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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
for my redemption with so great a price in the worke of creation hee gave mee to my selfe in the second hee gave himselfe to me and when hee gave himselfe for me he restored me to my selfe What shall I render the Lord if I could give my selfe a thousand times over what am I to the Lord there is nothing in Heaven or Earth among all the creatures so divine so excellent as Christ hee that hath him hath all things and having nothing else aboundeth no wonder if the Saints ever praise him yea when they goe per vallem fletâ—s here is their wounds medicine here is the tryall here is the Selah set to erect the mind to consideration 't is an easie matter to praise the Lord blessing us and giving us good things yet too many forget that plaine song but if thou art a blessed man indeed thou must praise the Lord in the Valley of Baca in teares and bitter forrowes when hee afflicteth thee and taketh away all earthly comforts from thee 't was Iobs resolution The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken it blessed bee the Name of the Lord such is the possession of Christ as that no externall estate no nor death it selfe can make that possessour unhappy or any more take away his blessednesse than the stormes wee feele on earth can shake downe the orbs of heaven what ever God taketh away if he take not himselfe from thee thou art blessed neither canst thou be otherwise no not when thou seemest to others and thy selfe most miserable Therefore the Psalmist though in bitternesse of spirit and present affliction he recounted his happinesse past yet recalleth his affections Why art thou cast down O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee waite on God For indeed we may not be ingratefull Why weepest thou said Elkanah to afflicted Hannah why eatest thou not and why is thy heart troubled am not I better to thee than tenne sonnes how much more may our blessed Jesus say to us when wee turne our debt of praises into dedolency and our victory for which the Saints praise GOD into mourning and dejectednesse of soules why mourn you thus who have such interest in me what ever GOD doth to the Saints 't is best for them the Physitian better than the patient knoweth what is good and necessary for him if it be sometimes best for a man to bee grieved with the lancer and cautery how much better is it for a sinner to bee cured by afflictions 'T is a character of the blessed man ever to praise the Lord the wicked can never doe it because they neither love nor serve the Lord the sinner dishonoureth him in all his actions and therefore can but subdolously praise him in words T is a dishonour to a good man to have some notorious lewd fellow praise him t were more honour to have such a one dispraise and condemne him feldome doe they condemne any but the good or applaud any but the evill because every one loveth his like he that knoweth him said Tertulliaâ— of Nero might understand that hee condemned nothing but some great good when a wicked mouth used to cursing prophanation and filthy talke presumeth to sing the praises of God I may say as Minucius Foelix in another kind how doth he violate the sacred Majesty of God who would so please him Alexander would not suffer any but apelles to take his picture least by unskilfull hands his countenance should be misreported to posterity with how much better reason doth GOD forbid any but his Saints to praise him least they that know him not should blaspheme thinke him evill whom such men praise he therefore that saith Gather my Saints to gather unto me offer unto God praise saith unto the wicked What hast thou to doe to declare mine ordinances and that thou shouldest take my covenant into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to bee reformed praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner when the divell confessed Christ hee sharpely rebuked those uncleane spirits and suffered them not to say that they knew him to bee the Christ that we might know such are not to bee heard though they speake truth because they doe it to some evill end and that Christ needed no such witnesses as both professed enmity and in their best profession call the truth of Religion into question for who would not suspect that to be evill which the wicked seeme to like and allow therefore if thou wilt bee admitted into this blessed Queere be thou holy that thou maist truely praise God and trust in him which is the next character of the blessed man Blessed is the mâ—â— whose strength is in thee Blessed are they whose confidence and trust is in the Lord. My helpe commeth from the Lord who hath made Heaven and earth saith the Saint Some put their trust in Chariots and some in horses but wee will remember the Name of the Lord our God And good reason for 1. They who trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot bee removed This is a trust which cannot deceive 2. None but the Saints which are the sonnes of God can trust in him the reprobate though he may have a false confidence for a time as he may have a temporary faith knoweth what he must expect and therefore beholdeth God as an angry judge but he is the just mans father and not onely pittieth him as a tender father doeth his childe but giveth him the spirit of adoption to lead him and assure him that hee is indeed a child of God 3. They only have accesse through faith unto his grace by the spirit which dwelleth in them they have peace with God who are justified by faith in Christ God will no more remember their sinnes and iniquities and therefore they may bee bold to draw neere in assurance of faith to the Throne of grace Christ being their advocate to appeare alwaies and to mediate for them He ever offereth up their petitions for them upon the golden Altar his precious merits which is before the Throne of God 4. Hee giveth his Angels charge over them and they pitch their tents round about them so that when they seem most forlorne they that are with them are more than can be against them 5. Hee hath not onely given them the first fruits of the Spirit the earnest of his covenant but ascending into Heaven he hath taken up with him an earnest and pledge of their flesh and blood which shall through him at last possesse the same blessed inheritance with him 6. There can bee no sure trust in any other all earthly things are subject to the Lawes of time and therefore to sudden and continuall changes Thou that risest cheerefully in the morning knowest not what the late evening may