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A56706
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A sermon preach'd before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen at St. Bridget's Church, on Easter-Monday, 1696 by ... Symon, Lord Bishop of Ely.
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Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing P854; ESTC R22927
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20,343
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43
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together require WE are here assembled in the House of God to commemorate the wonderful Love and Power of God in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead For which I doubt not you are all ready devoutly to offer unto him the sacrifice of praise giving thanks unto his name as the foregoing words v. 15. exhort you But the Apostle tells you further that you must not content your selves nor think to please God with empty Praises and Acknowledgments but remember to do good and communicate to the Necessities of others for these are the Sacrifices which are most grateful to his Majesty There was an express Command in the Law of Moses which we find often repeated that when the Children of Israel came to worship the LORD None should appear before him empty Which was first ordained I observe when he enjoyned them to keep the Feast of the Passover XXIII Exod. 15. But it is afterwards explained to be meant also of the other two great Feasts mentioned in the following Verses XVI Deuteron 16. Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before the Lord in the place which he shall chuse c. and they shall not appear before the Lord empty That is without some Present unto him as a Tribute of Thankfulness for the Benefits they had received and as an Acknowledgment that he was the supreme Lord of all and they but Tenants under him Which Precept is not less reasonable to be observed now than it was under the Law but far more reasonable He being our Lord by an higher Title of our Redemption by Christ Jesus and the Blessings of the Gospel for which we make our thankful Acknowledgments infinitely transcending their Deliverance out of the Bondage of Egypt and the fruitful Seasons which they afterwards enjoyed in the Land of Canaan Therefore if not at all our holy Assemblies yet at our principal Festivals which are Three also we are bound sure to bring along with us some Alms and Oblations to our Almighty Benefactor Particularly now at this Feast which is answerable to their Passover no Man ought to appear before the Lord empty But full at least of most hearty Resolutions that he will do some charitable Act or other as a Token of his Gratitude to God who hath done so much for him and as a Recognition of his supreme Dominion over all It is always a Christian Duty to contribute to the Relief of those that are in need But now at such a time as this it is a piece of Worship A part of the Divine Service without which our solemn Feasts and Praises of God will be but empty Sounds and avail us Nothing Let us therefore be careful not to forget to do good but together with the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving offer this most acceptable Sacrifice which God expects should attend upon the other Never fail to communicate to others when you commemorate how bountiful God hath been to you Especially now when you remember the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead to be your Advocate with the Father and to exercise the Office of a merciful and compassionate High-Priest for you in the Heavens Let it raise and stir up in your hearts bowels of Mercy and Pity for the Help and Relief of your distressed Brethren When you feel your Hearts moved to give thanks to God saying with St. Peter I. 13. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead let this grateful Sense of his Goodness move you also to be merciful as your heavenly father is merciful that thereby you may excite others to bless him as well as your selves Do Good to the Poor and Needy because he is so very Good to you as to make you able to do Good to them And the more Good God hath done any of you look upon your selves as bound to do the more to others For that was the Rule which God gave for their Charity at the Three great Festivals amongst the Jews as you read XVI Deut. 17. Every Man shall give as he is able according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee Consider now how God hath blessed every one of you here present and then look upon your selves as engag'd to offer to him something proportionable for the Comfort of others at this time When you appear before him to thank him for the great Blessings of all sorts which you enjoy by the Favour of his Goodness towards you And that for these two Reasons First Because the Commemoration of Gods Benefits to us of whatsoever kind they be necessarily obliges us nay if we have any sense naturally inclines us to make some suitable return to him Who needing nothing himself bids us give it to those that do and he will take it as bestowed upon him And Secondly Because it is the very intention of this particular Benefit which we now commemorate viz. Christs Resurrection from the Dead to raise up our hearts above this World and to quicken us to all good Works of which these Sacrifices are the chief So that he hath but a Name to live who still remains covetous and for whom no body is the better He is dead and buried in earthly affections and is not risen with Christ for if he were he would seek the things that are above as the Apostle speaks III. Colos 1. Lay up treasure in heaven and not set his heart on things here beneath And accordingly we find this blessed fruit of the Resurrection of Christ as soon as ever it was published in the first Converts to Christianity For all that believed II. Acts. 44. had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need Immediately that is their minds were quite taken off from this World and they apprehended nothing more necessary than to make provision for another World where Christ is by imploying all that they possessed here in the best manner they could for his service As you are further informed IV. Acts. 33. if it be rightly understood with great power the Apostle gave witness of the Resurrection and great grace was upon them all This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or GRACE was Charity as appears by the proof he gives of it in the next words Neither was there any among them that lacked for as many as were possessed of lands or houses sold them and brought the price of the things that were sold and laid them down at the Apostles feet and distribution was made unto every man as he had need You are not bound indeed to sell all you have and give it away to pious uses as they did which was practised only at Jerusalem and in no other Church for some special reasons not now to be mentioned but yet you must not keep all you
Houblon Mayor Cur ' Special ' tent ' apud Domum Mansion ' Owen Buckingham Mil ' un ' Vic' die Mercur ' xv die Aprilis in Hebdomada Paschae 1696. Annoque Regis Willielmi tertii Angliae c. octavo THis Court doth desire the Right Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Ely to print his Sermon Preach'd on Monday last at the Parish-Church of St. Brides before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Governours of the several Hospitals of this City GOODFELLOW A SERMON Preach'd before the RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD MAYOR AND Court of Aldermen AT St. BRIDGET's CHURCH On EASTER-MONDAY 1696. By the Right Reverend Father in God SYMON Lord Bishop of ELY LONDON Printed for Ric. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church Yard 1696. THE BISHOP of ELY's SERMON ON EASTER-MONDAY 1696. A SERMON Preach'd before the LORD MAYOR c. 2 TIM II. 8. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel THese words are a solemn Charge of St. Pauls to his Son Timothy whom he had earnestly exhorted in the foregoing part of this Chapter to take care of three things First To continue constant in the Grace which he had received from our Lord i. e. in the Doctrin of Christianity v. 1. Thou therefore my Son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus Secondly To deliver this Doctrin to other faithful persons who might spread and publish it there where he could not preach it himself v. 2. And the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also And Lastly Not to be moved by any troubles or difficulties that might come in his way to neglect his Duty or be less zealous in it but in his Christian Warfare to endure hardship as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ v. 3. This he illustrates and urges by three most apt Resemblances in the three following verses 4 5 6. Which shew that it was highly reasonable he should be no less diligent in his business than Souldiers and Wrestlers and Husbandmen are in theirs Who do not expect to carry away the Spoil to win the Crown or other Prize to reap the fruits of the Earth unless they fight and strive and that according to the Laws of the Combate and undergo those Labours that belong to their Employment These things he bids him consider and lay to heart v. 7. beseeching God to give him a right understanding in all things Now that he might never fail to do according to these directions he gives him the Charge which I have now read to remember that Jesus Christ of the Seed of David i. e. the true Messiah was raised from the dead according to the Gospel which he had heard him preach This if Timothy preached constantly to himself as well as others the Apostle knew that he would find it more powerful to animate and encourage him in the Christian Service and to make him unwearied and undaunted therein than any other consideration in the world could be So the Words you see do not lead me to prove the Resurrection of Christ from the dead for which I must refer you to the Gospel which he preached where you will find the belief of it grounded upon the most undoubted Testimonies but to shew you what necessity there is to remember this and inculcate it upon your selves and others That Jesus Christ was raised from the dead according to what we read in the Gospel Why should the Apostle may some say command this to be remembred above all other things Was there not as much cause to remember the Cross of Christ to reflect continually upon his Death and Passion his bitter Agonies and bloody Sweat his cruel Torments and all the vile Circumstances of his Sufferings Yes no doubt there was and is great reason to remember both But yet you may note that when the Apostles were to chuse a Person to succeed in the place of the Traitor Judas it was not that he might be a witness of Christs Passion but of his Resurrection Act. 1. 2â— This was the great Business of the Apostleship and the great Work also of the Holy Ghost which presently came down to joyn his Testimony with theirs as you read Act. 5. 32. We are witnesses of these things speaking of Christs Resurrection and so is the Holy Ghost which God hath given to them that obey him That therefore which they were peculiarly sent to testify with the conjunct Testimony of the Holy Ghost was above all things to be heartily believed and faithfully remembred and solemnly commemorated as it is at this Festival upon more days than one which our Ancestors with great reason have appointed for this purpose For this to give a general reason of it was the only thing whereof there was any doubt there being no question at all that our Saviour suffered and was exposed to publick shame All his Enemies saw him hang upon his Cross and were as ready as any other persons in the World to proclaim and publish every where that he was accused condemned and punished as a notorious Malefactor Nay they rejoyced in hope that they were rid of one who if he had still lived was like to draw all men after him They not only confessed but gloried that he was buried and shut up in his Grave where they thought to keep him so fast that he should never stir to trouble them any more But that he suffered unjustly and was wrongfully sentenced and put to death this they denyed and resolutely gainsaid And therefore would by no means grant that he was risen out of his Tomb which they saw plainly would be to reverse the Judgment they had passed upon him and to judg and condemn themselves as Murderers and Crucifiers of the Lord of Life This therefore being the great Controversie it was absolutely necessary that the Apostles should constantly assert and evidently prove the Resurrection of Christ above all other things if they meant to gain any Disciples to the crucified Christ And when they had gained them this was to be kept in mind and carefully preserv'd if they intended to have them abide in him as St. John speaks that is persist in the belief and practice of his Religion As I shall now proceed to shew by laying before you how much depends upon the Resurrection even all the Faith and Hope and Comfort of a Christian For I. First the Resurrection of Christ from the dead was the strongest Proof of the most fundamental Point in our Religion II Secondly It removed the greatest Scandal that lay â—n the way to the belief of that fundamental Poâ—â—t III. Thirdly It gave all Christians full Satisfaction thâ—â— God was abundantly satisfied with what our Saviour Christ had done and suffer'd IV. Fourthly It verified the whole Gospel which relies upon this as the undeniable Evidence of it