fellowship friendship and acquaintance with God desire so to continue like some of the Israelites who began to be in love with their bondage and slavery in Egypt And how many thousands and millions have we cause to fear there be who are dead while they live or at the best but luke-warm such as Christ threatens to spue them out of his mouth Rev. 3.16 serving of God in such a sleight perfunctory negligent and careless manner only for fashions sake and by fits sometimes perhaps pray when the night comes hear when the Sabbath comes fast when Lent comes and think to repent when death comes And alas all this while they are under the wrath and Curse of God liable to all the miseries of this life to Death it self and those pains that are endless easeless and remediless And yet men are in a golden Dream and bless themselves in their evil ways until the very flames of Hell take hold on them The Lord threatens he will not spare them but his jealousie and anger shall smoke against them blot out their name from under heaven Deut. 22 20. separate them unto evil what can be more miserable and dreadful then and desolation Let me then in the name of God Exhort you all to seek the Lord in good earnest while he may be found Know in this your day the things of your eternal peace without which you had better never to have come upon the Stage of the World O what will become of men at that great Day that have all thâ—ir time here been found fighters against God treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath Acts 5.39 Rom. 2 5. every day carrying a Faggot to that Pile which shall burn them for ever a Brand to that Hell which Sin and the Wrath of God hath made so hot already O for men to be in the very gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity Acts 8.23 possessed with most wicked malice slaves to the Devil to do all manner of wickedness to be given up to blindness of mind utterly destitute of the true knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ under strong delusions to take pleasure in believing lies 2 Thes 2.11,12 This is the greatest judgment that can befal you unless the earth should open and swallow you up like Korah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16.32,33 when Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants went all quick to hell together Yet for ought we know while God in justice killed their bodies he might in mercy save some of their souls He that repenteth not to day will have one day more to account for and one day less to repent in And who knows what may depend upon one day Yet Prayers and Tears may do you good But stay a while and though streams of blood should flow from you and you should cry and howl to God to all Eternity it would never do it therefore know your time It is a happy thing for a man to do a business in such a time wherein he may have the comfort of it the benefit of it God proclaims and says to every one of you this day Friend poor soul as ever you expect to receive mercy look to it now for now the golden Scepter is stretched forth now is the acceptable time and the day of grace and salvation come in and accept of the offers and tenders of grace and mercy now or else you may be lost and gone for ever qui jam non credit imposterum sentiet he that will not now believe shall hereafter feel sooner or later The sinner an hundred years old shall be accursed Isa 65.20 Tua res agitur non Dei thou art the person concerned this business concerns thy life thy Eternal estate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in Loc. It is not said Reconcile God to your selves for God doth not make the breach but reconcile your selves to God Certainly it concerns men that have not made their peace with God to spend their days in bewailing their sinful and miserable condition to exchange all their carnal joy for some godly sorrow that God may give them that in tears which they could never find in sensual pleasures that God may give them salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. Orat. 17. God hath joyned salvation with sorrow and sighing godly sorrow and sighing is the souls food and the minds refection Therefore do not ruffle it out in the world taking your fill of Pleasure as if this world were made on purpose for you to sport in Remember what the Prophet Isaiah saith And what will ye do in the day of visitation in the great Day whom will ye flye for help to Isa 10.3 when the Earth shall burn and the Heavens shall flame and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat and all the Tribes of the Earth shall mourn before the Lord. Although the Lord keep many terrible privy Sessions and sharp and severe Visitations for to keep this world in order yet he hath reserved the great Assise the great Visitation until the last Day And therefore is this a time to be carnal and secure and sleeping when you should be running for the Crown of glory to be an Athiest in the world The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts Psal 10.4 or all his thoughts are there is no God non esse Deum sunt omnes cogitationes ejus Junius This is that fool that hath said in heart there is no God Psal 14.1 it is rather an Option then an Opinion faith S. Austin He could be content there was none Ita tacitus loquntus est impius non est Deus vel utinam non esset Deus God is not the object of his joy his thoughts and meditationsu either is he careful and solicitous aboutheavenly and divine things being intentive about prophane The best things are shut out of his heart Intus existens prohibet alienum he lives as if there were no God with no due sense awe or reverence of the most Holy and glorious God These men are most truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without God in the World Eph. 2 12. hic labor hoc opus And therefore to get men to be reconciled to God this is a work indeed a very difficult work Well might Paul say Who is sufficient for these things Herein consists the great work of Reconciliation when Parties between whom hath been friendship and afterward breaches made then they are brought into favour again as S. Bernard tells us in his 32. Sermon super Cantica Quidest reconciliatio nisi iterata animorum dissidentium conciliatio And the same Father tells us that there are three to whom we ought to be reconciled To God Angels and Men. Unto Men by manifest deeds clear and shining which are to be wrought before men Joh. 3.21 Let your light so shine on earth to the glory of your Father in heaven Matt 5.16 There
as Luther observes for a man to have the Word and pure Doctrine but he must also be assured of his Calling and he that entreth without this certainty entreth to no other end but to kill and destroy For God never prospereth the labour of them that are not called And although they may teach some good and profitable matter yet they edifie not A Minister must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3.3 given to Hospitality a lover or user of Hospitality according to the Apostles exhortaion as we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the Houshold of Faith And also after the Example of our heavenly Father who maketh his sun to shine on the evil and on the good Matth. 5.45 And for that the common sort approve of friendship by profit Non ex benedictis sed ex benefactis But especially a Minister must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach ready to teach ever ready prest to do any thing which the Lord hath given him in charge to feed the Peoples Souls with divine meat to approve himself a Pastor after Gods own heart ever labouring to imitate our Blessed Lord and Saviour Matt. 5.2 who so opened his mouth that he taught the People the way of life and Salvation and that with most admirable Wisdom excellent Grace singular Meekness ardent Zeal and Authority unusual not respecting any mans person so that never man spake like this man Joh. 7.46 And as God said to Moses Exod. 23.13 In all things that I have said unto you be circumspect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye shall be wary or take heed to your selves that ye transgress not So our Saviour gave the charge unto his Disciples to be as wise as Serpents and harmless and innocent as Doves Matt. 10.16 Christ would have them Wise and Innocent The Serpent hath too much subtilty but wants simplicity and innocency therefore the simplicity of the Dove and the wisdom of the Serpent make a good mixture yet of the two it seemeth more safe to want wisdom then innocency better to erre for want of wit then to deceive with too much Nocentissimi autem qui non simplices sicut stultissimi qui non sapientes prastat minus sapere quam peius errare quam fallere Tertull. adversus Valent. Cap. 2. This must be our rejoycing according to that golden saying of the Apostle That in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 Again a Minister must be a Labourer not a loyterer in Gods harvest Whereunto I also labour striving saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sweating and taking great pains bearing the burden and heat of the day Col 1.29 Which may be most truly verified of him who laboured more abundantly then all as his works in the New Testament do sufficiently witness Christ never bad us pray for loyterers and lookers on such as will rather let their bodies rust away then spend and wear them away in the service of God The Ministry is a matter of Service as an Honour so a Burden None are called into Gods Harvest but Labourers And therefore what Work we have to do for God we are to put forth our strength about it our great Errand and business in this world being to save Souls we are to apply our selves unto it with all our might which is the Argument of the Holy Ghost Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest Eccles 9.10 Jeremiah saith Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord negligently or deceitfully Jer. 48.10 Maledictus qui facit fraudulenter Arias Mont. If this curse do not touch them which do the chiefest business of the Lord negligently truly I know not whom the Prophet meaneth Saith Paul to Timothy Give attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be in them 1 Tim. 4.13 and after the example of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he I must be about my Fathers business Luke 2.49 The Apostles professed unto the multitude of People that came about them that they would give themselves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word Acts 6.4 Many thrive not in their Studies as not calling upon God for his assistance therein and blessing thereupon by frequent servent and constant prayer which is an excellent way to make a mans ministry shine And also joyning Fasting thereunto as often as is convenient Christ excused his Disciples in not fasting while he was with them But took it for granted that they would fast so soon as he was gone from them to Heaven Matt. 9.15 This is that which seeds the Soul with the dainties of the Scripture doth refresh and comfort with Contemplation establisheth with grace and nourish with heavenly food This is also the way to true Honour and to do something in the World for the glory of God Jejunium scripturarum deliciis Pascitur contemplatione reficitur gratia stabilitur coelesti pane nutritur Quotquot vires virtutum vidimus sine jejunio non legemus ascendisse nec aliquod magnum moliti sunt nisi prius abstinentia praecessisset Cypr. de je junio tentationibus Christi That our profiting may appear to all many delivered out of ignorance many purged from their filthiness when we declare unto our People all the Counsel of God Propound the will of God out of the Word unto the Edification of our People when the end of Preaching is love out of a pure heart and a good Conscience and faith unfeigned labour to save our selves and them that hear us 1 Tim 1.5 This is the onely way to be great Blessings unto them amongst whom we live when thousands are enriched by you Many bless God that ever you came amongst them and to have many Prayers of the Saints ascending to Heaven for a Blessing upon you in your Ministry this is no small mercy To be instrumental for much good unto the Church of God this is one of the greatest happinesses in this world To have large Opportunities for God and his Church And when a Minister is a Voice he is heard Ignorance doth not silence him nor laziness nor abundance of preferment nor indiscreet and distempered zeal he is a Voice in his Habit in his Gesture and in his Life and Conversation as well as in his Doctrine Now the Peoples eyes will be taught as well as their ears who otherwise will be most unmerciful and severely Critical Noah was a Preacher of Righteousness because his Life was an actual Sermon An innocent and unrebukable life is a silent testimony of a good Minister But especially when we manifest our love to Christ by feeding his sheep Joh. 21.15 By doing all that
's a demonsiration Feed the hungry relieve the Poor There 's another demonstration When this is done in Faith and in Obedience to the Commandements of God 't is one excellent way for rich men to lay up some of their treasures in heaven and then let their hearts follow their treasure thither This is a brave noble way of giving Earth a translation and to improve every Alms and Penny to the best laying up in store for themselves a good Foundation against the time to come That they may lay hold on eternal life 1 Tim. 6.17,18,19 Secondly Unto Angels by hidden and secret signs which are sighs and groans Angelorum delitiae Poenitententium lacrymae and other signs of repentance which please and delight the Angels who are sent about Gods Messages to this Earth There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth Luke 15.10 And good Ministers are glad too when they can perceive it How glad was the holy Apostle when he perceived it in the Romans and asked them What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6 21. Certainly sin is not a gainful way without doubt more men are impoverished and beggered by sinful courses then enriched sin cannot be the way to Glory and Honour for we dare not avow our sins but are ashamed of them when they are done fruitless unprofitable before shame and dishonour after Mens Souls are desperately sick of sin and at Deaths door must we tell them of Heaven and an immortal Crown and Kingdom before repenting of their wickednesses till they be first recovered in some measure from the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Acts 8.22 from the jaws of Hell and snare of the Devil Revive them with the Gospel before they be humbled with the Law Without any humiliation repentance sighs and grones certainly we cannot give you comfort We dare not apply the oyl of Consolation till we have scoured your festred wounds with the sharp wine of Reprehension Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap Gal. 6.7 If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Rom. 8.13 When Iniquity hath played her part then shall Vengeance leap upon the Stage The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God Psal 9.17 And that with a Go ye Cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels Mat. 25.41 Could we behold your Cheeks blubbered with Tears your Hands beating your Breasts like the poor penitent Publican Luke 18.13 your Cryes resounding at Heaven Gates for mercy or any way but perceive your Repentance and Indignation against Sin Then should we think it high time and seasonable to sing as sweetly as we can of the tender mercies of God and the Riches of his grace unto afflicted and broken spirits Thirdly We must be reconciled to God by Purity singleness and sincerity of heart wherein the perfection of the Gospel doth consist Mat. 5.8 And now Men Brethren and Fathers with what words shall I bespeak you all to live to that God from whom you shine That when the Grave shall be open for you Heaven may not be shut against you O you that are yet asleep in sin is it not high time for you to awake Rom. 13.11 And that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep The time of the light of the Gospel which is as it were the Dawning of that great everlasting Day the words are an Alarm or Summons unto spiritual vigilancy an appeal to Conscience for the necessity of the Duty And now knowing the time the Propinquity and nearness of salvation The night is far spent Shall the Heavens be all in flaming fire 2 Thes 1.8 and the Elements melt with servent heat before you will begin to fear God The Sun shined upon Sodom in the morning and yet the horrible wrath of God fell upon them before evening and thy Soul may be in Hell before the next morning as that rich Churls who reckoned upon many years and had not a day to live Luke 12.20 Shall the great Luminaries of Heaven the Sun and the Moon be darkened Mat. 24 29. before that soul of thine be inlightened And the Stars fall down from Heaven before thou wilt fall down in all humility before thy Maker confessing and forsaking thy sins Shall the Sea give up her Dead before thou art alive and the Harvest of the world to come before the Seeds of grace and eternal life be sown in thy heart art thou so dead and buried in sin that no Sermon shall stir nor awaken thee but the last Trumpet shall sound before thou wilt hear O wo to thee when thy days are ended Then the great Judgment and Visitation will fall most dreadfully upon thee And yet I declare unto you this truth in the name of God that there is not the worst the vilest in the Congregation that is come through the Providence of God before God this day but for ought we know it is possible for thy sins to be pardoned for God to be reconciled unto thee and thy soul to be saved though even now an enemy a rebel against God a slave of sin and Satan O therefore prize this Doctrine of Reconciliation prefer it above your appointed food as Job did the holy Scripture yea before thousands of gold and silver Job 23.12 For upon your forsaking a Course of sin God will not onely pardon you let all Suits fall cancel all Bonds quit all scores but also receive you into favour Now herein the Lord infinitely excelleth all the Princes of the Earth If a Subject offend his Prince and his offence be hainous and capital be accounteth it a singular and great favour from his Prince if he can be pardoned but he shall never be honoured more never be trusted more But now the Lord doth not onely pardon great sinners upon true repentance but he highly honours them and Crowns them with very glorious Rewards and the choicest Joys and Delights that heart can wish And this may be said with all grateful commemoration and great truth that when by Divine Providence Almighty God the Father of all Mercies returned our most dread Sovereign unto us the People of England to the execution of his Kingly Office he did not onely pardon many Offenders but hath also honoured them with titles of quality and places of trust I will Answer but one Objection and so I will draw to a Conclusion What infinite Pity is it to consider how some forsake all Religion because the Preachers do not Agree or because the Lives of Professors give some offence But certainly there is no Cause why they should mislike the Word for the Preacher or why they should despise Religion for the Professor Because the Word and Religion are not theirs which Preach it and Profess it but Gods The Seed sown in good Ground may grow