than a Crown my principal Joy Hence observe this Doctrine That the fixed standing flourishing growth of Saints in Gospel practice and Gospel obedience is or ought to be matter of transcendent Joy to their Pastors It was so to the Apostle Paul Paul heard how they stood though there was a plague amongst them yet they were not infected and though he was in the Gaol ready to be beheaded yet this was his Joy and Crown that his people did stand and I hope my Brethren it will be our joy and crown to hear of your standing and growth in Gospel-knowledge and profession And 1. If this be so as John said I rejoyced greatly that I found of thy Children walking in the truth It should be the prayers and endeavours of all Pastors really to love the souls of their People and to pray for them that when they cannot look after the souls of their Children yet that good Nurses may be lookt out for them What a joy was it that Moses's Mother was made his Nurse and who can tell it may be though not out of any merit of ours yet of their own clemency our Governours may give us to be Nurses over our own Children but if I cannot Nurse my Child my self I will wish it well and as good a Nurse as I can far be it that those that are to succeed should not prosper Lord it shall be the prayers of thy servant that those that are to succeed may have a double and trebble portion of thy spirit that they may be both painful and faithful c. 2. If the peoples growth in grace and knowledge be matter of Joy to a faithful Pastor then what do you think of those that hinder their thriving I shall give you two Scriptures John 12.19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves they durst not speak publickly but who was it against why it was against Christ perceive ye how ye prevail nothing behold the world is gone after him But we will order him for that we will lessen his Congregation if we cannot do that we will shut the doors against him see Mat. 23.13 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men what shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men what the Pharisees that pretended they had the Keys of Heaven and to be the guides I that it is because there is not room enough in Heaven for us and them too No faith Christ there is no such matter for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in I dare not tell you at this time what it is to shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men you may better imagine it than I can speak it but thus did the Pharisees they would not go in themselves nor suffer them that were entring to go in I remember when I was a Child we had such a Minister that would one Lords day preach up Holiness and the next Lords day preach against the practice of Holiness And now my Brethren I come in the next place to speak to the last part Stand fast and because I see a Hurricane a coming keep your ground stand fast and live in the Lord here that you may live with him hereafter Mr. Lye's Second Sermon Aug. 17. 1662. Phil. 4.1 Therefore my Brethren dearly Beloved and longed for my Joy and Crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly Beloved FRom this Scripture you have these three Doctrines 1. That the highest Officers of the Church of Christ though they are Rulers of them yet they are but brethren to the meanest Saints 2. That it becomes a true spiritual Minister of Christ to have a most vehement ardent strong melting tender affection to that flock or people which the providence of God hath committed to his charge 3. That the fixed standing flourishing and thriving of that flock in the profession and practice of Gospel-knowledge and obedience is matter of transcendent joy and triumph to such a godly Pastor The fourth which is that I would now prosecute is this That it is the grand and indispensible duty of all sincere Saints in the most black and shaking seasons to stand fast fixed and stedfast in the Lord. This is a grand thing St. Paul had to say to the Philippians when he was ready to have his head cut off for so it was he was beheaded for the testimony of Jesus this is all he had to say when in Goal and in Bonds and that under Heathen Romans you are now my Joy you are now my Crown Oh! do but stand and my Joy which is but two notes above Gamut will get to Ela Oh! do but stand and my Crown is studded with Diamonds we live if you stand though we dye when you stand It is the great and indispensible Duty c. Whether these are black and shaking seasons I have nothing to say but I am wholly now upon your Duty Beloved and for Gods sake let the words of a seemingly dying Minister prevail with you There is a kind of a Maxim among some that in case a person dye seemingly and revive again that the last words that was heard of that person when in a rational temper are the onely things that that person will remember when brought to life again It is most probably Beloved what ever others may think but in my opinion God may work wonders neither you nor I shall ever see the faces of or have a word to speak to one another till the day of Judgement Therefore I beseech you hear me as those that would and may live with me to Eternity mark your Duty I have spoken something concerning the Pastors Duty in the morning now for the peoples It is the indispensible duty of all sincere Saints to stand fast c. I confess I have a love for the whole Auditory I have a mess for them but my Benjamins mess is for those I once called my own people you are my Benjamins I wish I had a greater than a fifth for you This proposition I shall first prove and then secondly improve In the worst of times in the most shaking seasons and if I do not greatly mistake there is an hour of Temptation threatned by God now beginning to be inflicted if ever you would stand stand now and for your comfort let me but hint that a Christian may stand comfortably when he falls sadly that is he may stand by God when he falls by man I knew that a great many years ago First then It is our duty to stand There be Scriptures more then enough to prove this to be your Duty Col. 1.12 Stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God Phil. 1.27 Onely let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you alas poor Paul thou come and see them thou wast beheaded before thou couldst come and see them but or else be absent I may hear of
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-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
profess themselves Sons of the same God Members of the same Christ Temples of the same Spirit should be at deadly jarrs one with another It is strange and unnatural that Lillies should prove Thorns to one another that those who are Saints in pretence should be Devils in practice to one another that Gods Diamonds should cut one another this is very strange yet thus it is But now especially it is most sad when Religion which should restrain and bridle our passions is made fuel and incentives of them How farre distant is it from the counsel of the Apostle Rom. 14.10 where he speaks concerning their lesser differences one values one day above another another esteems every day alike what 's His counsel he speaks as a person that was fill'd with bowels and compassion Oh saith he let not him that doth not esteem the day judge him that doth For we shall all stand before the judgement-seat of Christ there we shall appear all upon a level stand upon equal ground and receive our final doom from him This therefore should calm our Spirit Why may there not be some differences in judgement without division in affection for it is as impossible that all judgements should be of the same extent as all our faces to be of the same colour and figure Therefore consider what an injury it is to our Profession how doth it obscure the glory of God and lustre of our Religion 3. Doth not the publick enemy rejoyce over us I mean the Papists do they not warm themselves at the sparks of our Divisions For you know the old Maxim of Divide and Reign therefore it should compose our spirits and quicken us to labour after union Vnmortified lusts are thence whence all Wars and Enmities springs in the World The Apostle Paul when he would compose their differences he doth not lay down Rules to decide their controversies but to correct their secret passions pride self-seeking revenge c. This being the seed of all disturbances in the Church And although these Lusts may not be conspicuous and visible to the eyes of men yet they are certainly the fuel of our distempers The sum of all is this those that have the Spirit of God they cannot but mourn and be sensible of these divisions I know a great part among us are unconcerned some rejoyce those that are rather buried in the affairs of the World and incumbred with much business or those that are steeped in the pleasures of sense are altogether unaffected with these things stand as Newters disregarding all events But the Saints of God cannot but mourn over them when our divisions hinder the progress of the Gospel are serviceable to nothing but to the Kingdom of darkness Therefore I beseech you let what hath been spoken quicken you in your prayers to God to pray for the peace of Jecusalem that 's the least effect of our love and desires after peace and by all endeavours to labour to bring back peace to us that we may see that prophesie fulfilled in our time that the Lord should be one and his Name one amongst us Dr. Bates's Afternoon Sermon Heb. 13.20.21 Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever THe Apostle describes God by the effects of his power and love That brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus The Resurrection of Christ from the dead is one of the most transcendent testimonies of Gods love and power towards us 1. Of his Love because as the Anger of God was that which crucified our Saviour so on the contrary it must be his Love that should raise and restore him Christ when he died he looked upon God as an Enemy as a Judge and as those colours which we see conveyed to us are answerable to the Medium through which we see them as if we look through a coloured glass we see the object of that colour So the Lord Jesus when he was upon the Cross looked upon God through the black-cloud of our sins and through the red cloud of his Fathers wrath and so dyed as a Sacrifice to Divine Justice But when he was raised from the Grave that was the testimony of Gods love to him and of his love to us for he died as our Surety he was arrested for our Debt he was cast into the Grave as into a Prison But by his Resurrection he was redeemed from Prison and Judgement And therefore you shall find when Christ was risen he salutes his Disciples with this Peace be unto you Luk. 24.31 There was the dawning of peace at the Incarnation of Christ for then the Angels sung Peace upon earth but the compleat Sun-shine of peace was at his Resurrection when he had made full and compleat satisfaction to Gods Justice for this was a clearing of him before all the World when God raised him from the Grave And in this respect it was very agreeable for the Apostle to say The God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus 2. It was the eflect of Infinite power You know it is naturally impossible for a dead body to quicken himself to revive but for the Lord Jesus who had the load of the sins of all the Elect upon him who was as it were secured in the Grave by Gods Justice and Power for him to rise again This must be an effect of Insinite Power in the Great God Thus raising of Christ sometimes 't is attributed to the Son being God equal with the Father But here 't is attributed to God and therefore when the Scripture would speak with the greatest magnificence of the Power of God it expresses it thus That power which raised Jesus Christ from the dead When Christ wrought deliverance for the lost world all those who were commited to his charge This could be no less then the work of an infinite Power And upon this account also it is very proportionable to the design of the Apostle for that prayer he makes to God is for that which onely can be accomplished by Infinite Love and Infinite Power i.e. to make the Christian Hebrews perfect in every good work to do his will I come to a further description He that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus the Title of the Lord Jesus was onely given to our Saviour after his Resurrection he was called Lord before and Jesus before but these two Titles were ever united till after his Resurrection hey came to see the place where the body of the Lord Jesus lay the reason was this because the Resurrection of Christ was a solemn Proclamation to the World that Christ was the Son of God 'T is true this Title was given him immediately upon his
Christ was your Laws and Customs above or below my Word Must your Law be ruled by my Word or my Word by your Dâ—ctrine Did not all Christians hold out this that the Word of Christ was above all authority in the matters of Christ Shall the Members of the Body become greater than the Head Therefore you could not be ignorant in this case your own professing me to be so great in all my Natures and Offices but when you come to practice then you will deny me Shall we be able to answer this We must consider of this that if we would please God it must be through Christ and then we must carry our sâ—lves as directed by Christ Jesus in his Word and nothing can take us off that principle no pretence whatsoever for Christian Religion is such a thing in the nature and substance of it as Jesus Christ is the Author of Therefore if Christ be the Author all that belongs to Christian Religion as to its substance we should account nothing of moment in Religion but only that which we can ascribe to Christ as the Author of it The care of the Church is in the hand of Christ whatsoever providences are let in on the Church to exercise or try the Church all must be born patiently but every Member must worship him God hath made Jesus Christ a Shepherd c. In what he finds fault we must not justifie what he commands we must approve what he calls to be done we must practise what is not his we must not own as his Much may be drawn from this both for instruction and consolation that Christ is the great Shepherd though he die in his Members he shall rise in his Members I may say though he die in his Ministers he shall rise in his Ministers Isa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor cut of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever This is a part of the Covenant that the Word and Spirit of Christ shall be continued among the Members throughout all Ages God will provide his children shall not live without a Spirit neither without his Word God hath engaged himself for both for the one as well as the other that there shall be a super-addition and perpetuating of them and herein we must depend upon the faithfulness of the great Shepherd of the sheep Mr. Venning's Farewel-Sermon Heb. 10. Verse 23. Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised THat Christians are greatly concerned not only to believe and to make Profession of their belief but to hold fast their faith and the Profession of it is that which I have already proved unto you the several Obligations that lie upon Christians hereunto have been in one or two Sermons handling among you the great Obligation here annexed is for he is faithful that hath promised From whence and from other places of Scripture I have deduced several Arguments and propounded them unto you the last of which was this None can promise us better than God can none can threaten us worse than God can and therefore it concerns us to hold fast If any man can do more for you or against you than God can leave God and cleave to that person but seeing that is impossible let it be as impossible for you to leave God Can any body promise you better than Heaven and that God hath promised to them that do believe Can any threaten you with worse than Hell and that God hath threatned to them that do not believe I shall now proceed to touch the remaining Arguments that are behind and give you a few helps with which I shall conclude this discourse at this time I pray God I may not say Preaching too There are several Arguments to be drawn First From the Subject concerned Vs Secondly From the Object the Profession of our Faith And Thirdly From the Act with the Qualifications Hold fast without wavering First From the subject concerned Vs Let us hold fast whatever others do if they let go Faith and God and Heaven and Souls and All yet let us hold fast Whatever the Apostle speaks of or to Believers there is a very great Emphasis in the word we or us as in the first of Tim. 6.8 saith he Having Food and Raiment let us be content Indeed he might have said let every man be content but the Emphasis lies in the us if no body else will be content yet let us for a Christian lies under more Obligations to all manner of vertue than any other man doth If Nature will not be content with little yet let Grace Let us be content So here let us hold fast our Profession It may be others will let it go I but let us hold it fast let us among whom let us upon whom let us in whom such mighty things have been done by God let us hold fast or else it will be an intolerable upbraid and condemnation to us That it will be both see but two Texts of Scripture the first is in Mat. 11.20 21. Then began he that is Christ to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Wo unto thee Chorazin wo unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in Sackcloath and Ashes but I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of Judgment than for you And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down unto Hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained until this day But I say unto thee that it shall be more tollerable for the land of Sodom at the day of judgment than for thee Pray do but mark what an upbraid their is and what ground because mightier works had been done among these than among others Now it seems to be a little excusable that they where these mighty works had not been done did not repent and therefore their punishment shall be more tollerable but it will be more inexcusable for them among whom less mighty works have been done If they do not comply with the design of God their condition will be far more intollerable They that have been lifted up to Heaven as it were that have as it were seen Christ crucified before there eyes for them to Apostatize and turn away from Châ—ist of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy Certainly thâ—se very persons that have great and mighty works done among them upon them too great Convictions and strong Resolutions and yet they shall Apostatize Oh! how will God upbraid
as the Word of Truth The Word was written after the Church but as it is the Word of God it 's before it This therefore will break the snare if you be set upon by the specious name of the Church look that the Church hath warrant from Scripture-Institution and then submit to Church-Institution A second Rule I observe men would set up to betray poor souls from the faith once delivered to them is Ancient Custom our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain When they would hold forth that which the Scripture is short in they will send us to such and such customs of so many hundred years standing It is to be bewailed that the date the standing of false Doctrines and false Worships is so ancient for though at first they were but Innovations yet to succeeding Generations they become old And 't is a very great truth That what is the most ancient is the most true and therefore there lies a great snare in this Therefore when Antiquity is pretended if you find not their hoary heads in the way of Righteousness there is little reason for you to reverence them or comply with them no more than there was reason so suddenly to be taken with the Gibeonites mouldy bread and clouted shoes When matters of Antiquity are pretended say as Ignatius Jesus Christus est mea Antiquitas Jesus Christ is my Antiquity so say Truth is my Antiquity for though an opinion hath been practised a thousand years yet men may have the Word of Truth in their hearts that is ancienter than all A third Rule that men would set up is The general course of the World or Place the generality of those where they live This was that the Popish Party did often mention to the witnesses of Jesus Christ What! will you be wiser than others Can't you do as others do must you be singular And this is a taking Rule for to make you conformable to those things possibly the Word of God will not warrant if you bring not this custom to the Word of God 'T is not what the most do but what we may do 't is not what the practice of all in general is but what ought to be the singular care and strict holiness of Christians in particular that the Word of God will allow Christians are not to be conformable to the present World Rom. 12.1 The Word will tell you It is no more safe to follow a multitude to do evil than it will be sweet to be in Hell with a great company The Word will let you know the secrets of the Lord are with a very few and those them that fear him as for the whole world it lies in wickedness The Word will tell you The wayes of Jesus Christ and the profession of Jesus Christ is commonly called a Sect it is every where spoken against and men hate it every where Therefore set up a Rule in your hearts in your houses in your meditations in your practise Rule 2. Be very well rooted and established in the faith that hath been delivered to you I observe one of the great reasons why Christians so easily let go the profession they have made is because they were never well built upon it nor established in it There are many Christians that through their own itching ears heaping up Teachers to themselves have never been rooted or established in the truth the Lord pitty them and keep them this day Many Christians that have attended to establishing means yet never seriously considered nor laid things to their heart but are like those the Apostle speaks of Heb. 5.12 that had need to learn the first Oracles of God How many among us profess with the highest but have little ground for their faith onely with the Jews the Traditions of the Elders the custom of the place Education and because such a party of men say so because no body denies it because Ministers commonly preached it but to have any solid and serious ground they are yet to seek 'T is not with the things of God as with other Arts as Logick Rhetorick Astronomy in these Arts the principal is presupposed to be proved no man goes about to prove there is Reason that there is Number that there are Heavenly Bodies because sense and experience shews it But 't is quite otherwise in the things of God for you are not onely to run away with the notion that there is a God that this God is one and that these are his Words and his Works but you are to know this by experience because the knowledge of these things comes by infusion by faith by a belief that God is For by faith we believe the Worlds were made by the Word of God Hebr. 11.3 It is that therefore I would press you to that you would labour for an established Spirit Do not onely hear the things of God but see them the first will but blinde you or at best leave you at great uncertainties the last will settle you What was the reason of the holy Apostles zeal when they were under the greatest threatnings of the High Priests and were forbid to speak in the name of Christ and to speak of Justification by faith and the Resurrection of Christ from the dead and forgiveness of sins by him things that are further remote from sense and reason the Apostle will tell you Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard Hence it is that poor silly women that in respect of their Imbecillity and Infirmity of Sex the terrours of the fire and faggot might have been such to have brought them to Apostacy yet they confounded the great Doctors and Rabbies when they were brought before them they were able to burn though they could not dispute they beheld things that were invisible It 's an excellent thing not to take up the Word upon notion upon opinion but to have an established heart through Grace I shall direct you in two words 1. Get the Lord by Prayer to teach you every truth what Jesus Christ teaches once is everlastingly taught no word is abiding but what the Lord Jesus teaches himself Look as it is with Satan when he comes to seduce men from the truth he will present such a fine notion without and commonly he darts in some dazling light within so that you never knew a Heretick take up a false opinion but it was with a marvellous deal of sweetness and comfort so when the Lord Christ teacheth by his Spirit he comes with that light that sweetness savour and relish of truth as will be impossible for you to let it go Hence when Christ would confute the Pharisees who had the witness of his Father in his work he saith Joh. 5.37 Ye have neither heard his â—oice at any time nor seen his shape It 's an excellent thing to see the shape and hear the voice of God 2. Be well rooted upon Christ or else you will never be established in any â—ruth of Christ
condition of the Apostles themselves they were Earthen Vessels they had such weaknesses men subject to the like passions as we Vse 2. Secondly As for the people this may improve in all the notions and considerations of an Earthen Vessel First In regard of the meanness you must not esteem the Gospel according to the Vessel according to the disparagement of the Vessel a Vessel of dishonour in respect of its matter may be a Vessel of honour in regard of the Gold that is in it those members of the body that are weak and in themselves less honorable we afford a great deal of honor upon them in deeking and cloathing them So the Ministers work and employment and the Doctrines they bring are excellent and of great use when all is done we have that we serve for according to the imployment we are put to we are honorable though outwardly mean Wicked and base men are called Filii Terrae they are Sons of the Earth Job 30.8 Children of Fools yea Children of base men they are viler than the Earth i.e. Men of no account as one saith the Earth groans under such ungracious persons but gracious persons are Vessels of honor as it was said of the Giants of old so it may be said of these They are men of Renown and so we shall esteem of them Worldly men look at the outside and so esteem of them so was Christ dealt with Is not this the Carpenters son So those Teachers in Corinth endeavoured to render Saint Paul his presence weak and his speech contemptible 2 Cor. 10.11 that so they might make his Ministry contemptible also But this glorious Treasure is in Earthen Vessels You know saith Paul Gal. 4.13 that through infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel unto you at first This was their commendation v. 14. But my temptation which was in my flesh you despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Jesus Christ All his weaknesses and whatever was matter of discouragement they did not despise but honorably entertained him even as Christ himself So it was the commendation of the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2.13 That they received not the word as the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God looking to the mighty God to make it effectual so should all others do upon this consideration 2. Seeing Ministers are Earthen Vessels in regard of moral infirmities which adhere to them in respect of their corruptions and weaknesses judge of them as men but esteem of what is righteous in them though they have great advantages against sin yet notwithstanding they are not totally exempted and free from sin as they are Ministers so they are men 3. In regard that Ministers are Earthen Vessels in respect of their frailty Seeing then they are so frail and transitory therefore accordingly you should make use of them deal kindly and affectionately with them in that they are quickly broken What is sooner broken than a Glass or an Earthen Vessel Ministers are quickly taken away and therefore you should be tender of them while you have them Where are all the Fathers Do the Prophets live for ever The Word of the Lord indeed indureth for ever but the Preacher of it doth not the Gospel is eternal but the Dispenser is mortal the Calling is lasting but the Minister is transitory and therefore you should carry your selves with all tenderness and respect to them take heed of grieving their spirits seeing they are so soon broken Endeavour also to improve by them and to get as much good as you can by them It is a great argument to work while it is day because the night comes when no man can work whilst God affords means and opportunities make use of them we are but Passengers therefore this is a great ground for you to get all the good you can by Ministers seeing they are frail Lastly By way of Improvement Take notice of the wayes of God as different from mans God puts excellent Treasure into Earthen Vessels we keep treasure in Strong Holds in the strongest Repositories Gods wayes are not as our wayes he goes another way than we do he makes use of the poorest meanest and most frail Creatures sometimes he layes aside many times men of greater abilities parts and quality and makes use of weaker to do this great work Chrysostome makes an Expostulation If it be excellent Treasure why in Earthen Vessels therefore it is a Vessel of Earth because an excellent Treasure Thus Gods wayes are unsearchable this is the Improvement Now besides this interpretation given of it there is another that will not be impertinent Some understand by Earthen Vessels the Expressions Words and Phrases of the Ministry through which the Doctrines and Truths of the Gospel are conveyed this is agreeable to what went before Some false Teachers in Corinth pleased themselves with eloquent and enticing words of worldly Wisdom and so endeavoured to render Pauls preaching despicable in regard of the plainness of it Therefore saith the Apostle we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels i. e. familiar conveyances that so we may easily understand it Thus I have explained this Earthen Vessel and so have done with the first considerable part viz. the Dispensation it self This Treasure we have in Earthen Vessels I come now to the second viz. II. The account of this Dispensation That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us Which words may be considered two wayes First Either Absolutely as lying in themselves Or Secondly Connexively to the words before going 1. Take them absolutely as they lie in themselves and two things are exhibited 1. The excellency of the Gospel and Ministry it self called Power 2. The Author and Original of it laid down two ways positively of God and negatively not of us 1. The excellency of the Gospel and Ministry thereof called Power There is a great deal of power and efficacy in the Gospel 't is in its nature powerful and efficacious so the Ministry of it Rom. 1.16 I am not ashâ—med of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one thâ—t believeth See 1 Cor. 2.4 Paul's preaching was in the dimonstration oâ— the Spirit and of â—ower c. 'T is called the Arm of Gods Power the Sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 'T is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit c. Heb. 4.12 and many other places We may conceive it to be so according to the various effects and consequences of it viz. as to 1. Conviction 2. Conversion 3. Consolation 1. 'T is powerful in regard of Conviction 't is a word of Conviction and one part of the work of the Ministry is by the Spirits co-operation to convince the World of sin to open mens eyes to shew them the vileness of their ways to discover such courses to be sinful the
them not sink within us Secondly I argue from the abundance of praying people that are in this Nation there are many that night and day pray unto God that the Ark may not be taken and let me assure you God did never forsake a praying reforming people When God intends to destroy a Nation and take away the Ark he takes away the Spirit of Prayer but where God gives the Spirit of Prayer there God will continue the Ark. You all know that if there had been but ten good men in those five Cities God would have spared them We have many hundreds that fear God in this Nation that do not give God rest but night and day pray unto God for this Land And who knows but for their sakes God will spare the Ark. Thirdly another ground of comfort is this that God hath hitherto dealt with England not by way of Rule but by way of Prerogative we have had un-churching sins all the Reign of Queen Elizabeth and of King James and the godly Ministers have been threatned ruine from year to year but God hath hitherto saved England by way of Prerogative God hath spared us because he will spare us according to that Text I will be graciâ—us to whom I will be gracious God will not be tyed to his own rule and who knoweth but God will deliver us Fourthly another ground of comfort is that God is now pouring out his Viols upon Antichrist and all this shall end in the ruine of Antichrist God is pouring forth his Viols upon the Throne of the Beast and all these transactions shall end in the ruine of Antichrist though some drops of these Viols may light upon the Reformed Churches and they may smart 〈◊〉 a while and God may severely punish them yet it will be but for a little while but the Viols shall be poured out upon Antichrist God may scourge all the Reformed Churches before these Viols be poured out and persecution may go through them all the which I call drops of these Viols but the Viols are intended for Antichrist and shall end in the time of Antichrist and whatsoever becomes of us yet our children and our childrens children shall see the issue of the Viols poured out upon the Whore of Babylon This I speak for your comfort Fifthly I am to exhort you that you would all of you contribute your utmost endeavour to keep the Ark of God from being taken and here I shall shew you 1. What the Magistrate should do 2. What the Minister should do 3. What the People should do First what the Magistrate should do I shall say but little of them because I am not now to speak to them they are to use their Authority for the settling of the Ark for the Ark of the Covenant will be like the Ark of Noah always floating upon the waters until the Magistrates settle it Thus David 2 Sam. 6.12 he gathered together all the chosen men of Israel thirty thousand to fetch home the Ark. So Solomon he assembled the Elders of Israel and the heads of the Tribes the Nobles the chief of the Fathers of the children of Israel to Jerusalem with a great deal of pomp to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord into its place O that God would encourage our Nobles Magistrates that they might be solicitous to settle the Ark Magistrates must not be as the Philistine they had the Ark but what did they with it they set it up in the house of Dagon but Dagon and the Ark could never agree where false Religion comes in at one door the true Religion goes out at the other you must not put the Ark and Dagon together Secondly what must the Ministers do to keep the Ark from losing They must endeavour after holiness the Ark wil never stand steddy nor prosper upon the shouldiers of Hâ—phni Phinehas A wicked prophane drunken Ministry will never settle the Ark it must be the sober pious godly Ministers that must do it How holy must they he that draw nigh to the God of holiness Thirdly What must the people of God do that the Ark may not be lost there be five thing I shal comemnd unto you then commend you to God 1. You must not Idolize the Ark. 2. You must not undervalue the Ark. 3. You must not pry into the Ark. 4. You must not meddle with the Ark without a lawful Call 5. You must keep the Covenant of the Ark. First You must not Idolize the Ark that was the sin of the people in the Text they thought the very presence of the Ark would excuse them and keep them safe and therefore they carried the Ark into the Camp though they reformed not and repented not yet they thought the Ark would save them So many there be that think the Ark will save them though never so wicked but nothing will secure a Nation but repentance reformation Secondly Do not undervalue the Ark this was Michal's sin 2 Sam. 6.14 15 16. When David danced before the Ark and Michal mocked him and despised him in her heart but saith he it was before the Lord and if this be vile I will he more vile Some men begin to say what need we any preaching will not reading prayers serve Others say what need so much preaching will not once a day serve Now this is to undervalue the Ark therefore let us say as David if to preach the word if to fast and pray for the Nation If this be vile then I will be more vile Thirdly We must not pry into the Ark this was the sin of the men of Bethshemesh 1 Sam. 6.19 They looked into the Ark and God smote them and cut off fifty thousand and threescore men Be not too curious in searching where God hath not discovered or revealed For example there be great thoughts of a heart when God will deliver his people and set his Churches at liberty and many men talk much of the Year 1666. that shall be the year wherein Antichrist shall be destroyed And there are strange impressions upon the hearts of many learned men as to this Year some go to the Year 1669. and others pitch upon other times but truly if you will have my judgment and I am glad of this opportunity to tell you This is to pry too much into the Ark Remember the Text Acts 1.17 It is not for you to know the Times or the Seasons which the Father hath put in his own power And thus to conclude upon any particular time if you find you are deceived it is the way to make you Atheists and that afterwards you shall believe nothing And those Ministers do no service or rather ill service to the Church of God that conclude of the Times and Seasons A Popish Author saith that in the Year 1000. there was a general belief over the Christian World that the day of Judgment should be that Year but when theâ— saw it happened
ground while others fall away stand fast in the Faith Be not ashamed to own Christ before all the world reckon upon the reproaches of Christ and count them greater riches than the Treasures in Egypt Do not place Religion in a few shadows when the substance is neglected do not think that God will be put off with the skin without the substance and by your holy Conversation labour to put to silence the foolishness and ignorance of wicked men that men may have nothing to accuse you but in the matters of Jesus Christ that you may cut off occasion from them that seek occasion Let no reproach make you lay aside holiness and say If this be to be vile I will be viler still And love all those that have been instrumental for your spiritual comfort Forget not to contribute to the necessity of the poor Saints think that God hath given you your Estates for such a time as this for this is acceptable to God Bless them that curse you pray for them that despitefully use you so shall you heap coals of sire upon their heads when you are reviled revile not again Do your duty to your Superiors to those that God hath set over you and so carry your selves as it was in the case of Daniel that they may find nothing against you save in the matter of your God In all things let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ That I may rejoyce in the day of the Lord Jesus that we have not run in vain and laboured in vain And labour to keep up that Christian love which in this place hath been more eminent than any where I know I would preach St. John's Doctrine Little children love one another And that my expression may be pathetical I shall speak it in the words of the Apostle in Phil. 2.1 2. If there be therefore any Consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind I now have but a word more speaking of yours and mine own comfort under this sad Dispensation 1. It is a Minister's comfort that when he is taken from his People he can yet Commend them to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build them up and to give them an inheritance among them that are sanctified And truly my dearly beloved in the Lord this is my great work now when I am a dying to you as to my publick Preaching My beloved I am very sensible that it is a very sad and solemn thing for a Minister to be rent from a People that he loves as his own Soul that he hath laboured among for to bid adieu to those solemn meetings wherein I have preached to you wherein we have mingled our sighes and our tears before the Lord wherein we have rejoyced and sat down before the Lord at his Table Now to think that I must Minister with you and for you no more in these Ordinances methinks it is a heart-breaking consideration to think that I am now dving in this congregation to think that I now dying whilst I am preaching but this is my comfort under these sad thoughts that I can Commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace to one that is able to keep you and to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are senctified Like a dying Father I can commend you to the care of such a Friend infinitely able to supply all that I could not do for you It is the comfort of a dying Father when he sees his children weeping round about him that he can commend them to a Faithful Friend willing to do that for them that he desired to do and a thousand â—imes more I would hope that I have some children that I have begotten to Christ by my Ministry towards whom my bowels yearn but hiâ— is mâ— comfort that I can put them into the Arms of their and my heavenlâ— Father of their and my blessed Redeemer to be keâ—thâ— the powâ—r of God There are many poor souls that are yet in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity and if the Lord had seen good I would sain have seen of the travel of my soul in their salvation but I can commend them to God who knows them who belong to his Eleâ—ion he can either restore or can do it by another hand and you that are in any measure grown in Grace I will be willing to be helpful to your joy and instrumental to your comfort But I commend you to God who is alle to give all grace to you and to keep you sied fast It will be some alleviation of sorrow though I must leave you and dye to you as to my publick Ministry that I hope I may a while go up and down and converse with you to be among you The Lord grant this favour that I may behold your stedfastness 2. This may be your comfort as well as mine this may be the comfort of all those poor Congregations that are like to be made Widows by the Metaphorical death of their Guides and Pastors but I leave you into the hands of all Grace and of all Comfort This is a black day upon Israel when so many faithful Ministers are slain at one blow this is a day of gloominess and darkness in many Congregations for so many Ministers to be beheaded in one day What hath England committed Is it not some high Treason If we look to the cause of it why so many Ministers are as dead in one day as so many Children without a Father And if we look upon this cause what hath caused God thus to deal with us we must complain Oh! our unfruitfulness Our fearful unthankfulness under the mercies of God This will be the Emphasis and sting of our grief and this should be the matter of our grief And then if we consider the sad Prognostick what it doth seem to foretel It is a sign that when God lays aside so many faithful Ministers of some scourge or calamity that is coming upon us But you that can lament this Judgment you that can lament the sad deprivations of these powerful Ordinances Remember that though your Minister be dead God can raise you up others in their stead and where the way of instruments are wanting He can do it without them and those that are begot in Christ shall be preserved and those yet unbrought in who belong to the Election of Grace shall in Gods due time have the effectual work of the Spirit wrought upon their Souls For he is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among them that are sanctified And though I take this solemn leave of you as to this publick Exercise yet if the Lord shall open the door and take of those bands of Death that the