an outward form and outward priviledges They cryed The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord that had no interest in or love to the Lord of the Temple Follow God leave no means un-attempted whereby your blessed interest may be cleared up Leg. 2. Make Christ and Scripture the only foundation for your souls and faith to build on as the Apostle said 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundations can no man lay than that which is laid even Jesus Christ Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a corner stone a precious stone a sure foundation Eph. 2.10 Since it is a very dangerous thing as much as your soul and eternity is worth for you to build on this authority and that on this saying and that take heed Leg. 3. In all places and company be sure to carry your soul-preservatives with you go into no place nor company except you carry your soul-preservatives with you that is holy care and wisdom You know in infectious times men will carry outward preservatives with them you have need to carry your preservatives about you else you would be in danger of being infected with the ill customs and vanities of the time wherein you live and that is a third Leg. 4. I would leave with you is this Look that all within you rise higher and higher by oppositions threatnings and sufferings that is that your faith your love your courage your zeal your resolutions and magnanimity rise higher by opposition and the spirit of Prayer thus it did Acts 4.18 19 20 21 29 30 31. compared All their sufferings did but raise up a more noble spirit in them they did but raise up their faith and courage So Acts 5.40 41 42. they looked on it as a grace to be disgraced for Christ and as an honor to be dishonored for him They say as David If this be to be vile I will be more vile If to be found in the way of my God to act for my God be vile I will be more vile Leg. 5. Take more pains and make more conscience of keeping your selves from sin than suffering from the pollutions and defilements of the day than from the sufferings of the day this Legacy I would beg that you would consider take more pains and make more conscience of keeping your selves from the evil of sin than the evil of punishment from the pollutions and corruptions of the times Acts 2.40 Save your selves from this outward generation Phil. 2.15 The children of God must be harmless and blameless without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Heb. 11. speaks full to the point in hand Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis that have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy White was the habit of the Nobles which imports the honour that God will put on those that keep their garments pure in a defiling day Rev. 8.4 And I heard another voyce from Heaven saying Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues If you will be tasting and sipping at Babylons cup you must resolve to receive more or less of Babylons plagues Leg. 6. I would leave with you is this Be always doing or receiving good Our Lord and Master went up and down in this world doing good be was still doing good to body and soul he was acted by an untired power he still doing or receiving good this will make your lives comfortable your deaths happy and your accompt glorious in the great day of the Lord. Oh how useless are many men in their generation Oh that our lips might be as so many Honey-combs what we might scatter knowledge Leg. 7. I would leave with you is this Set the highest examples and patterns before your face of grace and godliness for your imitation in the business of Faith set an Abraham before your eyes in the business of Courage set a Joshua in the business of Uprightness set a Job of Meekness a Moses c. There is a disadvantage that redounds to Christians by looking more backwards than forwards Men look on whom they excel not on those they fall short of Of all examples set them before you that are most eminent for grace and holiness for communion with God and acting for God next to Christ set the pattern of the choicest Saints before you Leg. 8. Hold fast your integrity and rather let all go than let that go A man had better let liberty estate relations and life go than let his integrity go yea let all Ordinances themselves go when they cannot be held with the hand of integrity Job 27.5 6. God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I will hold fast and I will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live look as the drowning man holds fast that which is cast forth for to save him as the Soldier holds fast his Sword and Buckler on which his life depends So saith Job I will hold fast my integrity my heart shall not reproach me I had rather all the world should reproach me and my heart justifie me than that my heart should reproach me and all the world justifie me That man will make but a sad exchange that shall exchange his integrity for any worldly concernment Integrity maintained in the soul will be a feast of fat things in the worst of days but let a man lose his integrity and it is not in the power of all the world to make a feast of sat things in that soul Leg. 9. That I would leave with you is this Let not a day pass over your head without calling the whole man to an exact accompt Well where have you been acting to day Hands what have you done for God to day Tongue what have you spoke for God to day This will be an advantage many ways unto you but I can onely touch on these Legacies Leg. 10. Labour mightily for a
and thus afflicted yet thou art holy Psal 65.5 By terrible things in Righteousness wilt thou answer us O God of our salvation Leg. 20. Hold on and hold out in the ways of well-doing in the want of all outward encouragements and in the face of all outward discouragements It 's nothing to hold out when we meet with nothing but encouragements but to hold out in the face of all discouragements is a Christian duty Psal 44. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death yet have we not dealt falsly in thy Covenant our heart is not turned back neither have we declined from thy ways 't is perseverence that crowns all Be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee a Crown of life Rev. 2.10 And he that endureth to the end shall be saved Mat. 24. It 's perseverence in well-doing that crowns all our actions If you have begun in the Spirit do not end in the flesh do not go away from the Captain of your salvation follow the Lamb though others follow the Beast and the false Prophet Leg. 21. In all your natural civil and religious Actions let divine glory still rest in your souls Rom. 7.8 1 Cor. 10 11. In all your hearing in all your prayings let the glory of Christ carry it in all your Closet-duties let the glory of Christ lye nearest your hearts Leg. 22. Record all special favours mercies providences and experiences 'T is true a man should do nothing else should he record all the favours and experiences of God towards him and therefore my Legacy is Record all special favours peculiar experiences Little do you know the advantage that will redound to your souls upon this account by recording all the experiences of the shinings of his face of the leadings of his Spirit many a Christian loseth much by neglecting this duty Leg. 23. Never enter upon the trial of your estate but when your hearts are at the best and in the fittest temper 'T is a great desire of Satan when the Soul is deserted and strangely afflicted to put the Soul on trying work Come see what thou art worth for another world what thou hast to shew for a better state for an interest in Christ a title for Heaven this is not a time to be about this work thy work is to get off from this temptation and therefore to pray and believe and wait upon God and be found in all those ways whereby thou mayst get off the temptation Leg. 24. Always make the Scripture and not your selves nor your carnal reason nor your bare opinion the Judges of your spiritual state and condition I cannot see my condition to be good I cannot perceive it What must your sense and your carnal reason be the Judge of your spiritual state Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to his rule it is because there is no light no morning in them John 12.24 The word that I have spoken the same shall judge you at the last day The Scripture is that which must determine the case in the great Day whether you have grace or no or whether it be true or no. Leg. 25. Make much conscience of making good the terms on which you closed with Christ You know the terms How that you would deny your selves take up his Cross and follow the Lamb wheresoever he should go Now you are put to take up the Cross to deny your selves to follow the Laâ—â— over Hedge and Ditch through thick and thin do not turn your backs on Christ the worst of Christ is better than the best of the world make conscience of making good your terms to deny your self your natural self your sinful self your religious self and to follow him and if you do so oh what an honour will it be to Christ and advantage to your selves and a joy to the upright Leg. 26. Walk by no rule but such as you dare die by and stand by in the great day of Jesus Christ You may have many ways prescribed to worship by but walk by none but such as you dare die by and stand by before Christ Jesus walk not by a multitude for who dare stand by that rule when he comes to die Make not the example of great men a rule to go by for who dare die by and stand by this in the great day of account Do not make any authority that stands in opposition to the authority of Christ a rule to walk by for who dare stand by this before Jesus Christ Ah! Sirs walk by no rule but what you dare die by and stand by at the great Day Leg. 27. And lastly sit down and rejoyce with fear Psalm 1. Let the righteous rejoyce but let them rejoyce with fear Rejoyce that God hath done your souls good by the everlasting Gospel that he did not leave you till he brought you to an acceptance of to a closing with and a resignation of your souls to Christ and the clearing up of your interest in him Rejoyce that you have had the everlasting Gospel in so much light purity power and glory as you have had for many years together Rejoyce in the riches of grace that hath carried it in such a way towards you And weep that you have provoked God to take away the Gospel that you have no more improved it that you have so neglected the seasons and opportunities of enriching your souls When you should have come to Church-fellowship any thing would turn you out of the way Oh! sit down and tremble under your barrenness under all your leanness notwithstanding all the cost and charge that God hath been at that you have grown no more into communion with God and conformity to God and into the lively hope of the everlasting fruition of God Here are your Legacies and the Lord make them to work in your Souls and then they will be of singular use to you to preserve you so that you may give up your account before the great and glorious God with joy Labour to make conscience of putting these Legacies into practice of sucking at these breasts which will be of use to us till we shall be gathered up into the fruition of God where we shall need no more Ordinances no more preachining or praying Mr. Collins his Farewel-Sermon Jude v. 3. Contend earnestly for the Faith c. THese words contain two parts 1. A Duty exhorted to 2. The manner of the management of Duty The duty exhorted to is to retain the faith delivered to the Saints The manner of its management is that we should earnestly contend to keep it I opened the terms What 's meant by Faith It is not so much the grace of faith but the Doctrine of faith not special faith whereby we apprehend special mercy upon a promise made to the Elect but the Fides quae creditur the whole substance of the Doctrine of Christ as
first the Kingdom of God c. Two questions were propounded and answered 1. What is it earnestly to enquire after and seriously to pursue the Kingdom of God and his righteousness In this question three things included the Object the Act the Order 1. The Object The Kingdom of God the Kingdom of Heaven and its Righteousness The Kingdom of Heaven that is the Kingdom of Grace and the Kingdom of Glory the Kingdom of Grace as the means to the Kingdom of Glory The righteousness of this Kingdom that is Sanctification sincere holiness in heart and life which is the beginning or the way to and a sign or pledge of our interest in the Kingdom of Glory 2. The Act Seek i.e. Bestir your utmost thoughts about your utmost time care diligence upon these things 3. Seek i.e. Set your choicest affections upon these things 3. Seek i.e. Strive and labour go forth in utmost endeavours for obtaining of these things 3. The Order Seek first Seek it first in respect of time begin with God Remember thy Creature in the dayes of thy Youth Seek it first with the greatest care accuratest diligence industry with the greatest seriousness The Kingdom of God is the most necessary thing indeed that one thing necessary It is the most excellent thing eternal all other things are temporal get this and you get all you get above the terrors of the World The best way to have the things of the World sanctified is this Seek first the Kingdom of God c. 2. How is this a remedy against distracting cares and fears Answ 1. It is a remedy by diversion 2. Present things seem little compared with eternal things Vse 1. This reproves those that observe not our Saviours direction 1. Those that are drowned in earthly things give them Onions and Garlick take the Kingdom of Heaven and Righteousness thereof who will Let me have my part in Paris what care I for Paradise 2. Others that are for the Kingdom of God but not for the Righteousness of that Kingdom they are for the end but they do not care for the way they would have fruit but they will not climb the Tree 3. Others that could wish they had a portion in it but in a slight and perfunctory way If Heaven could be obtained with a few prayers this they 'd do but further they will not goe 2. Is this such an excellent way to cure our carnal fears and cares What advantage hath a Child of God above all other men in the world both in this life and that to come In this life under a watchful providence not a hair of his head shall perish but chiefly the priviledges of an everlasting Kingdom he hath a Bird in the bush and in hand too choice enjoyments in the hand and in hope much more but much more above and this hope of his shall not make him ashamed The vision of his appointed comforts is for an appointed time and it will come will come said I Faith looks our and sees it coming already let but Faith look to Heaven and he sees his Judge coming Which brings me to The Eighteenth Sermon Rev. 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me THe Observation from the words was this The Lord Jesus will certainly and speedily come to Judgment when he shall give reward equal to every man These two questions were answered In what sense Christ comes quickly Answ In Gods account with whom a thousand years are but as one day In our account Faith sees him coming though Sense cannot Faith makes future things present it is the Prespective of the Soul Believers receive part of their reward at death and that is quickly 2. Why doth Christ defer his coming at all Answ 1. To stop the mouths of the wicked they will not have one word to reply they had time and space to repent 2. Out of his dear love he bears to his Elect There is many of his Elect not yet born and though born not new-born Now these must be born and new-born and brought all in and when that time is come then He will come Vse 1. Will Christ come quickly and with a reward then certainly remember this Athiest 'T is no vain thing to serve our Lord Jesus What profit is it if we serve him c. What profit Infinite profit there is a reward coming 2. By way of Exhortation Will Christ come Oh then 1. Prepare for his coming Labour to be prepared by his spiritual coming in thy heart that is the way to be prepared for his last coming get thy understanding enlightened in the saying knowledge of Christ thy will subdued and brought into subjection unto Christ thy affections renewed spiritualized thy conversation such as becomes the Gospel of Christ 2. You that have made all things ready for his coming look out after his coming The Table is spread the Trencher laid the Dinner ready the Guest not come Oh! when will He come I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ come Lord Jesus come quickly every Saint will eccho to Come quickly to every Believer it shall be a most welcome coming he shall come with a reward of absolution and pardon of all sin of vindication and clearing up of all names Believer's bodies shall not only have a Resurrection but their good names It shall be a reward of Coronation all their Crowns of Thorns shall be turned into Crowns of Glory 3. Is Christ coming Will he come This should bear up Believer's hearts in and under the sufferings they fear or feel Christ comes quickly therefore fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer This gives us advance into The Nineteenth Sermon Rev. 2.10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison that you may be tryed and you shall have tribulation ten dayes Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life WHence observe 1. The people of God must suffer Through tribulation through many tribulations they must enter into the Kingdome of God from a Cross into Heaven Think it not strange no not of the fiery trial thou shalt suffer 2. Whatever sufferings the people of God either are or may be in they have no just cause ground or reason of fear i.e. of disponding distrusting distracting fear The Arguments of this point are in the Text. 1. The Consideration of who it is that brings the people of God into suffering it is God God is the Disposer but who is the great Executioner the Devil whom God hates more than thou canst The Devil shall cast c. 2. It is the Devil in a chain the Devil hath two sorts of chains 1. A chain of darkness in which he is kept to the day of Judgment 2. A chain of providence he is restrained in that c. 3. The Quality of the suffering should keep them from fearing He shall cast some of you into Prison not into Hell
the Father of all comfort and there are many gracious promises God hath made to this purpose that they may be as so many Aquavitae pledges of Consolation to his people So that this will appear That it is the best Office of a Minister both to Minister and People to commend them to God 1. To Ministers it is the highest expression of their love What greater testimony of their love can they shew to their people to do all that for them that he would willingly have done and ten thousand times more Is it not an expression of love from a dying Father to his children Dear Children I am now dying I can provide for you no more I shall leave you such a Friend that shall provide for you in a more abundant measure than if I had been with you It is the best demonstration of their Faith 1. That he will not leave them to the wide world and then 2. He will not take any one he will trust his people with none but God who is able and willing to give account of them 3. It is the greatest satisfaction to his heart A Minister leaving his People can never be satisfied in his own breast that he should leave them and commit them and not to know to whom but when he knows with whom he hath committed them when he hath delivered them over to God that first committed them to him this is a great quietment and satisfaction to a Minister's spirit God layes the people as a depositum and will require an account of them at the last day Now when a Minister is taken from his people he cannot be satisfied till he hath delivered back his trust to God Lord here they are and while I was with them I did what I could but now I am taken from them here I surrender them back into thy hand when I was in the world I kept them in thy Name And so it is best for the people to be left to such a one who will keep them in all their Dangers and comfort them in all their Afflictions 3. How should a people be commended to God 1. By Exhortation 2. By Prayer First By Exhortation Thus the Apostle before and after my Text. And then by Prayer for so doth Saint Paul Calvin looks upon those Words as a Prayer brought in Always making mention of you in my Prayers Rom. 1.19 Phil. 1.4 Col. 1.3 And I trust that I shall not only now at this solemn departure but as long as I live still recommend you into the hands of God though I shall not preach to you yet I shall still make mention of you in my Prayers that God would stablish and comfort and preserve you to his heavenly Kingdom 4. Why doth the Apostle commend them to the Word of his Grace For these two Reasons First Because all the good that any people can look for is from God it is declared and laid up in the Promises and in the Gospel there is the Treasure of God it is in the Gospel The grace of God which hath appeared to all men bringeth salvation Tit. 2.11 We could never have known of the glorious mysteries of Salvation had it not been for the grace of God we could never have expected good but from the Gospel that is the great Magna Charta wherein God hath made over whatsoever concerns the eternal good of his people We have nothing to shew for grace and comfort and heaven and glory but his Gospel That is the great deed of gift that God hath given to his People poor sinners might look a Saviour if the Word of God had not revealed it those people have no ground to expect Salvation if God had not declared it in his Gospel to bestow it upon them 2. The Gospel is the only instrument by which God brings and conveys all that good to the Soul that it stands in need of all spiritual and temporal good that accompanies salvation God works nothing immediately to the Soul but by the Gospel First If any soul be converted to God it is by the grace of God And as Conversion so Sanctification that is effected by the word of God so likewise is Edification Salvation and Preservation Vse I come now to the Application It may be I have been too long already but Gods knows that it may be the last time that I may trespass in this kind and I have the Apostles example who preached at Troas till midnight but I promise to have done in a great deal less time Vse In the Application I shall in the Apostles example Commend you to the grace of God My Brethren and dearly Beloved and longed for now God by his providence is taking me away from you in the exercise of my publick Ministry I commend you to God and to the word of his Grace This I shall do First By exhorting and counsel and then by Prayer First By way of Exhortation 1. In reference to God and then 2. In reference to the Word of his Grace First of all my Exhortation in reference to God is That you would commit your selves to God If it should be so much a Ministers care to commend his people to God it 's good reason they should commend themselves 1. A Ministers commending you to God will be to no purpose if you do not commit your selves I shall alwayes make mention of you in my prayers as long as God shall continue me in this valley of tears I shall pray that God would build you up and sanctifie you I shall pray for you but God will not hear my Prayers if you do not hearken to my counsel To commit your selves to God 2. Consider if you can so commit your selves to God as to get God to take charge of you you are made for ever 1. God will be an All-sufficient God in stead of all the friends in the world you shall not need any that shall provide for you to protect you God will be All in All in stead of Father in stead of Mother Houses Lands Relations God will be better to you than ten Husbands than ten Ministers Ah better than ten thousand Worlds God can sweeten all your enjoyments God can provide for you and make you happy in the midst of the wants of Creature-comforts God is a Sun and a Shield He will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that fear him God contains all in himself Eminenter get God and you get all Let the World frown or smile let it turn upside down Though the Mountain be thrown into the midst of the Sea though the World be set on fire yet a Soul that is in Gods keeping is happy God is a present help in time of trouble 2. As God is an All-sufficient Friend so he is a firm and fast Friend to them My Father and Mother forsook me but the Lord took me up Psal 27.10 My flesh and my heart fails but God fails me not though
my Minister and my Friend leave me yet God will not leave me he is engaged by his own promise truth and faithfulness I will never never never leave thee nor forsake thee If you do not forsake God God will never forsake you if once you have so committed your selves to God as God accepts the charge he hath undertaken that you shall never depart from him It is part of the Covenant and he is engaged to all the Relations wherein he stands to his people as a Husband as a Father as a Master But you will say How shall we commit our selves to God that God may have a charge of us I will give you one Direction for all 1. Take God to be your God and give up your selves to be his people â—f you will before you and I part heartily and unreservedly give up your selves to God to be his people it will be the comfortablest day that ever I saw though in other respects it may be the saddest As certainly God is your God so certainly he will keep you if you will avouch your selves to be Gods I will avouch God to be yours 1. You must take God to be the portion of your souls inheritance lay up all your happiness in God for if you chuse any thing else for your happiness but God God will have nothing to do with you God will be All or Nothing Your hearts must say as David's Lord thou art my portion whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee He accounted all nothing for God God was his happiness God was his Portion God was his All in All. 2. You must make God the center of all your love and delight God will have all from you or nothing you must not divide your affection between God and the World you must love nothing in comparison of him love nothing but in subordination to him as you would have God to be wholly yours so you must be wholly his 3. You must rake God to be the strength and shield of hearts As you would have God to take care of you you must cast your care upon God If you place your hope any where else there will be no sure hold the Anchor of your hope must be cast no where else if you lay your burden any where else God will not lend a finger to help you but if you place your hope in God God will help you your extremity shall be his opportunity 4. You must take God to be the guide of your hearts if you would have the priviledge of God's guard you must keep in Gods way keep in Gods way and you will be sure of Gods protection do you keep Gods precepts and God will keep your person do what God commands and avoid what God forbids and then you need not fear what will become of you Let the World frown and Friends forsake you resolve that you will follow God wheresoever he leads you then he will be your God all your dayes and he will guide you here by his counsel till at last he bring you to his glory And this leads me to the second Exhortation in respect of the Gospel Secondly Brethren I commend you to the Word of Gods Grace I commend you to the Precepts of God to be obeyed by you I commend you to the Promises of God to be believed by you 1. Keep them hold them fast carefully it is your treasure life keep it and it will keep you it is all that you can shew for Heaven I leave it as a Depasitum if you part with it take heed how you will answer it at the last day it is the Talent which God hath committed to you for which you will be commended for keeping at the great day Hold fast the Word of God's grace there is old tugging by the Devil and his instruments either to pull you from the Word or the Word from you Let go any thing rather than the Gospel let go your Friends your Estates your Lives rather than let go the Gospel Study Gods Word do not keep it by you for no purpose Search the Scriptures for in them you hope for eternal life There 's the Pearl of great price there is Directions there is Comfort this Book of God will make you wise unto Salvation If you never hear Sermon more you have enough by the use of the Bible to carry you to Heaven There 's Divinity there is holiness and Heaven almost in every syllable when you cannot have it preached to you Be much in the study of it Then practice it conscionably Be not only Hearers but Doers of it let your conversation be such as becomes the Gospel Iâ— was the Apostles advice to the Philippians and its mine to you Let your Conversation be such as becomes the Gospel Let your Conversation become the Precepts the Priviledges the Promises of the Gospel Having then thus commended you to God give me leave before we part to commend God and his Gospel to you 1. Make it your daily business to walk with God make him the Companion of your lives Converse with God every day in the inward of your hearts He that is a stranger with God God will soon be a stranger to him and if you neglect God one day you may be to seek him when you most need him 2. Live in the daily exercise of Grace and Godliness 1. Live in the continual exercise of Faith live by it you have need of the exercise of that Grace every day You can as well live without food as live without Faith it is that Grace which feeds upon Christ 2. Be much in the exercise of the Fear of the Lord all the day long be afraid to sin against God in the secret of your souls mind his presence in all places in all company in all businesses 3. Be much in the exercise of Humility live humbly and think better of others than your selves Humility will exceedingly adorn your profession 4. Be much in the exercise of Repentance Be frequent and constant in Prayer Pray continually do it spiritually and do it exactly as to the season of it 5. Be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Whatsoever you do for God do it with all your might do not put off God with the skin but give him the marrow 6. Be careful not only to keep up secret but Family-worship the less preaching there is in publick the more catechising and instructing there should be in private I know no more likely means than the setting up the worship of God in private Families 7. Prize the Sabbath be strict and exact in the observation of the Lord's-day I have shewed you many times wherein the spiritual observation of it doth confist it is your Seed-time your market-day it is a sign you shall one day celebrate an everlasting Sabbath with God in the highest Heavens 8. Be stedfast in the ways of God in a back-sliding Age Keep your
in mercy to his people Sad providences producing sweet effects Directions and helps how to get the presence of God and Christ with us First Repent and humble your selves because of all your sins that you have at any time rejected the counsels of God and resused grace and mercy and neglected opportunities of doing your souls good and drawing near to God Repentance and resolution against sin come like John Baptist to prepare a way and a place for God and Christ to come to and make their abode in Of the Hearts and Houses of impenitent sinners we may well say God is not there The way to have God to turn unto us is to turn away from sin as Ephraim Jer. 31.18 19 20. He bemoaned himself and repented and God came to him as to his dear Son and to his pleasant Child Secondly Believe in Jesus Christ and by Faith get an interest in him It is by Faith only that we get an entertainment to Jesus Christ It is by Jesus Christ alone that God and man come together No man hath seen the Father at any time but the Son and he to whom he doth reveal him and he that hath the Son hath the Father Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God Thirdly Own Jesus Christ in all his offices as your King Priest and Prophet First As your King let him have the Soveraignty of your souls that he may rule over you If Christ be your King God will be your Father God loves to come where Christ hath his Throne Secondly As your Priest that his Righteousness may give you the advantage of communion with God without which we cannot come near to him and he will not come near to us Thirdly As your Prophet that he may shew you the way if his Spirit be your Guide and his Word your Rule you may be sure his Promses shall be your portion even this Promise in the Text They will come to you and make their abode with you even God and Christ Fourâ—hly Seek earnestly after God and Christ in the use of all appointed means till you come to see and enjoy their presence with you Here shall be fhewn these two particulars 1. Where we may seek God and Christ 2. How or after what manner we must seek them First Where we must seek after God and Christ First We may finde them in the works of Creation these will represent God and Christ unto us the power and wisdom of God and Christ by whom the World was made In omni re aspeciabili quaedam extant vestigia Dei In all the visible Creatures there be some prints of the invisible God so that he which lives altogether without God must needs be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without excuse having God so near him Secondly We may finde them in the Word 2 Cor. 4.6 The glory of God shines there in the face of Jesus Christ and to them that are conversant in the Word God hath promised to reveal himself Isa 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word And the Apostle gives this direction Rom. 10.6 7. Say net in thine heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach Thirdly We may finde them in Prayer Jam. 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you If you will be strangers to the duty of Prayer to the Throne of Grace God will be a stranger to you he hath promised to draw nigh to them that draw nigh to him and so in Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee Fourthly We may finde them in the communion with the people of God Where two or three are niet together in my name there will I be says Christ in the midst of them Therefore Jesus Christ directs us to go up by the soot-steps of the flock and they enquire wisely Cam. 6.1 that say to the Church of Christ Whither is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee And when the two Disciples went to Emmaus communing of Christ he came and joyned himself with them Secondly How or after what manner we must seek God and Christ Take these four following Directions First Affect your selves with the worth and excellency of this presence of God and Christ carry a high esteem of them in your hearts think with your selves how safely they are immured as the Prophet said unto his servant There is more for them than can be against them Isa 33.16 Their place of defence is the munition of râ—cks c. O what sweetnesse and satisfaction have they within with whom God and Christ abides as the Spouse doth express it Cant. 1.3 Because of the savour of thy Oyntments thy Name is as Oyntments pâ—ured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee Thy Name of Mercy Wisdome and Faithfulness how doth it refresh their hearts that have the presence of God and Christ O sweetness and satisfaction beyond expression and then conclude Si tanius quaerentibus O quantus pâ—ssidentibus If he be so good to them that seek him how good is he to them that enjoy him Secondly Labour to affect your souls with the great want and need that you have of the presence of God and Christ while men do think in their hearts they can be well enough without God and Christ they will never seek after them but say as in Jer. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more unto thee that is we have strength enough of our own we need no more of thy support and thus David brings in the wicked priding themselves in Psa 10.4 The wicked through the pride of his countenance as in the Original through the pride of his nose will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts when these proud Laodicean spirits will not seek the poor hungry desolate soul that sees a need of God and Christ finde them Thirdly Quicken your selves to much diligence in seeking The Prophet complains No man stirreth up himself to seek the Lord. It is a business of the greatest concernment and must not be attended with a cold indifferency but as one set on by a true love and where that is Non quiescit amor sed quaerit amatum Love will be restless in the pursuit of the thing or person beloved See with what heat men seek the world with much more heat seek God and Christ We must do as the woman that had lost her groat she lights a candle sweeps the house seeks diligently so we must set up the light of the Word and to work with the besom of a serious repentance and thorow-reformation and
or else be absent from you I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit with one minde striving together for the faith of the Gospel And to shut up all with that in Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Mr. Sclater's Farewell-Sermon 1 John 5. v. 1 and 21. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Little Children keep your selves from Idols THis general Doctrine I have already delivered unto you from this Text which indeed is the marrow and substance of the whole Chapter That Gospel-believing is a duty which they that really perform are highly priviledged by to their greatest advantage I have spoken concerning Gospel-believing and that is a duty and that they that do really perform it are highly dignified and priviledged by it as hath been made to appear from the Chapter that which remains to be done and shall be as God enables the work of this morning is to make improvement of this Doctrine which is one of the most material and momentous Doctrines that can be preached to us Gospel-believing it hath most precious priviledges entailed upon it Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ that Jesus is the Son of God that Jesus is come in the Flesh is born of God knows God and shall be eternally blessed of God and with God surely then the world runs upon a very great mistake I have hinted something already to that purpose but I have left the more full discussion and discovery of the matter untill now Why who is there among the generality of common Professors that is not very pregnant to hold forth this to be their Faith If so be that it should be put to the Question Friend what is your Faith What belief are you of Why not one in a thousand I think but will be apt to say Why truly I will give you this account There is a Gospel Gospel which is preached among us and in the world and this Gosspel doth hold forth this for true Doctrine that Jesus the Son of Mary that was born at Bethlehem is the Christ is the Messiah which was promised by the Father and which the world did live in expectation of so long This Jesus I believe is the Son of God this Jesus I verily believe is come in the flesh and he is come to be the Saviour of the world This is the Belief and that which is the common Profession that is made by the generality of people Why but will you consider now this Text and other Scriptures do speak fully to the purpose Whosoever doth believe this that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that he is come in the flesh whosoever believes this is of God is born of God And it doth clearly appear and may be most convincingly made out that many thousands that profess their belief concerning these things yet notwithstanding are not born of God Why certainly there must needs be a great fallacy in the business Gospel-faith and Believing it is not so common a thing as many take it to be and therefore if this be Gospel-faith and that which doth interest persons in such great and precious priviledges truly it concerns us to look well to it that we be not mistaken concerning this belief Now this I would say there is something in it to be considered with respect to the time wherein Christ appeared visibly to the world and the after-times wherein the Apostles did hold forth these great Doctrines of the Gospel concerning Christ And this we are to say that in such a time as that was when this was the critical point as it were the discriminating thing in such a time for any to make this Profession and to hold forth this to be their Faith and Belief that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God it was of high signification and might very well as to man beget a comfortable confidence and hope concerning such persons that certainly they were born of God as to man and according to rational Charity it might be very comfortable that such persons as did thus believe and profess this to be their Faith and Belief there were some blessed beam upon their Souls for mark you it hath been thus in the world and among the people of it concerning matters of God and Godliness that there hath been such and such a Truth that hath been the Critical Truth as I said that hath been as I may so say the Shibboleth whereby people are distinguished one from another I allude to that passage in the Book of Judges concerning the Gileadites they made a profession of themselves to be such and such and they were put to it to pronounce Shiboleth they that could not speak out the word and clearly pronounce it they were not judged to be persons that they professed themselves to be but they that could do it held their liberty so such and such a Doctrine is ordered out to be a distinguishing point upon the account of the desperate opposition that the world makes against it and upon this account the Priests and the Rulers and the rest of the world were desperately bent against Jesus they called him Jesus but could not endure him to be called Christ the Son of God it was an Act and Decree amongst them That whosoever should confess Jesus to be Christ should be put out of the Synogogue should be excommunicated Now for persons at such time wherein it was as much as their liberty it may be their lives weâ—â— worth to own that Jesus Christ was the Son of God for persons now â—t such a time to own this Jesus that was in so mean a condition to be the Christ there is very much in it infinitely more than for persons now to take up this profession Why because this Doctrine hath obtained in the world and it is a Doctrine among Papists as well as Protestants there is no such danger now for persons to be of this belief But shall I say this that for all that to believe this really according to the right account and true genuine interpretation of Gospel-believing the case is the same with them and with us at this day setting aside the consideration of times and time the danger then and the encouragement now the Case is the same Gospel-believing of these truths according to a genuine interpretation of Gospel-believing it is the same now as then and then as now And therefore we must consider and look further I would put these few things to your Consciences You profess this to be your Faith you believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God that he is come in the flesh these things you profess to believe if you do so indeed you are highly
hath given you saith the Apostle here This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments It is not a love in word and in tongue but in reality a love discovering it self by a consciencious care to hold conformity to all the will of God and if any should object This is a hard saying who can bear it saith the Apostle No such matter there is never a believing soul will say the Commandments of Christ are grievous or burdensome No they are light to them that are brnught over to the faith of the Gospel And the last thing I have to charge upon you upon the account of your Gospel-believing and being brought over to a closing with Christ it is this and so upon the matter I have given you an account of the substance of this precious Chapter having reduced it to that general Doctrine I propounded before I say the last thing is this That you would walk suitable to a believing state by being very careful concerning your Worships that you do perform that they be according to God and according to the Gospel and this is that which the Apostle closes the Chapter withall in the 21. verse Little Children keep your selves from Idols Amen As I take it in the former Translation it was Babes Babes keep your selves from Idols here it is Little Children I observe in this Epistle the Apostle makes a distinction of Believers into three Ranks as you shall finde in the second Chapter I write unto you little Children I write unto you young men and I write unto you Fathers in the close of this Epistle he concludes with this charge to little Children now whether he includes all the rest under this Title of Little Children I forbear to dispute but sure I am it is a duty lies upon one and the other whether they be Babes or young men or Aged Fathers in Christ Whatever our rank or condition be I am sure of this this is a great duty that lies upon all that will approve themselves in Godliness and be brought over to the Faith of the Gospel that they look to their worship and that they take heed of Idols as if he should say He that is born of God he keeps himself that the wicked one doth not touch him Oh Little Children shew forth that spiritual ability that by Grace you are furnished withall by being able to keep your selves from Idols It might be said what is this to us Are we in danger of Idols True well might the Apostle give in such a Charge to them in those â—â—mes when the greatest part of the World were in a state of Heathenism and in estrangement from Christ and the mysteries of the Gospel But this I say it doth really concern Christians in Gospel-times that have had the breakings out of the Gospel-light and the knowledge of the Gospel-mysteries to be careful of this Charge that they keep themselves from Idols there were the Idols of the Heathens grant it and so still there are a generation of people that our souls should mourn over to consider their state and are wrapt up in ignorance of God know nothing of the true God and our Lord Jesus Christ and it is the state and condition of the Jews at this day and what a sad condition are they in Grant it they worship not Idols after the manner of the Heathens yet they worship not the true God because they worship not God in Christ for saith the Apostle Whoever sins and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ he hath not God He that abides in the Doctrine of Christ he hath the Father and the Son And so the Jews at this day they not abiding not owning the Doctrine of Christ they have not God because they have not the Father and the Son this is their condition and thus I say there were not only the Idols of the Heathen Oh! but sadly be it spoken there are Idols among Persons pretending to Christ and Gospel Faith and the Doctrine concerning Grace by Jesus Christ How man Idols and Idolaters are there I might tell the Govetous person is an Idolater the voluptuous person and the self-justitiary sets up his own Righteousness and Idolizeth that But I say this there are Idols among Christians Papists hold forth the Name of Christ but yet what woful Idolatry is there among them There was the Dragon worship in the time of the Heathens and in the room of that there is come up the Beast-worship and of that worship the generality of the world runs upon and it concerns us to keep from Popish Idolatry it being the grossest Idolatry that ever was because there is the suitest petence of Worshipping JESUS and yet they turn him into an Idol What else means their worshipping and bowing to Image their Breaden gods and the like Oh therefore it concerns us to keep our selves from Idols and there is a Scripture if it were but well studied would cause trembling of heart and make all that have any care of their souls to look about them that Scripture I referr you to is in Rev. 13. compared with Rev. 20. In Rev. 13.11 whereas before there was Dragon-worship it is said here I beheld another Beast coming out of the earth and he had two Horns like a Lamb and he shake as a Dragon and he exerciseth all the power of the first Beast before him and â—auseth the Earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed now look at verse 8. says he And all the dwellers upon the Earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slâ—in from the foundation of the World Oh! it is a terrible word and that that should make us to fear and tremble lest in any kind we should be drawn into the worship of the Beast for as many as were not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb they were drawn into the Worship of the Beast This is that that should make us keep our selves from Idols from whatsoever hath but so much as a tincture of Superstition and Idolatry and the rather considering that other Scripture Rev. 20.15 And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire All that are not written in the Lambs Book of Life are prevailed to perform the worship with the Beast and not being writ there must be tumbled into the Lake for ever This therefore concerns us to keep from Idolatry from whatever hath a tendency that way and that hath any tincture of Superstition upon it and consider with your selves that our Duty is in matters of Worship and in things concerning the Worship of God to see to it that we keep a humble dependance upon God that we walk not according to the will of Men but according to the will of God You were bought with a price be not servants of men We are to walk by a Line by a
Plummet and what is not warranted by the Word of God or maintainable by Argument drawn from it we should not close with And for the closing up of all do but consider how this Chapter and the things that I have spoken to you and preached from it how they do all influence this Exhortation Little Children keep your selves from Idols see to it that you approve your selves in holy Worship to God and the Lord Jesus Do but argue thus You profess to be Believers and is it not your duty to answer to this profession Your Falth is a pure Faith and an obediential grace it is a grace that will tutor you to hang upon Christ and his appointments and Institutions and therefore being Believers study to keep your selves from Idols and whatever is not consonant to the will of God concerning Worship You believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God keep your selves from Idols in this respect for he is come into the world and hath shewed the pattern of his House and then you are born of God carry it like a people that are born of God that are high born and credit your holy profession by keeping a dependance upon that God of whom you are born and then being Believers you are born of God and have overcome the world and therefore shew forth your heroick spirit by standing out in all opposition to Idols and whatever is contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godliness You have an Unction from the Holy One and this engages you to look to it that you keep your selves from Idols And then we know saith he that the Son of God is come and hath given us understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ And thereupon he brings in this Little Children keep your selves from Idols as if he should say This is the true God God in Christ Jesus Christ the Son of the Father this is the true God and he hath eternal life with him other god are false gods and â—hat benefit will you have by following them and performing worship to â—hem Nothing but eternal death false gods can bestow no eternal life upon you but this is the true God and he can give you eternal life And therefore Little Children keep your selves from Idols And now yet one word more I would not occasion any discomposure of spirit that is not becoming you But this I must say for ought I know you have the words of a dying man and we use to say that the words of dying men are apt to take somewhat a deep impression I mean a dying man not in properness of speech according to nature and if it should be so I hope there would be cause of rejoycing on my part but I speak the words of a dying man in respect of the Ministerial Office I suppose you all know there is an Act come forth by Supream Authority and it is not for us to quarrel at all but to submit to it and hold correspondency with it so far as we can with a good conscience and there being many Injunctions that many besides my self cannot comply withall therefore we are willing to submit to the Penalty inflicted This I say you have for many years had the benefit of my poor Labours I have fulfilled near up towards forty years and have performed my service to God Christ and his People and I bless his Name not without acceptance and success My work so far I know in this course as in the weekly course is now at an end my desire is that you whose hearts have been inclinable to wait upon God in the way of my Ministry may be kept faithful to God and that you may have the blessing of the everlasting Covenant coming upon your Souls and that you may have the power of this Doctrine held forth in this Sermon put forth upon your hearts that as you do believe that Jesus is the Christ that as you profess these things you may carry it suitably to your profession that you may walk in love to God love to Christ and love to one another that you may labour to manifest a noble generous Spirit in overcoming the world in Errours Corruptions false Doctrines and unwarrantable Worship that you may in all things labour to approve your selves And littlte Children keep your selves from Idols Amen Mr. Calamy's Sermon Preached December 28. 1662. 1 Sam. 4.13 And when he came Lo Eli sate upon a seat by the way side waiting for his heart trembled for the Ark of God THat you may the better understand these words you must know that whatsoever God threatned against old Eli in the second and third Chapters because he did not restrain his wicked Sons from their lewd courses is here executed in this Chapter therefore we read there were four thousand I raelites slain by the Philistines And the Elders of Israel met together to consult how to repair this great loss they confess it was the Lord that had smitten them For say they Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines And they conclude the way to repair this their loss it was to fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh and carry it into the battel whereupon they appointed Hophni and Phinehas to fetch it whereby they imagined that the presence of the Ark would save them from ruin but herein they were miserably mistaken for this judgment befell them not because the Ark was not in the Camp but because their sin was in the Camp The Ark of the Covenant would not preserve those that had broken Covenant with God And therefore there was a great slaughter of the Israelites and were slain thirty thousand men and Hâ—phni and Phinehas were slain and the Ark it self was taken Prisoner But what was old Eli doing He was ninety and eight years old and was not able to go to the Battel but sits upon a seat by the way side near the Battel and there he sits thinking what shall become of the Ark And lo Eli sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his bea rt trembled for the Ark of God for fear lest the Ark should be taken He was not troubled what should become of his two sons or what should become of the people of Israel but what should become of the Ark of God In the words are three parts 1. Old Eli's sollicitousness for the Ark. 2. Old Eli's heart trembling for fear of the Ark. 3. Old Eli's preferring the safety of the Ark before the safety of his two sons wise and children He sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God But what was the Ark of God why should old Eli's heart tremble for fear of the Ark I answer this Ark was the holiest of all the things of God it was so holy that it made every place holy where it came
speechless Zachary and be content If God open the mouths of thy Enemies or wicked Neighbours against thee do not thou open thy mouth against them but think oft on Davids words I opened not my mouth said he because thou didst it Yet David opened not his mouth to recriminate them nor vindicate himself but took all in good part because he knew that God did it I shall now propound some considerations to contentment under the Cross I can only propound them it 's God that must prosper them to you 1. Consider for your comfort God will be with you in your troubles 2. Consider you shall be with God after your troubles I. First God will be with you Isa 43.2 When thou passest through the water I will be with thee Mind I will be with thee fear not drowning then so long as God is in the Ship Thou carriest Caesar in thy Barque said the Emperour to the trembling Marriner and therefore be not afraid O Christian thy God is with thee in a suffering time and how canst thou be afriad of that condition wherein thou hast Gods company I will be with thee in six troubles and in seven saith the Lord and surely it cannot be ill with that man with whom God is It 's infinitely better to be able to say God is with thee than to say peace is with thee or health is with thee or honour is with thee or credit or friends are with thee for in these you have but some particular good but in God you have all good and this is the first you have an excellent Scripture for it Heb. 13.5 Be content with such things as you have why For I will never leave you nor forsake you though your Riches may leave you and health may leave you yet will not I. Oh what an argument is this to force contentment in every condition to consider that he will not leave us comfortless but will come unto us Chear up then my drooping soul thou shalt never want so long as thy God hath it For by the Promise thou hast command of Gods purse and mayest be sure of his presence Let others repine do thou rejoyce and let such as be without God in the world shark and shift live by their wits but in all straights do thou live by Faith O beloved you know not how soon God may call for your comforts one after another and bring you as he did his people Israel out of a fat Land into a famishing Wilderness where no water is no comfort is what will you do in such a case as this If you please I 'le tell you when your hearts fail you and your friends thus fail you let not your hearts fail you nor your faith fail you for you have a faithful God which will never fail you but will be instead of all things to you from himself alone As Joseph said to Pharaoh Without me God will provide an answer for Pharaoh So may I say in this case without silver without gold without fair houses and rich furniture God can provide for the welfare of his people Though your means be gone yet your God is not gone and if you cannot be contented now it will argue that it was not God but your means that did content you then Well this is the first Consider God will be with thee in thy troubles and that upon a two-fold account 1. To behold thee 2. To uphold thee I. First To behold thee God sees the wrongs and hears the grievances you undergo for men though your friends looks off you yet your God looks on you Exod. 3.17 I have seen I have seen saith God the heavy Burthens and Taxations that my people undergo in Egypt As if God had said thus I have seen and so seen as that my bowels are turned within me and I can no longer hold my peace What a gracious God have we that owns his people in such a low condition wherein none will own them for saith God I have seen I have surely seen the troubles of my people that be in Egypt Fear not afflictions then for they cannot chase God from us nay they are rather advantages wherein God doth ordinarily discover himself most comfortably to us which brings me to the second Particular II. As God will be with you in your troubles to behold you so secondly to Uphold you C ham lookt on his Fathers Nakedness and laught but God looks on a Christians trouble and helps The eyes of the Lord run to and fro saith the Prophet what to do To shew himself strong in the behalf of his people Where God hath a seeing Eye there he hath a helping hand too if man can but finde a believing heart to lay hold upon it David is a witness of this truth when he saith In the dry that I cryed thou answeredst me and gavest me strength in my soul as if David had said It 's true O Lord thou assaultest me and that 's my trouble but it 's as true that thou assistest me and this is my comfort In the day that I cryed unto thee thou answeredst me and gavest me strength in my soul Object I saith the scrupulous Christian would God do this for me if he would put strength into my soul strength of Faith strength of patience strength of Grace then I should bid a freer wellome to the Cross when it comes But alas instead of this strength you speak of I finde nothing but weakness upon weakness a weak faith a weak assurance weak patience all weak Answ I answer briefly hast thou not strong Grace and doth that discourage thee it may be thou art not tryed with strong afflictions let this quiet thee hast thou not as much patience as another it may be thou hast not yet as much need of it as others their patience is greater than thine because their troubles are greater than thine In a word thou said'st thou hast not a Martyrs Faith it may be thou needest it not yet because thou hast not a Martyrs Fire a weak Faith may serve for a light Cross when God calls thee to hotter services of Christianity fear not but he will be at thy back not onely to behold thee but as you have heard to Uphold thee 2 Cor. 15. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us saith Paul So also our Consolations abound in Christ See here as men lays on troubles so God lays in comfort Hence it was that Davids heart did not fail him when all his friends forsook him 1 Sam. 30. And David encouraged himself in his God saith the Text It was sad with him at this time Zicklag was burnt his Wives taken captive he lost all and like to have lost the hearts of his Souldiers too for they speak of stoning him In this condition that David was now in he turned his face from the Creature lookt up to Heaven and encouraged himself in his God when all other visible helps shrunk from him then his
Martyrs 7. And lastly the Remish religion is a self-contradicting religion One of their Canons saith a man in some cases may take the Sacrament at the hand of an Heretick another Canon saith he may not A learned and judicious Writer observes above an hundred Contradictions in their Religion Therefore again I press the words of my Text Wherefore my beloved nay let me say my dearly beloved flee from Idolaâ—ry To shut up all let me exhort you to these two or three things First Hold fast the Doctrine of the true Orthodex Protestant Religion the very filings of this gold is precious Keep all the Articles of the Christian Faith if you let one fundamental article of your Faith go you hazard your Salvation When Samson pulled down but on Pillar immediately the whole Fabrick tumbled so if you destroy one Pillar if you let go one Fundamental of Truth you endanger all Secondly Hold forth the profession of the Protestant Religion I say do not only hold fast the Doctrine of the Protestant Religion but hold forth the Profession of the Protestant Religion Be not ashamed to wear Christs Colours Christians remember this one thing those Persons that are ashamed of Christ are a very shame unto Christ The Religion I exhort you to flee from is a novelty that which I press you to stand to is a verity it is consonant to Scripture it is built on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and hath been sealed to by the blood of many Saints and Martyrs Thirdly and lastly do not only hold fast and hold forth but also adorn the Protestant Religion this is holy Pauls Exhortation to Titus Tit. 2.10 Adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour Adorn Religion with a holy Conversation There is nothing hardens Papists so much as the loosness of Protestants Therefore adorn your holy Religion with a holy Conversation Do as Christ did tread in his steps make your Saviour your Pattern Let me assure you I can hardly think they do truly beleeve in Christ that do not really conform unto Christ The Primitive Christians Sanctity did much-what propogate Christianity And this is that beseech you carry home with you Hold fast and hold forth the Protestant Religion and adorn it with a Holy and Bible-Conversation and when you do not hear me Preaching to you yet let me beseech you hear this good Word speaking in you Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry Consider what hath been said and the Lord make it advantagious to all your Souls The Prayers of several of these Divines Mr. Calamy's Prayer at Aldermanbury OH most Holy thou ever blessed Lord God thou fillest Heaven and Earth with thy Presence We pray thee fill all our hearts with the Presence of thy Grace and let it appear that thou art in the midst of us with that powerfull assistance of thy Spirit that we may receive a token of thy love from thee at this time It is a singular favour that the doores of thy Sanctuary are open to us and that yet we may meet together in thy Name we pray the continue it to us and sanctifie it to us that every Sabbath may add to our stature in Jesus Christ We confess we have forfeited all our mercies wee have heard much of God and Christ and Heaven with our ears but there is little of God Christ and Heaven in our hearts We confess many of us by hearing Sermons are grown Sermon-proof VVe know how to scoff and mock at Sermons but we know not how to live Sermons It is a miracle of free grace thou hast not taken the Gospel from us ere this time but thou art a merciful God and though we cannot please thee yet Mercy pleaseth thee and we have no argument to bring along with us to beg thy favours but thy Mercy in Jesus Christ We pray thee that thou wilt glorifie thy Soveraignty in being gracious to us and pardon our many and great transgressions Thou makest use of the malice of men for thy Glory Thou killest Goliah with his own Sword O help us to put our trust in thee thou that canst kill and cure by killing Blesse these Nations of England Scotland and Ireland and find out yet a way to save us Pour down thy blessings upon the head and heart of our Sovereign Charles by thy Grace King of Great Britiain thou hast done great things for him let him do Great things for thee Bless him in his Royal Consort in his Royal Relations in his Council Bless the Magistrates and Ministers of this Realm Lord forgive us for we live as if we had been delivered to work wickedness we cannot sin at so cheap a rate as others do we pray thee humble us under our great and grievous sins give us repentance unto Salvation and a lively Faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ Quicken our graces forgive our sins make alive our Souls let us be such as thou wouldst have us to be make us Christians not only by an outward Profession but an inward Conversation that we may live in Heaven while we are on Earth and come to Heaven when we shall leave the Earth To that purpose bless thy Word unto us at this time and give us all grace to make conscience of what we hear and how we hear and all for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be all Glory and Honour Amen Mr. Nalton's Prayer at Foster-lane ETernal most Mighty and most glorious Lord God thou art God alone and besides thee there is no Saviour or helper our strength stands in thy Name who hast made both Heaven and Earth of our selves we are able to do nothing that is pleasing in thy sight we can pollute thy Name but we cannot honour thy Name we can run away from thee but we cannot run unto thee unless thou dost powerfully draw us by the holy spirit We can grieve thy spirit but we cannot grieve for grieving of thy spirit Oh let thy strength be manifested in our weakness look upon us with the favour thou bearest to thy children Enter not into judgment with thy servants for we cannot answer thee one of a thousand not one thought of a thousand thoughts not one word of a thousand words most of our actions have been reproveable and the best of our services have been unprofitable our omissions commissions and presumptions have been multiplyed intolerably Oh! how often have we take 〈◊〉 Name in vain while we have been confessing our sins how often haâ—â— we run from confessing our sins to the committing of sins and from committing sins to the confessing sin again as if we had but mocked thy sacred Majesty Though we know thy Favour is better than life we have parted with it upon easie terms Oh the pride and stubbornnesse that is in our hearts All the mercies thou hast bestowed upon us have not melted us into tears for our unkindnesse and all those blows that have fallen upon our backs have
of wrath will fall upon us O Lord how many ways hast thou used to reclaim us what Arts hath thy blessed Spirit used how many times hast thou approached to our souls and shewed us something of thy glory and the glory of heaven and the terrours of hâ—ll the one to allure us and the other to scare us But Oh! how many times have we grieved thy blessed Spirit who came to seal us and despised thy Son who came from heaven to earth and liv'd a sorrowful life and died a shameful death how often hath he offered us grace and glory if we would how to his Scepter but we have preferred a base lust before that excellency that he hath purchased us Oh how often hast thou condescended so far as to intreat us to be reconciled how easie hast thou been to forgive and how hard have we been to be forgiven VVe confess thou mighâ—est pass an eternal Doom upon us for we are sensible of the dishonour that we have brought upon thy Name Do thou at this time strike upon all these rocks that are in thy presence at this time give us hearts of flesh let our repentance pâ—eprare us for corversion let there be such a through conviction that thy grace and Mercy may be admirable in our eyes VVe intreat thee hear us pardon all our iniquities let us be monuments of thy grace and favour speak peace to our Consciences convey those clear evis dences of thâ—â—â—ve unto us that may inable us to scatter all our fâ—aâ—s that we may rejoice in God and have hope of glory Let the image of thy Son be engraven on all our hearts and let our souls be made subject to him while we are in the world preserve us from the evil of it If thou givest us out ward happiness give us withat inward holiness and if we do suffer help us with patience to bear all knowing we are in our journey and our passage to a better life and let our whole time be spent in a serious Preparation to appear before thy Tribunal and let us consider the unchangableness of that state hereafter Remember thy whole Church make the Name of Christ glorious in the world shed abroâ—d thy light and thy truth heavour back-slidings and love us freely Let thine Ordâ—nances continue among us and let thy blessing descend upon our sovereign Lord the King of England Scot and France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Incline his heart to thy Law make him an instrument of publick good protect his person and give him prosperous affairs Bless his Royal Consort his Relations his privy Counsel let them promote solid Piety and real Godliness Bless the Minister of thy Word and Sacraments Let their labours be precious in thy sight and remember all afflicted ones revive thy Mourners and let thy grace answer all their fears Let thy presence be in the midst of us and help us to hear as our last and let us be raised nearer heaven and make thy word powerful and effectual to all our souls and let thy word subdue our lusts and aâ—l we beg for the sake of Jesus Christ in whose Name and words we sum up our imperfect Prayers Our Father which art in Heaven c. Dr. Jacomb's Prayer at Martins Ludgate BLessed God thou art a God blessed for ever thou givest Mercy to all returning and repenting sinners thou art worthy to be praised by all that draw nigh unto thee Thou hast vouchsafed to us one Sabbath more Oh that we might all of us be in the spirit upon the Lords day that whatever we do we may do it in the strength of God that we may offer spiritual Sacrifices to God this day through our Mediator the Lord Jesus It is a very great condescention that thou shouldst suffer such as we are to come unto thee O Lord we are unclean we are unclean from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot we are overspread with the leprosie of sin all the faculties of our souls are defiled our understandings are darkened our wills are corrupted we have affections but they are carnal we have hearts but they are impure we have consciences but they are seared and as our inward man so our lives are unholy as the fountain is so is the stream besides that our general guilt that we brought into the world we are guilty of innumerable actual transgressions against thy holy Law We think O Lord there are no greater sinners in the world than we our sins are attended with many aggravations We have finned against Prayers against vows and promises we have had as much light shining before us as any in the world have had great is our unbelief Oh that we could lay these things to our hearts We do refuse to come to Christ we go about to establish a righteousness of our own and neglect the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ how are our hearts glewed to the present things of this world Oh! what do we do for thy glory How unreformed are we under all the ways of God that he hath taken to make us a holy people Give us a sight of our sins O Lord we confess sometimes we do make a formal confession but we do not find our hearts melted for sin as they should Oh take away from every one of us this heart of stone give a heart of flesh give us tender hearts make us sensible of all our departing from thee Oh let us look upon him whom we have pierced let us mourn that the Water of penitential sorrow may flow from us we are strangers to our selves we do not see what a hell there is in our nature Oh! how should we put our mouths in the dust and loath our selves if so be there might be hope O Lord convince us of sin give us such a sight of sin as may make us flie to thee give us such a sight of our own guilt that maâ—â— prepare us for the Grace of Godâ— now we are sâ—ung with the fiery Serpents help us to come to Jesus Christ our brazen Serpent give us the holy Spirit to bring us out of the state of nature to let that God that made us Creatures make us new Creatures O Lord we are thine own work but we are dead in trespasses and sins give us grace and speak a word to them that are dead put out thine Almighty Power and draw some sinner to Christ this day and those that have any breathings after thee Oh! thou that gavest them that desire carry on thine own work in them where thou hast begun a good work carry it on let sin as the house of Saul grow weaker and weaker and grace as the house of David grow stronger and stronger Oh! increase our faith O Lord at this time we do not onely stand in need of grace but of a great measure of grace Oh! help us by faith to relie upon God that thou mayest help us at last Bless