withdraw us from that watchfulness and diligence that is necessary in taking care for our souls then the heart is overcharged Voluptuous living is a great sin it 〈◊〉 the seeds of piety so soon as planted in the heart so that they can bring nothing to perfection it brings a brawn and a deadness upon the Conscience and affections there is nothing that hardens the heart so much as the softness of carnal pleasure Iud. 19. sensual having not the Spirit Sensuality quenches our natural bravery and briskness of spirit that becomes a man much more doth it hinder the sublime operations of the Spirit of God Well then remember Christians you are not only Travellers by the way but Runners in a Race If we were to speak to you only under the notion of Travellers in a way this were enough to wean you from the delights of the flesh 1 Pet. 2. 11. As strangers and Pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. The more you indulge these fleshly lusts the more you hearten strengthen the great enemy of your souls and starve the better part but you are as Runners in a Race by this Metaphor the duty is more bound upon you much more should you beat down the body and keep it in subjection the Apostle hath a notable word 1 Cor. 9. 27. I keep under my body and bring it in subjection c. I beat down my body you must either keep under pleasures or pleasures will keep you under for a man is soon brought under the power dominion and tyranny of evil customs and some bruitish pleasure by indulging the lusts of the flesh 1 Cor. 6. 12. Be but a little addicted to any one thing and you are brought under the power of it The flesh waxes wanton and imperious and slavery grows upon you by degrees The more you conquer carnal affections the more they increase upon you and therefore you must hold the reins hard exercise a powerfull restraint Solomon in his Penitentials gives us an account of his own 〈◊〉 and how fearfnlly he was corrupted this way Eccl. 〈◊〉 20. Whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from 〈◊〉 I with-held not my heart from any joy c. 〈◊〉 was that which brought him to such a lawless excess and at length to fall off from God When we give Nature the full swing and use pleasure with too free a license the heart is insensibly corrupted and the necessities of life are turned into Diseases and all that you do 't is but in compliance with your lusts your eating and drinking is but a meat-offering and drink-offering to lusts and carnal appetite I remember Solomon saith Prov. 29. 21. He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a Childe shall have him become his Son at length i. e. Allow a servant too much liberty and he will no more know his condition but grow contemptuous bold and troublesome so it is here We are all the worse for license natural desires unless they feel fetters and prudent restraints grow unruly and excessive And therefore it is good to abate the liberty of the flesh that the body may be a Servant and not a Master when you deny your selves in nothing but satisfy every vain Appetite a custom grows upon the soul and intemperance proves a Trade and an habituated distemper so that you cannot when you would upon prudent and pious respects refrain and command your desires And therefore 't is good sometimes to thwart and vex the flesh as David poured out the water of Bethlem that he longed for 2 Sam. 23. 17. not to deny our selves in what we affect and covet lust grows into a wanton and bold and imperious and so prescribes upon us and we are brought under the power of these things 2. The businesse and cares of this World For these immoderately followed and not in obedience to God are a sore burden and makes the soul heavie and allows no time and strength for God and his Service and those happy opportunities of private communion with him When we are incumbred with much service we neglect that one thing necessary Luke 10. 42. and therefore Christians must take heed that the lean Kine do not devour the fat that Sarah be not thrown out of doors in stead of Hagar that Religion be not thrust to the Walls which should be our prime and chief businesse while every businesse hath its time and course The Scriptures knowing the pronenesse of our hearts to temporal things deals with us as we do with a crooked stick we bend it so much the other way and therefore sometimes they forbid necessary labour John 6. 28. Labour not for the meat which perisheth c. the meaning is not chiefly but it bends the stick another way Set not your affections on things on the Earth A man must have some kind of affection to his Work here below but we had need to be bent the other way We may gather this from this Precept 'T is better to incroach upon the world then the world should encroach upon godliness In short Things are a burden and clog to us according as our delight and scope is If the pomp and encrease of the World be our end and scope then Religion will be looked upon as a burden that will be a weight and all duties of godlinesse as a melancholy interruption as they Amos 2. 8. When will the Sabbath be over The exercise of godlinesse will be a troublesome thing and we shall go about the Work of Religion as if we went about it not But on the other side if Heaven and Heavenly things be our scope then the World is a burden and then we shall use it in the way but not abusing as taking up our rest here 1 Cor. 7. 31 32. Man hath a body and a soul and he doth provide for both but for one in subordination the soul is the chief and therefore we must not so look after the interests and concernments of the bodily life as to forget the interests of the soul or to neglect them Many will not so grosly Idolize present things so as to renounce things to come I but they so often follow the things of the world that they neglect their eternal concernments The happinesse of a people lies in communion with God and therefore that must be looked after we must take heed that the cares of the world have not such a hand and power over us as either to divert us from or unfit us for these higher and nobler pursuits the enjoyment of God in Christ. This is the first thing the Apostle speaks to these spiritual Raâ—…ers to lay aside every weight i. e. the delights of the flesh and the cares of the world Secondly The next thing to be laid aside is sin which doth so easily beset us As we must guard against things without so we must mortifie our corrupt inclinations within or else it will soon make us weary of our heavenly Race
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 Ierusalem 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 Levit. 26. 32. I will scatter you among the heathen and draw out my sword after you And wherever 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 Judgements of God on Towns or 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 Countrey 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 wayes First By their Prayers to 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 Loadstone 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 three hundred could not be drowned So that the godly come as a blessing where-ever they are scattered but the wicked are as chaffe 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 clothes and sullies and defiles them so the wicked wherever they are scattered they defile the place where they are scattered The godly are as Planets that wander and 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 into 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 chaffe and straw and therefore when God saith of Iosiah 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 Childe of God s 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 the 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 Iedidiahs 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 beasts go out into the field Secondly Learn here 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 then if a Merchant that hath abundance of Jewels in a far Countrey he should send for them home Why death to a righteous man is nothing but Gods sending for his Jewels home Such a phrase there is in Mal. 3. 17. In the day that I make up my Iewels they shall be mine In this life they are imperfect Jewels they are like Gold in the oar mingled with a great deal of drosse and death is nothing but a perfecting of these Jewels death is nothing more and God doth nothing by death but as a Gold-finder gather 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 while 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 die though their death be matter of sorrow to us in regard of the losse 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 to those that are related to the righteous when they die Did you ever see a Husbandman that mourned for the carrying of corn into the Barn or a Jeweller mourn for making up of his Jewels Let us mourn rather that we are left scattered among the wicked of the earth and from the glorious presence of God and Christ and let us mourn for those that are scattered from Christ and from grace and for those that whilest they live are scattered and when they die are gathered to the Devil and his Angels Let us not mourn for those that die in Christ but let us mourn for those that live out of Christ let us not mourn over the body that the soul hath left but let us mourn over the soul that 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 befals a Child of God in this life though he be scattered by wicked men from England into forreign Countries though be wander up and down in Desarts and Wildernesses though he be scattered from house to prison yet there will 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 Ieremiah 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
those that wait upon thee shall renew their strengths we have no might the Devill bâ—…ffles us our own hearts are treacherous to us the world intâ—…ces us to sin against God Oh! deliver us from all these Enemies and especially from the plagues of our hearts that we may perfect holyness in the fear of God give us Spiritual blessings whatsoever thou givest us or whatsoever thou denyest us thou knowest thou artrather willing to give us Spirituall blessings then any other mercies and we want spiritual mercies most oh give us spiritual mercies that we may say This is the way of God in his Sanctuary Where Grace is not wrought work it where it is begun encrease it Dear Father convince those that are yet not convinced make thy Word a quickning word an ingrafâ—…ed word to the saving of our souls help us to hear as for our lives and as those that long after God Hear Prayers for the King blesse him in his Royal Relations and grant under him we may live a quiet life in all Godlinesse and honesty Bless the Magistrates and help them to remember that causes one day must be heard over again help thy Ministers to keep close to thee in wayes that are well pleasing Be with us at this time Lord assist the meanest of thy Servants let our souls now find that thou dost magnifie thy Word above all thy Name do us good recâ—…ive us quicken us that we may live in Heaven upon Earth that we may know what it is to be filled with the fulnesse of God and know the heighth breadth depth and length of thy love that passeth knowledge Communicate thy selfe to us as thou usest to do to thy people let us feel thy presence let us not think of any thing but the business we are about let us with singlenesse of heâ—…t set our selves to mind the concernments of our immortal souls And all we beg for Christ his sake who has taught us thus to pray Our Father which art in Heaven c. Mr. Cradockt's Prayer at Saint Sepulchres August 10. 1662. MOst glorious and most gracious Lord God who art God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hast put thine own name and stamp upon this day wilt thou be pleased to appear now and prepare and dispose â—…r unprepared and indisposed souls for holy observation of this thine own holy day will the Lord vouchsafe us the incomes of his spirit and influences of his grace whereby we may be unabled to offer up spiritual sacrifices which may be acceptable to Iesus Christ. Lord thou requâ—…rest praying hearts but thou hast not commanded us to use Prayer-books and if thou wilt give us the spirit of Prayer we shall not need them Lord give us praying hearts at this time let us find by experience that thy Subâ—…ath is a day of souls opportunity that thine Ordinances are full of marrow that thou hast not said unto thy children the seed of Jacob seek my face in vain We acknowledge we are unworthy to lift up our eyes to Heaven we have cause enough to cry out God be mercifull to us sinners undeserving ill-deserving men and women we acknowledge our natures are blots of all wickednesses we are by nature enemies to thy Majesty heirs of dâ—…ath children of darknesse slaves to sin captives to lust dead to sins and trespasses how are our understandings darkned and our hearts hardned what are our hearts but a store-house of â—…licious thoughts a brothel-house of adultery a Pallace of pride we are by nature wholly flesh totally opposite to the holy Lawes of thy Majesty and were it not for thy renewing or restraâ—…ning grace we should break forth into as vile abominations as the vilest of men Our lives have been a continual piece of rebellion against God who didst make us and dost feed and cloath us all thy paths have been paths of mercy to us but we have requited thee evil for thy good and hatred for thy love O foolish men and women that we have bin we acknowledge our Gospel sins are of a deep eye thou hast not bin a wildernesse or a Land of darknesse to us we have been exalted to Heaven in the meanes of salvation but oh how short do we come of knowledge to the time and meanes we have enjoyed and our obedience comes short of our knowledge we have not walked up to that light which thou hast given us We desire to lay our selves low before thee oh do thou open our eyes and presentus to our selves shew us the vilenesâ—…e of our lives Blessed be thy name that thou hast laid help upâ—… 〈◊〉 that is mighty to save all that come to thy Majesty by him and thou hast promised all that beleive on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Oh help us to receive him in all his offices in our hearts help us to give him the keyes of our hearts and help us to live and die to him that dyed for us and let our soules be united to thee by him that his death may be ours and his life ours and his intercession ours Oh let our unity to Christ be demonstrated to us by our communion with him and conformity to him in grace and holiness And we pray thee dearest Lord pardon our sins in the Court of Heaven and in the Court of our own consciences besprinkle our consciences in the blood of Christ and say to all before thee at this time that desire to fear thee more and serve thee better Sons and Daughters be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you And do not only justifie us but sanctifie us purge our consciences from dead workes informe our understandings conforme our wills to thine holy will let our hearts and lives be conformed to the Image of thy Sonne that beholding thereof we may be changed from glory to glory and let us have more knowledge of thy will that we may do thy will and suffer thy will with more patience and be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are to the glory of God Let us not be empty Vines that bring forth fruit to themselves but let us bring forth fruit to God whereby thou mayest be glorified Oh plant that great grace of selfe-denyal in our souls and let us take the Crosse of Iesus Christ and follow him wheresoever he goes Remember all thine extend thy favour to those thou hast cast on Beds of sicknesse and let there be a saving change wrought in them before that change by death shall come And that are drawing nigh their time of Travel let the arms of the All-sufficient God be under them and be better to them thâ—…s their Faith or our Prayer And look graciously upon poor Children intitle them to an inheritance that fadeth not away make them a blessing in themselves and a blessing to their Parents And those that desire the conversion of Relations that walk in wayes of perâ—…ition do not let them find peace in any way against thy Majesty and let them know that sin will be bitter in the latter end Look upon us that are before thee at this time before we go hence and shall be here no more make thy face to shine upon us let our coming together be for the better and not for the worse to any of us Let thy poor Servant be able to deliver thy message plainly and powerfully and give thy people hearing ears obedient hearts and let us rejoyce that we did wait upon thee in thy worship this day and all for Christ his sake in whose Name and words we call upon thee Our Father c. FINIS
's the wisdom of the Serpent how happy is it where these two are united the Dove and the Serpent the Dove without the Serpent is folly and the Serpent without the Dove is impiety 14. Be more afraid of sin than of suffering A man may be afflicted and yet have the love of God but he cannot sin but presently God is angry sin eclipses the light of Gods countenance in suffering the conscience may be quiet When the hail beats upon the tiles there may be musick in the house and when there is suffering in the body there may be peace and musick in the conscience but when a man sinneth wilfully and presumptuousâ—…y he loseth all his peace Spira abjured his faith and he became a terrour to himself he could not endure himself he professed he thought Cain and Iudas in hell did not feel those terrors and horrors that he felt He that will commit sin to prevent suffering is like a man that lets his head be wounded to save his shield and his helmet 15. Take heed of Idolatry In 1 Ioh. 5. 21. Little children keep your selves from Idols Idolatry is an Image of jealousie to provoke God it breaks the mariage-knot asunder and makes the Lord disclaim his interest in a people What kind of Religion is Popery it is the mother of many Monsters What Soul-damning doctrines doth it hold forth as the meriting of salvation by good works the giving of pardons the worshipping of Angels Popish indulgencies Purgatory and the like it is a Soul-damning Religion it is the breeder of ignorance uncleanness and murder the Popish Religion is not defended by strength of Argumenr but by force of Arms keep your selves from Idols and take heed of Superstition That is the Gentleman-usher to Popery 16. Think not the worse of Godliness because it is reproached and persecuted wicked men being stirred up by the Devil do maliciously reproach the ways of God such were Iulian and Lucian though wicked men would be godly on their death-beds yet in the time of their life they revile and hate godliness but think not you the worse of Religion because it is reproached by the wicked Suppose a Virgin should be reproached for her chastity yet chastity is never the worse if a blind man â—…eer the Sun the Sun is never the less bright Holiness is a beautiful and glorious thing It is the Angels glory and shall we be ashamed of that which makes us like the Angels There is a time coming when wicked men would be glad of some of that holiness that now they despise but they shall be as far then from obtaining it as they are now from desiring it 17. Think not the better of sin because it is in fashion think not the better of impiety and ungodliness because most walk in those crooked wayes Multitude is a foolish argument Multitude doth not argue the goodness of a thing the Devils name is Legion that signifieth a multitude Hell-road is this day full of Travellers esteem not the better of sin because most go this way do we think the better of the Plague because it is common The plea of a multitude will not hold at Gods bar when God shall ask you Why did you prophane my Sabbath why were you drunk why did you break your Oaths to say then Lord Because most men did so will be but a poor plea God will say to you Then seeing you have sinned with the multitude you shall now go to Hell with the multitude I beseech you as you tender your souls walk Antipodes to the corruptions of the times if you are living Fish swim against the stream dead fish swim down the stream Ephes. 5. 11. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them 18. In the business of Religion serve God with all your might Eccl. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work or device in the grave whither thou goest This is an Argument why we should do all we can for God serve him with all our strength because the grave is very near and there is no praying no repenting in the grave our time is but small and therefore our zeal for God should be great David Danced with all his might before the Ark and so should we act vigorously for God in the sphere of Obedience Rom. 12. 12. Fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Take heed of a dull lazy temper in Gods service you must not only say a prayer or read a prayer but you must pour out your soul in prayer not only love God but be sick of love to God God in the old Law would have the coals put to the Incense Lev. 16. 13. why so to typifie that the heart must be inflamed in the worship of God your Prayers must go up with a flame of Devotion I confess Hell will be taken without a storm you may jump into Hell with ease but it is all up hill to Heaven and therefore you must put forth all your might Mat. 12. 11. The violent take heaven by force Heaven is not taken but by storm do you no see men zealous and very active for the Devil and for their Lusts and shall they take pains for Hell and will not you take pains for Heaven 19. Do all the good you can while you live to others God hath made every Creature useful for us the Sun hath not its light for it self but for us the Fountain runs freely and so does the myrrhe drop from the Tree every Creature doth as it were deny it self for us the Beast gives us its labour the Bird gives us its musick and the Silk-worm its silk Now hath God made every thing useful for us and shall not we be useful one for the good of another O labour to be helpful to the souls of others and to supply the wants of others Jesus Christ was a publique Blessing in the world he went about doing good we ate all members of the body politick nay are we not members of the body mystical and shall not every member be helpful for the good of the body that is a dead member that doth not communicate to the good of the body O labour to be useful to others while you live that so when you die there may be a miss of you many live so unfruitfully that truly their life is scarce worth a prayer nor their death scarce worth a tear 20. Every day spend some thoughts upon Eternity O Eternity Eternity All of us here are ere long it may be some of us within a few days or hours to lanch forth into the Ocean of Eternity Eternity is status interminabilis sayes Roetius no prospective-glass can see to the end of Eternity Eternity is a sum that can never be numbred a line that can never be measured Eternity is a condition of everlasting m sery or everlasting happiness If you are godly then shall you be for ever happy
to say All shall work for my good it would enable thee to get advantage and be bettered by them Hadst thou strength enough to improve them thou wouldst take comfort from them and support thy self under them but when thou hast not strength enough to understand God's meaning to see the Duty then called for to improve all for God to do that service to God thou shouldst do in such a condition no wonder if thou have not grace to support and comfort thee in that condition Whereas the confirmed Christian by strong faith love and patience can carry great burthens c. 6. They are helpful to many and troublesome unto few They are the useful Persons in the family and place where they live it is they can counsel others in their doubts help them in their straits that can bear up the weak when ready to sink that can hold others by the arm when not able to go upright that tend God's little ones And if it were not for these what would God's little ones do They are so furnished with patience which God hath given them for the use of the weak ones in his family and though they are troublesome or do that which might be a disturbance to them they will not thrust them out It is they that comfort the feeble support provide for strengthen and confirm the rest and were it not for these what back-sliding hearts should we have c. And they are comparatively troublesome to few though while corruption cleaves to them they shall sometimes be It is not they that are censuring their Brethren that are stirring up division and make all that feud that is in the Church if they might be hearkened unto and regarded there would be quietness and composure for if ever there be peace it will be by the strong ones But weak ones in grace are the burdens and troublers of the family you may know they are the weak ones in God's house in that they are those that are alwayes crying complaining making fire-work in the family back-biting censuring their Brethren quarrelling with one or other c. these peevish troublesome souls are the weak ones c. 7. The strongest in grace are the best able to stand work and suffer alone Though in duty they should not be alone when they can have society and though they are most humble therefore sensible they need of others and will not throw away any of their helps yet if all forsake them they will stand to it still they go not to Heaven meerly for company sake they be not Christians meerly because such and such are Christians If all the world forsake Christ they will stick to him unless Christ leave them to their own weakness But the weak Christian hath a great deal more need of comfort and support and lives a more dependent life they cannot stand work suffer alone if their Minister fall they fall if their Relations change they change if there be not some body at hand to confute an Adversary they yield if there be not some body to keep life and warmth they grow cold in every duty in affliction they can step on no longer then led by the hand c. have Christians to support and to quiet and moderate their passions and to teach them the Doctrine of patience they can hold up no longer than they are refreshed with cordials What would become of you should God let you stand by your selves c. 8. The strong Christian is one that can best live without creatures upon God alone and a weak Christian is one that hath most need of the creature and can least live upon God alone under the censures of the godly frowns of the wicked without riches honours pleasures can have quietness and contentment in God whether he have any thing or nothing where-ever he is c. The more necessity thou art in of having something besides God for thy consolation the more weak thou art there must be comfortable provision in the family health ease liberty there must be supply I know not how to be poor disgraced c This impatient soul is the feeble soul Impatience is nothing but the fruit of weakness The strong Christian can live upon God alone therefore if men make as if they were undone if lost in their estates 't is a certain sign of a lamentable weakness of a sick soul. 9. That is the best and strongest Christian and most confirmed in grace who is most employed and abides in love of God in love to God That hath the fear of God but goes beyond fear and loves most and abides most in the love of God That makes it his great business to feed upon and study the love of God to him and to return love to him again The more God's Love is on thy heart and the more thou livest in the fruit of that love the stronger Christian. But he that lives most by a kind of constraining fear though he may be sincere he is but weak where there is nothing but fear and no love there is no sincerity but where there is some little measure of love fear is such a tyrant that it will many times cloud it so that almost all his life seems to be moved and managed by fear and in this there is much lothness and unwillingness and they had rather do otherwise then they do According to the measure of love is the strength of grace 10. He is the strongest Christian that hath most pure and most universal Love to others that can love all men even an enemy with true unfeigned love even with such love as belongs to a Christian that can love every Christian and not a party only with the pure and fervent love which belongs to Believers that can love every child of God and not those only that are of his own opinion or have done him good but all because they are children of God with a sincere and special hearty love That is the weak Christian that picks and chuses that is staggering when he comes to loving an enemy that takes in those that agree with him in judgement and makes those almost the only object of his love that would confine his affections to some narrow society some little Sect party or parcel of Believers and cannot love Christians as Christians And hence it is division is the effect of enmity or of weakness in grace for want of the universality of love I would make no question to prognostick the healing of all divisions within this Nation could I but advance all that are concerned in it to the right temper of Christian love 'T is the weak Children in Christ's Family that falls out when we have not enough love to reach to all and to love a Christian as a Christian c. Quest. What must be done by those that are converted to keep them where they are to help them unto growth to make them letter to further their confirmation to secure their salvation that
the Apostle Paul Do I yet strive to please men Gal. 1. 6. Am I then the Servant of Christ You cannot be the Servants of Christ if you strive to please men Wo be to you that please men and displease God He that would be my Disciple let him deny himself and take up his Cross c. What 's that deny Wife Children Learning Relations Comforts he must be willing to go out of all Those duties the Lord Jesus Christ is most glorified in they are either those your slothful hearts are most unwilling to do or that our fearful hearts are most unwilling to suffer for Therefore arm your selves with resolutions to suffer I intended to have taken up four Appearances and coverings that Saints usually take up for to hide themselves as under a covert to beat down the Gospel warrants and commands to suffer for the Faith delivered 1. The notion that a Christian hath of indifferency of things that they are but toyes and trifles that they may be done or not done It is not my work to tell you what is indifferent or name any thing in particular As I remember in the Book of Martyrs the usual argument was Why cannot you worship the Idol why cannot you bow down as well as others it's a small matter cannot you shew your outward reverence and keep your heart to your self Indeed if there were any thing that 's indifferent a Christian hath a marvellous latitude in point of Doctrine in point of Worship I would caution you therefore The term of indifferent I suppose 't is devised as a pillar to rest the conscience on which otherwise would startle and look with a broad face upon them Things that come under this notion had need well to be weighed and considered If they tell you plainly they came out of Rome and had the plague of Popery upon them they â—…ame from Hell were hatched there and the curse of God is upon them no body would entertain them They must pretend they came from the Church from the Apostles descended from the Scriptures and hence they are entertained with that freedome and willingness as that most Christians take no notice but fall down under them and so the very power and life of Religion and holy practise is eaten out The Devil hath three waies whereby he makes men seek after him 1. Commonly he doth cover holiness with other names 2ly He perswades that sins are but little 3ly That they may repent hereafter The first is suitable to my purpose That vertue or grace is covered with other names therefore if a man be holy he is called precise if zealous he is said to be rash and if it be really a sin it shall come under the name of indifferency a toy a trifle and things of that nature therefore you had need be cautious for 't is no matter what name the sin is what title it goes under as what it is really As to things of Doctrine and Worship I know there is no medium every man must give an account to the Lord of what he does therefore I do not tell you what is indifferent and what not but search the Scripture take heed what you receive for indifferent The second thing Christians will say is I hope without danger I may comply with them considering I bear them as my burthens This is very like the Young man in the Gospel he came to Christ and would have him come up to his terms and when Christ told him Yet he lacked one thing Go sell all c. he went away sorrowful So many Christians they would follow Christ but they cannot because there is not such security in it but they will go away sorrowful Thou Hypocrite art â—…hou willing to forsake all for Christ yet cannot leave life liberty and some of these small things Will you wound the name of Christ and pretend to be sorrowful for it I conclude thy pretence shall not excuse thee for so was Pilate loth to crucifie Christ and as a means and expedient he calls for water and washes his hands saying I am innocent from the bloud of this just man But do you think God excused Pilate no more will he you Whatever is brought to you is either forbidden or commanded by God If forbidden by God why do you meddle with it If commanded of the Lord why are you burdened with it why do you it heavily for the Lord loves one that is chearful in his service neither man nor God is pleased with such A third thing it is which satisfies many That they may follow in some things the opinions of wise men holy men and good men That they may do as they do I shall say but these two words First Many men are reputed good wise and honest that are not so A man may be accounted an honest man that yet may be covetous he may be accounted a very good man yet be really corrupt in heart and in his lusts therefore 't is good to try men I dare not trust mine own heart unless God give strength of grace and assistance every moment least I should betray the truth of Christ upon some advantage when the Devil would set abroach an evil opinion or practise it 's his common way to tun it up in some clean Vessel men of civil honesty and goodness You read the old Prophet drew the young one in though expresly forbidden by God himself When you do not fear a young Christian it may be the example of an old Minister shall draw you therefore 't is good to mind who you follow Secondly Grant they are all good and real they are men fearing God as there are some yet God will not let his people know all his mind There are some that would but cannot know all his mind and will the Lord is free and voluntary he reveals things necessary to salvation but for oâ—…her things he withholds But what is your rule Call no man Master you are to follow no man further then he follows Christ And indeed for a man to follow the example of others wherein they sin and do not know it it is just like the case of holy Noah who was a gracious man and knew not the strength of the Grape he was drunk with his own Vineyard But what is the fruit of it His son Cham saw his nakedness and discovered it If good and holy men taste of the intoxicated Wine that is too strong for them and know it not will you sip after them unlesse you will discover your nakedness and proclaim it from generation to generation and make your selves Chams not sons of the Prophet Therefore I know not what warrant you have to follow such examples The fourth thing is this Christians usually they do no good by standing out Answ. Whether we get or do good or no we are to do our duty The Lord will honour you for suffering for the truth 2 Thes. 1. 3 4 5. And by suffering you shall confirm the
that they may rest from their labour for hera 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 quiet wants the plural number Secondly 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 Thirdly They must die that they may be free from sin for they shall never put off the body of sin till they put off the body of flesh Fourthly They must die that mortality may be swallowed up of life that corruption may put on incorruption Fifthly They must die that they may be perfect in grace Lastly They must die that they may see God face to â—…ce and be for ever with the Lord which they cannot do till they die therefore blessed be God that the righteous must perish If a man should bring news to a righteous man That he should alwayes live on earth alwayes 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 Iohn Christ â—…ells him If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to â—…ee from henceforth there went a report abroad that Iohn should not die Iohn 21. 32. Now the Apostle himself was much displeased with this report looked upon 〈◊〉 as a geeat affliction that he should not die and therefore â—…e himself confutes it But yet Iesus said he said not â—…hat he should not die as if he had said God forbid that â—… should not die Before I come to the application of this Point give me leave to speak something to the second Point and â—…o I shall apply them both together The second Doctrine is this That the perishing of a righteous man is nothing but a gathering of 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 exegetical of the former â—…hey did not perish but they are gathered to God and Christ there is a great deal of excellency and a Magaâ—…ine of sweetness in this expression They are gathered It â—…mplies two things First That the righteous are in a scattered condition while they are in this world and that three wayes First They are scattered among the wicked and ungodly of the world as Sheep among Wolves as Limbs among Lions rent and torn in pieces forced to wander up and down in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins Secondly The righteous are scattered in the world one from another and that two wayes 1. They are scattered by their different habitations for the godly are forced to separate 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 Ierusalem that they were all scattered abroad Thirdly 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 comforting presence of God and as long as we live in this 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 sinlesse glorious world from diversity of dwelling on earth to dwell altogother in one heaven it is a gathering them out of the reach of men and devils 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 Ierusalem 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 wayes In this life at death and at the day of judgement First The righteous are gathered to God in this life and that is at their first conversion for by nature we are all 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 man at first to enjoy communion with himself but Adam lost this by his 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 all the Elect are all gathered together in him Ephes. 1. 10. 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 â—…e joyned with him There is 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 â—…aith but at death by vision Lastly We shall be gathered to God at the day of Judgement 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 all be gathered together 2 Thes. 2. 1. I beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him at the great day At the day of judgement we shall all be gathered together and shall be all 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