himselfe according to his humane nature was not a thirst for a bitter cup but prayed thrice Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Only that which satisfied CHRIST satisfies them Not our will but thy will be done And upon that title they thinke all men should be of their mind and are resolved to be of that mind though all men are against them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more then unto God judge yee we beleeve you are of our mind However we resolve to be of that mind though you vote against it for that 's our duty We ought to obey God rather then men Chap. 5. 29. Then let the strength of your endeavours run out in seeking and doing what is acceptable to the Lord. Pray continually Lord let us have Grace whereby wee may serve thee acceptably Let nothing be acceptable to us which is not to the Lord. Let us reckon all our walkings wandrings which are not in pathes pleasing to him Resolve to live unacceptably to all rather then unacceptably to One. As we should say let God be true and All men Lyars So let God be pleased and all men displeased Who art thou dares any man appeare and shew his head upon this challenge that thou shouldest be affraid of a man that shall dye and of the Sonne of man that shall be made as the grasse and forgettest to please the Lord thy Maker that stretched forth the heavens and layd the foundations of the earth c. Isa 51. 12 13. Consider First it is a great honour to Christ when all study to please him It is the glory of Princes that so many strive to be accepted with them and to find favour in their eyes We cannot but esteeme or at least pretend to esteeme him much whom we labour to please much And such as we esteeme highly of we are ready not only to please but to humour Christ should have this honour from all the Saints an affectarion to please him is their duty Yea with reverence be it received it is their duty to humour him Not that there is any imaginable humour in Christ all whose commands are bottom'd upon infinit reason But my meaning is only this our care to please Christ should bee exact and curious and that then we honour him most when we not only doe those things which cary the light of a cleare necessity or the great things of the Gospell but those also which most looke upon but as Minucia's small matters the tything of Mint and Cummin formes circumstances and as it were curiosities in Religion To prove and practise what is acceptable to the Lord in the least things gives greatest honour to the Lord. Our obedience is the more where the duty is lesse Secondly it is a great priviledge to be accepted with Christ The Lord appointed Aaron to weare a Golden plate upon his Mitre with this inscription HOLINES TO THE LORD And this must be upon Aarons forehead that hee might beare the iniquity of the Holy things which the Children of Israel should hallow in all their holy guifts And the reason given was this That they might be accepted before the Lord. As if the Lord had said This shall be Israels honour above all the Nations of the earth They shall be accepted before the Lord Exod. 28. 36. This was Moses Prayer for the Tribe of Levi. Blesse Lord his substance and accept the worke of his hands Deut. 33. 11. When wrath was growne highest and hottest against Jerusalem this Charter was recalled When they Past I will not heare their cry and when they offer burnt offerings and an oblation I will not accept them Ier. 14. 12. They sacrifice Flesh for the sacrifice of mine offerings and eate it but the Lord accepteth it not Hos 8. 13. They may fill themselves and make merry with their Sacrifices but the Lord will not tast a bit or give them a Thanke for all the cost they bestow upon his holy Feasts To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of Rams and of the fat of fed beasts Isa 1. 11. The Lord was full not as a man is full with feeding plentifully upon meat he likes but full as a man is cloyed with the very sight of meat he loathes so the next words expound it I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or of Rams When God sayth to a People to what purpose are your Prayers your humblings your fastings I am full of them It is an argument he accepts none of them Thirdly the comfort which arises from the sence of our acceptation with Christ is unspeakable Iacob was much comforted in a probability that his Brother Esau would accept him I will saith he appease him with the present that goeth before me and afterward I will see his face peradventure he will accept of me Gen. 32. 20. It was some comfort to him to have but a ground of hope that the clouds which had bin so long gathered in the brow of Esau would shortly dissolve and that he might enjoy the shine of a pleased looke from his angry revengefull Brother How earnestly doth the Apostle Paul bespeake yea beg Prayers that the service which he had for Hierusalem might be accepted with the Saints Rom. 15. 31. It is no small comfort to have a place in the hearts of the Saints The good word and approbation of one Good man weighed more with Paul then the commendation of all the world which was not such There is a Testimony from a third hand which is a richer treasure then this Paul found it so and he could not conceale it 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience c. Acceptance with the men of the world while we keepe a good Conscience is a great mercy But as to be accepted with the Saints is more desirable then with all other men So to be accepted in our own Consciences is more desirable then with all the Saints To please and heare well with the Saint within us is better then to please and heare well with the Saints without us Yet the Point in hand shewes us a higher consolation then these For as the testimony of God against us is more terrible then that of our own hearts 1 Ioh. 3. 20. If our heart condemne us God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things and therefore knoweth more evill by us and every evill more then our own hearts doe So the testimony of God for us is more comfortable then that of our own hearts If our hearts acquit and accept of us God is greater then our hearts and knowing all things He knoweth more good by us and every good more then our owne hearts doe Who can expresse how sweet it is to heare well with God and to receive this Testimony that wee please him When Conscience speakes us faire we
Lord. It is a truth in all cases as well as in that of Almes 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that a man hath not But then whatsoever a man does or gives it must be according to what he hath that is as much as hee hath in his stocke for such an end or else it cannot be accepted The poore Widow cast in more then all the rich men into the Treasury Luk. 21. 1 2 3. because though they gave more yet she gave all Her all was very little and their part was a great deale yet her little being all was more then their great deale being but a part It is thus in every duty be it little or much it must be all we have and the best we can Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his Flock a male and voweth and Sacrificeth that is having a Vow upon him or having vowed to Sacrifice sacrificeth a corrupt thing Mal. 1. 14. This direction hath two branches requiring us to act First according to the best of our strength The whole man must be given up to Christ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soule and all thy mind Secondly according to the best of our light The Apostle prayes for his Philippians that they might approve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things which were excellent chap. 1. 10. or things which differ That is those things which differ from others in way of excellence For things differ two wayes First in their kind secondly in their qualities Light and darknesse Truth and falshood good and evill differ in their kind But in the second sence light differs from light truth from truth one Good from another good Not only doth Wheat differ from Darnel and Gold from Lead But wheat from wheat and gold from gold Thus to the point in hand it is not enough for us to doe good and not evill but wee must wind up our affections to the highest good and among good things doe the best This the Apostles counsel aymes at Phil. 4. 8. Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise that is as I conceive whatsoever things among those things which are True honest just pure lovely of good report are most vertuous and praise-worthy thinke on those things those things doe Covet earnestly the best guifts 1 Cor. 12. 31. chap. 14. 1. Covet grace above all gifts and among the Graces covet the best 1 Cor. 13. 13. God fed the Israelites with the finest of the wheat Psal 81. 16. Course bread might have kept them alive but he dyeted them to delight as well as to necessity We cannot content Christ while we set up our rest in the lower regions of Gospell-profession It argues a low spirit to say wee will goe no further then will serve for Salvation We must study what will honour Christ most not what is the least wherein we may be saved Wee cannot thrive by resolving upon the cheapest way to heaven While we live on earth we shal be in a state of imperfection but our imperfection in the wayes of Grace should be like that of Children in nature who are daily growing up to a fuller stature Hee that labours not to be better and doe better drawes a just suspition upon himself that he was never good and that he never did good because it was good He that loves wine doth certainly love the best wine and he who likes what is good must needs like what is better If the nature of a thing pleases us the perfection of it cannot displease it is most acceptable to the Lord that we should do what we know he most accepts Thirdly Do all in Faith For without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. And whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin Rom. 14. 23. By the former text the works of Infidels and unbeleevers who have no faith at all are cast out as unacceptable But by the latter that also is adjudged unacceptable which is done by a Beleever without the evidence of a warrant from the word and a faire assurance in his own heart and conscience For though a thing have a reall evidence in the word yet if he that doth it hath no evidence for it in his heart to him it is sin Even as that also is sin which hath no reall evidence in the word though our hearts have the highest assurances about it and we ready to lay down our lives for it So then as that which a man doth according to his conscience may be a sin in its self so that which he doth against his conscience is alwayes a sin to him Hee that is not accepted of his owne conscience in what he doth cannot be accepted of the Lord in doing it Therefore in things doubtfull to us we should rather forbeare then act the sin of Omission lyes in neglecting that which we know to be the will of God not in a forbearing to act that of which we are really doubtfull whether it be his will or no And yet even such a not acting comes to be the sinne of omitting if we rest in not acting because we are doubting and are not diligent to have our doubt removed that so we may act If our forbearing to doe a doubtfull duty or our forbearing a duty because of some doubts about it be not our burden it is our sin It is possible to displease Christ in the not doing of that which will displease him also if we doe it Our doubts must quicken us to industry for resolution what is to be done doubting must not make us resolve to sit down and do nothing Woe be to those whose doubts draw them to such resolutions Ignorance is not so displeasing to the Lord as our neglect to be taught and come to the knowledge of the truth Such then must pray much reade much conferre much that they may know more Many saith Daniel prophecying of the latter times shall run too and fro and knowledge shall be increased Sedentary men usually get much knowledge How them is it said that these shall runne too and fro and increase knowledge He meanes a running too and fro to inquire and search for knowledge when we study men aswell as Bookes And run too and fro among men as the Bee flyes too and fro among the flowers to sucke some honey from every one we light on He that thus searches for wisdom is promised to find it And he that cannot learn of his neighbour may expect to be taught of God Only take this caution Be very humble and meeke God will not take prâ—â—d ones into his Tutorage The meeke will he guide in judgement the meeke will he teach his way Psal 25. 9. He
THE PRESENT Duty and Endeavour OF THE SAINTS Opened in a Sermon at Pauls upon the Lords day December 14.th 1645. By JOSEPH CARYL Minister of the Gospell at Magnus neere London-Bridge LONDON Printed by T. FORCET for GEORGE HURLOCK and are to be sold at his Shop at Magnus-corner 1646. To the right Honourable THOMAS ADAMS Lord MAIOR of the City of LONDON SIR J Have though somewhat late obeyed your desires for the publishing of this Sermon The Acceptance it found with your Selfe gives me a ground of hope that it was not unacceptable to others The judgement of those who are as your Selfe is in place of Eminent dignity and Authority is usually the measure of inferiour judgements And while our Magistrates give Testimony of their relishing such a Doctrine as this I am much perswaded that God is bringing it to the relish of all his people When the Kingdomes that is the people of this world shall become the kingdomes of the Lord and of his CHRIST Then doubtlesse Kings and Magistrates in all the World shall become the Lords and his Christs All their Policies shall be turned into Piety and their Consultations into a zealous Proving what is Acceptable to the Lord. That your Lordship with those venerable Colleagues the Magistrates of this City may doe so and that All the people of this City eying as chiefly the warrant of the Word so likewise your worke as a shining President may doe so is the prayer as much as that in so doing your Hon ble Selfe and this renowned City under your government shall be happie is the assurance of SIR Your humble Servant in this worke of the Lord JOSEPH CARYL Januar. 22. d 1645. THE PRESENT DUTY AND ENDEAVOUR OF THE SAINTS EPHES. 5. 10. Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. NAturals in working are sutable to their being Grapes grow not on thornes nor Figgs upon thistles While our Natures continue darke we cannot but do the works of darknesse They who are Spirituall should act spiritually And when they are in the light it is their duty to be alwaies doing works of light Thus the Apostle argues at the 8th verse of this Chap. Ye were sometimes darknesse but now are yee light in the Lord walke as children of the light And lest any should be in the darke about this duty what it is to walke as children of the light the Apostle steps aside into a Patenthesis at the 9th verse to explain it The fruit of the Spirit who or which is light is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth To walke in goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth is to walke as children of the light And because light is a helpe to discovery light makes manifest therefore the children of Light are not only called to doe their duty but are warned to see that it is a duty which they doe Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. That 's the businesse of the text upon which I shall insist when I have briefly opened First what it is to prove Secondly what is meant by a thing Acceptable to the Lord. The Greeke word translated Proving signifies also Approving and includes Practising In the first sence it is taken two wayes First for proving by way of Triall or Experiment Secondly by way of Reason or Argument The former way he that had bought five yoke of Oxen went to prove them Luk. 14. 19. The Apostle speakes of the proofe or tryall of Faith which is much more precious then of Gold that perisheth 1 Pet. 1. 7. The word bearing a native Allusion to the tryall of mettals especially of Gold by the Test or by the Touch-stone Thus his Canon tels us that Deacons must be proved then let them use the office of a Deacon being found upon proofe blamelesse 1 Tim. 3. 10. And thus all who professe CHRIST are exhorted to Prove themselves whether they be in the Faith 2 Cor. 13. 5. Besides this experimentall proofe of things and persons there is a logicall or a rationall proofe of Doctrines of which we must understand that rule given the Thessalonians 1 Epist 5. 21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good To this kind of proofe the duty of the Text is chiefly to be referred From Proving the word caries us to Approving the former convinces the judgement this latter touch-es the will and affections We have this translation Rom. 14. 22. Blessed is he that condemneth not himselfe in that thing which he alloweth or approveth And in the Passive moode 1 Cor. 11. 19. There must be also Heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you Approved ones are currant Professors in the sence wee call that Currant money which is allowed in all payments To both these acts of Probation and approbation we may adde a third upon the usage of this word namely Practise Rom. 12. 2. Be not conformed to this World but be yee transformed by the renewing of your minds that yee may prove what is that good and that acceptable and perfect will of God When the higher and nobler faculties of the Soule are renewed the whole man is transformed New apprehensions of things by the mind cast a man into a new mould and then as his Reason proves by discerning and his Will by approving so his actions prove by Practising what the acceptable will of God is To be Acceptable imports more then to be Pleasing The composition of the word increases the sence Non simplicite◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valde bâ—ne placituÌ„ et per gratum Zanch. of it into Well-pleasing or very well-pleasing yea Best-pleasing In this language the Apostle exhorts Servants to be obedient to their owne Masters and to please them well Tit. 2. 9 or to give them all content The duty of a Servant is not reached in doing only so much as may serve his turne to keepe his Master from being angry with him but he should labour to winne his Love and to the utmost gaine his favour The word is translated Well-pleasing Phil. 4. 18. and in another forme Well-pleased Heb. 13. 21. both in reference to Free-almes and deeds of Noblest-charity So then the Apostles meaning is that we must not only try approve and practise those things which possibly may be pleasing to God in some low degree such things as set as a step beyond his displeasure but we must search and doe those things which give him highest content and cary us furthest into his favour Things which come up to the exactest rule and beare truest proportion to the Standards of truth and holinesse Take all gathered into this briefe Proposition It is the duty of the Children of light diligently to Doct. try and having by tryall found out to approve and Practise what is best-pleasing and most contentfull to the Lord. It did not satisfie holy David to be kept from Presumptuous sinnes and to be innocent from the Great transgression unlesse
never scrupled with which their consciences never closed I will leave but two words with this Generation First they who doe good things which they approve not shall never be approved by God for doing them Secondly God will ranke and reckon them among evil-doers who have done good which they approved not 3. ly they fall under the reproof of this point who will not Practise what or who practise contrary to what their understandings have proved or tried their consciences have approved or liked Not to doe the good we see and allow or to doe crosse to what we see and allow are both abominations to the Lord. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against their unrighteousnesse who thus hold the truth in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1. 18. Truth is not only free but it makes those who receive it free Woe to those who make bonds for truth who imprison and enslave it who violently hold downe truth lest it should exercise due dominion and command over their actions Such is their case who smother the light of cleare Principles received and know better then they dare or have a will to appeare and doe Thou knowest his will so the same Apostle chides them too and approvest the things that that are more excellent being instructed out of the law Rom. 2. 18. Thou therefore that teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe c. As that man is happie who condemneth not himselfe in that thing which hee alloweth by a scandalous practise of it Rom. 14. 22. So happie is that man who condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth by a scandalous neglect of it As some Hereticks so this sort of hypocrites are Self-condemners While a Heretick would logically justifie his false opinion and while these hypocrites will not practically follow their true opinion they both really though neither of them intentionally condemne their own persons The fourth sort which this Point deales with faile in the object of their acceptation Their care is not to prove and find out what is acceptable to God but what is acceptable to men Men-pleasers they are not God-pleasers they study what is like to take with the world not what is given as the mind of CHRIST The greatest number would faine please those who are great in Dignity and sometime they who are great in dignity will industriously please the greatest Number When Herod had killed Iames the Brother of the Lord with the Sword because he saw it pleased the Iewes he proceeded further to take Peter also Act. 12. 3. He cares not to spill the blood of an innocent so he may please the humour of the multitude The sinne is neere of the same stature whether Great men sinne to please many or many sin to please those who are Great The Apostle Paul I grant pleased all men in all things 1 Cor. 10. 33. and concludes Rom. 15. 2. Let every one of us please his neighbour It is our duty to doe so but take the limitation which followes for his good to Edification We may please men to edifie them but not to flatter them to do them good not to make our selves Great or rich So the holy Apostle explaines his Noble Parasitisme I please all men in all things not seeking mine owne profit but the profit of many that they may be saved All man-pleasing but that whereby we profit those we please is displeasing unto God And the profit he meanes is not either in filling or saving their purses but in saving their Soules Any other man-pleasing he disclaimes as having no allowance at all from God 1 Thes 2. 3 4. Our exhoration was not of deceit c but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospell not as pleasing men but God who tryeth the hearts Nor at any time used we flattering words as ye know you must have heard them had we used them nor a cloake of Covetousnesse that I confesse is beyond your sight Covetousnesse is a close sinne and the intendment of it closer but God is witnesse nor of men sought we glory c. Glory or gaine profit or praise are the usuall provocations to such flattery He that is above the bayt shall not fall into the snare I have foure things to say to these First they who sinfully endeavour acceptation with men shall not long be accepted with men Men-pleasers run into greatest displeasure with men None find such unwelcome conclusions as they who have condiscended in speech or action to the lowest complyances When Cardinall Wolsey saw himself deserted by that King hee sayd If I had laboured to please and serve God as I have done to serve and please my Prince I had not bin thus cast off and forsaken Many such wrackt and weather-beaten wretches will complaine at last that they too much sought and pleased themselves with the Faire-weather and warme Sun-shine of the world Secondly such usually prove unacceptable to themselves After Achitophel had sinfully ingratiated himself with Absolom to betray David and Iudas with the Scribes and Pharisies to betray CHRIST they both fell out with themselves and ended their lives under the disfavour of their own Consciences How many having to regaine their lost reputation with men renounced the truth have presently bin renounced by their own hearts and could never get a good word or a good looke from them againe And they who have not found that quarrell endlesse have taken soare revenges upon Themselves and could not recover their peace till they had acknowledged and bewayled their owne cowardise Cranmer puts his right-hand into the fire which had subscribed his Recantation And Iewel mournes in Germany for a subscription he made in England to the Popish Inquisitors The hypocrites hope shall be cut off saith Bildad Iob 8. 14. the word signifies also extreame Loathing and Abominating which implyes his hope shall be so cut off that hee shall be a Loathing to himselfe It is an affliction and in some cases a very great one to be Loathed by other men but it is a farre greater for a man to be loathed by his owne Soule There is a twofold Self-loathing First of Repentance secondly of Desperation this latter is there portion And that 's as black as the suburbs of hell and lyes but one step from the regions of everlasting darknesse Thirdly such displease Christ so much that hee discards them his service Gal. 1. 10. Doe I now perswade men or God Paul preached of God not to God God is above mans Rhetorick or perswasions why then doth he say Doe I perswade men or God His meaning is doe I perswade the things of men or of God doe I perswade you to heare and obey Men or God Or as our late Annotators doe we make faith to men or seeke to endeare our selves to men The next words of the Text give us this glosse doe I seeke to please men Why Paul what danger or dammage if thou hadst yes very great For