a high esteem upon this grace to look upon it as the most glorious Stone in the Ring The rest have their luster this is both resplendent and medicinal heals broken souls It is no wonder if St. Jude give it the preheminence since it is both the leading grace and brings the first glad tidings of salvation and also the Mother grace whence all others have their birth and original Without this what are all our works and duties but as we say of the vertues of Heathens Splendida peccata Where faith is not layd as the foundation all our devotions acts of piety charity observance of Sabbaths Ordinances nay that great performance of Prayer are but like that structure built on the sand Mat. 7.26 Without this we can no more appear before the Tribunal of Gods justice then stubble before a consuming fire In the word it is faith that must make us profitable in obedience it is faith that must make us cheerful in prayer it is faith that makes us successfull and in all performances it is faith that makes us acceptable This is that wisedome Job 28.16 17 18 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.8 the price whereof is above Rubies the Topaze of Ethiopia cannot equal it it cannot be valued with pure Gold This will give comfort joy and peace under all distractions make the soul skip like a Lambe leap and dance for joy Other divine qualifications may make you confident but it is faith only that must give you your assurance There cannot be such an abasement where faith will not lift up the head and render you victorious Justice gives every man his own temperance will restrain lusts magnanimity will bear and go through any hardship prudence is an excellent guide to our actions but it is faith that overcometh the world in this Paul insults and triumphs over men and Angels Heaven and Earth Rom. 8.38 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am confident or perswaded That neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You will have a better heart both to the price and the esteem of it if you seriously advise with these considerations The Author The Offices and the Effects of it First Look upon it as Gods gift from whom every good and perfect gift cometh as a fruit of his Spirit Gal. 5.22 This will make it excellent and lovely Let us a little view it in that great interest of our souls the high act of justification we shall there finde it to justifie Infundendo creat creando infundit not as mans faith but as the work of God in in the soul It is an excellent place Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God faith may be in us but it is not of us that is not from any power of our own but it is a meer gift of God both in the habit and in the act of it Justification is is a free Act of and from eternity without any condition on our parts and that Evangelical righteousness by which we are justified is without us in Christ It is the finger of God that works faith in the soul and having wrought it puts it upon acting thereby to evidence justification to the soul As a father having layd up for his son a great Treasure in some secret place tells him of it and bestows it freely upon him but wanting the possession and enjoyment of it the son is no richer for it till the father lights a Torch guides his son to the hidden Treasure and puts him into the actual possession of it Thus is Faith Gods Instrument by which he discovers to our souls the unvaluable riches of Christ which in the minds and purpose of the Donor was ours from Eternity and evidenceth us to be freely justified lending us that light of faith whereby we apprehend enjoy and apply Christ to our souls It is called the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 Whose evidence Gods evidence given us by which he declareth and manifesteth to our consciences those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the invisible things of our justification and salvation and when given it is our evidence also by which we possess Christ and pleads our actual justification against all the accusations of the Law sin and Satan then we have the witnesse in our selves 1 Joh. 5.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods witness so it is sometimes read witnessing to our spirits that we are the children of God we are justified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there answering to the Hebrew Chinnam excluding all both hope of advantage on Gods part and preceding desert in man upon any account whether of faith or works excluding as well merit as rewards hereby intimating that all our works are the works of God in us yea faith it self in that great and high Act of justifying is Gods gift I have here made a little digression to acquaint you with the excellency of this grace that you may set a higher value upon it not only because it is Gods gift but so high and precious a gift of his right hand whereby he gives us an interest to Christ and all his promises and evidenceth eternal life to our souls 2. Consider the Offices of faith which besides union to and communion with Christ formerly named are these two First acceptance wherby we are made willing to receive Christ upon Christs own terms what his terms are he himself tells you Luke 9.23 If any man will come after me he must deny himself and take up his Crosse daily and follow me This is the receiving act of faith and is therfore called the hand of the Soul not for its working quality purifying the heart reviving the dead spirit working by love carrying the Soul through all discouragements these are indeed the works of faith but for its receiving and accepting quality accepting righteousnesse in Christ receiving him as a gift of his fathers love imbracing the promises afar off and laying hold on eternal life The working righteousnesse is Christs the Office or act of faith is accepting applying receiving yeelding consent to that righteousnesse The other Office or Act of Faith is resignation whereby we give our selves wholly up to Christ spirit soul and body to be guided and byassed by him this is that spiritual marriage Eph. 5.17 betwixt Christ and the Soul by which as the soul hath a propriety and right to the body name goods table possessions and purchase of Christ so she doth reciprocally become all his by an unconstrained resignation of her will ways and desires unto his guidance and government we become the servants of Christ to be ruled as well as to be aided and protected by him then doth Christ own us and he stands ingaged to watch over and care for us Then
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat 8.26 carnally fearfull so the word signifies if you look Revel 21.8 and why because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were of little faith and this fear is directly sinfull when we fear the creature more then the Creator blessed for ever This is that fear the Lord speaks of Isa 8.12 Fear not their fear and our blessed Saviour Luke 12.4 5. Fear not them that kill the body c. And though this fear may have and frequently hath natural weaknes for its foundation yet it is only then sinfull where nature outvies grace and self interests are more valued then the glory of God I deny not but there is a fear due to man upon Gods account Rom. 13.6 Fear to whom fear c. there is a reverence due to the persons and a regard to be had to the Laws of men But God being alone the proper object of our fear makes that fear which is due to man due to him only in and for the Lord whose image he beareth in a more high and eminent manner by vertue of some Authority or dignity derived to him from God who is the Fountain of honour and whose sole propriety it is to ordain powers the words implying both invention and ratification Rom. 13.1 the Powers that be are ordained of God 3. There is a spiritual fear and that is a filial reverential fear of God arising partly from a sense of want in our selves which fear commonly supposeth and partly from the apprehension of Gods excellency not in his greatnesse only but also in its goodnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is that fear which keeps the whole man in a religious respect a holy dreadfulnesse a sweet dependance upon God that commands him to walk as in the presence of God that his whole conversation seems one undiscontinued holy and religious adoration take that one example of Joseph Gen. 30. This is that we call the grace of fear the affection of fear is in all men naturally but the grace of the fear of God is a part of Sanctification and is not found but in the elect natural and carnal fear betray the succours of the soul but this strengthens and confirms it I call it spiritual first from the Object which is God second from the efficient or working cause of this fear which is the Spirit of God called therefore the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord Isay 11.2 Thirdly from the Subject the inward or spiritual man hence is the fear of God inward and spiritual the worship of the mind the heart the conscience will and affections all hereby carried out to God Fourthly From that spiritual work or effect it hath upon the soul spiritualizing and sanctifying both our selves and our sacrifices changing the whole man from a carnal worldly sensual selfish interest to a holy heavenly spiritual frame of heart Now this spiritual fear may either be taken generally and so it includes all graces and gracious dispositions of spirit As faith includes all Evangelical graces in the New-Testament so doth the fear of God in the Old compare Prov. 13.14 with Prov. 14.27 Or else more particularly for that single grace whereby the Soul is over-awed with the excellencies of God the greatnesse of God working the fear of him as a Judge and the goodnesse of God working the same fear as a father It would be a task too large for the small time I have to spend to run through all the branches properties and effects of this fear I shall now speak only to a few of them and those the most useful for you in reference to the present times and your present wants there are no words like those in due season Pro. 25.11 or upon their wheels you shall have them without nicenesse or affectation the common itch of the Pulpit according to my wonted manner with all plainnesse plain instructions best beseem a dying father and are the best remembred by his children I shall now wave all other accounts and present it to you as a New-years gift a rich Ring set with precious stones which I shall desire may be continually worn and carried about with you And first to fear God is to have faith in him a precious stone this is called by St. Peter precious faith without this we can neither fear him nor please him 2 Pet. 1.1 What the Apostle saies Rom. 10.14 how shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved the like we may say of other graces how can we either love or serve or fear or glorifie God except we believe in him it was faith that made Enoch's work acceptable and was the ground of the translating there spoken of whether the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.5 mean exemption from death as Elias is said to have been under the Moral Law or some other deliverance it matters not certainly it was through faith the Embleme of the Gospel it is sometimes called the mouth and the ear Crede mandu casti August 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but most properly the eye of the Soul hereby we see through the things of this world and above them we meet with an object worth our loving and looking on we see Christ and God in Christ and in him mercy peace salvation we look out of our selves Heb. 12.2 and meet with Gospel truth righteousnesse in another a Surety a Mediator we see the brazen Serpent that cures out wounded souls John 3.14 therefore the words here used for fear is by the LXX in the seventh verse of this Chapter rendred to see noting that to fear God and have faith in him is to see God and beyond reason to have an in-sight into those Mysteries which were denyed to the Angels 2 Pet. 1.12 As the eye in the body is the Organ by which we see things visible so is faith in the soul to see the things of God hereby we peep through the Curtains of earth and mortality and take a view of Heavens Treasures Hence come our great priviledges union with Christ Eph. 3.17 and consequently an intimate and familiar communion with him in his promises Sonship Victories Intercessions Faith is that spiritual Ligament that makes us one with Christ Other graces as Love Patience Meekness c may be the grounds of a moral Union and make a man like Christ but it is faith only that is the foundation of a mystical Union and makes a Beleever one with Christ I do not intend to insist upon the Nature Properties and Effects of Faith I have heretofore made them out to you My present Task relates to the present times and your-both present and future benefit There is not any grace more disesteemed and misesteemed slighted and mis-judged then this branch of Divine fear Let me therefore commend to you two main Remembrances to be treasured up by you when your eyes shall be deprived of your Teacher And First I would advise you ever to set
must the Soul have all Christ and Christ the whole soul no sharing no competition with any lust but Jesus Christ becomes all in all to us and we are made willing to follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth 3. Consider the admirable vertues or effects of faith this also will help to put a high esteem upon it Faith dissolves the Plots of all our spiritual enemies it will give you a conquest over sin the Divel and the World it will quicken your souls Gal. 2.20 Sanctifie and Purifie your hearts Acts 15.9 hereby you shall obtain whatever you stand in need of and God hath promised it will bear you up in all dangers discouragements desertions deaths hereby you shall stand live walk be saved c. this will bring you to God to whom no man comes but by Christ nor to Christ but by faith I could be large in these things if I had not formerly made them out to you The Lord bring them home to the hearts of every one of you This is the first main remembrance To have a high and precious esteem of Faith Secondly I would advise you ever to have a right judgment of Faith Every fancy in these days is pretended for faith and light and the soul easily mistakes presumption or credulity for this great grace therefore it will much concern you to know and ever to remember that is not a bare acknowledgment or assent to divine truths and the promises of Christ as the Socinians would have it but an application or closing with Christ in those truths and promises for not the promises of Christ barely but the person of Christ is the object of faith It is a resting upon Jehovah a rolling a mans self upon God as one tired under his burthen casts both himself and his burthen upon something that sustains it Prov. 3.5 Isai 10.20 As Saul tired with fighting leaned upon his Spear 2 Sam. 1.6 I do not mean in this place that inferiour Act of faith the trusting God with our temporal well being though even this be a beleevers prerogative and makes all those dreams and wishes of the old Philosophers the Scepticks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Stoicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Epicures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to become the reality and acquisition of a Christian a holy Epicurism which faith and only faith furnisheth us with but I mean that faith which closes with the blood of Christ for eternal life and salvation There is an excellent place in Rom 10.10 where man is said to beleeve with the heart noting that it is not a bare closing with divine truths in our understandings Jews and Devils will do that but a consent or walking up to the goodness of God in Christ whereby he is loved above all things longed for and trusted to above all things becomes food rayment life all things to us And this you must look upon as Gods work too None can thus close with him but they whose hearts the Lord openeth Acts 16. Before I pass this Branch of divine fear there is one thing I would put you in mind of it will much help your judgment of faith and it is this That true faith is ever waited on with self denial where this is not there is no faith nor fear of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 9.23 Faith carries with it an Abdication not only of natural but spiritual self the soul findes vanity and nothingnesse not in reason only but in duty also without Christ In Josephs vision the Sun Moon Genesis 37 and Stars did obeysance to him and all the sheaves in the field bowed to his sheafe In the soul life way and work of a regenerate man all moral abilities and endowments all natural powers and faculties of the soul nay all supernatural gifts and graces prostrate themselves at the feet of Christ Then will the soul follow Christ in the knowledge of his will in the belief of his promises in the love of his truth in the obedience of his commands then wilt thou lay aside thine own wisdom as an empty Lamp thine own will as an evil commander thine own reason as a false rule thine own affections as corrupt Counsellors thine own ends as base and corrupt marks to be aimed at Not a hoof shall be left in Aegypt Exo. 10.26 thou wilt empty thy self that thou mayst be capable of Christ go out of thy self that thou mayst come to Christ Christ will reign as that Centurion Mat 8.8 9. come or go the poor heart is ready for him take away this your faith is no more then a pretence a self flattery you must go quite out of your selves before you can enjoy a Saviour The LXX have not cast Adam into a sleep as the Hebrew Text but into an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2.21 a being hurried out of himself to make him capable of an helper if you shall not meet with this upon inquiry into your own spirits your faith is naught and all your service and worship of God and affront to your Redeemer or to give it the best language plain Pharisaism and Hypocrisie and God will one day cast all your duties as dung and dirt in your faces and say Who required these things at your hand The Lord give you self-denying hearts The Lord encrease faith in every one of you This is the first Jewel or Stone in the Ring He that fears God beleeves in him To fear God is to wait on him and for him an excellent and useful Lecture frequently inculcated by the Prophet in the Psalms as a fruit of the true fear of God he doubles his expression Psal 27.14 Wait on the Lord wait I say on the Lord He joyns waiting upon God and keeping his way Psal 37.34 Observe what high promises the Scripture makes to this waiting Immunity from shame Psal 25.3 The inheritance of the earth Psal 37.9 Renewing of strength mounting up with wings as Eagles c. Is 40.31 New supplies of spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they seem to be quite spent and lost a change to be better conditioned flying over all difficulties they meet with Isa 40.31 deliverance from enemies Prov. 20.22 The fulfiling the desires of our hearts c. But how or wherein you should wait upon God and express your true fear of him is my task now to acquaint you Much of this I shall from my own experience commend to you and I hope you will not forget my words another day They will be of great use to you Wait upon God in his ways and wait upon him in his time I cannot commend any thing more advantagious to you whether you look at the present distempers and distractions of the world or the future comfort and settlement of your spirits upon all accounts First wait upon him in his own ways the ways of his Ordinances and the ways of his Dispensations First in the
A Farewel SERMON Preached in VVAKE-FIELD January 1 1655. By Thomas Parker Master of Arts late Minister of that Church Published upon the importunity and for the satisfaction of the good People of Wakefield 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.4 LONDON Printed by J. M. for Richard Lownds at his Shop at the White Lyon in St. Pauls Church-yard 1656. To the ever Honoured and my very good friend Mrs. Frances Hustler at Lupset Madam IT was not any Ambition to be seen in the Press but the daily importunities of my ever dear people which brought this Sermon to see the light when I Preached it I had no other thoughts of Printing it thâ—n in your breasts I shall think my pains well bestow'd if the eye may so second the ear that both may be an advantage to the Soul and leave so deep an impression of the true fear of God in your hearts that you may be the Epistle of Christ written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God Madam You will meet here with the words of truth and sobernesse in a plain and homely dresse that which an age never more wanted nor could lesse indure Truth is like Beauty never more fair then when she goes the plainest This discourse will meet with my Adversaries but be welcome to my friends to whose Consciences rather they their Closets I desire to commend it For my own part I desire to refer my self to the wisedom of God who knows how to chuse best for me and through his blessing whatever it cost me to run the Ermin's fate fall into the hands of the Hunter rather then foul her body The great share that New-Years day had in your tears makes me bold to beg some interest in your Prayers and I shall not despair in Gods good time of my restauration to the Vineyard In the mean time I commend you and yours to that bloud of sprinkling which speaketh better things then the blood of Abel Madam I am Your affectionate friend and servant in Christ Jesus Tho. Parker From my study at Northgate-head June 24. 1656. ECCLES 12.13 I Am this day to take my leave not only of you my good people but of the Pulpit also To bid farewell to that High Calling the great Harvest of Heaven wherein I have for these eighteen years painfully and faithfully and I bless my God fruitfully laboured I do not herein strive to justifie my self God knoweth my heart if there be any glory it is the Lords I know the Apostles Rule very well Not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10.18 I know not well upon what account to commend this Sermon this day whether as a Farewel to you or a Funeral to my self for so indeed it is To impede the execution of that Calling wherein we are employed and whereby we should do God that service for which he hath Commissionated us To force the rusting of the Talents which our great Master hath commanded us to put to usury To stop our mouths and put out our eyes when our hands are at the Plough What is it but to bury a man alive or to leave him like that wounded Pilgrim in the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 10.30 How bitter would this Cup be if the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ had not sweetned it What an excellent saying that is The servant is not greater then his Lord nor the Disciple above his Master If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you c. And lest they should forget so necessary and useful a Doctrine he puts a special Memento upon it Joh. 15.20 Remember the words that I have said to you c. What ever shall befall me or any of my fellow Labourers We shall ever pray that God may bless his Church and I doubt not but he will in his good time restore her to her Purity and her Peace Old Mercies thankfully received are strong ingagements for new Your spirit will witnesse with me this day what cause I have to blesse God as much I think as any man that ever laboured in his Vaneyard First for my persecutions It is an excellent saying of St. Paul 2 Cor. 12.10 I take pleasure in persecutions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words is a Gospel Expression and signifies a willing pleasing Approbation not without much inward contentment The most precious thing that good Apostle ever desired to receive he expresseth by this word namely to be present with the Lord. 2 Cor. 5.8 And the most precious thing that ever he desired to give he expresseth by the same words namely The Gospel of Christ and his own soul 1. Thes 2.8 and here he makes use of it to shew how well he was pleased and how much he did approve of himself and his Doctrine because of these persecutions as being undoubted evidences of the truth of Christ I should for my own part have suspected my self yea and my Doctrine too if both had not been persecuted I look upon my persecutions as love Tokens from Heaven Pledges of Gods love and Badges of my own Sonship Let me tell you my good people there is no condition in the world so highly desireable as that of suffering for and with Christ Jam. 6.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this was Divinity in St. James his days Was it not the minute of his sufferings wherein Steven saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand Shall we think our selves worthy to be stiled the Disciples of Christ and run away or deny him when he comes to the Crucifying When she who is the Mother of us all is abused branded and struggles under pangs and agonies with the most hellish and unthankful children that ever Mother bare shall we therefore forget to be Sons or be ashamed or afraid to suffer I mean the Church of England which every knowing and moderate Spirit not biassed with factions or self-interest must needs acknowledg to be the brightest and most glorious resemblance of Primitive purity that ancient and holy faith which for these twelve hundred years any man ever had the honour of contending or suffering for Tell me have not I great cause to look upon it as a blessing or have you any cause to be ashamed of my troubles What my persecutions have been and of what nature in relation not to my person only but my Doctrine also the proper work of Hell with what bitterness violence and injustice they have been carried on your own eyes and ears can sufficiently witness I blesse God this day for the innocency of my own heart and shall have another day more cause to rejoyce in my sufferings 2 Cor. 1.12 then my Persecutors in their victory Our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience The second Mercy I desire we may take notice of is the support and constant supplies of the Spirit of grace in and under all these sufferings a high and
mighty Herds of Cattel which himself possessed in abundance he tells us they are but Snares and Thorns either to entangle or torment us gotten with labour kept with fear and lost with sorrow All external forms of worship where Christ is not in the heart or not met with in the Ordinance is no more then a fools Sacrifice or as the word carrys it the service of hypocritical light and unconstant men These and many other gatherings he makes out from his own experience After these discoveries he prescribes many excellent rules for the settlement of the soul in reference both to its present and future good An humble acknowledgment under and dependance upon the providence of God in all events singleness and sincerity of heart in his worship and service The right use of wisedom in discerning times and judgments contentednesse and sweet reposedness of soul in every condition of life Obedience and Loyalty to Superiors Conscientious walking in our particular Callings Preparedness of spirit against all tryals and afflictions Moderation in the use of comforts in this life and preparation through the fear of God and obedience for death and judgment in the words of my Text Hence he may well be stiled a Gatherer and his Book a Book of gatherings The grand enquiry of the whole Book is that Summum Bonum that puzzled all our blind Philosophers The Preacher here discovers that Stone that turns all things into Gold which they have long tired themselves in seeking for and could never finde to this day Observe I pray you how he begins this Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and how he ends it He begins it with Vanity of vanities All is vanity Idols light vile things of naught as the breath of ones mouth or the bubble in the water vapours soon vanishing Vanity of vanities vain vanity or extream superlative vanity This our first Parents saw and therefore called their second Son Hebel or vanity David confirms it Psal 144 4 Adam is as Abel or man is like to vanity there is an Allusion in the Original to both their names And herein he makes out the insufficiency and disability of the Creature to confer any true happinesse upon the Soul And secondly observe how he ends his book Fear God and keep his Commandments methinks it is not much unlike to that of Christ to Martha thou art troubled about many things Luke 10.41 42. but one thing is needfull Mary hath chosen the good part c. He begins you see with nothing he ends with all things he shews us what our first estate is an observance of lying vanities and forsaking our own mercies he shews us what our best estate is Fear God c. We begin at Idols and vanity and never know what our beginning was till we come to this end never know that we are vain till we arrive at the true fear of God My dear people whom I love and must ever love in the bowels of Christ Jesus and must ever call you so though now unhappily torn from you let not my words this day fall to the ground lay them up in your hearts let it suffice that you have spent your time past in vanities and Idols things of emptiness and torment let us not be like the people of those countries that whatsoever they chance to see first every morning they worship solemnly all the day after if sin have had the morning let the evening be Gods it is time we should come home to that only true happiness the Lord Jesus Christ Content not your selves with any outward blessings til you be sure you injoy him to the Salvation of your souls other excellencies may set you out in the eys of men generosity obligingnesse wisedom learning valour c. every one of these is sufficient to be a sober mans Idol render a man praise worthy but it is Christ only that makes us blessed other blessings you may injoy and perish with them but he that injoys Christ by true faith Ioh. 3.16 shall never perish but hath everlasting life The Text is Solomons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after a solicitous inquiry or the treasure of true happinesse discovered it is in it self an exhortation or a duty you may call it whether you please the substance is the same There is not any thing remarkable in the Preface save that in the Original it begins with a Capital Letter as pointing out some high subject and stirring up the more serious attention to the matter in hand which indeed rightly weighed is an Epitome of the whole Gospel Would you know after my long observations what you are to trust to What is the sum and substance of the whole matter Where true and durable felicity may be found It is in this Fear God and keep his Commandments without this man is but as one calls him praestantissimum brutum which puts me in mind of that saying Job 28.28 where the holy man concludes his speech as the Preacher here doth his book Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisedom and to depart from evil is understanding man then becomes wise when he fears God when Christ the wisedom of the fatheres dwels in him We shall not need neither did I ever love to name a Text the conclusion riseth plainly and naturally from it To fear God and keep his Commandments is the whole duty of man or as it is in the Hebrew the whole man and so the LXX render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the true fear of God is once planted it carries the whole man with it spirit soul and body guides and directs the whole man rectifies and reforms the whole man it is all in all and through all sets a price and worth upon the whole man in this life and crowns and glorifies the whole man in the life to come There is a natural fear arising from the sense of humane weaknesse which is not in it self sinfull we have examples of it in the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea and in Christ himself Mat. 26.38 Heb. 5.7 he was heard in that he feared which though the Rhemists translate for his reverence and charge us with the corrupting of the Text contrary to the version and sense of Antiquity and the ordinary use of the Greek words yet I find it signifying as well a natural as a pious fear Acts 23.10 where a commotion being raised the chief Captain or Tribune is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afraid lest Paul should be torn in pieces which could not be a pious fear in him that was a Pagan but a natural civil fear lest a Roman a Prisoner and under his present charge should have been violently and tumultuously murthered between the Pharisees and the Sadduces 2. There is a carnal fear I may call it a fear of diffidence because arising from unbelief Apoc. 21.8 They are liable to the second death and joined with unbeleevers the Apostles are called 〈◊〉
experience having acquainted him with the vanity and his miseries with the vexation of it In another perhaps a contempt or wearinesse of his life like a discontented Jonah Take I beseech thee my life from me or Elias under the Juniper Tree it is enough c. and this is sometimes accounted a special piece of piety and mortification A third falls to his prayers oftner then usual and is importunate in the duty as the tempest in Jonah cast the Heathen Mariners upon their knees A fourth making some progress towards reformation wishings and wouldings that he were a better man but all these make not up this breach of divine fear this true waiting upon God and submission to his wisdom I shall now desire for your future good to commend these Instructions to you 1. Be sure to eye God in all his dispensations whether of mercy or judgement for all mercies spiritual and temporal return thanks to him from whom every good and perfect gift cometh as a Present both to humblenesse and thankfulnesse but that which I would now commend to you is the eying of God in the several dispensations of his judgements whosoever be the instrument look upon him as the author of the punishment there is the hand and counsel of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 4.28 All the sin and furies guilt and damnation of Hell may be in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the doing or executing Gods Will Satan alone having the Patent of persecution and every Persecutor intrenching upon Hell for his Commission but then all the mercy and all wisedom sometimes the redeeming of a World in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing being done Paul calls his suffering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brands or prints of Christ not only the transcripts of his suffering but the works of his hands also I dare commend this to you from my own experience I have found it a strong support to me under my sad persecutions and I have cause to blesse God this day that he made me a sufferer and punished me immediately for my sins a faire step to future Salvation and not a Persecutor whereby adding affliction to Gods anger my own hellish spirit had wrapped me up to eternal destruction Secondly That you may rightly wait on him you must not only look upon these dispensations as Gods hand but as his right hand the hand of love look upon your afflictions as caustick Plaisters preparatory to the incarnative the Knife and the Lance reckoned by Hypocrates among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mollifying Preparations which the Physitian must ever carry about with him as your new Artists tels us of a Feaver it is not properly a disease but an indeavour or strife of nature to cure her self ever look upon your afflictions as designed for your good for the humiliation of your untamed spirits to bring you to a neerer sight of your God a neerer sight of your selves a stricter inquiry into your own hearts to deal neer to God to make your Peace with him and the like Look not upon them as things from chance or malice those two heathen principles of Theology 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as sent on purpose from love and pondering from judgement and bowels sent not as a curse to you for sin that is already satisfied to and for the elect in Christ but as tryals and fatherly chastizements to bring you to himself Secondly as we are to wait upon God in his ways so it is a part of his fear to wait upon him in his times It is recorded as an errour of Gods own people that they limited the holy one of Israel Psalm 78.41 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they would sign design circumscribe God write or determine for or instead of God bring him down and confine him to their own times and their own wayes a folly we are all naturally inclined to whether in case of judgement inflicted or mercies promised and expected we are all for the present time but Gods times are not our times My times are in thy hands says David Psal 31.15 as well the time of removing as aying on the burthen we have met with evil times God fit us for the worst and we are prone to murmur both at the weight and continuance of our Pressures and to expostulare with God and charge his ways as unequal and unreasonable let me therefore commend this to you wait Gods times in all events learn to stand still and you will see the salvation of the Lord you will reap in due season if you faint not Gal. 6.9 though it be troublesome you will find it comfortable and usefull to your spirits when your rebellious hearts shall put you on to murmuring and impatience remember this God hath his time to have mercy upon Sion and he will assuredly come when the sins of his enemies are come to maturity become impudent and incorrigible when our own spirits are throughly humbled and all hopes and helps in man so far removed that we have neither hope nor help but in God then may we look for him in the mean time I will wait Thus he that feareth the Lord waits contentedly and calmly for his return he beleeveth in the Lord and his feet stand fast This is that time I would intreat you to wait for and it is the second precious stone in the ring to wait God in his ways and in his times The third is to walk with him which is here in the Text called Keeping his Commandments The word Schamar signifies not only to Keep but to lay up and hide or treasure in the heart as Jacob is said to have observed or laid up in his heart the saying of Joseph It is translated to take heed 1 King 2.4 to observe or keep their ways Psal 105.45 A comparison taken from a Watchman in a City or the Garison in a Fortress all these expressing that care diligence and solicitude which all those that fear God have in and about their obedience This is that yoke of Christ I have often commended to you an easie yoke Matth. 11.30 all pleasure and profit made up in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a yoke not like that of the Law a weight and burthen but fitted and smoothed by Christ to be an instrument of advantage and make the burthen more easie and supportable a yoke wherein Christ himself draws with and for us that we may the better undergo it I know this part of the fear of God will rellish harshly with such spirits as are unaccustomed to this yoke unacquainted with the sweetnesse of it To take leave of our old acquaintance to carry out the whole body of our lusts to their Funeral it goes heavie with a heart under the power of sin to spiritualize the flesh rack it fetch it from the lees to put on the yoke enter the traces and harnesse for the future race these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the child-birth pangs of dying
to sin but to those that fear God the yoke is easie and the burthen light No life like that of dying to sin no way so pleasant as that of walking with God no treasure so desireable as to be rich in faith and good works no comfort like that secret contentment a true Believer hath in his conscionable walking with God Remember this my good people Hereby you shall much honour that Gospel which I have taught and you have received it is that very use which the Apostle every where makes of the Gospel of Christ that we should walk as becometh the Gospel that we should in all things adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour that we should walk worthy of him who hath called us to his Kingdom and to his glory shew forth the vertues and praises of him who hath called us out of darknesse into his marvellous light in all these making out the necessity of walking with God in all those that fear his Name The laft Stone or Diamond in this Ring is the sincere love of God without hypocrisie giving him what is his own the whole heart without any reserve for Satan Mammon or our selves No man can truly fear God but he that loves him nor can any man truly love God whose soul is not first ravished with the apprehension of the love of Christ to him We love God because he first loved us This is that high heroical improvement and elevation of the soul the want whereof whether to God or man is as great a punishment as it is a sin There is as much of hell in the quenching of the one flame as in the raging of the other The Divel cannot possibly pick out or designe to his most hated enemy a greater curse then the want of love My ever dear people let me intreat you to remember this Amor non nisi donum amantis in amatum Guil. Paris you will find many heavenly and comfortable fruits of it it will call you out of your selves to the desire of an union vision and participation of the glory and presence of God the Soul will go to God like Noahs Dove to the Ark and with infinite sweetnesse and security repose it self in him it will cause you to resigne the whole heart to God to give up your selves wholly to him to conform affections and actions to his Will to love every thing wherein your souls shall find Christ his ways his words his Ordinances his Ministers when the root is thus seasoned you will find all corruptions and lusts falling off like dead branches Timor transit in charitatem Greg. A good man is a good Angel alwaies beholding the face of God and the more he sees him the more he loves him and the more he loves him the more he fears him he loves him in that fear and fears him in that love It is said of the two Marys Mat. 28.8 That they went from the Sepulcher with fear and great joy A rare composition of so different affections All other fear being pain the fear of God brings joy and love with it That which I would principally at present urge to you is that Christian Brotherly love which the Gospel frequently makes out and this Age hath almost forgotten which ariseth from and is accompanied with our true love to God Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1.2 How close a connexion there is of the love of God and the love of our Brethren Be kindly affectioned Rom. 12.10 the word is very Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies such a natural binding love and affection as is betwixt Parents and children a real compassionate fervent melting love The Lord Jesus hath lest this both to bee our duty and our reward the loving of the Brethren would you know the rule you must walk by love them as your selves thou wouldst not be hurt hurt not thy Neighbour thou wouldst not be reviled revile no man thou wouldst not be ill spoken of speak not ill of others thou wouldst not be persecuted persecute no man this is the Golden Rule whatsoever yee would that men should do to you Mat. 7.12 do yee even so to them this is the Law and the Prophets or on these two hang the Law and the Prophets Matth. 22 40. This was sure that fire in the Poet stolne from Heaven to inspire and warme the Lower World with It is said to be a speech of Christ which the Nazarene Gospel hath recorded though our Bibles have it not Nunquam laeti sitis nâ—si cum fratrem in charitate videritis There is no other badge to difference a disciple of Christ from any other man but this Ecce ut se invicem diligunt nay the Devil cannot so far be an Hypocrite as to counterfeit this All glorious Appearances without love are but empty shadows hereby wee become like the Saints in Heaven of whose blessed estate all wee understand is onely this that they are happy and love one another and in that eternally happy that they eternally love one another Charity never faileth and so their blisse faileth not You see my good people what times wee are fallen into what wrath clamour malice bitterness raylings revilings there are among men what disaffections divisions persecutions of the Church even by those that professe they have given up their Names to Christ So far from being Christian that they walk as men nay they have put off man in exchange for Wolves Panthers and Tigers nay worse then Wild Beasts who are not Beast enough to devoure those of their own kind as Erasmus observes So Act as if they had made a solemn Covernant with Hell and Death Let these daily examples from the Father of malice provoke you to love and good workes to follow God who is love and to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us It will be hereafter a great rejoycing to my Spirit to see you have thus learned Christ live in love and peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you There are many more branches of this fear of God every Religious Performance is a part of it that of prayer especially as beneficial to the â—oule as the rest But I have not long ago treated of it and cannot stand now to make it out I have already tyred you with Preâ—ching that I should rather have prayed for you that God would plant his fear in the hearts of every one of you I have but two words more to speak in relation to 2. extreams or rocks upon which this fear of God may be in danger to be spsits and I shall give them you by way of Caution First in the defect beware of carnal security in sin promising your selves mercy and impunity upon false and empty bottoms blessing your selves in your hearts Deutr 27.19 till your iniquity be found hateful it will bring you at last to that dead and dedolent
disposition of Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.11 that being past feeling ye shall work all uncleannesse with greedinesse if wee shall thus out dare God in his threatnings and like that Behemoth esteem those iron weapons as straw or as they say of the old Italians shoot off our great Ordnance and Ring our bells to drown the noise of Heaven's thunder if wee thus presume Deut. 29.20 God will not spare us but the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoake against us c. remember that saying Eccl. 8.12 Though a Sinner do evil an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet surely it shall bee well with them that seare the Lord. This is a dangerous and common rock upon which many a poor soul splits it self and the more common it is the more let it bee your care to avoid it The other is in the excesse and that is a servile infernal fear of God as a Judge or Tyrant whence arise in the soul hard thoughts of God Quos mctacule odcrint hatred of him a secret rising up against him a wishing there were no God and the like This is that great Engine wherewith Satan labours to batter our faith when he cannot robb you of grace and make you wicked he will endeavour to robb you of comfort and bring you to despaire make you miserable Hee will assault you with doubts and feares touching your Election conversion adoption perseverance with the greatnesse and number of your sins with the Curse and horror of the Law the Majesty and Justice of an offended God who is a consuming fire In all these and such like temptations let your eyes ever be fixed upon Christ and his blood the satisfaction given to the Justice of God by his death that redemption from the Curse of the Law himself being made a curse for us then will your souls say Let the Lord live then will your desires be to the remembrance of his name then will your hearts love him and say I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me Psalm 23.6 This is the foundation against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail when there is no light nor issue nor possibility to esdape here will a doo of deliverance flie open to you Remember this also I pray you if once you come to slight or undervalue this great mercy to tread under foot the Son of God there remains no more no other sacrifice for you you may as much offend God by despairing as by presuming of his mercy Heb. 10.29 both are destructive to the true fear of God lay these things up in your hearts the Lord of his mercy blesse them to you To all you that thus fear the Lord Mal. 4.2 shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise with healing under his wings joy in that day when all the Elect shall behold their King and Redeemer in his Majesty and Glory For all those that thus fear the Lord there is a book of remembrance written It is said of Tamerlane the Scythian that he had alwaies by him a Catalogue of the names and good deserts of his servants which he dayly perused and whom he duly rewarded Mal. 3.16 how much more shal the Lord who bottles up the tears of his people puts their Prayers as upon the File and records all their devotions All those that thus fear the Lord he will own in that day when he makes up his Jewels makes them up for himself and takes them away from the misusages and malignities of the World When one desired to see Alexanders Treasure shew him said he to his Servant not my Gold or Monies Plate or Jewels but my friends Henceforth says Christ I call you not servants but friends John 15.15 These are Gods Jewels his dearest friends his chief Treasure none can plunder or pluck them out of his hands They are called the dearly beloved of his Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 12.7 the LXX read it his dearly beloved Soul noting Gods Saints to be as dear to him as a mans life or his Soul is All these and these only wil the Lord pity and spare at that day as a father spareth his own son that serveth him I have now done both with the Text and the Times I have presented you with a New-years-gift of an inestimable value and worth All I require from you is but this That I may see you wear it that as great Personages are known by their Rings and rich Jewels so you may be by the fear of the Lord This Ring truly worn will seal to your souls assurance of salvation in this life and be to every one of you at your death a wedding Ring to marry you to the Lamb for evermore Your tears at this time sufficiently witnesse how sadly you receive it from my hands God wil I hope put your tears into his bottle and that Fountain which he hath opened in your eys this day shall swell into Rivers of comfort and salvation at that day when God shall wipe away all tears from your eys All I can do is to pray for you since I must no longer Preach to you I pray God blesse his Church I pray God blesse you all and that God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the sheep through the blood 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 and honour now and evermore FINIS