mightily unto the Lord. Then 't is our duty to put our mouths in the dust if so be there may be hope Then it is our duty for to bear our Testimony Then it is our duty for to wait on God though the Witnesses wear Sackcloth for a time yet there are white Robes provided for them and they come out with Palms in their hands And the nearer the time of Deliverance grows the less time for waiting the more we are ingaged to wait Why now according to the calculation there is not much of the time to come there is but a little of the Sackcloth time to come shall we not watch with him one hour and wear Sackcloth with him one hour wait a while he that shall come will come and will not tarry And so I have done with the third thing namely what this Sackcloth is and their lying in Sackcloth for 1260. years 4. But then in the fourth place It is said here that these Witnesses did Prophesie I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall Prâ—phesie Prophesie What 's that and how did it come to pass that they shall Prophesie in the time of their Sackcloth Prophesie What 's that Why Prophesying is sometimes taken in Scripture for the Revelation of the mind of God whereby a man doth foretel things to come and so Daniel and Ezekiel and others were called Prophets Sometimes Prophesying is taken more largely in Scripture for Preaching the Word of God in a way of Office Preaching the Word by Office And so the Ministers and Preachers of the Word of God in Office they are called Prophets in Scripture But Thirdly yet more largely Prophesie is took for a declaring and making known of the Mind and Will of God and so all those that do declare and make known the Mind and Will of Jesus Christ they are said to be Prophets and so I take it here For I pray do but mark This their Prophesying and Witness-bearing seems to be all one I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall Prophesie And when they shall have finished their Testimony their witness bearing He should have said when they have finished their Prophesie True But he would shew that their Witness-bearing and Prophesie is all one And so compare chap. 19. and chap. 22. of the Revelations together and you will find the same I fell at his feet and worshipped him and he said unto me see thou do it not I am thy fellow servant and of thy Brethren that have the testimony of Jesus and chap. 22. I fell at his feet and he said unto me see thou do it not for I am thy fellow servant and of thy Brethren the Prophets Of thy Brethren the Prophets here in chap. 22. is all one with thy Brethren that have the Testimony of Jesus In the 19th and saith he there Worship God for the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesie It 's the same word that 's used when they had finished their Testimony or Witness-bearing The witness of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesie This bearing witness to the truths of Jesus this is Prophesie And thus now the Witnesses they are said to Prophesie Well but how come they to Prophesie in the times of their Sackcloth Behold I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall Prophesie 1260. daies clothed in Sackcloth How comes it to pass that they shall Prophesie in Sackcloth It 's clearly answered I will give power saith Christ I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall Prophesie in Sackcloth I will give power to them they shall have their Orders to Preach from my self They shall have power from Me to Preach and to Prophesie and to bear their Testimony Some have their Orders and their Power to Prophesie from Men from Prelates from the Beast but saith he I will give power unto my two Witnesses to Prophesie It 's said of the Beast That Power was given him It 's said of the Witnesses I will give Power unto my two Witnesses They shall have their Orders they shall have their Power of Prophesie and Witness-bearing from my self I will give Power unto my two Witnesses Plainly then thus much Obs There 's none can bear witness to the Truths of Jesus Christ but those that are impowred by Christ and if that Jesus Christ will give power unto his two Witnesses for to Prophesie and to bear their Testimony then why should we not depend on God why should we not go unto Christ and depend on Christ for our very Power to bear Witness to the Truths of Christ It may be you are afraid and you will say thus I am a poor weak Creature man or woman and I shall never be able for to bear a Testimony in these witness-bearing times I but you know what the Martyr said I 'le set my foot against the Alce Driver foot of the proudest Prelate of them all in the cause of Christ But who gave power unto her Jesus Christ that saith I will give power unto my two Witnesses and he hath said so concerning all his Witnesses I will give power unto my two Witnesses that they shall Prophesie and bear witness and he is faithful and therefore why should you not go to Christ and lay your selves flat upon this Promise and say to him O Lord I am a poor weak Creature I fear I shall never be able for to bear my Testimony but thou hast said I will give power unto my two Witnesses I am one of thy Witnesses Now then O Lord give power to me for I am poor O remember this Promise here 's a gracious and a blessed Promise Christ saith himself I will give power unto my two Witnesses and he is faithful and will make it good And so I have done with the fourth thing namely what Prophesying is and how the Witnesses come to Prophesie in the times of their Sackcloth Christ gives them power 5. But then Fifthly what is the defence and guard that these Witnesses have whereby they are guarded and defended in their Prophesie The Text saith If any man will hurt them fire Proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies What 's that Fire proceedeth out of their mouth It may relate unto Moses but especially it relates unto Elijah a Prophet a Minister that when the Captain and his fifty came to do him hurt he called for fire from Heaven and destroyed the Captain and his fifty fire came out of his mouth by his prayers and when another Captain came and his fifty Elijah prayed and fire came down and destroyed him and his fifty Fire came out of his mouth plainly it relates to this of Elijah What then is this fire that proceeds out of the month of the Witnesses but the scorching and devouring Judgements of God whereby the Enemies of Gods people are blasted and destroyed by the prayers and threatnings of the people of God that come out of their mouth But if
in Grace I 'le propound you a Parable suppose three men that are sick and weak one is extream ill and the Physitian comes to his bed-side and he spits in his Physitians face and will take nothing Another man he doth not deal so by the Physitian he lies upon his bed but he cannot stir off his bed he lies upon his bed and he hears the counsel of the Physitian and he takes his advice A third man he is weak indeed but he is able to go abroad and he goes to the Physitians house for his counsel and direction I pray which of all these three men are the most healthy surely you will say the latter is more healthy then the second and the second more then the third Beloved there are these three sorts of people one that when spiritual Physick is brought to them they spit in the Physitians face and they will have none Others they are not so bad but yet notwithstanding they keep their beds as it were and do not go forth for counsel But there is a third sort of sinners that finding their souls ill at ease they can go forth for counsel and go out for admonition and go out for reprehension It may be that all these three conditions have past over some of you you can remember the time when you did kick and fling and spit in the Physicians face as it were and you would none at all afterwards you lay more still but yet sate and did not stir out I but now you are able God be thanked to go out to the Physician or to such and such Saints and to open your condition before them Oh thus it 's with me Oh thus it 's with me come lay on some Admonition or lay on some healing Plaister some Reprehension some Consolation good Sir pitie me and the like Now this argues more health then before Again the more you are able to do the work of the Lord without noise the more doth it argue that you are grown in grace Beloved Jesus Christ was a perfect workman and did the work of the Lord perfectly and he made no noise it is said of him that he did not lift up his voice in the streets Young Christians make a great noise in the work of God one he cries out Oh I am damn'd I am damn'd and another cries out after the same kind Oh I am damn'd I am damn'd and wring their hands in the family and make a great noise when there is a work of God upon their hearts like to your young Scholars when first of all they learn their books they read with a great noise afterwards when they are grown men and read better they read silent and make no noise So now I say Thou man or woman art thou able to do the work of the Lord in a more silent and sweet Gospel-way then heretofore thou didst this argues that thou art more grown then thou wert heretofore And further if you know Christ more you are grown more the Apostle puts them both together Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. But take one more If that you do as much as before and deny your doing more then you did before then you are grown in grace One man doth much and denies himself little another doth much and denies himself much who hath most grace of these two The husband-man will tell you that when the ear of corn is not so ripe it stands bolt-upright but when it 's more ripe then it hangs down its head and looks to the earth and so heretofore it may be you were much in prayer and in duty you wept much and it was well that you were much in duty and humiliation for sin but it may be then you rested upon your duties and denied your self little I but now you are as much but you have seen more of the free grace of God and the love of God in Christ and now you deny your duties more and rest less upon them then you did this is a growth now and where these things are you may conclude that you are grown And I say to every soul here Is there any one that doth finde these things thou art the man or woman that doth grow in grace and doth increase therefore be of good comfort thou art not declin'd thou art not abated thou hast truth of grace thou hast growth of grace Quest. I but whether I have or I have not you will say surely it is my duty to have and what shall I do that I may grow in grace I hope the Lord hath begun savingly upon my heart but what shall I do that I may abound yet more and more and increase in grace I must not be large here give me leave to say some things to you Answ First of all observe what those ways of God are unto which he hath promised increase and Oh let your feet be found standing there he hath promised to those that exercise To him that hath shall be given It is opposed to laying up the talent in a napkin He hath promised increase to those that wait upon him Those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength He hath promised increase to those whose feet stand in the courts of the house of the Lord in Psal 92. 12. The righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree and shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God And so in Psal 84. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will be still praising thee They that dwell in thine house they will be still praising thee Quest. But suppose that a mans feet do not stand in the court of the Lords house suppose a man be not planted in the house of the Lord can he not grow in grace Answ Yes mark what follows in vers 5 6 7. all growth of grace is not instal'd upon one condition Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee He had said before Blessed are those that dwell in thy house but suppose a man be driven out and cannot dwell in Gods house shall he not be blessed and shall he not grow Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee and in whose heart are the ways of them who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well the rain also filleth the pools they go from strength to strength every one of them in Zion appeareth before God They may grow too but then it 's upon these three Conditions 1. The ways of God must be in their hearts In whose heart are the ways of them 2. They must look upon that condition as a valley of Baca a mourning valley vers 6. 3. Thirdly they must be abundant in private duty and exercise digging up of pits and then the rain falls and fills those pits and thus they shall go from strength to strength But the great increase is promised to those whose feet
do stand in the court of the house of the Lord. Again would you know how you may grow in grace Beloved let your eye be stedfast upon the greater and higher matters and objects of the Gospel The Apostle for this end doth lay the great things of the Gospel before the people and prays for them that they may be filled with all the fulness of God But I pray see what an expression he hath in 2 Cor. 9. 8. And God saith he is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things All-sufficiency is a great attribute of God they have it in a kinde That ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work Mark what great things he lays here before them And if you look into chap. 6. of the Epistle to the Hebrews vers 6. you shâ—ll finde that the Apostle gives this plain direction that now I am upon for our growing in grace and perfecting holiness in the fear of God Therefore saith he leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works c. Good people mark Let us go on to perfection how not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works Some there are that are always laying the foundation and all their life they are questioning whether their work were right at the first or no Oh I am afraid I was never truly humbled at the first their whole life is nothing but a laying of the foundation-work why saith the Apostle Let us go on to perfection c. Be not always in this work of laying the foundation if you would go on to perfection And as for my self saith he I go this way to work as you may read in chap. 3. of this Epistle to the Philippians Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth to those things which are before I press towaâ—ds the mark Mark it 's a similitude taken from those that run in a Race saith he I do as those that run in a Race they stretch out their bodies towards the Price so do I and saith he as it is with those that run in a Race they do not go backward for to measure the ground that they have gone over but they forget what is past and press on to that which is before so now do I I forget that which is past not onely so as not to rest upon it but I forget what is past I am not always laying the foundation of the doctrine of repentance from dead works but I press on to that which is before And so would you be perfect and would you grow let your eyes be upon those things that are before Again if you would grow in grace cut off all those superfluities that grow out of your heart and give up your selves wholly to the Word of the Lord in this world If you would have a tree grow you slip off the lesser sprigs that grow out of the sides they will hinder the growth you will say so saith the Apostle Wherefore laying aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness receive with weekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls James 1. 21. But again if you would grow in grace and abound yet more and more observe what gifts or graces God hath given you and labour to improve them Beloved God doth give some gift or special grace to every Christian and that gift or grace is as a Spade or Shovel to dig out more out of the Mines of Christ Every bird hath its bill and by the bill it doth take in its meat whereby it grows and every Christian hath one gift or another whereby he doth excel and with that gift or grace you should now go unto Jesus Christ who is the great Ordinance and fetch out more Observe I say what that gift and grace is and labour to improve it more and more I will say no more in this but if you would grow in grace studie much of the love of Jesus Christ and you shall finde that these two are put together by the Apostle in Ephes 3. For this cause saith he I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jâ—sus Christ c. that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and hight and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God Mark how these go together the more you see the love of Christ the more you will love God and the more you love him the more you will obey him and the more abundant you will be in the work of the Lord. Therefore as ye desire to grow study the free love of God in Jesus Christ and hereby you will be able to grow and to abound yet more and more And that you may do it give me leave to speak here a little by way of encouragement hereunto and so I will winde up all Beloved in the Lord when you hear of Gods blessing any in Scripture he saith Increase and multiply So then the more you do increase in grace the more your gifts and graces multiply the more you do carry up and down with you a testimony of the Lords blessing upon you Besides herein you glorifie God the Father Herein is my Father glorified saith Christ in that ye bring forth much fruit 'T is the glory of the husband-man that the tree bring forth much 't is the glory of God the Father that ye bring forth much that ye abound more and more And the more and greater our opportunities are and means of growth the more are we all encouraged for to grow in grace Let me appeal to you a little have not your opportunities and means for growth been great here Communion of Saints it is a great means for to grow in grace Here you have time here many Saints meet together and in poor Country-towns possibly a poor Christian may travel three or four miles before he can meet with one that may refresh his thoughts here you have the opportunities which you have not in other places Communion of Saints standing in the courts of the house of the Lord is a great means for to grow in grace Preaching of the Gospel and the Word of Gods grace is a special and great means of growth it 's call'd the rain of plenty or the plentiful rain It is a true speech It is the year and not the soyl that doth make the fruit if the rain falls seasonably and the sun shines seasonably then you have fruit Now
should be pressed upon them at vers 15. Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance Oh therefore what a necessity is there that we should grow in grace Wherefore Brethren and Beloved in the Lord as you have been exhorted not onely by me at this time but by others of Gods servants so now labour to abound in all well pleasing to abound yet more and more And for me I shall say to you and concerning you as the Apostle in Philip. 1. This I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God The first and last in Suffering-work SERM. II. Matth. 29. ult But many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first AT vers 27. Peter doth propound a question unto Christ saying Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have therefore Jesus answered him in the following verse and his answer is partly comfortable and partly cautional In the comfortable part he doth declare what great reward his disciples or any other should have that did suffer or leave any worldly interest for his Name-sake The first part concerns the disciples onely in vers 28. I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory ye also shall fit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel This shâ—ll be your reward And as for others though you make the question I 'll give my answer so saith he as shall concern more then you my promâ—se shall be extended unto others also at vers 29. And EVERY ONE that hath forsaken houses or breâ—hren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my Names sake shall receive an hundred-fold Here 's their reward an hundred-fold It is a very great improvement We account Ten in the Hundred a great matter and if Merchants can venture to Sea and gain Twelve or Ten in the Hundred and be Insured of so great a gain they account it a great matter but here 's an hundred-fold not Ten or Twelve but an hundred for one and this insur'd too Verily I say unto you saith Christ every one that hath forsaken c. shall receive an hundred-fold And as for the cautional part that follows at vers 30. But many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first Wherein he doth give a Caveat not onely unto his disciples but unto all those that should suffer and forsake any worldly interest upon his account As if he should say thus 'T is true you have indeed left all to follow me thereupon you ask me what you shall have and I lay before you very great rewards but I would have you for to walk warily and to take heed how you walk in the matter of your sufferings for though you suffer for my Name-sake and though those that do so in truth shall have very great rewards an hundred-fold in this life yet many that are very forward shall appear to be backward and many that are backward shall appear to be forward and many that stand behinde they shall stand before and many that stand before they shall be set behinde The first shall be last and the last shall be first Which being spoken in reference unto suffering and forsaking of our worldly interest for the Name of Christ the Doctrine then is this That many that are first shall be last and many that are last shall be first in suffering-work For the clearing whereof there were four things propounded 1. First what it is for a man to be first that is last and to be last that is first 2. Secondly how it may appear that many that are first shall be last and many that are last shall be first in suffering-work 3. Thirdly how and in what respect that is true 5. Fourthly what are the Reasons on 't And then the Application First what is it for one that is first to be last and one that is last to be first what 's this Some think this is to be understood in regard of the sameness of reward as if Christ had said thus The first shall be as the last and the last shall be as the first in matter of reward And for this they have the next Parable to shew where this same speech is brought in A certain housholder went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard and agreed with the labourers for a peny a day and be hired some at the first hour and some at the last and those that came in at the last received a peny as the first did Whereupon the first they grumbled The Master answered vers 15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own is thine eye evil because I am good So the last shall be first and the first last Why because the last had the same peny As if the meaning of this therefore should be thus much That there should be the same reward given to the one as to the other But this cannot be the meaning on 't for it is not true for there shall not be the same reward given to all some shall have more then others some shall have greater degrees of glory then others If there be degrees of torments in hell then there are degrees of glory in heaven There are degrees of torment in hell for Christ hath said He that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with MANY stripes with more stripes then those that are ignorant and know it not Now if there be degrees of torment in hell there are degrees of glory in heaven and therefore the thing is not true That there shall be the same reward And here in chap. 19. we see that the Apostles are set higher in their reward When the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory YE also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel And our Saviour Christ here he doth not speak universally nor indefinitely he doth not say that ALL that are first shall be last and ALL that are last shall be first neither doth he speak definitely The first shall be last and the last first but he speaks thus That MANY that are first he doth not say ALL that are first shall be last neither doth he say indefinitely The first shall be last but MANY that are first shall be last and the last shall be first That 's the meaning then Others think â—herefore the meaning is this and the words are to be understood in reference to mens conceit and opinion as if he should say Be not conceited
least of all the Apostles because he persecuted the Church of God and yet who doth not know what a famous Preacher of the Gospel he was and suffered much upon that score So then the thing lies clear and plain That possibly the last may be first and the first may be last in point of suffering Thirdly How and in what respect is this true First it 's true in regard of priviledges and enjoyments many that are first in regard of priviledges and enjoyments shall be last at the work of suffering for Christ and many that are last in priviledges and enjoyments shall be first in the work of suffering for Christ Many that are first in priviledges and enjoyments shall be last in suffering Here 's a young man comes to Christ and Christ loved him and he saith unto Christ What shall I do 10 inherit eternal life Keep the commandments saith Christ I have done it saith he I but saith Christ One thing thou lackest go sell what thou hast and give to the poor and come and follow me and thou shalt have treasure in heaven And saith the text He went away sorrowful for he had a great estate he was rich he was a priviledged man and he had great enjoyments for he was a rich man and yet notwithstanding he was the most backward for to leave all for Christ On the other side the poor receive the Gospel and as the poor do receive the Gospel so they hold it and keep it and suffer for it So that 't is true then in regard of priviledges and enjoyments Secondly this is true in regard of abilities many that are first in regard of ability shall be last in suffering for Christ and many that are last in abilities shall be first in suffering for the Name of Jesus Christ Many that are first in Abilities so the disciples when Christ said to them Are ye able to drink of the cup that I am to drink of and are ye able to be baptized with the baptism that I am to be baptized with Yea Lord say they we are able But when Christ came to suffer 't is said They all forsook him and fled First in point of abilities and last in point of suffering But Mary and a company of weak women cleaved unto Christ and followed him to the very last the first were last and the last were first And look into the Book of Martyrs where do you finde the Martyrs growing do you finde them growing upon Universities Few were Scholars and Doctors that were Martyrs but growing in Country-towns and Villages So 't is said of Origen that when he was a young man about sixteen or seventeen years old his mother was forc'd to hide his very Shift from him so that he was ashamed to go into the streets for otherwise he would have gone to have suffer'd Martyrdom But afterwards when he came to be a great Doctor then he offered to the Idols insomuch as they cryed out Origen hath sacrificed While he was weak and young very forward to suffer when he was grown strong and had abilities then backward The last shall be first and the first shall be last Thirdly this is true also in regard of action professional action Many that are first in profession and of great performance shall be last in suffering for the Name of Christ And many that have not been of so great profession and such high performance shall suffer when it comes to it they shall suffer for the Name of Christ You have an instance in the Parable of the stony ground it receives the Word with joy yet notwithstanding when tribulation and persecution arise because of the Word by and by they are offended So they were high and first in profession yea action too and yet the last in suffering So on the other side you know the stories there that go together a certain man comes to Christ and saith Lord I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest Saith Christ The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not whereon to lay his head Then Christ comes to another and saith to him Follow me Lord saith he I must go bury my father Why let the dead bury their dead What 's the meaning of this but to shew thus much That the first shall be last and the last shall be first in forsaking their worldly interests for Christ and for the Name of Christ Fourthly this is true also in point of Resolution many that are first in resolving to suffer shall be last to suffer when it comes to and many that are last in resolving shall be first in suffering Lord saith Peter though all men forsake thee yet will not I. Bravely resolved but though he was first in the resolve yet he was first in forsaking Christ The cock shall not crow before thou deny me And you know how it was with those * Pendleton and Sanders two in the Book of Martyrs the one was a very fat man and he would burn his grease should fry in the fire for the Name of Christ the other was a lean man and he cries out Oh I am afraid I shall never hold out But when it came to the lean man was the Martyr and the fat man would not burn So that that is true in the point of Resolution And true it is also in the point of Indurance and pain in the work of suffering And in that many that are first in the work of suffering shall be last in the reward and many that are last in the work of suffering shall be first in the reward 1 Cor. 13. 3. Though I give all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burnt and have not charity it profiteth me nothing Possibly a man may give his goods to the poor part with his worldly interest to the poor and give his body to be burnt and yet want love So then the first in the very work of suffering may be last in the reward 't is true in that respect And so I have done with that But then in the fourth place what 's the reason of this and how comes this to pass that many that â—re first shall be last and many that are last shall be first in suffering-work There are two Reasons for it The first is drawn from God and his grace The second is drawn from our selves and sufferings The first is drawn from God and his grace thus 'T is Gods ordinary way in his dealings with his creatures to set those things and persons before that do stand behinde and those behinde that do stand before As in Printing you don't take the letters and place that first that is first in the Alphabet but that which is first in the Word as in zeal z is the first but it 's the last in the Alphabet And so God in writing down the names of men in the Book of life he writes down them that
that I may be willing now for the present to suffer for the Cause or the Name of Christ Here are divers Directions Directions to suffer for the Name of Christ First Whensoever you do receive any thing from God when you do receive it then ingage your hearts to offer it up unto God when God calls for it again to lay it out for God And if at any time you find your hearts willing then pray to God and say The Lord continue this in the thoughts of my poor heart for ever whensoever you receive then ingage and keep this ingagement fresh upon your hearts Secondly Train up your selves in leaving and forsaking a worldly interest for the Name of Christ the Gospel calls for this work daily for you know the Parable A certain man made a great feast and invited many and sent his servant at Supper-time to say to them that were bidden Come for all things are now ready And they all with one consent began to make excuse One said I have bought a piece of ground and I must go see it Another said I have bought five yoke of Oxen and I must go prove them Another said I have married a wife and therefore cannot come All these were excuses But we should daily be parting with a worldly interest for the Gospel and Name of God It was a true speech of Mr. Greenham He will never be able to suffer by a Papist that cannot suffer from a Protestant Train up your selves every day daily you must meet with one Temptation or another therefore be daily training your selves up in this work of leaving and forsaking your worldly interest for the Lord Jesus Christ Thirdly Use the World as if you us'd it not for the fashion of this world passeth away He that is glewed to the world will never leave and forsake much of the worldly interest for the name of Jesus Christ the more a mans heart is glewed to the world and the things thereof the more unwilling he will be to part with a worldly interest for Jesus Christ Therefore let him that uses the world be as if he used it not he that marries as if he married not and they that weep as if they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away Witness the Revolutions of these latter times Fourthly Study Christ crucified much Let me say this to you and to my self and I pray consider of it the more frequently and seriously we do think on Christ crucified and what Christ did leave and forsake for us the more willing shall we be to leave and forsake any worldly interest for Jesus Christ I should think thus What shall Christ leave his Heaven for me and shall not I leave my Earth for him What shall Jesus Christ leave the bosome of his Father and that sweet Relation for me and shall not I leave the bosome of my Relation for him What shall Jesus Christ suffer for me a cursed death and shall not I be willing to suffer a blessed death for him The Death of Christ hath blessed our death Christ hath suffered a cursed death for us and our death is made blessed by the death of Christ And shall Christ suffer a cursed death for me and shall not I be willing to suffer a blessed death for him Think much of what Christ left for you and then you will be willing to forsake any worldly interest for him Fifthly Get your hearts filled with the divine sweetnesses of the Ordinances O Lord saith Austin when once thy sweetness came into my Soul how sweet was it to me to want my own sweetnesses Oh! when the sweetnesses of God shall come into our Souls this begets Love and much water cannot quench Love Go therefore and labour to get your hearts filled with Divine sweetnesses Sixthly Whatsoever you do now in a way of service do it because your Father wills it If you do therefore serve God now because your Father wills it then when you come to suffer you will willingly suffer because your Father wills it So that now use your selves to this to serve all your service upon this score because my Father wills it Seventhly Take heed that you do not stand lessning of a sin or of an error and greatning of a suffering What 's the reason that many are so unwilling to suffer The reason on 't is this they lessen the error and the sin in the yeilding and they aggravate and greaten the suffering O saith one Is this a great matter to yeild in such a thing as this 't is an indifferent thing but if I don't yeild I am undone for ever But take heed of this that you do not lessen the sin and aggravate your suffering for you will never be willing to suffer for the name of Christ if this be your way Eighthly If you would be willing to suffer for the Name of Christ then go unto God in prayer and pray unto God for boldness and go to your friends and beg of them to pray for you I remember when Latimer was to suffer he call'd upon his friends Pray friends pray for me for sometimes though I am as bold as a Lyon yet at another time I am so afraid as I could run into a Mouse-hole Therefore say Come O my friends I have a cowardly heart of my own and am unwilling to suffer for the Name of Jesus Christ O friends pray for me and go to God and pray for boldness for you see how it was in the 4th of the Acts they told their own Company what the Priests said to them And now Lord say they Behold their threatnings and what did they pray for Grant that with all boldness we may speak thy word And what was â—he issue in the next verse The room was shaken and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the word of God with boldness God answered their prayer presently Therefore if the Enemies threaten and you are afraid to suffer for the Name of Christ get together and in the midst of all your Petitions put up this to the Throne of Grace O Lord give us boldness Ninthly If you would be willing to suffer for the name of Christ O then read over the sufferings of others and how others have offered up their worldly interests to the name of Christ and by reading their sufferings you will be made willing to suffer as they were Having such a cloud of witnesses saith the Apostle he speaks of suffering-Saints Tenthly Improve all your afflictions to the mortification of your mind and of your will Take this for certain truly the more your own mind and will is alive the more you will be unwilling to suffer for the Name of Christ Well how shall I mortifie my own will Afflictions will help you do it Affliction What 's
Countrey man comes to London upon some business that doth concern him nearly in his life why will he run up and down the City for to see things Go and see the Lyons and the Bears and not mind and dispatch his business Or if a Citizen go into the Country about some business that concerns his life will he run up and down the Closes for to catch Butter-flyes and to gather Cowslips when all his time is but little enough for to do his business in Surely no we are upon our life and we are upon our Eternity and upon this little spot and moment of time hangs our Eternity what shall we â—un up and down catching Butterflyes gathering Cowslips running up and down to see the Lyons and the Bears and our business undone and our time but little All the time that we have is little enough to make our Calling and Election sure All the time we have is little enough for the preparing for our great change The Devil doth improve his time upon this score We read in the Revelations that the Devil is come down with great wrath for his time is short Shall the Devil improve his time because it is but short in a way of mischief And shall not we improve our time seeing it is but short Our time is short therefore let us use the World as though we used it not But then secondly as for the second Reason Use the World as if we used it not we must For the fashion of this world passeth away The fashion of this World 't is but a Scheme it is but a piece of Pageantry it is but a Stage one goes off and another comes on Take the World in the bravest dress and it is but a Fashion And as that 's a Fashion to day which was not yesterday that 's a Fashion to day which is none to morrow Fashions pass away So the Fashion of the World passeth away Joseph was in favour greatly with his Father and that favour past away His Brethren sold him then he was in an afflicted condition being sold down to Egypt That fashion past away he came into Potiphars house and there he had favour Well there he had favour a little time and that fashion past away then thrown into the Prison and there he was in a sad condition again and that Fashion past away he had favor with the Jaylor And then he came to the Throne to be the great Councellor of the Nation and that lasted â—ot long but that past away What piece of the world is there but the fashion thereof passeth away Will you instance in the strongest natural piece of the World or the civil moral piece of the World or the sinful fashion of the World or the Religious fashion of the World or the comfortable fashion of the World First for the natural piece the Fashion of the World what stronger piece of the World than the Heavens and Earth Now Read what is said in the first of the Hebrews v. 10 11. Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the works of thine hands They shall perish but thou remainest and they all shall wax old as doth a Garment and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up and they shall be changed but thou art the same as the Heb. in the Psalmes But thou art he But thou art the same and thy years shall not fail but as for them though these things be brusht over a little as a vesture shalt thou fold them up and they shall be changed The nap of all these things the fashion of all these things it will pass away Or will you instance in the civil moral part of the world that fashion thereof What more desirable thing is there in all the world than friendship a true friend to an ingenuous heart there is nothing in this world more desirable than friendship Will you see how that passeth away In Psa 88. v. 8. Thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me thou hast made me an abomination unto them It passeth away indeed an abomination to friends thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me thou hast made me an abomination to them See how it sticks upon his heart he comes over again in v. 18. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me and mine acquaintance into darkness See how the fashion of thiâ— piece of the world passes away Will you instance in the sinful fashions of the world why it may be the poor people of God they are in a mourning habit in a mournful fashion and the enemies of the people of God they are in a very brave and a gallant fashion you shall see how this fashion passes away in Isa 51. 7. Hearken unto me ye that know righteousness the people in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the reproach of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings for the Moth shall eat them like a garment They are brave fellows and they are in a very brave and a gallant fashion but the moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall eat them like wooll but my righteousness shall be for ever and my salvation from generation to generation As for the redeemed of the Lord at v. 11. But the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Sion and everlasting joy shall be upon their head They shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away That fashion that their mourning habit shall off and that fashion shall pass away Or will you instance in the Religion piece and part of the world and the fashion thereof You know what is said in Heb. 12. v. 26. Once more I shake not the earth only but also heaven speaking of the Jewish Worship the Religious part and this word yet once more signifies the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things that cannot be shaken may remain Indeed saith he we have received a Kingdom wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved Indeed the Kingdom of the Gospel it cannot be moved and the gates of hell shall never prevail against the Church of God in the general but the fashion of particular Churches may pass away and be broken What a famous Church was Coloss in the daies of the Apostle but O thou Coloss where art thou now What a famous Church was the Church of the Thessalonians where is the Church of the Thessalonians now this Tabernacle is pull'd down particular Churches though the Kingdom of Christ shall go on and shall prevail particular Churches may be scattered and the fashion thereof may pass away Or will you instance in that which you call the comfortable part of the world What 's that of all things you take the most comfort in your Relations the Husband in the Wife and Parent in the Child the fashion of these passeth away Children pass away Husbands pass
why if he had not a design to turn it to his praise The Lord bid Shimei curse David Who was it that bid Shimei curse David God And who was it that sent Joseph into Egypt God sent him The wrath and anger and envy of his Brethren indeed were instruments but God sent him God had a design upon their anger and upon their envy and wrath in Rev. 16. you find that three unclean Spirits that came out of the mouth of the false Prophet and Dragon and the Beast they stir up the Kings of the Earth to battel and they are the Spirits of Devils working miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty They go forth to stir up men to battel but in verse 16. 't is God that gathers them Behold I come as a Thief blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments c. and he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon God had a hand upon their hand God gathered them in Mich. 4. 11. Now also many Nations are gathered against thee that say Let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Zion Let her be defiled her 's anger enough but saith he verse 12. They know not the thoughts of the Lord neither understand they his counsel For he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor He shall gather them in the 11th verse 't is said Now also many Nations are gathered against thee that say let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Zion But they know not the thoughts of the Lord They are gathering together against the people of God and God is gathering to thresh them They gather together God hath a design upon their gathering God gathers them So in Ezek. 38. you have there the story of Gog and Magog that came up against the people of the Lord in a great multitude and they came up to spoil Therefore verse 14. Son of man prophesie and say unto Gog Thus saith the Lord God in that day when my people Israel dwelleth safely shalt thou not know it and thou shalt come from thy place out of the North parts Thou and many people with thee all of them riding upon Horses a great company and a mighty Army and thou shalt come against my people Israel as a cloud to cover the Land it shall be in the latter daies And I will bring thee against my Land Why That the Heathen may know me when I shall be sanctified in thee O Gog before their eyes verse 11. Thou shalt say I will go up to the Land of unwalled Villages I will go to them that are at rest that dwell safely c. to take a spoil and to take a prey But see the Lord hath another design Thou shalt come up against my people Israel as a cloud to cover the Land it shall be in the latter daies and I will bring thee against my Land Why That the Heathen may know me when I shall be sanctified in thee O Gog before their eyes And in verse 23. Thus will I magnifie my self and sanctifie my self and I will be known in the eyes of many Nations and they shall know that I am the Lord. Here 's Gods design God doth let out the wrath and anger of wicked men against his people and he hath this design that his Name may be sanctified So that you have this assurance also the great design of God 3. You have the assurance of Gods Zeal The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall do this The God whom we serve is a zealous God Zeal is angered Love Now there are three things that God doth love especially He loves his Truth he loves his Worship and he loves his People When wicked men do prevail against the People of God They scorn the Truth they defile his Worship they persecute his People I say these three things God loves in the World But now God will not suffer these things that he loves thus to be alwaies trampled on for he is a zealous God and therefore you may build upon it you may be assured of it That either he will restrain the rage of men or he will turn their Wrath and Anger unto his own Praise But then Thirdly Suppose all this What is our Duty that doth flow from hence First of all if that there be such a deal of anger and wrath in the hearts of men against the Saints and people of God wonder not at it be not offended when you see it it was alwaies so from the begining God hath put enmity and the enmity that God hath put between the seeds shall stand Cain began betime and as Luther saith Cain will be killing his Brother Abel to the worlds end It hath alwaies been so and do you think there shall be less anger in the hearts of the men of the world against the people of God now in the latter daies No rather more in Rev. 12. 't is said The Dâ—vil is come down having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time The shorter the Devils time is the more his wrath will be in his Instruments Why now we are fallen in the latter times and therefore his anger must be greateâ— now Anstin thinks that the anger and wrath and persecution of the wicked will be greatest at the last saith he The persecution of the Primitive times was very sharp But afterwards there followed the persecution of the Arrians and that was sharp But the last persecution is the Persecution of Antichrist and that shall be the sharpest And we find in the 11th of the Revelations speaking of the latter daies That the Nations are angry verse 18. And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come That 's well Gods wrath goes with their anger But the Nations were angry speaking of the latter daies There are three or four things that will raise the anger and wrath of Antichrist in the latter daies There is the Prophesying of the Witnesses The Witnesses Prophesie and when they have finished their Prophesie the Beast shall kill them and being slain they shall make merry over the Witnesses that Prophesied verse 10. and rejoyce over them and shall send gifts one to another Why because these two Prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth the Protestants and reformed Churches do torment by tâ—eâ—r prophesie So that there is one thing that doth image them Another thing that doth raise the anger of the Antichristian party â—â— the world in the latter daies is the separation For there shall be the greatest separation that ever was Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues There shall be the greaâ—est separation and that provokes them 3. Another thing that shall provoke the Antichristian party in the latter daies is this That they shall