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A10512
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Characters of true blessednesse delivered in a sermon preached at Saint Maries Church in Dover. Sep. 21. 1637. At the funeral of Mrs. Alice Percivall, wife of Anthony Percivall Esquire. By Iohn Reading.
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Reading, John, 1588-1667.
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1638
(1638)
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STC 20787; ESTC S119785
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36,032
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155
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Israel to worke abominations in the place of Gods worship as they who bring hither aures insidiaâ—rices comming into the Church as Doeg the Edomite to Nob to observe and accuse as false Apostles creeping in like serpents into the garden to spie out some occasion to sting us as Sathan among the children of God as Hereticks and contentious Schismaticks who are in this holy body as thornes in the flesh as the Canaanite in the Holy land They were not of us saith Saint Iohn say wee would God we could once say the rest they went out from us They are not blessed who come in hither like impious Cham into the Arke whom the curse followeth out like the Blackmoore into the bath going out with the same complexion with which hee entred who bringeth hither itching eares who is like those monstrous Fanesii all eares such as are all for hearing that 's the cloke which must present them for holy to the worlds view But the hearers of the law are not righteous before God but the doers of the law shall be justifyed 't is true Aarons eare must be toucht in his consecration but his hand must be toucht also to teach us that wee must heare and practise also if wee will bee an holy Priest-hood to the Lord. Neither are they blessed who appear before the Lord empty-handed without due provision nor they who receive the distilling dew of Gods word often falling on them as rain into the sea whose briny floods are nothing changed thereby or on the barren ground that 's neere to cursing whose end is to be burned but blessed is the fruitfull ground they of whom Christ said and we in his name say Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it This shall bee thy present assurance of thy future dwelling in the presence of God to eternity The Queene of Saba pronounced Solomons servants happy who stood in his presence to heare his wisdome but here is a greater than Solomon greater happinesse because true and permanent well might I heodosius the great that same Ecclesiae nutricius rejoyce more that hee was a member of this Church a servant of God than that hee was a Lord of men this Psalmists choice was rather to keepe a doore in the hâ—â—se of God than to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse Here is a constant blessing Wee are but pilgrims on earth though wee dwell in the houses of Kings This world is to us as 't is said of Iacobs Canaan terra peregrinationum eorum here 's no long stay nor security in GODS house are both in thy house thou maist feare theeves but God is a defence to his owne house there is neither theef nor moth The blessed possesse this without any diversity or division of bounds all have it and every one hath it all Here 's no want of any thing nor care to get nor feare to lose all is heere secure fulnesse without satiety no wonder if their mouths bee alwaies filled with Gods praises who are so filled with his blessings which is our next part and character of the blessed man They will ever praise 〈◊〉 The Saints onely praise God truely and constantly according to S. Augustines rule in prosperity praise his mercy in adversity his truth according to which hee punisheth sinnes 'T was Plinies report to the Emperour concerning Christians that they were wont before day to sing praises unto Christ and so it seemeth to have beene the practice of Christians in S. Ieroms time to spend their lives in singing Psalms and praises to God the toyling Plowman the sweating Mower the pruner of Vines in every corner you might have heard them singing their Hallelujahs The reason hereof is because these have a lively sense of Gods mercy and beneficence Others are filled but not sensible these onely love and enjoy God and therefore praise him they onely have true faith which is ever apt to breake out into praise because of the blessed peace of conscience which they have with God they onely have sanctified wils and affections they onely delight in the Lord therefore praise him the security of praise is in the praises of God therefore they praise him ore opere and that constantly Thy praise shall bee ever in my mouth Psalm 34. 1. without cessation though not without intermission What ever thou dost let thy soule ever praise the Lord Whether thou eate or drinke doe all to his honour 1 Cor. 10. 31. even in thy sleepe innocence is the voice of thy soule love him ever and thou dost ever praise him Therefore no man is excused from this duty what can he doe who cannot love and indeed God not so much requireth the voice as the heart neither that for his owne sake but for thy benefit The out-goings of the morning and evening praise him all creatures the oneapestate excepted praise him how many times doth the Psalmist in one Psalme exhort thereto yea all the Psalmes are a booke of praises because GODS praises are the principall part thereof That which most Interpreters give here perpetuo the vulgar giveth in secula seculorum the blessed do but tune here and record sometimes their de profundis sometimes their venite exultemus and Hosanna's the generall vote of all the Saints the Canticum novâ—m The old song was confined by the borders of Canaan among the strangers by the Rivers of BabyloÌ„ they hanged up their harps on the willowes they might weepe in remembrance of Sion but how shall we sing a song of the Lord in a strange Land but the new song of an admirable matter excelling all the courses of nature the incarnation of Christ the renuing of the World the mysteries of our resurection the Angels began this in the day of Christs nativity and now it soundeth through the whole World and so admirable a worke is the praise of God that death it selfe shall not interrupt it nor time end it wee shall sing our Gloria in altissimis Deo for ever and ever because wee shall love him eternally wee shall joyne in a fâ—â—h Queere with those heavenly creatures who now praise the LORD before his Throne The Saints praise God constantly it well becommeth the just to be thankefull but hee that is silent now shall not sing with Saints and Angels in the life to come The Psalmist recounting the mercies of God maketh this the sweet bearing of his song Let them therefore confesse before the Lord his loving kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men Begin to reckon 't is all thou canst for there is no end of his goodnesse he elected us when wee were not hee made us to his owne Image he redeemed us with the precious blood of his onely Sonne If I owe so much for my creation what owe I
bring There are many chances in this life one certaine change in the end thereof Looke on proud Nebuchadnezzar ostenting his magnificent Babel built for the honour of his Majesty while the word was in the Kings mouth the voice from Heaven told him his Kingdome was departed from him and the very same houre was it fulfilled Looke on prophane Belshazzar feasting with a thousand Princes drinking in the impropriated vessels of the Temple of Ierusalem an unknown hand writing a terrible doome upon the wall and the same night executed Behold the rich man projecting for greater barnes singing a reâ—uiem to his soule but presently hearing Thou foole this night shall they take away thy soule and thou shalt in these examples see a true scene of humane changes The flowers are Emblems of our present lives now sweetly flourishing in the vigour of their youth vying beauty with the fairest Rachels and lustre with the most magnificent Salomon in all his glory was not arayed like one of these presently cropt and withered An Ephemeron whose whole story is but oritur moritur such is man A morning vapour w ch a little heare dissolveth such is man A Ionahs Gourd in the height of the owners joy smitten and withered quite away such is man 1. O vaine hopes of men and idle thoughts how often doe you beguile us how often are you broken in the middle of your flight or like ceiled Doves mount till you die or like Pharaohs Chariot wheeles there falling off where wee are most deepely engaged in the returning floods of sorrowes vaine confidence in riches they ebbe and flow uncertainely their gliding streames continually change their masters this field is thine to day to morrow it passeth to another looke upon this place how often have these mountaines changed Lords and these houses owners all earthly goods at the last houre of our lives shall like Eliâ—hs mantle in his ascension fall from us to some others use vaine confidence in any of the sonnes of men the wise the illustrious the noble the vertuous the strong the faire the chaste the lovely the young all die experience teacheth it one day telleth another one night certifieth another I would we had wanted this daies example none are exempted let us not therefore strive with our Maker but humbly subject our hearts and affections to his blessed will who ever will doe that which shall bee best for us let us consider that t is our owne fault when we are to disconsolâ—te if wee will needs build on any but God that ground failing us our hopes are broken but the foundation of the Lord remaineth sure his immutable decrees are certaine and shall take effect at the appointed time 2. Examine thy trust in God whether it be faithfull before the time of tryall many professe confidence and yet in tryals it faileth them Examine therefore first whether thy trust be grounded on Gods Word that onely is infallible and cannot deceive the confidence which crosseth this must needs faile because this cannot if an incorrigible sinner trust to impunity that confidence must faile him if any man trust in wrong and robbery that confidence must faile him because Gods justice cannot if any man trust in lying vanities hee forsaketh his owne mercy If any man make himselfe rules of wisedome and counsell against the revealed will of God and trust therein were those counsels as profound as Achitophels the Lord will infatuate and make them voyd If any man will trust in riches or in his heart serve idols his trust against Gods Word must faile they that make them are like unto them and so are all they that put their trust in them all senselesse â— when the line is sâ—retched over the idoll when t is hewed finished adored it perceives not it cannot defend it selfe when the birds sit on their heads and spiders derive their slender webs from their mouths more reasonably judging of them then superstitious men they feele it not T is not easie to resolve which was the most unreasonable and ridiculous custome of heathens setting dogges and geese to keepe their Capitoll and Gods or senselesse gods to keepe their bodies soules lives and states 2. Whether it bee built upon that which is unchangeable Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lords for he shal be like the heath in the Wildernesse Blessed be the man that trusteth in the Lord for hee shall bee as a tree planted by the water her leafe shall be greene and shall not care for the yeere of drought neither shall cease from â—eelding fruit Iere. 17. 5 6 7 8. That sailers trust must faile who in the storme layeth hold on a loose rope If a man trust in Physitians as Asa did 2 Chron. 16. 12. to an Egyptian confederacie as Iohanaâ— and the Captaines of the host would doe Ieâ— 42. that trust shall faile and this prove but a staffe of reed Ezek. 29. 6. If a man trust in riches as that wealthy foole in the Gospell did Lâ—ke 12. 19 20. If in strength of armies and prosperity as Vzziah did when he was strong his heart was lift up to his destruction 2 Chron. 26 16. they shall not helpe in the day of affliction and the Lord will breake these if a man trust to his owne counsels or assistance of friends hee may have those prove like Achithophels and these like Iobs misâ—râ—ble comforters If a man trust in any thing in this life or life it selfe it must faile I bough I hope the grave shall bee mine house and I shall make my bed in the darke I shall say to corruption thou art my father and to the worme thou art my mother all things under the Sunne are subject to change there can bee no sure trust in them 3. Examine whether it be a firme and continuing trust not onely when thou art prosperous but appearing in the greatest of afflictions Though he slay me yet will I trust in him said Iob. This is true confidence which will hold the fiery tryall and true patience which will endure adversity T is not the trust of the blessed which like that seed which fell on stony ground commeth up and dureth but for a season Mâ—tth 13. 21. or like the rivers which are ranke in Winter but in time are dried up with heate and consumed and when it is hot they faile out of their places Which least appeare when wee have most need As those â—tellae caedentes were never any part of the celestiall orbs so that trust which at any time faileth was never true To him that persevereth unto the end are all the promises resolve therefore to trust in the Lord in every estate and that shall demonstrate thee blessed So we come to the last character of true blessednesse Sincerity of heart And in whose