of you but when we come again unto you I will have you to be of another manner of temper then now you are Well if all that I have said will not prevail with you I am sorry that nothing would prevail with you but the flames of Hell Oh then you will say Oh that we had but hearkened to the voice of God's Messengers that are sent to us Oh that we had our rousing Ministers to awaken us I have one of Advice to you that are the people of God whose hearts God hath humbled and I shall have done First I advise you that God hath humbled for sin now to look to your selves God will not now lead you you must learn now to go alone If you would keep tender hearts then be afraid of sin as well of the least sins as of the greatest Be afraid of a vain thought and if thou takest heed of a vain thought thou wilt be afraid of telling a lye and if thou takest heed of telling a lye thou wilt be afraid of swearing an Oath Secondly If thou wilt keep tenderness of heart then lye under the best Ministry you can get that there is a difference between some mens Preaching and others is plain by the effectual working of their Preaching upon the hearts of their hearers First Take heed of a blind ignorant Minister If the blind lead the blind they will both fall into the ditch If one that understands not what sin is nor feels not the guilt of sin Preaches Repentance it is ten hundred to one if ever God doth work upon your hearts by his Preaching Secondly Take heed of fly shun avoid an idle drunken Minister If you would ask me what we shall do in such a case I Answer Keep such a one out of your Parish if you can if you cannot then I advise you to take heed how you hear him First Because all such Ministers are no Ministers at all No what and are ordained No because they are not sent from God And let me tell you that men have no power to Ordain such to Preach the Gospal as are not sent by God I do verily believe that God never sent any Minister for to Preach the Doctrine of Salvation but such as God hath endowed with gifts and abilities to speak and if there be any Ministers that have not those qualifications that are fit for a Bishop to have then they are none of Gods Ministers although they are made Ministers by man 1 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. This is a true saying If a man desire the Office of a Bishop he desireth a good work A Bishop then must be blameless the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no striker not greedy of filthy lucre but patient not a brawler not covetous own that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity For if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the Church of God Not a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil Here is all these excellent qualifications that a Minister of the Gospel ought to be endowed with Secondly I say that those Ministers that are not endowed with these qualifications but are ignorant drunken Ministers it is generally observed that people grow more wicked and that their hearts grow harder while they live under such a Ministry Object But how if we are forced to hear such and we can do no others wise if we will not hear them our purses must pay for it Answer To this I answer I wish that every place had an eminent Minister that you might gather up Manna at your own dores But if your Minister be wicked and prophane he is no Minister of Christ and in such a case you must rather hazard your purses than you souls But the Doctrin that he preaches it is good 'T is true it is so if it do not come out of a stinking vessel The water that is drawn out of a sweet Well if it be put into a stinking cask it will smell of the cask But I would not have you to be quarrelsome A Third advice that I shall give you is this Be sure that you ply the company of those that are of a tender heart It is a true saying Birds of a feather will flock together Take heed of being in the company of such as will swear and of living with such as scoff at religion It 's true a tender holy heart may live among wicked company as Lot did in Sodom but let me tell thee there 's danger they 'l tempt thee to be like them Lastly My advice is this Be sure that the Bible be much in your hand you that can read and beg of God to give you an understanding heart When God bids you to be holy think of Heaven Let the Bible be much in your hands and let God see you much in your Closets Mr. G. N. his Farewel-Sermon Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. IF divine Providence shall make this the season of our separation it is good for us to part with each other in the meditation and consideration of that from which those that are Gods shall never be divided that is the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Apostle is very confident of it I am perswaded We shall conclude the Chapter with our present Imployment and therefore shall not stand long discoursing on every particular but first briefly open them unto you and after improve them First We meet with the. Apostles Confidence a strong perswasion from whence we may learn Confidence belongeth unto a Christian yea it is the priviledge of the Gospel Col. 2.2 That their hearts may be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assuring of understanding c. This is what you may daily stand in need of therefore be perswaded to press toward it The Apostle calls to give all diligence to make your calling and Election sure Great diligence it is you give to assure the title of your earthly possession is it not of far greater concernment to assure your Calling and Election unto an everlasting enjoyment of divine Love And that you may do this remember to live 1. Lest unto this present World 2. More in heaven For then will you be more acquainted with the concernments and counsels thereof Do but draw up your hearts out of the cares pleasures and delights of this present world which choak the Word and
aside of sin as salt potions kill wormes When Children are troubled with wormes we give them salt potions so these bitter penitential tears are the means God hath appointed to mortifie sin that 's the reason the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repentedoc 'T is not only a part of repentance but worketh preserving durable resolutions a walking closely with God 't is a means God hath blessed to this end and purpose 5. Recover from thy falls renew thy combate as Israel when they were overcome in battel they would try it again and again â—udâ— 20 28. Take heed of ceasing for the present for though thy enemy seems to prevail though the flesh seems to prevail against the spirit in the battel yet thou shalt have the best of it in the war by the power of grace thou shalt have the victory Thus I have gone over the privative part of our duty Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us I should have come to the positive Let us run with patience the race that is set before us there is the duty Let us run the race that is set before us and there is the manner of the duty Let us run with patience I should have shown you that a Christians life is like a race from earth to heaven in a way of holiness and exercise of Grace This Race it continues as long as we continue in the world from our Nativity to our death after death the strife is ended Now in this race we must run and o run that we may obtain the crown 1 Cor. 9.24 Running is a motion and a speedy motion there is lying sitting or standing but still there must be running â—e must make a further progress in the way to heaven forgeâ—ting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before Phil. 2 13. The Runner was not to enquire how much of the way already was past but to strain himself to overcome what was yet behind And so should we consider what sin are yet to be mortifyed what duties yet untouched almost untouched what heard conflicts are yet to be undergone and still to hold on our way without wining aside or halting because of difficulties discouragements stumbling blocks And there are fellows and copartners with us that run this Race with whom we may strive in a holy emulation who should go forwardest who should be most forward in the course of pleasing God O Christians there are many contentions amongst us but when shall we have this holy contention Heb 10 24. In a Race there is the Agonetheta the Judge of the sportes so here God observes all no matter what the standers by say the Judge of the sports must decide who must have the Crown 1 Cor. 14.3.4 And then at the end of the Race there is the Crown 2 Tim. 4.7.8 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth thre is laid up for me a crown of righteousness c. In a race there are spectators so there are here God Angels and men 1 Cor. 4.9 We are a spectacle to the world to angel and to men c. Thus for the similitude of our Race in our way to heaven Now wherein it differs This is a Race not undertaken out of wantonness but out of necessity God hath called us to this course and if we run not in this Race we are undone for ever And in other Races but one had the Crown here all are crowâ—ed 2 â—im 4.8 though they be not so eminent as the Apostle here all are â—rown'd that run in the manner God hath required Henceforth is laid upâ—o me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shal give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them that love his aâ— pearing For the manner with patience Let us run with patience Patience is necessary 1. Partly because of the length of the Race and the distance between us and the promised reward Our Race cannot be ended but after some degrees of time long waiting is troublesome to the flesh and therefore we â—ave need of patience 2. Because we meet with many impediments troubles and temptations by the way there are spiritual adversaries with whom we must fight for we go on we not onely run but fight therefore Run with patience c. 3. Because the spectators will be ready to discourage us We are set forth not onely as a spectacle to God and Angels but to the world and they will be ready to deride scorn and oppose us for our Zeal to God and out forewardness in the wayes of God to discourage us bâ— bitter mockings c. therefore let us run with patience the race that is set before us Mr. Caryl's Sermon Rev. 3. latter part of Ver. 4. And they shall wall with me in white for they are worthy IN the former part of this Verse you heard the commendation of those few names in Sardis it was this They had not defiled their garments In this latter part you have their encouragement in their reward They shall walke with me in white In which encouragement I told you we might consider two things or take it into two parts First That they should walk with Châ—ist Secondly They should walk in White I have spoken to the former of these â—hey shall walk with Christ and that the Scripture holds forth under a two-fold notion First as matter of duty It is a duty to walk with Christ Secondly it is matter of promise That they keep their garments undefiled and live in thigh favour with Christ they shall walk with Christ we favour those that walk with us Walking with Christ notes to us three things 1. That we have peace with him 2. That we have intimacy with him 3. That his being so much above us we should have this favour from him And hence I noted the great priviledge of the people of God that they shall walk with Christ 1. It notes the great satisfaction of the Saints to walk with Christ they shall be filled with his company 2. How safe it is and what safety there is to walk with Christ he hath a wing to spread over them 3. What opporunities such have as walk with Christ 4. What liberty such have as walk with Christ 5. Such as walk with Christ may be sure he will commuicate his secrets to them he will show them what they have to do 2. We shewed you the great goodnes of Jesus Christ that he should take such creatures to walk with him such defiled creatures 3. Then let us take heed of keeping our garments undefiled lest Jesus Christ cast us out of his company and we can no longer walk with Christ any more Oh take heed of walking blameless in the wayes of Christ These things were spoken from the first point Now I come to the walking with
is the fruit of the Spirit and it is only God that is able to convey this peace to us And upon a particular account this Title is given to him by way of eminency and property as 1. He is alone able to allow and dispence this peace unto us for all our sins are injuries committed against him against the Crown and Dignity all the Arrests of Conscience are made in the Name of God and therefore 't is only he that can speak peace As in the civil state it is an Act of Supremacy to give a pardon only he that can condemn is able to speak pardon so it is our God that is our Judge provoked and incensed by us he hath a judicial power to cast Body and Soul into Hell fire is alone able to speak peace and pass a pardon for us in the Court of Heaven and this is experienced by a wounded spirit It is just with such a person as with a Malefactour who stands condemned at the Bar he cannot receive encouragement from any of his spectators till the Judge speak peace unto him So if an Angel from Heaven should come and speak to a wounded Spirit it were impossible unless God did order command and dispence it that the Spirit should receive any peace because our sins are immediately committed against him 2. He is alone able to reveal and discover it there is nothing harder in the World than to calm and quiet a disturbed Conscience it must be the same power that makes light to spring out of darkness that must cause a chearful serenity in a dark and disconsolate Soul I know there is nothing more easie than that false peace which is so universal in the world for the most amongst us cheat themselves with presumption instead of peace with God and security instead of peace with Conscience but that peace which is solid and true can only be revealed by God himself We have an instance of this in David Psal 51. although Nathan had told him from God Thy sin is pardoned yet notwithstanding he saith Make thou me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce He still addresses himself to God that he would cause him to hear the voice of pardon and reconciliation for his soul could not be quiet by the voice of the Prophet There is so much infidelity in the soul of a man that when he comes to take a view of his sins in all their bloody aggravations only the Spirit of God himself is able to allay the terrors of the Conscience And this he doth by an over-powering Light when he doth in an imperative and commanding manner silence all the doubts of the soul and restablish it in peace with God Certainly he that shall but consider the terrors the faintings the paleness of a wounded Conscience when you shall see a person dis-relish all the things of this World upon this account fearing lest God is his enemy when all discourses that are addressed to him are ineffectual and but like warm cloaths to a dead carkasse cannot inspire any heat into him This shews only God is able to reveal peace So Job If he hide his face who is able to be at peace There needs no other fury to compleat the misery of a man than his own accusing Conscience Conscience is a verier Devil than the Devil himself and able more to torment and lash the creature Therefore if that be once awakened 't is only God to whose Tribunal Conscience is liable which is able to speak peace to the soul Now you see in what respect this Title The God of Peace is attributed to him as he is the Author and Worker of it 2. As he loves and delights in peace This is that which is so pleasing to him that he adopts those into the Line of Heaven who are Peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God Mat. 5.6 This characterizes persons to be his Children to be allied to him God he only delights in the reflection of his own Image for those things that we admire in the World and delight in do not affect his heart He delights not in the strength of the Horse he takes no pleasure in the legs of a man the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in thâ—se that hope in his mercy Nothing attracts his eye and heart but his own similitude and resemblance and therefore where he sees peaceable dispositions that is that which endears the soul to him and makes it amiable in his eyes You may judge of his delight in peace by this It is that grace which in an especial manner prepares us for communion with him for we can never really honour or enjoy him unless we bring to him those dispositions which if I may so speak are in himself And therefore it is no wonder that those have little peace of Conscience who make so little Conscience of Peace You know when God appeared to Elijah he did not appear in the storm nor in the fire but in the small still voice and when Elisha was transported with anger he was fain to allay that passion by Musick that so he might be prepared for the holy motions of the Spirit he called for an Instrument and then the Spirit moved in him I bring it for this end to shew how God delights in Peace and he will only maintain communion with those that are of calm and peaceable spirits So much way as we give to anger so much proportionably do we let in the Devil and cast out the God of peace Now the reason why this Title is given to God is upon a double account partly with respect to the Bloud of the everlasting Covenant which made peace between God and us partly with respect to the Covenant it it self which is founded in that Bloud 1. In respect of the Bloud of the everlasting Covenant For it was the bloud of Christ that hath sprinkled Gods Throne and made peace in Heaven You shall read therefore when Christ came into the World 't is said Luke 2.14 that the Heavenly host appeared and sang Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace c. Since the fall God and man are enemies there is a reciprocal enmity between God and man God hates the creature as it is unholy and man hates God as he is just the avenger of sin the Author of the Law Now Christ was the Umpire that composed this difference he was God and man in one person and so being allyed to both he was a fit person to reconcile both He was as Job speaks a days-man between us He hath paid every farthing that was due for he did not compound with God but paid the utmost that was due to him He it is that hath reconciled us to God by the power of his spirit in changing and renewing our Natures and Creating in us those dispositions which are like to God so that his bloud is the foundation of
taken away from the evil to come WE are here met this Evening to perform the last office of Love for an eminent and ancient servant of Jesus Christ and excellent Minister of the Gospel Mr. Simeon Ash one who hath formerly performed this office for many other Ministers and now we are met to perform this office for him and it is not long before others will meet to perform the same office for us so frail so brittle and so uncertain is the life of man Now the Text that I have chosen is suitable for this occasion for this Reverend Minister was first a righteous man he was righteous in an Eva gelical sense he was one that was justified and sanctified Secondly he was a merciful man both in active and passive sense he was one that shewed mercy to the distressed Members of Jesus Christ and he was one to whom God shewed mercy this righteous and merciful man is now perished as to his outward condition not as to his everlasting condition but as to his outward bodily condition he is perished and he is taken away the word in the Hebrew is very emphatical merciful men Colliguntur are gathered it is the same word that is used concerning Josiah 2 Kin. 22.10 Thou shalt be gathered to thy Fathers and go to thy grave in peace and shalt not see the evil that I will bring upon this Nation This godly and righteous man is now gathered as ripe Corn into the Barn of Heaven he is taken away from the evil that is to come from beholding that evil that is to come upon this sinful world he is taken away in mercy that he may not be troubled with the troubles that are comming upon many he is taken away from the evil to come And thus you see how suitable the Text is to the occasion there is only one particular that I desire may prove unsuitable for the righteous and merciful man saith the Text perisheth and no man considers nor layes it to heart These words are verba commentantis objurgantis the words of the Prophet bemoaning the spiritual security of the people of Israel chiding and reproving them for their spiritual Lethargy Now I desire that this part may not prove sutable but that all of you may lay to heart the death of this ancient merciful and righteous man The Observations from the words are these six First That the righteous man must perish as well as the unrighteous Secondly That the perishing of a righteous man is nothing but his gathering to God Christ and the blessed company of Saints and Angels Thirdly A righteous man as long as he lives is the preservative of a Nation and the supporter of a Kingdom the Chariots and Horse-men of a Nation Fourthly The death of a righteous man is a warning-piece from Heaven a Beacon set on sire to give notice of evil approaching Fifthly That God doth on purpose take away righteous men that they might not see the evil that is coming on a Nation Sixthly That it is a great and common sin not to consider and lay to heart the death of a righteous man 1. It is a common fin and therefore it is set down in the greatest latitude the righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart that is very few And merciful men are taken away no man considering that is very few 2. It is a great sin and therefore the Prophet Jeremy in the former Chapter calls to all the beasts of the field to devour that is all the Enemies of the Church to destroy the Children of Israel because they drank strong drink filling themselves with merriment and promised themselves happy dayes but did not consider that the righteous were taken away from the evil to come He begin with the first that the righteous perish as well as the unrighteous How is it that the righteous perish not in their soul they cannot perish so nay the truth is they cannot perish properly in their bodies for the bodies of the Saints never totally and finally perish for the very dust of the Saints in the grave is precious in Gods sight and they are asleep in Jesus and by the power of Jesus Christ they shall be raised glorious bodies Nothing perisheth of a righteous man by death totally finally but sin and therefore the meaning of the word is as Musculus and Justin Martyr observe perit perisheth that is not according to the truth of the thing but according to the opinion of the world and the proper language of his expression is this the righteous perisheth that is the righteous must dye and go down to the house of rottenness as well as others and that up upon a fore-fold account First Because the righteous are included within the statute of death as well as the unrighteous statutum est Heb. 9.27 It is appointed for all men ance to dye the righteous as well as the unrighteous it is true Jesus Christ hath taken away the hurt of death but not death it self Jesus Christ hath disarmed death made death like the Viper that fastened upon Pauls hand but did not hurt him he hath made it like the brazen Serpent that hath no sting but a healing power in it Christ hath sanctified death conquered and sweetned death at the present we are all under the statute of death but at last this enemy shall be destroyed 2 Cor. 15. ult 2. The righteous consist of perishing principles as well as the unrighteous the righteous are earthly vessels made of dust I their foundation is in the dust their lives are a vapour as well as the lives of the unrighteous 3. The righteous must dye as well as others because they have a body of sin which they carry about them for there is no man so wise that lives and sins not Eccles 7.10 wherefore there is that which deserves death in a righteous man Lastly and especially The righteous perish upon a peculiar account For if we have hope only in this life saith the Apostle we are of all men most miserable and therefore they must perish to keep them from perishing they must say as Themistocles Perissem nisi periissem they must dye that they may rest from their labour for here is not our rest Mich. 2.10 there remaineth a rest for the people of God there is no rest in this world the word quies wants the plural number 2. The righteous must die that they may have their reward their crown of glory that God hath laid up for them they must first fight the good fight and finish their course and then they shall receive a crown of glory 3. They must dye that they may be free from sin for they shall never put off the body of sin till they put off the body of the flesh 4. They must dye that mortality may be swallowed up of life that corruption may put on incorruption 5. They must dye that they may be perfect in grace Lastly They must dye that
they may see God face to face and be for ever with the Lord which they cannot do till they dye therefore blessed by God that the righteous must perish If a man should always live on earth always be young rich and healthful it would be unwelcome news for while we are in the body we are absent from the Lord and subject to sin and therefore when Peter asked Christ what should be done with John Christ tells him If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee from henceforth there went a report abroad that John should not dye Now the Apostle himself was much displeased with this report and looked upon it as a great affliction that he should not dye and therefore he himself confutes it But yet Jesus said he said not that he should not dye as if he had said God forbid that I should not dye Before I come to Application of this point give me leave to speak somthing to the second point and so I shall apply them both together The second Doctrine is this That the perishing of a righteous man is nothing but a gathering him to God Christ and the blessed society of Saints and Angels in Heaven This is contained in the second expression merciful men are taken away the word in the Hebrew is Colliguntur they are gathered it is evegetical of the former they did not perish but they are gathered to God and Christ there is a great deal of excellency and a Magazine of sweetness in this expression They are gathered It implies two things First That the righteous are in a scattered condition while they are in this world and that three ways 1. They are scattered among the wicked and ungodly of the world as sheep among wolves as lambs among Lyons rent and torn in pieces forced to wander up and down in Sheep skins and Goats skins 2. The righteous are scattered in the world one from another and that two ways 1. They are scattered by their different habirations for the godly are forced one from another as Lot from Abraham 2. They are scattered one from another by the cruel persecution of wicked men and therefore you read Acts 8. that at that time when there was a persecution against the Church at Jerusalem that they were all scattered abroad 3. The godly are scattered in this life from the glorious presence of God in Heaven indeed they are never scattered from the gracious presence of God but sometimes they are scattered from the comfortable presence of God as long as we live in the world we shall be scattered from the glorious presence of God for while we are in the body we are absent from the Lord. Secondly This implies a bringing of Gods people out of this scattered condition it is a gathering of the Righteous out of this world into another from a sinful persecuted world into a sinless glorious world from diversity of dwellings on earth to dwell altogether in one Heaven it is a gathering out of the reach of Men and Devils and a gathering them not only to the gracious but to the glorious presence of God and Christ and to the souls of just men made perfect and to the general assembly of the first born and to the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem where they shall live together never to be scattered again To understand this the better let me offer three things to you shewing you that the Godly are gathered to God three ways in this life at death and at the day of Judgment First The Righteous are gathered to God in this life and that is at their first conversion for by nature we are Aliens and strangers to God scattered from any union or communion with God not only scattered from the glorious but from the gracious presence of God God made men at first to enjoy communion with himself but Adam lost this by sin and now we are all Cains and vagabonds scattered from the love of God and from union and communion with God but when God converts any of the Elect he gathers them home to himself for conversion is nothing but Gods gathering them to himself in the second Adam that were scattered from him in the first Adam the first Adam was a Root of scattering a Root of separation from God but the second Adam was a Root of union and conjunction Christ is the head and the Elect are all gathered together in him that he might gather together in one all things in Christ so that conversion is nothing but a gathering of the Elect of God to Christ by faith and a gathering to one another by love and charity Secondly Gods people are gathered at death here they are gathered to Christ by Grace but at death they are gathered to Christ in glory here they are gathered to God by hope but at death by fruition here Christ is gathered to us he comes down and dwells with us but at death we shall be gathered to him we shall go up and be joyned with him There 's a great deal of difference between esse cum Christo and esse in Christo esse cum Christo to be one with Christ is a Christians great security but esse in Christo to be one in Christ it is a Christians great felicity in this life we are gathered to God by Faith but at death by vision Lastly We shall be gathered to God at the day of judgment it is called the day of the gathering of the Saints together a day when all the Saints that are have been or shall be shall be gathered together 2 Thes 2.1 I beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him at the great day At the day of Judgment we shall all be gathered together and shall all be taken up to Heaven I mean all the righteous and be ever with the Lord and so much for the opening of the Doctrine But here it may be objected Are not the unrighteous gathered by death as well as the righteous I answer it is true the unrighteous are scattered in this life and gathered by death as well as the righteous but with a great deal of difference First the wicked are scattered in this life but they are scattered from God but the Godly are scattered for God and for a good conscience many times as they at Jerusalem were scattered The godly are scattered from the glorious presence of God in Heaven but the wicked are scattered from the gracious presence of God on earth Again the scattering of the wicked is a curse to them and it is threatned as a curse Lev. 26.32 I will scatter you among the Heathen and draw out my sword after you and where-ever the wicked come in what part soever of the world the wicked are scattered they bring the curse of God with them and they bring the judgments of God on Towns and Cities where they are as plague famine and
sword and all miseries But the Godly when they are scattered they are scattered as a blessing into what country or town soever they come they come as a blessing they come like a Ship laden with Corn to a Town ready to perish with famine they come as a blessing four ways First they pray down a blessing on the place where they come Secondly they come as a blessing by their holy life and conversation that is a Load-stone to draw others to holiness Thirdly they come as a blessing by their holy advice and counsel that they give to the place where they come Nay fourthly their very presence is a blessing as long as Lot was in Sodom Sodom could not be destroyed so long as Paul was in the ship the 300 could not be drowned So that the godly come as a blessing wherever they are scattered but the wicked are as chaff scattered by the wind and they are scattered as the dust of the earth You know when the dust is scattered it gets into mens eyes and blinds them and falls upon their cloaths and sullies them so the wicked wherever they are scattered they defile the place where they are scattered The godly are as Planets that wander move from one part of Heaven to another carrying light to the world Secondly as the wicked are scattered while they live so when they die they are gathered it is true but how not to God and Christ and his Angels but they are gathered to the Devil and his Angels and to damned spirits not as bundles of Wheat in the Barn of Heaven but as bundles of Tares to be burned for ever in everlasting fire Now if the righteous perish as well as others and if their perishing be nothing but a gathering to God and Christ then First learn hence the preciousness of every righteous man the great God will not gather things of no value great men do not use to gather chaff and straw and therefore when Christ said of Josiah I will gather thee to thy Fathers it was a sign he was a precious Pearl worth the gathering and of a high value and account in the sight of God and so is every true Child of God right dear and precious are they in the sight of God both living and dying they are bought with a great price not with Gold and Silver and other corruptible things but they are bought with the precious blood of the Son of God they are as precious to God as thee Apple of his eye so precious that he hath given Christ for them and to them so precious that he called them his Jewels his peculiar treasure his Jedidiahs and therefore God will not suffer them to perish but gather them to himself before the evil day come as the Husbandman gathers in the Corn before the Beast go out into the field Secondly Learn hear what reason we have to be comforted in the death of a righteous man or woman because their death is not a perishing but a gathering to God and Christ and the society of Saints and Angels The death of a righteous man is no more than if a Merchant that hath abundance of Jewels in a far Countrey he should send for theâ— home Why death to a righteous man is nothing but God sending for his Jewels home Such a phrase there is in Mal. 3.17 In the day that I make up my Jewels they shall be mine In this life they are imperfect Jewels they are like Gold in the Oare mingled with a great deal of dross and death is nothing but a perfection of the Jewels death is nothing more and God doth nothing by death but as a Gold-siner gathers up all his ends of Gold and Silver it is nothing but just as if a Father should send for his Son home that had been a long time absent from him to his own house it is a carrying us to our Fathers house And therefore let us be comforted when our Righteous Friends dye though their death be matter of sorrow to us in regard of the loss that we sustain by their death and because their death is a warning-piece of evil to come yet in regard of them we have no cause to mourn I speak this of those that are related to the righteous when they dye did you ever here of a Husbandman that mourned for the carrying in of his Corn into the Barn or a Jeweller mourn for making up of his Jewels Let us mourn rather that we are lest scattered among the wicked of the earth and from the glorious presence of God and Christ and let us morn for those that are scattered from Christ and from grace and for those that whilst they live are scattered and when they dye are gathered to the Devil and his Angels Let us not mourn for those that dye in Christ but let us mourn for those that live out of Christ let us not mourn over the body the soul hath left but let us mourn over the soul God hath left The third use is of Consolation to all the people of God in reference to evil times that are coming upon us or to the evil of times Whatever befalls a Child of God in this life though he be scattered by wicked men from England into forreign Countries though he wanders up and down in Desarts and Wildernesses though he be scattered from house to prison yet there shall be a gathering time shortly there will a time come when all the Saints shall be gathered to Christ and to one another never to part any more The death of Gods people is not a perishing but a gathering comfort your selves therefore with these words against the fear of death look upon death as a gathering as a gathering to Christ you are here as Daniel in the Lyons Den as Jeremiah in the dungeon yet there will come a gathering and if you dye in a good cause you shall not perish but be gathered to Christ to his Saints and Angels But you will say If I were sure when I dye that I should be gathered to Christ to live for ever with him this would be matter of great consolation to me but you told me the wicked are gathered by death as well as the Godly how shall I know whether when I come to dye I shall be gathered to the Devil and his Angels or to Christ and his Angels How shall I know whether I shall be gathered at death as a bundle of tears to be burned in Hell or a bundle of Wheat to be carryed up into the Barn of Heaven I answer You may know it by four things 1. If you are righteous then you shall be gathered to Christ at death For the Righteous shall go into everlasting life Heaven is entailed upon righteous men by Righteousness I mean the imputed Righteousness and imparted Righteousness of Jesus Christ I wave the explication of them because time will not give leave Know you not saith the Apostle that no unrighteous man
but then secondly A second Argument in the Text shall be drawn from the Object and that is two-fold there is faith and the profession of this faith that is to be held fast and there are Arguments from both First Faith hold fast faith why are we so greatly concerned and so highly obliged to hold fast Faith I will give you this one reason for it it is the most holy Faith There are many things may be called Faith that may not be called most holy Faith there are many faiths that are at least called holy Turkish faith is by them called holy faith the Romish faith is by them called holy faith I but this is the most holy faith there is an expression that Jude hath to commend faith to us in the 20 verse of his Epistle But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith c. Let other pretenders be as holy as they can they can never rise to the holiness of this this is the most holy faith it is so holy in so high a degree as to be beyond compare I but now what is it that may denominate this faith to be the most holy faith why it hath for its Author the most holy God it is the gift of God and the work of God if we take it for the Act of faith and the doctrine of God if we take it for the doctrine of faith There are as the Apostle saith gods many but we know but one most holy God there are that will be called your Holiness in the world but this is the most holy God a God that is glorious in holiness yea whose glory is to be holy There is nothing stamps glory on any subject like holiness what is the difference between the Angels in Heaven and the Angels in Hell but Holiness that is their glory the the holy Angels and that is their shame the sinful Angels and what was it that made Canaan a better land than another was it not the holiness it was the holy Land what was it that made the Temple a better place than another was it not because it was the holy Temple Yea it is the glory of all the Attributes of God that they are holy His Justice would look like severity but that it is holy His Power would look like Tyranny were it not holy His Love would look like fondness were it not holy His Patience would look like a toleration of sin were it not holy therefore it is said the Lord God glorious in holiness Now this most holy God is the Author of this Faith and so it is a most holy faith it being the Word of the most holy God and will you leave and not hold fast this most holy Faith But then besides It may be â—aid to be the most holy faith in this sence too that it is its nature where ever it comes to make the subject in whom it is most holy saith the Apostle you hath God chosen to wit by Faith to be a peculiar people a holy Nation Acts 15.2 it is said He hath purified their hearts by faith and he will give them an â—nheritance among them that are sanctified by faith It may be called the most Holy Faith in these two respects First Considering the operation and effects it hath upon the hearts and lives of them in whom it is it makes them a holy People beyond all the people in the world And then upon this account too as to the uhimate effects of it that it admits us into the most holy places You know the Holy of Holies in the Temple was a Type of Heaven and Jesus Christ is said to enter into the Holy of Holies that is into Heaven Now this doth admit us into the most holy place where the most holy God is saith the Apostle Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Jesus Alas in the time of old they could go but into the outward court but now saith he We have all this boldness to enter into the most holy place by the bloud of Jesus Shall we leave such a Faith as this shall we not hold fast the most holy Faith that is from the most holy God that makes the most holy people and that admits us into the most holy place Where do we find such another Faith as this is if you leave this Faith that is so good in it self a Faith that doth so much good to us and which is better that makes us so good for it is much better to be made good than to have good done unto us and beloved what will it avail us if God should do us good all our days if we be not made good if we should have the good of health and wealth and long life and yet not be made good all this while it avails us not now this is the nature of Faith it is good in it self it doth good to us and it makes us good therefore beloved let us not lay it aside until we can find a better and that we shall never do unless we can find any thing more holy than God But secondly The second Branch of the Object is the Profession of our Faith It seems Beloved it is not enough to hold fast our Faith only but the Profession of it why so truly there is this in it the profession of faith is as necessary as the faith it self mark that See this from the mouth of that great Apostle I may say from the mouth of God himself Rom. 10.9 10. That if thou shalt with thy mouth confess thy Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation An unprofessed Faith hath no salvation annexed to it you see the Scripture maketh it as necessary to our salvation to profess our believing as to believe Now beloved if it be necessary to believe and necessary to profess it s then necessary to hold fast Faith and consequently as necessary to hold fast the profession thereof without Faith there is no salvation faith the Scripture and saith this Scripture without the profession of this Faith there is no Salvation now to say I will keep faith I will only part with a little profession it is all one in Scripture as to part with Faith it self for why the Scripture faith If thou believe with thy heart and confess with thy mouth thou shalt be saved so that as long as faith continues profession is to continue or there is no salvation faith without profession will do no more for you than profession without faith therefore observe what the Apostle speaks Heb. 3.13 saith he We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end not else Thirdly A third Argument is drawn from the act with the qualifications let 's hold fast without wavering Now there
to look after a better Would any man be content to dye a Drunkard I ask you that are Drunkards I do believe you will answer no why then do you live in Drunkenness How know you that God will spare you when you are drunk until you are sober again We may read of many that have dyed in their drunken fits God doth not always send his Herauld to warn thee before he sends his Serjeant to arrest thee How knowest thou but Death may strike thee on a sudden What will then become of thy Soul Oh Beloved I beseech you live not in that you are unwilling to dye in Balaam was not such a Wretch but he could cry our Good Lord let me dye the death of the righteous Thirdly Lay up for suffering times there are few of you I believe are so bad husbands but will lay up for a rainy day I mean against a time of sickness comes wherein you will be unable to work are you thus careful to maintain your bodies and will you be careless of your souls O be careful to provide for stormy weather you have winter garments for your bodies to preserve them from cold oh let patience be your winter garment to preserve keep your selves warm in afflictions I know that he that will live godlily in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and that through tribulations and sufferings we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven shall I not then provide for them But you may say What doth persecution attend all the godly A man may escape them as well as suffer them Put case afflictions should not come thou wilt be never the worse for being provided for them for he that is fit to dye is fit to live that man that is fit to suffer afflictions is fit to live without them It was Paul's Exhortation to the Ephesians 6.10 Finaly my Brethren put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand the wiles of the Devil And it is wisdom in a man to provide for a misery before it comes There is mention made of a Nation the Spartans I think that useth to chuse their King as we do our Lord Mayor every year whilst they are in their annual Government they lived in all abundance of state have all the fulness their hearts can wish but when their year is over all their pomp glory is over too they banisht into some obscure remote place for ever where they spent the remainder of their lives in great want and misery One King knowing this being called to rule over this Nation made such use of his time wherein he reigned as King that by his provident living he heaped up so much treasure and sent it before him to the place where he knew he should be sent as maintained him all his life time Thus it is God hath appointed to every one a time to live in and that bur a short time too and in that time he hath appointed afflictions to attend us if we will live godlily in Christ Jesus it is not wisdom in us then to provide for them Take heed then to avoid sufferings you do not commit sin to commit sin to avoid suffering is as if a man should run our of the mouth of a barking Dog into the mouth of a devouring Lyon What is the wrath of man to the wrath of God Man can but destroy the body and no more but God can destroy both body and soul into Hell fire to all eternity Fourthly My fourth word of Counsel and Direction is this Be serious in serious things when you come to perform serious things do them seriously I do not know that ever I saw a man fall asleep while he was telling of Money for if he should how could he tell whether it were right or no Yet alas too too many sleep when they should be taking Truth not only by natural sleep but also by spiritual sleep they are so careless in receiving the Word they hear and so lazy withal that rather then they will try the Word they hear they will take all for truth the Minister tells them Beloved I believe you will scarce put so much confidence in a man as to receive a summ of Money without teâ—ling it because he saith it is right and yet will you receive all that your Minister tells you is truth for truth without trying it You must not be sluggish in your working for God but put forth your selves to the uttermost You must make the Kingdom of Heaven suffer violence and take it by force But then Fifthly The fifth Direction which I shall give you is about hearing the Word how you must behave your selves when you hear I take it for granted you will hear I hope you will for brown bread is better than none and a little is better than none at all yet I intreat you take these two words of Direction First Try the Word you hear by the Truth Secondly Try your selves by the Word First Try the Word you hear by the Truth if it be not consonate to that believe it not let who will preach it Paul exhorteth the Galathians so to do Chap. 1.8 9 But though we 〈◊〉 an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed How Paul accursed sure you speak too high what if an Angel must he be accursed sure you will call in your words again Nay instead thereof he repeats them over again As we said before â—o I say again If any one preach any other Gospel than that which you have received let him be accursed If any man pretend a Revelation from Heaven and cannot bring Scripture for what he saith do not believe one syllable Take the noble Beraeans for your Example they would not believe Pauls Doctrine until they had searched to see whether it were so or no. But then as you are to try the Word you hear by the Truth so try your selves by the Word You hear as a Truth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Now try your selves by this Truth and see whether or no you walk after the Flesh or after the Spirit I have likewise two Directions about the preaching of the Word First Do not you receive the Word for the persons sake that brings it I am apt to think that many of you will receive a Truth of one mans bringing which you would not receive of anothers and thus ye receive the Word of God with respect of persons which you ought not But first receive the Word for its own sake and secondly receive the Person for the Words sake 1 Thess 5.12 13. We beseech you Brethren to know them which aâ—e over you to admonish you and labour among you in the Lord and to esteem of them very highly in love for their works sake Sixthly My Direction in the
interest in the Heavenly Kingdom they have Heavenly hearts if their Treasure be in Heaven their hearts will be there also Mat. 6.20 21. Lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven where neither Moth nor Rust can corrupt and Thieves break through and steal for where your Treasure is there will your hearts be also And is it so with us are our hearts taken up with the Heavenly glory Are our meditations and contemplations much on Heavenly objects Or else are they taken up only or mostly with earthly vanities Are our hearts on our Riches Pleasures c. Or else are they placed upon Heaven and Heavenly things If we have a title to the Kingdom of Heaven our hearts minds and affections will be Heavenly and taken up with Heavenly Objects Col. 3.1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things above and not on things on the Earth Thirdly Wouldest thou know whether thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven or no How dost thou like the employment of Heaven if thou likest the employment of Heaven then thou mayest comfortably conclude that thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven Canst thou say thou delightest to be employed in serving and in glorifying God and in worshipping of him in spirit and truth according to his word Canst thou say in truth that thou delightest to do the will of God here on earth as it is done by the Angels in heaven and the spirits of just men made perfect there Dost thou take delight to be employed in that employment that the Saints of heaven are and shall be for ever employed in Dost thou take pleasure to adore and praise and magnifie the ever blessed God Dost thou take pleasure in the duties of Religion and rejoyce to be conversing with God in prayer and in other holy exercises and to be enjoying communion with him if it be thus with thee as I have now described this this will evidently make out thy Title for Heaven Many Thousands pretend that their designs are to go to Heaven and they presumptuously conclude that they have an interest in that Kingdom when as they like not the Heavenly employment in themselves or others and they care not to get acquaintance with God here on earth and are strangers to the duties of Religion and to a life of holiness and perhaps spends and hour in a week or it may be in a moneth in secret prayer or in other holy exercises and it may be neglect the worship of God in their Families too but if we are unacquainted with the imployment of Heaven which is to praise and magnifie worship and adore God if thou delightest not so to do thou canst not conclude that thou hast a Title to Heaven but if thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven then thou dost most of all delight in that imployment which hath most of Heaven in it Fourthly If thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven thou hast a special love to the heirs of Heaven and thou hast a near and dear affection to the people of God though they be despised rejected scorned and persecuted by the prophane world and thou dost delight in the company of those on Earth which are like to be thy companions in Heaven and thou hadst rather have the society of those howsoever mean and low in the world that have the trueth of grace in them than of all the stately and glittering gallants of the World that are strangers to a Life of holiness and the more holy and heavenly they are in their hearts and lives the more amiable will their company be to thee 1 Job 3.14 Psal 15.4 Put thy self to the question whether it be thus with thee or no and thou shalt finde out thy title to heaven thereby Lastly If thou hast a title to Heaven then thou art so far at a point with all the riches and pleasures and enjoyments of the World as that thou wilt rather forgo them all than forsake Christ and rather part with them all rather than they shall hinder thee in thy way towards Heaven and if thou art brought so far at a pinch as that thou must either forsake thy interest in Christ and Heaven or to forgo thy worldly accommodations thou art very willing to forgo them all that thou mayest stick close to Christ and go forward in thy way to thy Heavenly Inheritance thus it was with the Apostle Paul Phil. 3.7 8. But what things saith he were gain to me those I accounted loss for Christ Yea doubtless I account all things but loss for the exceâ—ency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do account them but dung that I may win Christ And is it so with us then when riches honour and pleasure do stand in competition with Christ and hinder us in our progress in grace and holiness are we willing and ready to cast them away as we would cast away Dung if it be thus with us in reality then we may conclude we have a title to Heaven and an interest in the eternal glory By these things Beloved you may try whether you have an interest in Heaven or no. Having finished the Use of Examination I shall come to the next Use which is the last that I shall speak unto which an Use of Exhortation Is it so that the consideration of a Believers interest in the Heavenly Glory is enough to bear up his spirit under all the trials and tribulations of this Life then Oh that you which cannot upon Trial finde that you have a title to Heaven that you would labour after an interest in the Heavenly Glory if thou hast no interest there what good will all the enjoyments of the World do thee how quickly will all thy comforts and pleasures leave thee and what little cause hast thou to rejoyce in the abundance of outward things if thou hast no title to the durable riches if thou art void of the riches of grace here and hast no title to the riches of Glory hereafter what wilt thou do in a day of Tryal and in an hour of trouble and calamity What wilt thou do when Losses Crosses Troubles and Vexations shall compass thee about if thou hast not an Heavenly interest to support thee under them What wilt thou do when Pains and Anguish when Diseases Sickness and Death shall seize upon thee if thou hast not a Title to thy Heavenly inheritance These things will certainly and speedily come upon us how far off soever we may put them in our thoughts the proud looks of the lofty will quickly be turned into an earthly paleness though they look as big and carry themselves as high as if they had a protection from Hell and the Grave and those bodies which we now take so much care to please and pamper will
as fire brands out of the fire Yet I say that where there is one we have need of ten But though our disease is dangerous yet it is not desperate there is one way for us to prevent those heavy judgements that the Lord doth threaten to inflict upon us and that is by Repentance by a serious Repenting of the sins past of our lives and to amend what hath been amiss in us I shall now come to make some Application of what I have formerly delivered unto you Vse 1. In the first place Is this a Truth That Repentance is the only way and means to prevent the Judgements of God that are threatned against a People by God for sin Then first of all I would have you to observe the cursed nature of this cursed thing called sin Sin must be repented of or it will destroy us it will destroy our bodies it will destroy our souls it will destroy our Kingdom this is the cursed nature of this thing called sin My beloved I think it is one of the hardest things that is to understand the exceeding sinfulness of sin to understand that deadly Poyson that is in it it is for want of the true knowledge of it that causeth that deadness of heart that you so much groin under Thus you see that sin that thing which we so much slight what a terrible thing it is Alas what think many of us of a vain word or an idle thought or swearing an Oath what a trifling thing it is to neglect Prayer But let me ask you that think sin to be so slight a matter What is the reason that God is so angry that he made man What is the reason that many a sinful Church hath made God repent that ever he made them a Church I say therefore consider the exceeding venom that there is in sin Oh take heed of sin it is a Child that although it be conceived in joy yet it shall bring forth sorrow in the end Cursed be the day that ever sin was born into the world Sin it is so vile a thing that it makes God for to cry out at it and Jesus Christ for to cry out at it and makes them to say they will be gone If you continue in your sins I will take away my Ministers and leave you in darkness Tush say you what is sin I say it is the venom and poyson of our natures it is that which is as the hand to unsheath the sword and to thrust it into our own bowels Sin it is as a milstone that is tied about our necks that will pull us both soul and body into the bottom of that Sea of the wrath of God from whence there will be no recovery sin is a Plague that will follow our posterity after we are gone out of this world sin it is a worm upon the Tree of life that eats up the fruit of it sin it is that which makes the Lord to take away the Gospel from amongst us sin it is a devilish charm within us that drives away God and Christ and the Gospel from amongst us This is the evil of that cursed thing called sin Oh do not you make a liitle matter of it do not you say when you have been drunk what harm is there that I have drunk a cup too much do not say what harm is there in my telling a lye or swearing an oath Oh my beloved what a sad thing is this sin that it should cause God for to throw Angels out of Heaven into Hell Pride cast Angels into Hel take heed it doth not so by you Sin made God to destroy all the old world sin made God to repent that he had made the world sin made God for to burn Sodom Gomorah sin made God for to threaten Ephesus to remove hiâ— candlestick from among them Therefore I say do not think sin to be a small matter make Conscience of the least of sins believe God that it is a vile thing consider with thy self what a vain labour this labour of sin is it is a vain troublesome work when you commit it you must resolve for to die the death or to undo it again Sin it may well be called the Labour in vain When thou art a doing any thing that is evil thou must repent of it or else it will undo thee Sin is a long thred of the sinners spinning that when he hath spun it out he must sit down in sorrow and labour to undo his work again While thou art a sinning I can compare it to nothing better than to the journey that Joseph and Mary made to Jerusalem and left Jesus Christ behind them My beloved it is a sad journeying without Christ in your company when you go on in sin you must return again or else you will lose your souls This I say is the labour in Vain of sinners they are doing a work that they must undo again they are running a race that they must run back again or else it will undo them You are gathering up of sticks that will help to burn you you are whetting a knife that must cut your own throats you are spinning a thred that must hang you Oh my beloved little do you think that you are doing this when you are sinning Do not you say therefore that sin is a little matter for God will damn thee soul and body for it he that will damn thee for lying he that will damn thee for neglect of praying he doth think that these sins are great matters Will you lay these things to heart I shall speak but a few words more and I shall have done and God knowes whether ever I shall speak to you any more I say take heed of sin and do not you go away with light thoughts of it Vse 2. Is Repentance the onely way and means for to prevent the Judgements of God which are threatned by God for sin Then from hence you may learn the excellency the usefulness of that Grace of Repentance Oh what an omnipotent grace is this it is a grace that can do any thing with God Why what can this grace do what can it not do This grace of Repentance it can redeem your morgaged blessings it can repossess you of those blessings that you have foolishly played away Repentance can make God to stay here in our Kingdom when he is a departing Repentance it is a heart-breaking for sin it brâ—aks the heart of God likewise when thy heart yearns for sin his heart yearns towards thee as thou mayest see in the yearnings of God's bowels towards Ephraim Jer. 31.18 19 20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoak Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after I was turned I repented and after I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I
pass and as vers 8. Fret not thy self in any wise to do evil 2. Take heed of such persons as by whom if you be not the more watchful you may be so offended as to be turned out of the way More particularly 1. Take heed of your selves This is that our Saviour calls for in that Mat. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself Our greatest danger is from our selves while we have within a deceiver and a traytor who is still conspiring to turn us out of the way Take heed therefore of your own selves consult not with flesh and blood Gal. 1.10 2. Beware of Satan This is that which the Apostle suggests 2 Cor. 3. I fear by any means lest as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ And out of the like fear concerning you I beseech you beware of Satan and the rather for that as the Apostle saith vers 14. Satan is transformed into an Angel of light 2. Beware of false Teachers This is the advice of our Saviour in Mat. 7.15 Beware of false Prophets which comes to you in sheeps cloathing c. And though I cannot say I know with the Apostle in Acts 20.29 yet I am greatly afraid that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock and that of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciple after them 4. Beware of worldly Friends such as will counsel you to spare your selves such as savour not the things of God but those that be of men This our Saviour calls for in that of Luke 14.26 Answer them as Christ answered Peter Mat 16.22 23. The proper use of this Point with respect to the people of God is to exhort and perswade them to wait on the Lord and keep his way however it be whoever they are that watch and plot against them however they may prosper in bringing wicked devices to pasâ— however they may prevail in oppressing the poor Saints yet this is the Exhortation that I have received from the Lord for you Wait on the Lord and keep his Way There are two branches of the Exhortation I shall speak to both of them distinctly And because the latter of them is the main and the former a help thereto in bad times I shall invert the order of the Text and speak to what is here the latter in the first place and the other as time will give leave 1. However it go Saints though the wicked watch to do you a mischief yet keep you the Way of the Lord diligently observing the way of his Commandements the way of your duty to walk therein For as much as it hath been the design of mâ— preaching all along to expound the Way of God to you and to instruct you in the way of the Lord And I am now directing my speech to the Saints of God who know own and profess the way of the Lord I shall not spend much time while I have so little left in recounting to you what I have taught you concerning the way of the Lord onely in general that way of truth and righteousness the way of faith and holiness which I have taught you from the word is intended You know the way of Gospel-Doctrine Gospel-Fellowship Gospel-worship Gospel-Discipline and Gospel-Conversation which I have preached and you have received And here beloved I call God to witness in whose Name I have preached to you that I have preached the way of the Lord sincerely and faithfully as I have received of the Lord by the teaching of his Spirit through the Word I therefore beseech and entreat you out of that hearty love I bear to you and that affectionate care I have for you that as you tender the Glory of God your own Peace here and eternal Happiness hereafter and the spiritual and eternal good of others that you will remember how you have heard and received and keep the way of the Lord. In the prosecuting of this I shall speak to these two things First Open this duty in a few particulars Secondly Give you some directions to help you herein For the first of these take it in these particulars 1. Be exhorted to keep the way of the Lord in your memories So Rev. 3 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast I am speaking to those that have received the knowledge of the way of the Lord that they retain what they have learned and that they maintain an actual remembrance of it and the rather take heed to this every one of you with the greater diligence for that you are like to be deprived of the help of your Remembrancers viz. the faithful Ministers of Christ 1 Tim. 4.6 you have had their help a lâ—ng while in putting you from Sabbath to Sabbath in remembrance but this is taking from you as the Apostle in another case Heb. 2.1 Therefore ye ought to give the more earnest heed to the things ye have heard lest at any time ye should let them slip 2. Keep the Way of the Lord in your judgments and Consciences I am speaking to those whose judgments are enlightned and Consciences renewed to approve of the VVay of the Lord As therefore the Apostle unto them 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye be led amay with the error of the wicked and fall from your own stedfastness So say I seeing ye know the VVay of the Lord and approve of it beware lest being led away with the error of the wicked and your own judgements being thereby corruped and your Consciences defiled you fall from your own stedfastness and I the rather press this for that as the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 11.3 I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 3. Keep the Way of the Lord in your Profession I am speaking unto those who as Rom. 10.10 with the heart believe unto Righteousness and with the month make confession unto Salvation And you have the Exhortation in the words of the Apostle Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the Faith without wavering Be not ashamed of your profession as our Saviour speaks Mar 8.38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my Words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with his holy Angels with Mat. 10.32 33. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven 4. Keep the Way of the Lord in your hearts and affections loving rejoycing and delighting in the Way of the Lord
The keeping of it in your memories judgements and profession will be but in vain unless you keep it in your hearts Lay up and hide the Word of God in your hearts let the desire and delight of your soul be in the Way of the Lord with the Psal 119.111 Thy Testimonies have I taken for mine heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart 'T is the Caracter of the Godly man Psal 1.1 2. He delighteth in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night 5. Keep the VVay of the Lord in your lives and conversation walking therein conscientiously observing the Commandments of God to do accordingly I am speaking to those who have chosen the way of the Lord to walk in and they may read what the Lord saith in that Deut. 5.32 You shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath commanded you you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left you shall walk in all the Wayes that the Lord your God hath commanded you and to as many as walk according to this rule peace shall be upon them and upon the Israel of God Having this opened this Duty take these few Directions among the many that might be given 1 Let the Spirit of Christ be your guide and principle I am speaking unto such as have the Spirit of Christ Now if you consult that Ezek 36.27 You shall find that the Lord promiseth his people that he will put his Spirit within them and to what promise viz. both to encline enable and guide them to walk in his Statutes and to observe his Commandmenâ—s to do them There is no entring into the way of the Lord but by the Spirit Joh. 3 3. we all naturally being gon astray wander from the way of the Lord and it is the spirit only that can and doth reduce men into this way and the best being but lame and having not only a principle of halting in but declining from it there is no walking in this Way but by the assistance and guidance of the Spirit Let therefore the Spirit of God be your guide it is comprised that he shall lead you into all truth John 16.13 Let the spirit be your principle walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 then you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh but shall keep the way of the Lord. 2. Make the Word of God your rule I have heretofore from that John 6 39. and 1 Tim. 3.15 and several other places cleared to you that it is given of God for this end to be the rule both for Faith and Practice Keep therefore unto this and by no meanes depart from this if you would keep the Way of the Lord. Here you have the Lord revealing his Way and that clearly and plainly so that the most simple that apply themselves to it may understand it the Scriptures are a perfect and a constant rule Therefore as in that Isa 8.26 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them There are some that make the Light within their rule and that in opposition to the Word but the Light in such is Darkness for if they speak not according to this Word if it be but diverse from though not directly opposite unto it then there is no light in them Indeed the Light within that is Concience enlightned is a rule but it is Regula Regulata a Ruled Rule There is Regula Regulans and Regula Regulata A Ruling Rule and a Ruled Rule The former is a Rule to the latter by which it is to be tryed and approved The Word of God is a Ruling Rule and Conscience is a Ruled Rule which is to be obeyed as far as it speaks according to the Word and no further If therefore you would keep the Way of the Lord do not despise Conscience do not neglect the Light within but make it not thy Rule make the Word of God thy Rule admit not of any thing that is belonging to the Way of the Lord that is not grounded upon or not warranted by his Word If you would keep the Way of the Lord hold fast to what is written stick to the Word That saying of Austin is famous Sive de Christo sive de Ecclesia sive de quacunque alia re non dico si nos sed si Angelus sed coelo vobis annunciaverit praeterquam quod in Scripturis accipistes Anathema sit Not to say If we but if an Angel from heaven shall preach any thing of Christ or of the Church or of any other thing besides what ye have received in the Scripture let him be accursed Like to that Gal. 1.8 9. The Word is the heavenly Compass whereby we may be directed to steer our course aright to the Haven of happiness Keep you to the Word while one says this is the way and another that Try all things by the Rule of the Word and make that your Rule to walk by Hence when Paul was taking his leave of the Church at Ephesus in that Acts 20. in his Farewel-Sermon that after his departure they might keep the way of the Lord you may read what he commends to them verse 32. And your brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those that are sanctified He commends the Word of God to them So Beloved now that I may no more speak to you from this place for the teaching of you the right and the good way I recommend to you the Word of the Lord which will be a light to your feet and a Lanthorn to your paths to guide you in the Way of the Lord till you attain the end of your Faith the Salvation of your souls What knowledge I have of the way of the Lord what I have taught you of the way of the Lord I have been taught by the Spirit of the Lord through the Word and though you want the great help of a plain powerful and faithful Ministry for the future yet let not those that are sincere in desiring to walk in the way of the Lord be discouraged by those who would make them believe that the Word is hard to be understood for that as it is more from malignity in us than difficulty in the Scriptures that the most do not understand them so they are easie to be understood by them that sincerely endeavour it being not onely most plain and clear in teaching the way of the Lord but also appointed to enlighten the eyes and make wise the simple Psal 19 7 8. Yea the entrance of it giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple Psal 119.130 And how weak and simple soever any of the Saints may be in worldly matters and in the Worlds account yet of them all is that spoken 1 John 2.27 But the anointing which ye have received of him