before him in his Temple for ever A sweet meditation especially in the time of sicknesse and in the houre of death against the crawling wormes and the place of silence I know saith Iob that my Redeemer liveth and that hee shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth and though after my skin Wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reines be consumed within me Iob 19.25 26 27. O what meanes doe many use to keepe themselves aliâ—e yea to preserve the bodies of their friends being dead from putrifaction they imbalme them in Spices and lay them up in Marble yet all will not do the bodies of Kings and Queens must yeeld to rottennesse onely a good life makes our bodies immortall Fifthly Our bodies shall bee spirituall 'T is sowne saith the Apostle a naturall body 't is raised a spirituall body For then they shall bee sustained by the Spirit without meat and drinke not as Moses on the Mount for fortie dayes onely but for ever and ever and whereas now the flesh lusteth against the Spirit there being a Law in the members rebelling against the law of the minde Then the body shall bee subject to the Spirit and in all things attend on him Sixtly and lastly This body saith the Apostle is sowne in weakenesse it riseth in power whereas now wee are weary of kneeling in prayer weary of Prayer it selfe Insomuch that Aaron and Hur must attend Moses to hold up his inseebled hands but then shall our bodies bee able to performe their owne actions without desatigation they shall then bee able to move themselves any way with ease upwards downwards backwards forwards more easily then now to lift up an hand and hee shall change our vile bodies and make them like unto his glorious body according to his mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himselfe Yea not onely man but the Heavens and the Earth shall in that day bee as it were new borne Behold saith God I create a new Heaven and a new Earth So it is likewise in 2 Pet. 3. Whereas the Heavens now give raine and snow c. then they shall exhibit Christ Matth. 26.64 Hereafter shall yee see the sonne of man sitting on the right hand of power and comming in the clouds of Heaven Whereas the Heavens are now ever whirling and wheeling about alwayes winding up the thread of mans life then they shall stand fast for ever the Heavens shall rest from their motion and receive a greater perfection of brightnesse and claritie The ayre shall be purged from obscurity the fire from consuming quality the water from putrifaction the earth from weeds and all hurtfull creatures yea from barrennesse she shall bring forth as before the Fall without labour and Husbandry And all this for the comfort of the Saints who are to passe this way into Heaven in their long white Robes as Princes through some Gallerie into their Chambers of Presence Then this Earth howsoever now a Valley of Teares shall be unto us a Doore of Hope in the Valley of Achor The wicked shall see this and by it as through a Crevise the glory of Heaven but themselves shut out of both But when shall this regeneration of the Creatures be When the Sonne of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory First Christ shall come to judge the quick and dead so it is said Acts 10.42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testifie that it is hee which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead So againe in the 17. Chapter verse 31. Because he hath appointed a day in the which hee will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that hee hath raysed him from the dead And so wee beleeve Hee knowes all even our most secret thoughts Hell and destruction saith Salomon are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the sonnes of men All things are naked and broken up before him and as hee knowes all so hee is able to punish and that not the body onely hee can cast both body and soule into Hell Revel. 20. Whosoever was not found written in the Booke of the Lambe was cast into the Lake of fire First this should teach us feare and trembling Knowing the terrors of the Lord saith the Apostle Paul wee perswade men And saith the Apostle Peter if yee call him Father who without respect of persons judgeth every man according to his workes passe the time of your sojourning here in feare 1 Peter 1.17 Secondly learne from hence to looke to your Packes see what Wares you carry with you for in that Day all must be opened Thirdly learne hence to agree with your adversarie while you are in the way If you were to dye to morrow what would you doe to day how spend your time And yet you may dye sooner Take heed At the Tree falleth there it lyes Fourthly Art thou injured slandered mifused any way Remember a Day is comming wherein all must stand at Christs Tribunall You saith Corah with his Complices unto Moses and Aaron you take too much upon you Numb. 16. And what doth Moses answer To morrow saith hee the Lord shall shew who are his And 1 Cor. 4.3 4. But with me it is a very small thing that I shon'd be judged of you or of mans judgement yea I judge not mine owne selfe for I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord Therefore judge nothing before the time untill the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall every man have prayse of God Fifthly Art thou afraid to appeare before the Judge Remember it is thy Saviour the dyed for thee If Pharaohs Butler feared not to got before him because Joseph had assured him of Libertie how comfortably then are wee to appeare before the Judge being alreadie assured all shall goe well with us Hee is our Judge who is our Saviour and Mediatour a most comfortable Meditation I am your Brother saith Joseph unto his Brethren I am your Brother Joseph This could not but comfort them howsoever conscious of their injuries done him So it is here Sixthly It Christ must be our Judge how warily then and holily are wee to live now that wee may not be ashamed at his Comming Peter being on the Seas and seeing his Master on the yonder shoare girds his Coat about him One would thinke hee should rather have cast his Coat from him No no hee was to appeare before his Master and hee would appeare comely 2 Cor. 5.10 For wee must all appeare before the Iudgement-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body
A THREE-FOLD CORD To unite Soules for ever unto GOD 1. The Mysterie of Godlinesse opened 2. The Imitation of Christ proposed 3. The Crowne of afflicted Saints promised As it was compacted by M. Richard Head M. A. and sometimes Minister of the Gospel in his Labours at Great Torrington in Devon Published now after his Death for publike profit ECCLES. 4.12 A three-fold Cord is not quickly broken LONDON Printed by E. P. for Fr. Coles and are to be sold at his shop in the Old-Bayly at the Signe of the Halfe-Bowle 1647. To the Readers HOnest Readers for I dare bespeak no other This Posthumous Worke of the Reverend Author given to my perusall by his surviving Consort with desire to make it of publike benefit is fit for none so much as for you who are delighted in Honest Things Other Histrionicks Athenian and wanton Readers are taken up with Play-Bookes Newes-Bookes and Scandalous Pamphlets yet would they turne their eyes upon Spirituall and serious Discourses it might prove better worth their labour even to make them better To all therefore that desire to be good or to doe good I shall commend this little Worke as not unbeseeming their view The severall Tractates are not large as perhaps the subjects of them might desire they being of great extent yet a short and sweeâ— representation of them will make none losers who may reade some of them in larger Volumes set out to the full If the Mysterie of Godlinesse the Imitation of Christ the Crowne of afflicted Saints be matters delightfull to you you may passe through this little Garden and crop sweet Flowers growing upon every Root The Subjects doe garnish enough the Labour of the Author and his Labour enlighten's them My prayer is that by this Light your Soules may be guided to obtaine this Mysterie this Christ this Crowne here blazoned Your labour then will not be lost in Reading nor mine in perswading you thereunto The God of Spirits write in your hearts what you reade here in him I am Yours bound to serve you for Jesus sake GEO HUGHES August the 7. 1647. I Have read these three pious and profitable Sermons the first intituled The Saints Inheritance the second The Mysterie of Godlinesse the third The reward of Imitation and doe license them to be printed and published JOHN DOWNAME THE SAINTS INHERITANCE A Sermon Preached in Torrington the second of February 1642. JAMES 1.12 Blessed is the man that endures tentation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crowne of Life which the Lord hath promised to those that love him WEE have here an Argument unto patience and chearefull suffering verse 10. Let the rich man rejoyce when brought low to an ebbe like a River emptied Durus hic Sermo this is a hard saying who can beare it 't is hard for any especially for a great man to endure vexations per se harder yet to endure them with joy True 3 and therefore that the man brought low may not onely endure his pressures but endure them with joy the Apostle encourageth him thereunto propter aliud from or for something else and this no lesse then a Crowne of immortall Glory and so would have him to goe chearefully on assured that his labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord In the words we have first a proposition and then secondly the proofe thereof In the proposition first the subject or person spoken of and secondly the 〈◊〉 or thing a firmed of him First the subject 〈…〉 The 〈…〉 dinariâ— pitch {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} looke a little back and you shall see him vers. 9. Let the brother of low degree rejoyce when exalted and let the â—ch man rejoyce when brought low 'T is then some great man the Text here speakes of some great man in adversitie and yet not simply so but one who being in adversitie is there by tempted and yet which is worse {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} enduâ—eth the remptation neither shrinking from it nor sinking under 〈◊〉 and there lyes the point of Christian braverie and gallantrie By tentation in this place then we are to understand afflictions whether from within by a prick in the flesh and the bufferings of Satan or whether from without by the molestations of malicious and malignant enemies by the revisings and reproaches of the ungodly by unkindnesse of friends and the â—tinesse of such as have beene neere and deare unto 〈…〉 king from us the choyse of our affection 〈…〉 24.16 calls the pleasure of the heart and 〈…〉 fo the eyes or whether the Lord lay his hand upon our bodies in some painefull and pining Sicknesse in a word whatsoever affliction the Lord be pleased to lay upon us suppose it be that wee cannot make lesse by imparting it to others all is to â—rie us Afflictions are but Tryals Dear Deâ—r 8.2 And thou shaft remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these fortie yeares in the Wildernesse to humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine heart whether thon wors◠〈…〉 of any thing within us for hee understands all our thought long before Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the sonâ—es of men But that what is in us may he made 〈…〉 both to our selves 〈…〉 whether it be Pride Impatience or any other whatsoever Rebellions 〈…〉 Faith Hope Love Patience and other the lovelyest Graces of Gods holy and sanctifying Spirit which like the â—tarâ—es in the darkest night are most illustrious in blackest times of trouble and adversitie Thus also would the Lord trie our uprightnesse and sinceritie â—imes of Peace Plâ—nâ—ie and Prosperitie there is rooâ—e for Satans objection against us as against holy jobâ— Doe those and there serve theâ— for nothing 〈◊〉 not thou thus and thus blessed them And it may be that many in those better dayes served God son the blessings of his left hand c. Like little Children who say their Prayers to have their Breakfast But when in times of great afflictions when God is turning his Children our of doores a begging exposing them to eminenâ— dangâ— now to serve the Lord now to adhere unto him chusing rather to have our bodies torne from our soules then our â—es from our Redeemer This demonstrates that we are not base and â—cenarie that though we cannot serve God without wages yoâ— did not serve him for wages but at least primarily for himselfe and the lovelynesse of his Nature Afflictions then are no arguments of Gods displeasure â—ay when blest and sarâ—ctified they are arguments of his love and favour and 〈◊〉 â—ey are when by them God separates what he hates from he person whom he loves I know saith David that out of very faithfulnesse thou hast caused me to be afflicted And againe Blssed is the man whom thou chastisest and â—chest in thy Law Not therefore blessed because afflicted but therefore blessed because by afflictions
made wiser made more holy more humble c. Afflictions like Jonathans Arrowes are sent not to hurt 〈◊〉 but to wâ—rne us like the Shephâ— Dog sent out not to bite but to bring us in from straying and so from danger And if Afflictions be Tryals then must we when under them as now at this time all of us in respect of the publiâ—e especially looke to our selves for now as the losing or the â—ving of some speciall Grace or Blessing Now God is trying me whether I will repent of my sinnes goe home to my Fathers house whether I will hold out in my journey to Canaan or backe againe to Egypt c. Truly what you are in affliction that you are and no more Is there any among you who being under afflictions lives by faith manifesteth his graces is thereby drawne neerer to God in a spiritualâ— disdaine of all things here below Is there any here that truely and experimentally can say of his trouble Itâ— good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learne thy Statutes Psal. 119.71 Reade here an argument of Gods fatherly love hee scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth and then say of thine affliction thus turning thee from sinne and death as David to Abigail when she turned him from his fury Blessed he the Lord God of Israel who sent thee this day to meet me Oh the memory of this may doe you good another day It followeth As afflictions are tryalls so 't is said of the great man under them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a word made up of two and so would speake unto us two points 1. When God is pleased to lay afflictions on us for our tryall we must 〈◊〉 stay in those afflictions till he that layed them on shall please to take them off 'T is said of Joseph that till the time was â—ome the Word of the Lord tryed him God knowes as how so when to deliver his servants in the Mount he will bee seene and therefore in whatsoever afflictions we are we must wait his will and pleasure and stay his leysure too Dan. 11.35 And some of them of understanding shall fall to trie them and to purge and to make them white even to the time of the end because it is yet for a time appointed And Isay 28.16 He that beleeveth shall not make haste The Plaister must lye on till the Sore be healed wherefore Jam. 1.4 Let patience have her perfect worke This makes against those who can indure afflictions for a while but if a little lengthned they grow weary and impatient saying as hee in 2 Kings 6.33 Why should wee walt on God any longer Away they goe to some indirect and unlawfull wayes or else they murmure repine blaspheme c. And truth is there is too much impatiencie in the best Mica 7.4 The best of them is as a Bryar the most upright is sharper then a Thorne-hedge They kick but it is against the pricks and so by their impatiencie they only hurt themselves they make their burthen more heavie and God more angry Read and tremble Numb. 11.1 And when the people complained it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the Campe Heb. 10.36 Verily you have need of patience that when you have done the will of God you might inherite the promise wherefore as our Lord and Saviour adviseth Luke 21.19 In patience possesse we our owne soules this shall save us from the evill of affliction Quamvis non ab exteriere alieno tamen ab intimo nostro August Though not from the evill that is without us yet from the evill that is within us Abide patiently Might you for the least of the sinnes Rome calls veniall have not onely deliverance from troubles but great preferment yeeld not on any tearmes Heb. 11.35 And others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtaine a better Resurrection Let not God goe in these your wrestlings till with Jacob you have got a blessing Have you not heard of the patience of Job Jam. 5.11 And have you not seen the end of the Lord So soone as the Just Man seeing the folly of his impatiencie and distemper yeelded and submitted the Lord made an end of his afflictions See Job 40.4 what he saith Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Now heare the Lord vers. 6. Then the Lord answered unto Job out of the Whirle-winde and said Gird up thy loynes now like a man c. And surely as David sings The patient abiding of the just shall never be forgotten Nay if thus you suffer you shall be more then conquerers through him that loved us Revel 12.11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lambe and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death But they are malicious men by whom you suffer say you and this is that that moves you Be it so and so it ever was is and will be Gal. 4.29 But as then he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit even so it is now But then say I First If because they revile rayle reproach you you againe revile reproach and rayle on them as fast what difference is there inter provocantem provocatum Tertâ—ll betweene you and them onely this they sinned first and you sinned next Secondly Who or whatsoever be the instruments of your afflictions 'c is God permits them he hath an hand in all your troubles Is there any evill in the Citie saith the Lord and I have not done it Say then as Job to his Wife Shall 〈◊〉 receive good at the hands of God and shall wee not receive evill Say wee as our Lord and Saviour Shall I not drinks of the Cup my Father giveth me As for the molestations of the wicked as Pilate unto Christ threatning him with crucifying because he spake not when he was spoken unto John 19.11 They could have no power â—ver you were it not given them from above Here then you must also see the hand of God and lay your owne hand upon your mouth See what David doth 2 Sam. 16.10 12. And the King said What have I to doe with you ye sonnis of Zerviah So let him curse because the Lord hath said unto him Curse David who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so It may be the Lord will looke on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day Psal. 38.12 13 14. They also that seeke after my life lay snares for me and they that seeke my hurt speake mischievous things and imagine deceits all the day long but I as a deafe man heard not and I was as a dâ—mbe man that openeth not his mouth