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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
honour_n	child_n	glory_n	parent_n	1,912	5	9.5403	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34165	A Compleat collection of farewel sermons preached by Mr. Calamy, Dr. Manton, Mr. Caryl ... [et al.] ; together with Mr. Ash his funeral sermon, Mr. Nalton's funeral sermon, Mr. Lye's rehearsal ... with their several prayers.	Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666.; Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; Nalton, James, 1600-1662.; Lye, Thomas, 1621-1684.; Ashe, Simeon, d. 1662.	1663 (1663)	Wing C5638; ESTC R8646	623,694	660

the Cross Father into thy hand I commend my Spirit Believe it Christian thou that art truly such it will afford thee more comfort than that God is thy Heavenly Father and thou his Child by Adoption and Regeneration then if thou wert related to the greatest Prince and the puissant Monarch in all the world Thus I have done with the first Use which is a Use of Consolation to the godly upon this consideration that they are the Children of God and that he is their Heavenly Father 2 Vse for Caution Secondly If it be so that all true Believers are the Children of God and that he is their Father then this should caution wicked men to be●are how they meddle with Gods Children Oh! have a care of afflicting wronging persecuting hurting of the people of God lest you be found fighters against God have a care of anoying and troubling those that are so near and dear to God that are so tender to him as the apple of his eye beware of vexing and molesting those that are so nearly related to the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords you may think it may be that you may do what you will to the godly because they are low and mean in the world as many of them are But I must tell you as mean and as low as they are in your esteem they are near and dear to God carnal men may think they may oppress and wrong and do what they please to the people of God because they are weak and not able to help themselves but little do they think how nearly the great God doth account himself concern'd in their affairs little do the great ones of the world consider what heavy reckoning will be laid to their charge one day for injuring wronging and molesting the poor servants of God if they did surely we should not have them so busily imployed therein as they are Thus for the second Use 3. Vse for Examination Thirdly Is it so that Believers have God for their Heavenly Father then here is matter of Tryal how shall we know whether God be our Father or no and whether we be his children in this peculiar manner by Adoption and Regeneration It is true God is a Father to us by Creation and we are his Children by Profession but if this be all the relation that we bear to God this will not entitle us to holiness and salvation without we are regenerate and born again and are become his Children by Regeneration and God be our Father by vertue of the new Covenant We are all by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2.3 How shall we know then whether we are gotten into the state of Son-ship by Adoption and Regeneration and whether God be our heavenly Father there are man●●hat pretend that the have God for their Father when as yet they are under the Dominion of their lusts and are strangers to a work of true conversion and regeneration and enemies to a life of holiness and a groundless presumption that men are the Children of God when there is no such matter hath proved the bane of many thousand souls I shall therefore give you these characters whereby we may know whether we are the children of God in this peculiar manner or no. First Whose Image do you bear do you bear the Image of God or else do you bear the Image of Saran Those that are the Children of God by Adoption and Regeneration they are such as bear their Fathers Image the Image of God which is created in righteousne●s and in true holiness is ingraven upon their souls they are such as do bear the Image of the heavenly Adam 1 Cor. 15.49 And they have put ●n the New man which is created in knowl●dge after the Image of him that created him Col. 3.10 And it is so with thee dost thou bear the Image of God hast thou a new and holy nature put into thee inclining thee to all holy duties and avoid all sin art thou renewed in holiness then thou art a Child of God and God is thy Heavenly Father but if it be not thus with thee if thou hast not this new and holy nature wrought in thee but thy old corrupt nature is predominant inclining thee to sin whatsoever groundless presumption thou mayst have yet thou art no true Child of God by Regeneration and Adoption Secondly Wouldst thou know whether thou art the true child of God or no by whose spirit art thou led by the spirit of God or by the spirit of Satan they that have God for their Father are led by the spirit of God Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God try thy self then by this art thou led by the spirit of God Dost thou live after the flesh and not after the spirit Dost thou mind the things of the spirit and not the things of the flesh if so then thou mayst comfortably conclude that thou art the Child of God and that he is a heavenly Father we may know our Sonship by our spirit if we are the Sons of God by Adoption and Regeneration then we are led by a spirit of God which is a spirit of Prayer Rom. 8.15 A spirit of liberty making us free from the dominion of our lusts and from the slavery of sin and Satan 2 Cor. 3.17 John 8.32 A spirit of love to God and to the people of God 1 John 5 2. Thirdly We may know whether God be our heavenly Father or no by this do we labor to set forth the honour of God Children they are very tender of the honour of their Parents this is a great duty to honour earthly Parents Exod. 20.11 much more should we honour God which is the Father of Spirits If I am your Father where is mine honour saith Christ if God be our Father where is that honour that we should yield to him if we are the Children of God by Regeneration and San●●ification then we are tender of the honour of Christ it will make our hearts rise to hear his Name blasphemed or taken in vain his Salbaths prophaned his Worship corrupted by human● mixtures his Creatures abused unto excess his Commandments broken these things will grieve and trouble us more than any thing if we are Gods Children in truth But if we can see God dishonoured by the unholy lives of carnal men his Commands trampled under foot and yet not be grieved at this but canst close in with those that make it their business to dishonour God then thou art no Child of God in this particular sense the great dishonour that is brought to God in the world is a sad sign that there 's but few very few that are in truth the Children of God and the abounding and increasing of all sorts of sin whereby God is exceedingly dishonoured drunkenness swearing Sabbath-breaking uncleanness lying extortion oppression scorning and deriding at Holiness contempt of Gods Ordinances Persecution of his

faithful laborious Ministers and People I say the abounding of these and such like abominations is a very sad evidence that there are very few that have God for their Heavenly Father in this special and peculiar manner and that are his children by Adoption and Regeneration Lastly wouldest thou know whether God be thy Father and thou his child by this whether thou art couragious in the ways of God and in the practice of Godliness they that have God for their heavenly Father they have a noble and Heroick spirit they are such as will not be ashamed nor afraid to lead a holy life notwithstanding all the mocks and taunts and threats of the world they that are of a base timerous spirit that are afraid of owning the ways of holiness for fear of being reproached reviled or opposed by the prophane world they that are afraid to cleave to the wayes and people of God in discouraging times they are not of the right strain say not then that thou art born of God unless thou canst prove thy noble extraction by thy noble and heroick courage resolution notwithstanding all the trouble calamity persecution thou maist meet with in the world Thus much for Examination 4. Vse for Exhortation Fourthly Is it so c. Then here is a word of Exhortation First Unto those that are Unregenerate that have not God for their Father in this peculiar manner and that is that they would never be in rest till they come to be united unto Jesus Christ and to have him to be their Father by Regeneration it is a sad thing to be void of this when we cannot go to God as to a Father and cannot expect any thing from him as from a Father Oh! how little do thousands think of this whether they are the Children of God and have God for their Father or no they care not for it they make not out after it Or take it for granted when they have no true and real ground so to do Oh! then labour to get into this state of Son-ship close with Jesus Christ by a lively operative heart-purifying faith that thou maist thereby be invested into Gods family and become his Child consider that before thou art thus by faith ingrafted into Christ thou hast woful Parents thou art a child of disobedience Ephes 2.2 A child of wrath Verse 3. A child of Satan John 8.44 Secondly Here is a word of Counsel and Exhortation to the Godly that are the Children of God by Adoption and Regeneration First To those m● first councel is that you would make it your greatest care and diligence to please your Heavenly Father and have a care of sinning against him consider that the sins of Gods Children are very grievous to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Caesar to his son Brutus when he saw him among his betrayers What and thou my son so will God say to his children when they grieve him by sin what and thou my son my child one whom I have Adopted my Heir what will you sin against me I thought you had had more love have I loved you so much and do you love me so little hath my spirit comforted you and will you grieve it have my bowels yearned towards you and will you kick against them have I been crucified for you and will you crucifie me again afresh by your sins The nearer the Relation is that the soul beareth to God the greater is the aggravation of the sin against God Secondly Labour to shew forth your noble extraction by your noble and raised affections it is beneath the son of a Prince to be taken up with trifles it is beneath one that is heir to a Kingdom to set his affections upon low and base things things of nought So it is beneath the Children of the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords to let their affections run out inordinately after the world and the enjoyments thereof they are born from above and therefore should set their affections upon things above and not on things on earth Colos 3.2 What an unsutable thing is it for a Christian to be taken up with the inordinate love of the world it is a Degradation to the heirs of Heaven to have their minds taken up only or mostly with Earth and earthly Vanities they are ad majora nati born to greater things it is unbecoming such to soil their affections with Earth which are born to an inheritance incorruptible which fadeth not away Oh that the children of God and such as do profess themselves so to be would manifest their holy and heavenly extraction by their holy and heavenly affections and that such as are the Sons and Daughters of God by Adoption and Sanctification would not walk so far beneath that Relation Thirdly Labor to imitate your heavenly Father Be you followers of God as dear Children Ephes 5.1 Be ye mercifull as your heavenly Father is merciful be ye holy as he is holy be ye compassionate as he is in all things labor to imitate your Heavenly Father it is a Christians honor to be like God and to imitate him Fourthly Labour more and more to obey your heavenly Father our natural Parents may require obedience of us and it is our duty to give it them much more may him that is the Father of spirits require it of us and it is much more our duty to give it him Walk as obedient Children 1 Pet. 1.14 Yea you must obey him chearfully too The obedience of Children is herein differenced from the obedience of slaves in that slaves are drawn to their duty out of a slavish fear but children come to it willingly out of a fillial affection Oh therefore let your obedience to God be chearful and voluntary Take delight to do the will of your heavenly Father Lastly Submit to your heavenly Fathers chastisements this is the Exhortation of the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 12.5 6 7. My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loveth be chasteneth and scourgeth every Son he receiveth If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sons for what Son is he whom the Father chasteneth not But if ye are without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bollards and not Sons Let us not then murmur and faint under our afflictions and chastisements but let us submit to them and labour to grow the better for them Thus much for the first Observation That God is a believers heavenly Father the other observation that I proposed to insist upon from this Text was the last of the five mentioned in the beginning and it contains the chief sum and scope of the whole verse and is most suitable to our Times and to this Occasion you may remember was this Doct. That the consideration of a Believers interest into the Kingdom of Heaven should make him chearful and couragious in the practise of holiness and

mock with God in our prayers when we pray that his Name may be glorified if we are dismayed and discontented when God is glorified by us in our sufferings because they are tedious and irksome to our flesh If we are unwilling that God should be glorified by our sufferings If we are unwilling to honour him in an afflicted state why do we then in our prayers pretend to beg that God may be glorified Oh how much is God glorified many times by the sufferings of his people when as he is dishonoured by the secure and sensual lives of many thousands that are in prosperous calm and quiet condition in the World I might give you many instances from the Scripture to such that the sufferings of Gods people have tended very much to the setting forth of the high praises of the Lord. Oh how much have the sufferings of the Israelites been all along of Joh of David of Hezekiah of the three Children of Daniel and so under the New Testament how have the sufferings of Stephen Paul Silas and the rest of the Apostles and Martyrs resounded to the honor and glory of God for whom they suffered Indeed Gods people do more honour and glorifie God by their sufferings than by their doings for him Let us not then be dismayed though we may be in a troublesome and suffering condition seeing this is a condition in the which we are most capable of doing service for God and of bringing most honor and glory to him Secondly Thou that hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven art thou in an afflicted suffering condition in the world to bear up thy fainting spirits consider that affliction and tribulation is that by which God is pleased to cleanse and purge his people from sin Afflictions are like Black-soap which doth seem to soil the Cloath and make it more filthy yet it purgeth and cleanseth it and maketh it more white at length it is as the fire into which the Gold may be thrown yet it is not consumed but refined and puri●ied thereby it loseth only its dross so the Saints are not quite consumed by their afflictions but sanctified and they lose only that filth dross and rust that doth mix it self with grace in their hearts by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged saith God speaking of afflictions and this is all the fruit to take away his sin and shall we be unwilling to have our sins purged It is true as for those that are Re●robates God usually lets them alone to go on and die and ●erish for ever when as yet God is pleased to correct his people and to cast them into the Furnace of affliction because he intends mercy to them and surely it will be known one day that there can be no greater Judgment befall poor Creatures than to be let alone without chastisements to take their own swing in sin and Oh how many thousands are now in Torment for that they were let alone in their sins and never chastised by Afflictions in their Life time when as Gods people are chastened of the Lord that they might not be condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.32 And which is easier to be born external tribulations in this life or eternal torments in the life to come one of these two will certainly befall every man and woman of us either we shall be chastened here or condemned hereafter the wicked are oftentimes let alone here they are not in troubles as other men Psal 73. but they are condemned with the World The Go●ly they are often chastized of the Lord here but it is in mercy to them that they may be purged from sin and not condemned with the world And David tells us that by his afflictions he was reduced from going astray and brought back again into the Fold of God Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy precepts And shall we be dismayed at the means whereby we are kept close to God and are kept from falling away from God A man is willing to take a bitter medicine to purge away that disease which would otherwise kill him Nor is he troubled at the working of his Physick though he have many painful gripes so long as it tends to the removing of those obnoxious humours and diseases which would otherways bring him to his grave And shall Christians be afraid of the bitter Cup of Afflictions which by Gods blessing purge away their sins which are the diseases of their Souls and so preserve them from eternal death Thy trials here are to purge thee and cleanse thee that thou mayest not lie in Eternal torments in the world to come And shall Christians be dismayed at that which tends to their Eternal health and Salvation and to the keeping of their Souls from Hell We should rather rejoyce to be in that condition whatsoever it be by which we may be most purged and preserved from sin Standing po●ls do usually contract filth and mud So those Christians that are setled upon the lees in a prosperous state and condition they do ver● frequently get fil●h and corruption The people of God are never made the freer from sin by their freedom from outward affli●tions This then is the second consideration to keep the Saints from being dismayed at their afflictions in the World because thereby they are purged from sin which would otherways prove the bane of their souls Thirdly You that are the heirs of Heaven and have an interest in the Eternal Glory you are in affliction and tribulation in the World be not dismayed For co●●ider that the thing do tend to the exercisin● and increase of our ●●aces and t● the making of ●ou eminent in Grace and ●●lines● A●d will you be daunted at that which tend to the making of you more holy Will you be grieved at that which tends to the increasing of your faith patience humility heavenly-mindedness and to the making of you more eminent for holiness and godliness Believers are usually greater gainers by their afflictions in the World than by their external prosperity yea many times they are losers by their prosperity when as they have been great gainers by their troubles and adversity Oh how many have gained in grace and holiness by their losses in the World the servants of God were never more eminent in grace than when they were least and lowest in their outward estate true graces are the diamonds that shine brightest in the darkest night and these shine clearest in the obscurest night of adversity The Saints in Scripture were then most eminent for holiness and godliness and all other graces when they lay under greatest troubles and tribulations from the World and how exemplary in holiness and how eminent in faith and heavenly-mindedness were the Martyrs when they were afflicted tormented imprisoned burned and persecuted with the most grievous persecutions from the hands of wicked men when as the prosperity and pleasures of the wicked did tend

that day mercy will be worth receiving Fifthly They supplicate to God for them they do not go to the throne of Grace for themselves but Sion is in their thoughts I am confident it is so with some and am perswaded it is so with all they never beg daily bread for themselves but they remember Sion In the 51. Psalm David was under trouble of conscience soul-trouble which is the soul of trouble yet at the latter end of the 51. Psalm he breaks out into this earnest supplication to God Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou up the walls of Jerusalem So long as it is ill with the people of God so long they are earnest with God and though they cannot overcome men with their prayers which by the way they are to endeavour yet they will never leave supplicating the Almighty till they have overcome As the sufferings of Gods people are precious in the sight of God so they are in the fight of the people of God I come now to shew whence it is that there is such an high esteem in the people of God of the people of God when under trouble and distress for this take two heads of reasons First In regard of those people of God that do behold their sufferings Secondly In regard of those people of God that are in sufferings First In regard of those people of God that do behold their sufferings troubles and distresses in three regards First Those of the people of God that look upon others in trouble though they are such as may differ from them in regard of outward estate one may be in honour the other in dishonour yet they have an interest in the same head and do belong to the same body that they do they are not wooden legs not glass eyes therefore Christ is called the common Saviour and the Saviour of the body the whole Church Faith it is called the like precious Faith 2 Pet. 1. Chap. in the beginning The Faith of one Believer does as truly lay hold on Christ as the Faith of another This Salvation is called common salvation my meaning is this outward disproportion as the birth and education puts no difference at all in a spiritual respect between Believer and Believer a King and a Beggar are all one in Christ a Jew or a Greek a great Scholar or a poor ignorant man as to the spiritual state all are made happy the same way Secondly because these look at Spiritual excellency and are able to discern Spiritual excellency they have a renewed judgement as they look upon their old courses and sins with a new eye so they look upon their company with a new eye those that before they highly esteemed they now dis-esteem those persons that before they esteemed a damp to their mirth they now look upon them as the excellent ones of the earth Prov. 12.26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour In the sixteenth psalm says David My goodness extends not to thee but to the Saints the excellent ones in whom is all my delight Here was a renewed estimation David saw excellency in those which Worldlings despised A carnal eye sees no glory but in carnal objects Worldlings bless the covetous whom the Lord abhors A gracious heart sees a spiritual worth in a man devested of worldly enjoyments as a curious eye may and does see a great deal of Art and curiosity in a Picture though in a broken frame A beast can see the shining of a Diamond but knows not the worth of it A Beast will rather lick up a lock of hay than a Diamond though of never so great value A wicked man wants a spirit of discerning The people of God are the workmanship of God which a godly man is very much taken withal not with the greatness but with the goodness that is in them The four Monarchs of the earth is exprest by four Beasts which shews their cruelty not their curiosity in observing that of God which may be observed A Child is taken with the Gay but a learned man is taken with the learning and art of a Lesson Thirdly A Child of God is one that highly esteems the people of God judging of them as God judges The child esteems as the father esteems if the father cannot love any one the ingenious Child cannot endure that he should come into the House The Courtier follows the favourite of the King whom the King honours they cringe to But to be sure it is true as to spirituals God judges not by the Gold Ring or Silken suit a sinner is a vile person in Gods account and so he is in a godly mans account God is more taken with a broken hearted sigh then with all the gaudery in Solomons Temple He did not chuse the Eagle or Lyon for Sacrifice but the Lamb and the Dove not many noble not many rich but the poor hath God chosen he that hath the choice of God hath the life of God The second Reason is from the people of God that are beheld And this will appear in five or six particulars First The people of God those that are truly such let their present condition be what it will their end shall be happy Men are not regarded in reference to what they have in possession but what they shall have in reversion the poor here are rich in Faith and shall be rich in Glory 1 Pet. 3. The people of God are Heirs of Glory co-heirs with Christ when he shall appear they shall appear with him in Glory they are not possessors here but they are heirs and are to be look'd upon as what they shall be hereafter Here they are Princes going to their Crown hereafter they shall be possessed of it Here they may be oppressed banish'd disgrac'd libell'd hereafter they shall shine as the Sun in glory Secondly They are not only such as shall be happy but they are very useful and beneficial in the world they are those for whose sake the world was made they are the great common blessings of the World like fire and water they are those for whose sake God spares the world If God would have spared the City for ten righteous persons sakes surely for many tens God spares the world those that are pulled down by the world are those for whose sake God doth not pull down the world they are the soul of the world as I may so say If God hath gathered in all his Elect the world would not continue one hour longer Thirdly the excellency of their performances is highly esteemed there is a worth in every holy work that worldlings are not able to discern every heavenly Prayer and sincerely bestowed Alms hath a worth that a carnal man doth not see Luther sayes I had rather do the least truly good work than obtain all the Conquests of Caesar and Alexander If their good works shall be so rewarded do you think a holy man can see them and not be

condition of the Apostles themselves they were Earthen Vessels they had such weaknesses men subject to the like passions as we Vse 2. Secondly As for the people this may improve in all the notions and considerations of an Earthen Vessel First In regard of the meanness you must not esteem the Gospel according to the Vessel according to the disparagement of the Vessel a Vessel of dishonour in respect of its matter may be a Vessel of honour in regard of the Gold that is in it those members of the body that are weak and in themselves less honorable we afford a great deal of honor upon them in deeking and cloathing them So the Ministers work and employment and the Doctrines they bring are excellent and of great use when all is done we have that we serve for according to the imployment we are put to we are honorable though outwardly mean Wicked and base men are called Filii Terrae they are Sons of the Earth Job 30.8 Children of Fools yea Children of base men they are viler than the Earth i.e. Men of no account as one saith the Earth groans under such ungracious persons but gracious persons are Vessels of honor as it was said of the Giants of old so it may be said of these They are men of Renown and so we shall esteem of them Worldly men look at the outside and so esteem of them so was Christ dealt with Is not this the Carpenters son So those Teachers in Corinth endeavoured to render Saint Paul his presence weak and his speech contemptible 2 Cor. 10.11 that so they might make his Ministry contemptible also But this glorious Treasure is in Earthen Vessels You know saith Paul Gal. 4.13 that through infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel unto you at first This was their commendation v. 14. But my temptation which was in my flesh you despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Jesus Christ All his weaknesses and whatever was matter of discouragement they did not despise but honorably entertained him even as Christ himself So it was the commendation of the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2.13 That they received not the word as the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God looking to the mighty God to make it effectual so should all others do upon this consideration 2. Seeing Ministers are Earthen Vessels in regard of moral infirmities which adhere to them in respect of their corruptions and weaknesses judge of them as men but esteem of what is righteous in them though they have great advantages against sin yet notwithstanding they are not totally exempted and free from sin as they are Ministers so they are men 3. In regard that Ministers are Earthen Vessels in respect of their frailty Seeing then they are so frail and transitory therefore accordingly you should make use of them deal kindly and affectionately with them in that they are quickly broken What is sooner broken than a Glass or an Earthen Vessel Ministers are quickly taken away and therefore you should be tender of them while you have them Where are all the Fathers Do the Prophets live for ever The Word of the Lord indeed indureth for ever but the Preacher of it doth not the Gospel is eternal but the Dispenser is mortal the Calling is lasting but the Minister is transitory and therefore you should carry your selves with all tenderness and respect to them take heed of grieving their spirits seeing they are so soon broken Endeavour also to improve by them and to get as much good as you can by them It is a great argument to work while it is day because the night comes when no man can work whilst God affords means and opportunities make use of them we are but Passengers therefore this is a great ground for you to get all the good you can by Ministers seeing they are frail Lastly By way of Improvement Take notice of the wayes of God as different from mans God puts excellent Treasure into Earthen Vessels we keep treasure in Strong Holds in the strongest Repositories Gods wayes are not as our wayes he goes another way than we do he makes use of the poorest meanest and most frail Creatures sometimes he layes aside many times men of greater abilities parts and quality and makes use of weaker to do this great work Chrysostome makes an Expostulation If it be excellent Treasure why in Earthen Vessels therefore it is a Vessel of Earth because an excellent Treasure Thus Gods wayes are unsearchable this is the Improvement Now besides this interpretation given of it there is another that will not be impertinent Some understand by Earthen Vessels the Expressions Words and Phrases of the Ministry through which the Doctrines and Truths of the Gospel are conveyed this is agreeable to what went before Some false Teachers in Corinth pleased themselves with eloquent and enticing words of worldly Wisdom and so endeavoured to render Pauls preaching despicable in regard of the plainness of it Therefore saith the Apostle we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels i. e. familiar conveyances that so we may easily understand it Thus I have explained this Earthen Vessel and so have done with the first considerable part viz. the Dispensation it self This Treasure we have in Earthen Vessels I come now to the second viz. II. The account of this Dispensation That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us Which words may be considered two wayes First Either Absolutely as lying in themselves Or Secondly Connexively to the words before going 1. Take them absolutely as they lie in themselves and two things are exhibited 1. The excellency of the Gospel and Ministry it self called Power 2. The Author and Original of it laid down two ways positively of God and negatively not of us 1. The excellency of the Gospel and Ministry thereof called Power There is a great deal of power and efficacy in the Gospel 't is in its nature powerful and efficacious so the Ministry of it Rom. 1.16 I am not ash●med of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one th●t believeth See 1 Cor. 2.4 Paul's preaching was in the dimonstration o● the Spirit and of ●ower c. 'T is called the Arm of Gods Power the Sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 'T is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit c. Heb. 4.12 and many other places We may conceive it to be so according to the various effects and consequences of it viz. as to 1. Conviction 2. Conversion 3. Consolation 1. 'T is powerful in regard of Conviction 't is a word of Conviction and one part of the work of the Ministry is by the Spirits co-operation to convince the World of sin to open mens eyes to shew them the vileness of their ways to discover such courses to be sinful the

that makes the work powerful efficacious and successful Alas when we have used our best endeavours all the success is from him he must make it effectual it is said our Saviour went about doing good for God was with him enclining him to the work and assisting him therein So he is with all his servants their griefs employments and success thereof are all of God not of us Object But it may be objected Is all from God and nothing from us Are we not said to concurr with him and is not then the power partly ours Answ I answer No 'T is of God and not of us we are indeed subjects of the Ministry the Recipients thereof persons employed in the work and therefore are said to be workers together with God 2 Cor. 6.1 But the power and efficacy thereof is from God alone Paul and Apollo were but Ministers 't is God that giveth the blessing It is not of us in two respects 1. It is not merited by us it is not of our deserving nor of our procuring 1. It is not of our deserving the best and most accomplished do not merit I received a mercy saith Paul to be faithful He accounted it a mercy to be employed and to be faithful therein 2. It is not of our own procuring we do not obtain it by our own power as Peter said in the recovery of the lame man It is not by any power and holiness of ours that this man ●s restored c. And so it is not our gifts and industry only that will make our Ministry powerful and therefore in this work let us be looking up to God and desire him to assist us as Moses said If thou goest not O Lord up with us wherefore should we go hence So say I if the presence of God be not with us what can we do And further When we do partake of any measure of ability see where we must determine it Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be all the glory We must not sacrifice to our own Net nor give the honour to our own industry but wholly give praise to God because the excellency is of God 2. But in the second place if you look upon the words reflexively or as having their connexion to the words going before and so agree and hold together and thus you may read them Therefore is this Treasure in Earthen Vessels that the excellency of the power may be acknowledged to be of God and not of us If it were in Angels or had we never so strong bodies yet the excellency of the power of God would not be so clearly seen as it is now being laid up in poor frail Vessels Here is the power of God here is the lustre and glory of God most manifested for so much the more apparently it will be seen to be from God by how much the weaker the instrument is that is employed by God Therefore if any thing doth act beyond its own power it must have some foreign powers for the producing such and such acts therefore when we see any great matter done by poor frail and contemptible persons of Earthen Vessels this doth plainly shew the excellency of the power to be of God and not of Man therefore look from Man to God it is God that doth these things We should over-look Earthen Vessels we should I say over-look men that are these Earthen Vessels and look to God that makes the Ministry powerful in such conveyances as these are Furthermore It may satisfie us of the Ministry in that we are Vessels viz. men of frailty c. We are apt to be discouraged and to think hardly that we are followed with so many weaknesses that we have a hard matter that when we have taken such pains in the work of the Ministry we should be thus rewarded but this should satisfie us the more weakness in us the greater honour will come to Christ This Treasure we have in Earthen Vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us The weaker the Vessel the more honour will redound to Christ Furthermore This may take off the servants of Christ from unwillingness unto those works and performances which God calls them unto by reason of their weakness Thus it is when God call● to any work or employment the servants of God are apt to plead their own inability Moses sayes he is not eloquent Jeremiah sayes he is a child Jonah says he is a man of unclean lips Thus we have their delays their excuses whereby they endeavoured to discharge themselves from that work that God call'd them unto by their own weakness c. But God refuses such excuses for who makes the blind to see and the dumb to speak but God It is he that touched Isaiahs lips it is he that said to Jeremiah Do not say thou art a child for I have sent thee c. This I say then is a consideration may encourage Ministers in their work that the weaker they are the more honour and glory will redound to Christ for he said unto me saith the Apostle my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness Not that it is an encouragement or argument for any to take upon them the great work of the Ministry without sufficient qualifications and abilities But where there is not that degree of ability as is desired where there is a true sensibleness of their weakness this may be an encouragement to them that God delighteth to shew his power in them that by so much the more they are weak so much the more honour he will gain For a conclusion it comes to this viz. That we lay no stress upon any outward things There is no stress or happiness in these outward things those that seem to be of some concernment as strength of body and other outward qualifications that are of remark yet consider they are fading and transitory this should teach us in the enjoyment of outward things a great deal of humility though we are Vessels of Gold in regard of the treasure and improvement yet in regard of our selves we are Vessels of Earth and so should be in respect of humility Let us look upon all these things as given to us of God even for this very end that we may be more serviceable to him and his people So I have done with the two general parts of the words and so with the whole Verse viz. We have this treasure in Earthen Vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us Do we begin again to commend our selves saith the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 3.1 Or need we Epistles of commendations to us Ye are our Epistle in our hearts c. But this is applicable to the present sad occasion now before us This Reverend and blessed man of God Mr. James Nalton was a Person of great note and eminency among us and well known in this City and

in this place where he spent his labour and pains many years I could give large accounts and testimonies of him if need were from my own knowledge of him having been acquainted with him many years He was not only a Minister but the Son of a Minister his birth and education suiting together He look'd upon it not only as an honour but an engagement to be careful to walk in those steps set before him and to continue the work of the Ministry begun by his religious Father Certainly the Children of godly and holy Parents cannot come off so cheap in their carriages as others they have greater accounts to make as having greater examples set before them greater advantages of Prayer Exhortation c. and so greater engagements this was thought on and observed by him And as he was the Son of a Minister so when he came to years and was sitted he took upon him the Ministry as he was one of great abilities so accordingly he discharged them faithfully and conscienciously He was a spiritual powerful consciencious Preacher he preached by his life for as Erasmus saith we should not only love to speak truths but we should digest truths on our own hearts before we commend them to others and so they will be the more effectual He was a man of a very meek sweet and humble spirit a man of a great humility and of great meekness in the midst of great abilities which was a great Ornament in him a man full of tenderness and condescension to others a man of a very yielding and melting frame of Spirit soon dissolved into tears It was the saying of one that a good man is full of tears so this good man was full of tears not affected but very real and hearty drawn from the fulness of his Spirit as the Apostle Paul saith he served the Lord in much humility and many tears This was remarkable that in these times our Reverend Brother was full of tears in delivering his Doctrine which was suitable to the age we live in being full of sin and calamity there is much need of a bewailing spirit to bewail the iniquities and miseries of the times they that cannot bewail themselves need the tears of others He was a man of great integrity and single-heartedness in his exhortations he had much of the simplicity of Christ as the Apostle Paul speaks In reference to the Ministry he had no worldly and base affection he had no carnal designs therein but his chief design was to bring Souls home to Christ that was his chief business What the Apostle saith of himself may also be said of him that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation in the world not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by the manifestation of the truth commending himself to every mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 He was a man had ability to speak a word in season he was very compassionate to wounded spirits he himself having been much afflicted He was a man much in communication with God and had much acquaintance with God and was careful in improvement therein He was a Jacob in wrestling with God a Moses that stood in the Gap an Elijab that prayed earnestly the whole Land was the better for such a person being much with God the made many addresses to him and had much holy familiarity with him And as in his publick performances he was very faithful and beneficial so in his Family and privately he was very fruitful and serious In a word not to multiply much in this kind you need it less in this Auditory but only by way grateful memorial there was much of God and Christ in him and he was a great example to his fellow-servants there was much of this Treasure spoken of in the Text in this Earthen Vessel as in the matter of it he was one of a Gospel Spirit and in the conveyances of it he had great abilities for the work of the Ministry and discharged it with a great deal of success As he had this treasure in an Earthen Vessel so his Vessel his frail body was no disparagement to him but the advancement of the treasure in setting forth the power to be of God his outward man was much weak and worn away but his inward man was upheld by the grace of God His first work in the Ministry was in that place where my self have relation to he was an assistant to my Predecessor being then past labour Mr. Richard Couder and performed the work so well that he was exceedingly beloved of Mr. Couder and well beloved of the Parish and other places He left a good impression behind and I found good effects by the foundation there laid The Apostle Paul indeed desired not to work there where another had laid the foundation but I thought it a great advantage that the foundation was laid by such a Master-builder He was called into the Country to Rughy in Warwickshire there he continued very fruitful and did much good For some occasion he removed returned into the City and came into this place where he continued about 18 or 19 years discharged the work of the Lord carefully I need not say much of his carriage in this place I appeal to your own consciences I may say of this servant of Christ as the Apostle Paul said of himself 1 Thes 2 10 11 12. Ye are his witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameable he behaved himself among you as you know how he exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a Father doth his Children that ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory Therefore there lies an engagement upon you to walk answerable to the truths he delivered and to follow his steps considering the end of his Conversation I shut up all in the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians chap. 4. v. 9. Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in him Do and the God of Peace shall be with you Mr. Beerman's Farewel Sermon BEloved I know you are not ignorant that I am called by Authority to depart from you which for Conscience sake we must obey and were it not for the breach of Conscience I think I could be content to undoe my self to stay with you I shall now in love and tenderness take my leave of you all with that large portion of Scripture in the 20th of the Acts from the 17th Verse to the end they were Paul's parting words to the Ephesians Verse 17. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church and when they were come unto him he said unto them Ye know that from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I have been with you serving the Lord with all humility of mind with many tears and temptations which befel me through the lying