ground while others fall away stand fast in the Faith Be not ashamed to own Christ before all the world reckon upon the reproaches of Christ and count them greater riches than the Treasures in Egypt Do not place Religion in a few shadows when the substance is neglected do not think that God will be put off with the skin without the substance and by your holy Conversation labour to put to silence the foolishness and ignorance of wicked men that men may have nothing to accuse you but in the matters of Jesus Christ that you may cut off occasion from them that seek occasion Let no reproach make you lay aside holiness and say If this be to be vile I will be viler still And love all those that have been instrumental for your spiritual comfort Forget not to contribute to the necessity of the poor Saints think that God hath given you your Estates for such a time as this for this is acceptable to God Bless them that curse you pray for them that despitefully use you so shall you heap coals of sire upon their heads when you are reviled revile not again Do your duty to your Superiors to those that God hath set over you and so carry your selves as it was in the case of Daniel that they may find nothing against you save in the matter of your God In all things let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ That I may rejoyce in the day of the Lord Jesus that we have not run in vain and laboured in vain And labour to keep up that Christian love which in this place hath been more eminent than any where I know I would preach St. John's Doctrine Little children love one another And that my expression may be pathetical I shall speak it in the words of the Apostle in Phil. 2.1 2. If there be therefore any Consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind I now have but a word more speaking of yours and mine own comfort under this sad Dispensation 1. It is a Minister's comfort that when he is taken from his People he can yet Commend them to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build them up and to give them an inheritance among them that are sanctified And truly my dearly beloved in the Lord this is my great work now when I am a dying to you as to my publick Preaching My beloved I am very sensible that it is a very sad and solemn thing for a Minister to be rent from a People that he loves as his own Soul that he hath laboured among for to bid adieu to those solemn meetings wherein I have preached to you wherein we have mingled our sighes and our tears before the Lord wherein we have rejoyced and sat down before the Lord at his Table Now to think that I must Minister with you and for you no more in these Ordinances methinks it is a heart-breaking consideration to think that I am now dving in this congregation to think that I now dying whilst I am preaching but this is my comfort under these sad thoughts that I can Commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace to one that is able to keep you and to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are senctified Like a dying Father I can commend you to the care of such a Friend infinitely able to supply all that I could not do for you It is the comfort of a dying Father when he sees his children weeping round about him that he can commend them to a Faithful Friend willing to do that for them that he desired to do and a thousand â—imes more I would hope that I have some children that I have begotten to Christ by my Ministry towards whom my bowels yearn but hiâ— is mâ— comfort that I can put them into the Arms of their and my heavenlâ— Father of their and my blessed Redeemer to be keâ—thâ— the powâ—r of God There are many poor souls that are yet in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity and if the Lord had seen good I would sain have seen of the travel of my soul in their salvation but I can commend them to God who knows them who belong to his Eleâ—ion he can either restore or can do it by another hand and you that are in any measure grown in Grace I will be willing to be helpful to your joy and instrumental to your comfort But I commend you to God who is alle to give all grace to you and to keep you sied fast It will be some alleviation of sorrow though I must leave you and dye to you as to my publick Ministry that I hope I may a while go up and down and converse with you to be among you The Lord grant this favour that I may behold your stedfastness 2. This may be your comfort as well as mine this may be the comfort of all those poor Congregations that are like to be made Widows by the Metaphorical death of their Guides and Pastors but I leave you into the hands of all Grace and of all Comfort This is a black day upon Israel when so many faithful Ministers are slain at one blow this is a day of gloominess and darkness in many Congregations for so many Ministers to be beheaded in one day What hath England committed Is it not some high Treason If we look to the cause of it why so many Ministers are as dead in one day as so many Children without a Father And if we look upon this cause what hath caused God thus to deal with us we must complain Oh! our unfruitfulness Our fearful unthankfulness under the mercies of God This will be the Emphasis and sting of our grief and this should be the matter of our grief And then if we consider the sad Prognostick what it doth seem to foretel It is a sign that when God lays aside so many faithful Ministers of some scourge or calamity that is coming upon us But you that can lament this Judgment you that can lament the sad deprivations of these powerful Ordinances Remember that though your Minister be dead God can raise you up others in their stead and where the way of instruments are wanting He can do it without them and those that are begot in Christ shall be preserved and those yet unbrought in who belong to the Election of Grace shall in Gods due time have the effectual work of the Spirit wrought upon their Souls For he is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among them that are sanctified And though I take this solemn leave of you as to this publick Exercise yet if the Lord shall open the door and take of those bands of Death that the
it is said Exod. 23.17 Three times in the year all thy Males shall appear before the Lord. And Acts 27. the Eunuch there went unto that place that God had commanded 5. He doth command that he would have these places reverenced and no civil employments used there when the holy service was doing and that after the service was done at that very time the place should be only for God 6. And lastly He annexed a promise unto that place that he would accept of a duty done there rather than in any other place even because it was done there hence they prayed in the Temple rather than in their private houses Luke 2.27 and when they could not be present by reason of Gods providence in the Temple if they do but look to the City and the temple God accepted of their duty 1 Kings 8.48 So that God did promise that that place that he had instituted for his worship and service that the service performed there should be more acceptable to him than else-where This shews the reason and foundation of a places holiness the precept of God and the promise and presence of God And thus I have opened to you the second thing Now having thus explained and opened the Question to you 2. I come to resolve the Question according to what I think in my conscience to be the truth of God and this I shall do two ways 1. By granting that which must not be denyed 2. By denying what must not be granted 1. By granting what must not be denyed and here I grant willingly these four things 1. That in the time of the Gospel it is not onely lawful but it is often very commendable and necessary to design and dedicate places unto God Now when I say it is lawful to design them and to dedicate them I pray you bear me witness I do not say it is lawful to consecrate them or to sanctifie them but I say it is lawful to design and dedicate them Now for this take notice That between 1. The designing and appointing of a place 2. the dedication of a place and 3. the consecrating of a place there are these differences 1. Concerning the designation of a place then is a place designed when it is appointed to be made use of for the most convenience for such a service as Tuesday and Wednesday may be appointed for Lecture-days not consecrated Now you must know that this designation of a day may be altered and so may a place if such a place be designed it is in our power to make use of it so as to leave off the use of it when we please 2. As to dedication I mean so lawfully to dedicate a place which is of our own right to dispose of so to dedicate it as not again to be able to revoke it or call it back from such a use and purpose It is lawful and commendable for a rich man to dedicate so much ground or money for building a House for a Free-School or for the poor and to give it away from our selves and from our own right and power and if so be that a man hath power or propriety over a place or thing it is lawful for a man to alienate such a thing And yet this you must know by the way that this Dedication that now is in the time of the Gospel doth very much differ from that dedication of Free-will-offering unto God in the time of the Law for they were dedicated to God in the time of the Law immediately that is to his immediate Worship it was part of Gods Worship it was a part of Religion to do that thing whereas it is not now dedicated to the immediate Worship of God but it is dedicated immediately to such a Priest or Minister or Place or company of people that we have a good will to gratifie and so it more remotely redounds to Gods glory not immediately For God hath not declared in his Word the same acceptation in the Gospel of things done in an immediate way as he had in the time of the Law of which acceptation now we have no such promise And therefore it is observable as one speaks concerning that Benefactor in the Gospel to the Jews He hath loved our Nation and builded us a Synagogue it is not said for God but for us This man out of love to us hath bestowed these things to God which though a giving our selves out of our own power yet it doth differ from the Free-will-offering in the time of the Law Ay but now Sirs ye must know that sanctification or consecration that is a great deal more when we sanctifie a thing or consecrate a thing this thing that is so consecrated it is so holy that there must nothing at all of unholiness or of a civil or secular employment and concernment be done in it Now we do not dedicate a thing but there may be secular things in an ordinary and civil way done in them and our services are not more acceptable for the place nor the places less holy because of those civil employments There is the first concession that in the time of the Gospel there may be a designment and dedication of places and it is not only lawful but commendable 2. I grant that in times of the Gospel some places are to have Religious services performed in them rather than in other places I mean places of natural conveniency and fitness for the meeting of people together whereby they may be free from disturbance from the violence of Enemies and from tempestuous weather As publick meetings whereby we have the society of Gods people their examples to stir us up to zeal and their joynt help in prayer and holy performances to go along with us that we may joyn our forces together and with a great force wrestle with God and overcome him which is invincible And therefore my Brethren I desire you to bear me witness this day that I plead for publick Ordinances for the purity of Gods Ordinances to be administred in publick places rather than other places so that I do here profess that I do avowedly and openly declare my judgement to be for publick meetings in publick places and the purity of Gods Ordinances if they may be enjoyed without humane mixture which may hurt and pollute them 3. I grant that in the time of holy service we are not then to use secular employments at that time in those places as eating drinking and talking it being unsuitable to the work in hand and howsoever they may be lawful at another time yet unlawful then because against the Apostles command Let all things be done in decency and in order and that which is unsuitable to the commands of God the taking his Name in vain My Brethren I will go further with you we are to abstain from all other Religious Services when not in season and therefore when the Minister is in Preaching we must not run into
the greatest mercy in the world to rob such persons of their peace and to discover to them their danger they are onely capable of true peace by the knowledge of that which is false Therefore bring your selves to this tryal whether or no doth that peace which now you please your selves in cause in you an eternal hatred of sin doth it set you at a distance from your most beloved lusts then it is that peace that springs from God The greatest part of the world are in an estate of War with God though they do not feel the effects of that war True indeed God doth not always draw the sword either of Famine Pestilence or War against a Nation and yet they may be acting in a most hostile way against God So for a person God may not blast thy estate or send diseases upon thy person or raise a tumult in thy conscience and make a conspiracy of thy thoughts and passions against thy peace thou mayst be quiet within and yet have war with God because as in the world there may be a Truce when there is no peace the War may still continue though there is a Truce between two Princes or rather there is not a Truce between God and the sinner but as a Town that is besieged for many days may not feel the Battery of their Enemy because he is undermining them to blow them up at once so God doth not many times make his battery against sinners but he is under mining them and the fall at the last will be dreadful if there be not a composition Vse 2. By way of exhortation let me press you all to follow peace it is a duty which the Gospel injoyns with the greatest force of words and expressions The Apostle when he is to seal up his affection to them he doth it with that prayer 2 Thess 3.16 Now the God of peace himself give you peace always by all means What strange expressions First he gives you hear the Title of the God of peace and then he saith Himself the God of peace himself There 's a great deal of force in that word peace is so excellent a blessing and there is such an abhorrency in our corrupt nature to it that it is only the Lord himself that is able to effect it As if the Apostle had said the Lord must bow the heavens he must come down himself to create peace among you and to express the greater vehemency of his desire he saith Give you peace always by all means So another Scripture pursue peace follow peace with all men a word that imports our pursuit after it though it runs from us This is the strain and tenour of the Gospel and this becomes you as Christians When Christ came to purchase our peace he came as a Lamb an innocent and meek Creature Behold the Lamb of God When the holy Spirit descended to seal the priviledge of peace to us he descended in the form of a Dove a Gaul-less creature in whom there is no rancor nor bitterness What a strong engagement should this be upon all of us to pursue and promote peace And for your encouragement consider 1. That in the times of the Gospel all the promises do as it were empty themselves into this blessing the blessing of peace Thus Isai 11.6 you shall find there a gracious promise respecting the times of the Gospel The Wolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall seed their young ones shall lie down together and the Lyon shall eat straw like the Ox. That which I observe from thence is this that God here promises to cause an universal peace and unity under the Gospel though it be as difficult as to perswade the most disagreeing natures to a peaceable co-habition For here the Scripture instances in those creatures between which there is the most natural and therefore the most fierce animosities The Lord will reconcile men though their differences be never so great What is too hard for the God of Peace to effect Is not God of infinite power of infinite love then it should quicken us to pursue peace 1. By prayer to him because he is able to effect it certainly that God that was able to bring Order into the World when it was a meer lump and mass of confusion is able to bring peace and to unite our spirits And it is observable the greater our differences and divisions are the more will the power of this God appear in reconciling them 'T is said in the Psalms that Gods throne is in darkness that is his ways of Providence are very difficult for us to trace and find out and therefore when our divisions are at the highest he is able by one word to allay the storm This should encourage us in Prayer This is the course of God to glorifie himself by putting a stop to the greatest troubles when nearest to us and to work out one contrary by another To give you some instances that so we may encourage our Faith and quicken our Prayer to God for this blessing consider how still God hath made difficulties the way for enjoyment For instance the promise that Sarah should be the Mother of a child but he made way for that by her dead Womb for all that numerous Progeny which like the Stars of the Skie descended from her That he first maimed Jacob and then gave him the blessing He brought Joseph from the Prison to a Princely Palace First David was harassed with troubles and then his head was deckt with the Imperial Crown So if you look into the Kingdom of Christ who would have thought that a few Fishermen-men should have advanced the Empire of Christ in the World Had you lived to have seen those despicable beginnings when a few unlearned men were the Heraulds and Preachers of Christ how would this have caused you to fail and sink in your spirits and yet the Gospel hath been Preached in all parts of the World and that by a few Fisher-men The Providences of God are like those plated Pictures if you look one way upon them there is the appearance of a Serpent if you look on the other side there is the appearance of an Angel So here many times God is pleased to suffer exasperations to go very high that so his power may appear more eminent in the composure of them He it is that enables the faith of his people to draw Water out of the Rock when the Fountain is dry that makes meat to come out of the Eater as in Sampson's Riddle that is able to bring a peaceable harmony out of devouring differences and therefore it should quicken our prayers to him 2. To make us more serious in our endeavours after peace Consider what a dishonour it is to the Gospel that those that
you may play fast and loose with man you must not think ever to carry it away by playing fast and loose with God 4. If you should not stand you lose all you have wrought all your prayers tears professions practises sufferings are all gone if you give out at last c 5. While you stand by God God hath promised to stand by you and the truth is I have but one God it is no great matter for all the tiles in Worms There be a thousand Devils but all those Devils are in one chain and the end of that chain is in the hand of one God Oh! God will shew himself strong 2 Cor. 1.6 9. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him Quest But what shall I do to stand Answ 1. If ever you would stand if ever you woul'd be firm standing Christians indeed take heed you be not light and proud Christians a feather will never stand against a whirl wind error and profaneness are most apt to breed in proud hearts The Proud and Blasphemers are put together 2 Tim 2.2 Be but humble Christians that 's the way to be standing ready Christians if ever you would be steady in your stations you must below in your own eyes do not you go and judge And now we shall have another kind of Religion come up as we have had it a great while such a man cannot be an honest man alas he is a Presbyterian he is an Independant he is an Anabaptist c. Now all your great business will be such a man cannot be good an honest man for he doth not Conform on the other side he cannot be an honest man for he doth Conform These are poor things I bless God I lay not the stress of my salvation upon on these It is true I cannot in conscience conform but I do not lay the stress of Salvation on it as I did not lay the stress of my Salvation on my being a Presbyterian I confess I am so and have been it hath been my unhappiness to be always on the sinking side yet I lay not the stress of my Salvation upon it It is my Conscience but it may be I have not so much light as another man and I profess in the presence of God could I conform without sin to my own Conscience I would if I should do any thing against my conscience I should sin and break my peace and conscience and all and never see good day do not then spend the strength of your zeal for your Religion in censuring others That man that is most busie in censuring others is always least employed in examining himself Remember good John Bradford he would not censure Bonner nor Gardner but saith he they called Jo. Bradford the hypocritical Jo. Bradford c. I do not speak this as though I can or did in Conscience approve of those things for which I must suffer that I cannot approve of them but take off people from those things that are so far from the foundation look you but to the main things look into your own hearts examine them and then you need not be much perswaded to look about to others 2. You must take heed you be not loose Christians will you remember one thing from me the God of Heaven grant you never live to see it verified a loose Protestant is one of the fittest persons in the world to make a strict Papist Tell me not of his Protestantism being a drunkard it is because his King or Countrey are Protestants where they live There is no Religion in a loose liver if ungodliness be in the heart it is no difficult thing for error to get into the heart A loose heart can best comply with loose principles see if they will not be of any Religion in the world that 's uppermost let the Turk prevail they would soon be of his Religion 3. Take heed of being a worldly Christian Oh! this is the David that hath slain his ten thousands A worldly heart will be bought and sold upon every turn to serve the Devils turn Come to a worldly heart and but promise him thirty pieces of silver he will betray his Saviour The Temptations of the world are great upon us at this time you that are Husbands and Parents know it the world is a great temptation but if we be overcome by the world and the world not overcome by us we shall never be able to overcome any one Temptation that is offered to us Therefore that 's an admirable support In the world you shall have Tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world I have overcome the world for you and likewise I have overcome the world in you Oh Lord if thou wilt but overcome the love and fear of the world if thou wilt but arm us against the smiles of the world then come what will we shall stand stedfast 4. Take heed you be not Hypocritical Christians i.e. take heed you do not receive the Truth and onely the Truth and not receive the Truth in the love of that Truth Thess 3.10 You have received the Truth but have you received the Truth in the love of that Truth which you have received want of this is that damnable occasion to Popery And with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved c. It is just with God that they should fall into errors whose hearts did never love real Truths better never received the Truth then to receive it and not in the love of it 5. Take heed of being ventrous and God-tempting Christians What is that when do I tempt God I tempt God when I run into a Pest-house and say God will preserve me from the Plague Take heed of running upon temptations to sin whether it be in principles or in practice I could tell you of two Spiritual Pest-houses in England if I had time for principles one and for practice another I do not say that I mean Play-houses on the one hand or Mass-houses on the other hand Certainly Brethren I read of Julian that wicked bloudy Apostate that he sunk into that his Apostacy first by going to hear Libanius preach mistake me not I am not against your going to hear the Ministers of Christ for a man may be a true Minister though he be a bad man all the World can never answer the instance of Judas who was a true Minister though a bad man while I plead for the truth of his Ministry I do not spread a skirt over the wickedness of his life The Scribes and Pharisees set in Moses chair hear them But that which I mainly aim at is this do not you go and run and venture your selves upon temptations you have heard of a superstitions or idolatrous Worship you have a months mind
the censures of a crooked generation A Christians zeal should be like winter fire that burns the hottest when the air is coolest or like the Lilly that looketh beautiful though among thorns so should a child of God though among sinners Fifthly In all conditions choose suffering rather than sinning If ever you would have peace choose suffering rather than sinning he that values peace with God or peace with conscience he must make this his choice Daniel rather chose to be cast to Lions than to lose the peace of his conscience the three Children chose rather to burn in the Furnace than to bow to the Image One said He would rather go to Hell free from sin than to live in Heaven with guilt on his Conscience My brethren let me a little enlarge because sufferings may overtake us for Persecution is the genius of the Gospel therefore let me leave for short Rules with you concerning sufferings See that your Cause be good your Call be clear your Spirit meek and your End right Sufferings cannot bring our peace without either of them but with them all our sufferings shall be peace First Let your Cause be good It s not the Bloud but the Cause that makes a Martyr it is not for every cause a Christian should engage to suffer every cause will no more bear suffering than every little stream will bear a ship nor will Christ let go sweetness to every suffering 1 Pet. 4.15 Let none of you suffer as a Murderer or as a Thief or as an Evil-doer or as a Busie-body in other mens matters To suffer thus is neither Christian-like nor comfortable some suffer rather as Malefactors than as Christs Martyrs Secondly Let your Call be clear It 's not amiss to have a good cause without a Call some may suffer for the cause of God and yet sin in suffering for want of a Call Christ calls not all to suffer to some it is given to others it is not if thy Call be clear thy Peace will be sweet though thy sufferings be never so great But you will say how shall I know when I am called to suffer Answ 1. When Truth suffers by our silence then are we called to suffer 2. When our lives will be the denial of Christ then are we called to deny our lives for Christ 3. When sin and suffering surrounds us that we cannot get out but we must either run through sin or suffering then I may safely conclude That Christ calleth me to suffer and in this cause we may expect the peace and sweetness of his presence Thirdly The third direction for suffering is this Our spirit must be meek so was Christ he went as a Lamb to the slaughter It is possible a man may be right in his cause and yet sinful in his carriage and if so no wonder if Christ be not sweet to us To be fierce and raging and reviling in suffering it is not becoming humanity and therefore much less like Christianity A Christian should be like Christ Act. 5.41 And they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name .. It becomes those that are found in the spirit to give blessing for cursing the more of Christs spirit is in our sufferings the more comfort and joy we shall receive from our sufferings Fourthly See that your End in suffering be right If it be self or singularity or schism then Christ cannot be sweet to thee Some have died that their Ends may live Socrates died in the defence of the Truth and to prove that there is but one God but whether he died for Honour Applause or for Gods sake I think it is not hard to determine But let thy Cause be good thy Call clear thy Spirit meek and thy End right and then you shall have peace in all your sufferings that is the fifth thing Choose sufferings rather than sinning Sixthly If you would have peace be much in studying the Scriptures for as God is the God of Peace and Christ the Prince of Peace so the Gospel is the Gospel of Peace which God hath given to thee to lead thee in the ways of peace Great peace have they that love thy Laws Seventhly Take heed of Apostacy either in Doctrine or Principles Though a Believer is freed from Apostacy in the state of grace yet he is not freed from Apostacy in the degrees of grace He may fall sinfully though he cannot fall finally Demas fell by one St. Peter by the other Pray with David Psal 17.5 Hold up my goings in thy paths that c. Eighthly Make the Word of God your rule in all things be sure you have a Scripture warrant for all your practises but especially keep close to Scripture in matters of Gods worship There are endless discourses about the Mode of Gods worship I have no disputing time It is good in difficult cases always to take the surest side for instance if I follow the traditions of man for the worship of God I may but if I keep close to the directions of God in the Scripture I am sure I cannot sin for this is the sure word of Prophecy to which you do well to take heed therefore in such a doubltful case Gods will is that we take the surest side go to the Law and to the Testimony labour to be fruitful and grounded Christians Ninthly Keep up the power of Godliness do not let Religion down into a lifeless formality The righteous shall flourish like a Palm-tree He 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 Psal 92.12 13. My Brethren it is as much a duty in them that have grace to improve it as for them that have no grace to get it If you sit under the daily means the daily waterings of God and do not grow do you think this will be peace in the latter end surely no my Brethren your fruitfulness under the Gospel is of very great concernment It 's unfruitfulness that makes God lay his Vineyard waste It 's fruitfulness that procures the forwarding of your account in the day of grace Tenthly Observe that excellent rule of the Apostle Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren 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 any praise think on these things And now my Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of God that is infinitely able to make you wise to salvation with this Benediction which I shall make my Valediction Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Mr. Calamy's Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Ash Isaiah 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are
injury to you that are alive and without wrong to the memory of my dearly beloved Brother but speak something of him at whose Funeral we are met this Evening not so much for his commendation he needs not but for our imitation it is pity great pity something should not be said that this Reverend Minister though dead may yet preach this night and I have so much to say of him that I know not where to begin and when I have begun I hardly know how to make an end I must confess the little time alloted me for the providing this solemn work and the necessary avocations in this little time have hindred me from enforming my self about his Breeding and manner of Education at Emanuel Colledge under Mr. Steaker and his excellent carriage and converse with Mr. Hildersham Mr. Dod Mr. Ball Mr. Langly and other Ministers famous in their generations and the many pressures and hardships that he suffered in those parts and times for the keeping of his conscience pure from that which he counted sin and therefore I must draw a vail over that part of his life and confine my discourse only to the time since his coming to live with us in London which is about the space of twenty two or twenty three years all which time I have had the happiness to be intimately acquainted with him insomuch as that I can freely and clearly profess and that with a sad heart that I and many others have lost a real wise and Godly friend brother and fellow-labourer in the Lord the Church hath lost an eminent Member and choice pillar and this City hath lost an antient faithful and painful Minister who by his Prayers and Holy life did seek to keep off the judgements of God from falling on us and the less sensible the City is of this loss the greater is the loss I fear we may too truly repeat the words in the Text The righteouus perisheth and no man lays it to heart and mereiful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come I have read of Philo the Jew and by chance met with the same in the life of St. Ambrose that when they came to any City or Town and heard of the death of any Godly man though never so poor they would both of them mourn exceedingly because of the great loss that place had by the death of that Godly man and because it was a warning-piece from God of evil approaching But we have had many Godly men and Godly Ministers taken away of late and yet I fear me but few lay it to heart and therefore as I said the loss is the greater to this City because it is so little sensible of it It is a great loss also to his relations his Wife hath lost a dear and loving Husband his Sister a brother his Parish and Congregation a faithful Pastor The Ministerial excellencies of many Ministers were collected and concentred in one Simeon Ash he was a Bazalcel in Gods Tabernacle a Master-builder an old Disciple a Polycarp a Christian of long standing in the School of Christ a burning and a shining light one whom many Ministers and other good Christians called Father insomuch that it was a common proverb in this City Father Ash and I believe many experimentally weep over him as the King did over the Prophet Elisha My Father my Father the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof for he lived desired and died lamented not only in the City but I believe in many places in the Country where he was known But more particulary there were twelve excellencies I observed in this reverend Minister and my dear Brother that were as 12 Jewels or precious Pearls in that Crown with which God had crowned him I shall name them for your imitation and benefit He needs them not for he is above our Eulogy The first and chief Jewel that did beautifie adorn this our Brother was his sincerity and uprightness in heart which indeed is not a single Grace but the soul of all Grace and the interlineary that must run through all Grace what is faith if it be not unfeigned what will love to God profit you if it be not without dissimulation what is repentance worth if it be not in truth as the body without the soul is a rotten carkass so is all grace without sincerity this is the soul of all grace this is the girdle of truth Sincerity is that which girts all our spiritual armor together and makes them useful what advantage is it to have the breast-plate of Righteousness the shield of Faith the helmet of Hope if they be but painted things it is the girdle of sincerity that makes all the other parts of our armor useful Now this excellent grace of sincerity was eminent in our dear Brother he was a true Nathaniel in whom there was no guile I mean no allowed hypocrisie this was that which carried him through the pangs of death with a great deal of comfort for he was able to say with Hezekiah Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart He could say with Paul this is my rejoycing the testimony of my conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity I have had my conversation in this world 2. Another grace was his humilicy this is a grace that he was cloathed withal and it is a rare grace for God dwells with the humble he resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble This Reverend Minister was low in his own eyes and therefore very high in Gods eyes he had a mean esteem of himself and therefore he was high in esteem with God He was as Jacob said of himself less than the least of Gods mercies and therefore he was made partaker of the best of Gods mercies He was like an ear of Corn full of fruit bowing down in thankfulness to God 3. Another Jewel was the fruitfulness of his discourse for it may be said of him as it was of Christ he went about doing good where ever he went he scattered his goodness this all that knew him knew to be true He was full of good discourse where ever he came when I was with him in his sickness he took occasion to complain much and not without just cause God grant his complaint may make impression upon our hearts he complained that it was a great fault of Ministers that when they met together they discoursed no more of Christ of Heaven and of the concernments of the other world and professed that if GOD should restore him he would be more careful in his discourse and more fruitful than ever yet he had been 3. Another Jewel that beautified this Righteous man was his mercifulness he was a merciful man which he manifested not onely in his charity to the members of Jesus Christ but in his frequent visiting of sick persons and persons that needed Spiritual physick I
a little before Hippo was taken and Pareus a little before Hiddleburg was taken and â—uther a little before the wars in Germany began The death of the Godly is like the separating the Israelites from the Tents of Corah and his company like the taking of Lot out of Sodom When the Israelites departed from Corah and his company the earth swallowed them up and when Lot departed out of Sodom God rained down fire and brimstone upon them Let the thoughts of these things cause us to provide our Arks to get our Zoars Let it teach young Samuels to rise up in the room of old Elies young Elisha's in the room of old Elijahs and young Timothies in the room of Paul the aged that there may be a succession of Gospel-ministers to hold forth the Word of life to the Nation And let us labour to be Inheritors of the Twelve Excellencies that beautified this our Reverend Brother Secondly Let me speak a few words to you of this Parish the Auditors of this worthy Minister There is scarce one man of an hundred that understands the tye and obligation that is betwixt a Minister and his People Oh the Love and Affection that ought to be betwixt them Paul tells the Galatians that they could have plucked out their eyes for him if need were Chrysostom tells us that when Miletus was taken away by death from his People their hearts sunk with sorrow and such love had they to him that they called all their Children by his name and got his picture engraven on their Rings And I have read of Chrysostom that when he was banished from his People there was not a corner in the City but was full of People weeping and lamenting The loss of a Godly Minister is a publick loss and therefore there ought to be a publick mourning it is a soul loss and therefore methinks every one of you should weep and mourn you have lost your common Father you of this Congregation have lost your spiritual Father your spiritual Shepheard you have lost your eyes your guide and indeed it is you that are his Flock that must commend your Minister by practising that which he preached saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.1 Do we again begin to commend our selves or need we as some others Epistles of Commendations to you or Letters of commendation from you Ye are our Epistle written in our bearts known and read all men As if the Apostle should say do we need Letters of commendation is it necessary that we should spend time in commending our Ministry you are our Letters of commendation your holiness piety commends a Minister above all other things As when a man comes into an Orchard or Vineyard saith Chrysostom and sees every thing skilfully handled and neatly trimmed he need not spend time in commending the Vine-dresser or Carpenter the work its self commends them So ought it to be among you When we preach the Funeral Sermons of Ministers we must look into the Parish or Congregation and see what Letters of commendation there are whether the proficiency of the Auditors commend their Ministers I grant it is not always true God doth not always give suceess to a godly Minister but the worst is yours I had almost said the curse is yours but I will speak modestly the worst is yours Tell me how many of you are able to say I bless God that ever such a Minister was sent among us blessed be God that ever we heard him preach what seal of his ministry is there here among you he was in another and another place of this City it may be here are people from all places that have been his Auditors what seal of his Ministry is there now to be found among you how many Souls hath he pluck'd out of the snares of the Devil how many of you have gone weeping from a Sermon knocking your breasts and pricked at the heart of sin crying out Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved your tears and mourning for sin these are the Auditors that commend your Ministers Go home now and think with your selves what can I remember of all the Sermons that I have heard from Mr. Ash and give me leave to tell you woe be to you if as your Minister be dead so all the Sermons he made die with him for as Abel being dead yet speaketh so shall the Sermons of this worthy Minister at the great day speak for you or against you for they are spiritual Talents that God hath be-trusted you with and you must be accountable both he and you shall appear before the Tribunal of God your Minister shall be examined how he can free himself from the guilt of Soul-blood and you shall be examined what fruit you brought forth answerable to the means you have enjoyed and if it appear you have been unprofitable and unfruitful hearers Christ will say Cast the unprofitable servants into utter darkness But I hope better things of you and things that accompany salvation What ever was good in this reverend Minister let iâ— live in you and though he be dead yet let not his Sermons that he preached die with you but let them be in you that at the great day when he and you appear before God he may be able to say here am I and the Children that thou hast given me Dr. Seaman's Farewel-Sermon Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen THe Apostle being now upon the conclusion of this Epistle after a very large discovery of Jesus Christ in all those things that belong to his Person concerning his Nature as God as Man and concerning his Offices especially concerning his Priestly and concerning the blessings and benefits especially in matters of Sacrifice doth in this last Chapter insist on matters Hortatory and in the words draws near to a conclusion which contains a Prayer wish or desire which he puts up unto God in the behalf of them in order to their good and benefit Now the God of peace c. In which words there are two things considerable 1. The matter of the Apostles Prayer 2. The grounds which he doth insinuate for Audience In the things he desires the Matter of the Prayer is laid down in v. 21 and is summarily and generally propounded in several expressions yet nevertheless so as they have their Specialities belonging to them In the beginning he shews what he aims at make you perfect c. In general it refers to their Sanctification and that they be throughly sanctified as to their inward man and outward conversation as to those things that belong to them in the habits of their minds and Eternal carriage The Grounds
which the Apostle uses by way of insinuation for Audience are contained in the words of the 20. verse wherein we have a very large description of the Person prayed unto The God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus c. He describes him under such notes and marks as serve much for enlargment and enforcement in the matter of prayer But here a Question may arise Seeing Grace is the thing the Apostle principally desires and 't is usual with holy men both under the Old and New Testament to chuse out such Attributes as sure most with their particular occasions and are most agreeable to those requests they have why he doth not apply himself to God as the God of all grace but rather the God of Peace Therein first the Apostle seems to make use of that same liberty which belongs to holy men As there is in the General a Liberty left to Gods People from God himself Paul in this place makes use of that liberty he had as to the manner of prayer using such a description of God as seemed good to him at present But secondly if he be the God of Peace it follows he is the God of Grace If God hath glorified himself so far among the Hebrews as to reconcile them to himself by the blood of Christ then there is no question God will proceed further and having provided for those things which appertain to their Justification no question but he will for those things that are necessary to their Sanctification Therefore the Apostle argues plainly from Justification to Sanctification He that justifies his people through the Blood of Christ Sanctifie you by the spirit of Christ make you perfect to do his will working in you that which is wel-pleasing in his sight c. So desires we should be Sanctified on the consideration of our Justification having provided for Justification by the blood of Christ followes Sanctification by the spirit of Christ 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. that God who is ally'd to you the God of peace and hath provided for you Peace I desire he would further provide Sanctification for Sanctification is nothing else but the effect of that grace which is procured for Believers through the blood of Christ There is no access to God for Sanctification of our Natures until we prevail with him for the Justification of our persons and he first shews himself to be a God of peace by way of Justification before a God of Grace and Sanctification But to proceed First for the description of the person wherein take notice of him 1. By one of his Attributes 2. By one of his special works whereby he hath manifested that Attribute 1. The Attribute of God is implyed under those words that he is called the God of peace The Gracious God that provides for reconciliation between himself and sinners that finds out ways and means to win those who are by nature Children of wrath to be the Children of God There is no peace but God is Author of whether natural peace or civil peace or political peace he is pleased to provide for them but there is a transcendent kind of peace which doth with a peculiarity belong to Gods people i.e. Spiritual peace between God and sinners and that inward peace that we enjoy if our conscience hath been troubled with terrour of sin Wrath c. Peace belongs so to God as none of the Creatures can have any Glory of it Psal 4.7 The peace is Gods peace none can effect it or devise it but God and with respect to this he is more especially called the God of peace because he hath found out a way to make reconciliation between God and his sinful perishing Creatures 2 Cor. 5.19 Ephes 2.14 c. Col. 1.13 2. There is a special Work of God attributed to him that the Apostle takes into consideration i.e. That he brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that Great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant wherein we have many words and every word its weight and we shall scarce be able to weigh every one so as to take the full sense and emphasis of them In the words there is 1. Something implyed 2. Something expressed 1. Something implyed namely That the Lord Jesus Christ was sometimes in the state of death and that being in the state of death it was not any ordinary power way or means could ransom him He was in the state and condition of the dead he was for a while under the power and dominion of Death his body for the space of three dayes lay in the Grave and in that sense he was under the dominion of death as all dead men are The Great Shepherd of the sheep could not have his own life in some sense no interest he had in God by vertue of Sonship or any of his Offices could save him from death though the Son of God and Head of the Church and Christ looked upon it so far from being below him as he thought it necessary for him and it was his glory Jâ— 10.11 12. I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep but he that is an Hireling and not the Shepherd whose own the sheep are not seeth the Wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth c. Hirelings they have no spirit or principle in them that they should lay down their lives for the sheep but he so much respected his Fathers glory and good of his flock finding there was no way to bring them to salvation as he denyed himself in all other respects for their good so in this respect lays down his life for them And herein the Church of God seems to have a deadly kind of wound to be at a deadly loss Zach. 13.7 I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered But herein lies the wonderful goodness and wisdom of God he is pleased to improve as the life so the death of Christ for the good of his Church Luk. 24.16 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things it was very expedient that seeing the sheep could not otherwise be saved but by the Shepherds dying that the Shepherd should lay down his life for the sheep and seeing no other way to make reconciliation to God it was very expedient Christ should die Therefore 't is to be taken notice of that it doth not mis-become the Head therefore not the members of the body They must be content to lay down their lives for the Flock for so did the great Shepherd 2. Something expressed Where take notice First of the person spoken of Secondly of that which is given us to be taken notice of in particular 1. The Person to be taken notice of is our Lord Jesus Christ That which we have considerable is First The Title that belongs to him in his Church in this regard called The Great Shepherd of
as the Word of Truth The Word was written after the Church but as it is the Word of God it 's before it This therefore will break the snare if you be set upon by the specious name of the Church look that the Church hath warrant from Scripture-Institution and then submit to Church-Institution A second Rule I observe men would set up to betray poor souls from the faith once delivered to them is Ancient Custom our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain When they would hold forth that which the Scripture is short in they will send us to such and such customs of so many hundred years standing It is to be bewailed that the date the standing of false Doctrines and false Worships is so ancient for though at first they were but Innovations yet to succeeding Generations they become old And 't is a very great truth That what is the most ancient is the most true and therefore there lies a great snare in this Therefore when Antiquity is pretended if you find not their hoary heads in the way of Righteousness there is little reason for you to reverence them or comply with them no more than there was reason so suddenly to be taken with the Gibeonites mouldy bread and clouted shoes When matters of Antiquity are pretended say as Ignatius Jesus Christus est mea Antiquitas Jesus Christ is my Antiquity so say Truth is my Antiquity for though an opinion hath been practised a thousand years yet men may have the Word of Truth in their hearts that is ancienter than all A third Rule that men would set up is The general course of the World or Place the generality of those where they live This was that the Popish Party did often mention to the witnesses of Jesus Christ What! will you be wiser than others Can't you do as others do must you be singular And this is a taking Rule for to make you conformable to those things possibly the Word of God will not warrant if you bring not this custom to the Word of God 'T is not what the most do but what we may do 't is not what the practice of all in general is but what ought to be the singular care and strict holiness of Christians in particular that the Word of God will allow Christians are not to be conformable to the present World Rom. 12.1 The Word will tell you It is no more safe to follow a multitude to do evil than it will be sweet to be in Hell with a great company The Word will let you know the secrets of the Lord are with a very few and those them that fear him as for the whole world it lies in wickedness The Word will tell you The wayes of Jesus Christ and the profession of Jesus Christ is commonly called a Sect it is every where spoken against and men hate it every where Therefore set up a Rule in your hearts in your houses in your meditations in your practise Rule 2. Be very well rooted and established in the faith that hath been delivered to you I observe one of the great reasons why Christians so easily let go the profession they have made is because they were never well built upon it nor established in it There are many Christians that through their own itching ears heaping up Teachers to themselves have never been rooted or established in the truth the Lord pitty them and keep them this day Many Christians that have attended to establishing means yet never seriously considered nor laid things to their heart but are like those the Apostle speaks of Heb. 5.12 that had need to learn the first Oracles of God How many among us profess with the highest but have little ground for their faith onely with the Jews the Traditions of the Elders the custom of the place Education and because such a party of men say so because no body denies it because Ministers commonly preached it but to have any solid and serious ground they are yet to seek 'T is not with the things of God as with other Arts as Logick Rhetorick Astronomy in these Arts the principal is presupposed to be proved no man goes about to prove there is Reason that there is Number that there are Heavenly Bodies because sense and experience shews it But 't is quite otherwise in the things of God for you are not onely to run away with the notion that there is a God that this God is one and that these are his Words and his Works but you are to know this by experience because the knowledge of these things comes by infusion by faith by a belief that God is For by faith we believe the Worlds were made by the Word of God Hebr. 11.3 It is that therefore I would press you to that you would labour for an established Spirit Do not onely hear the things of God but see them the first will but blinde you or at best leave you at great uncertainties the last will settle you What was the reason of the holy Apostles zeal when they were under the greatest threatnings of the High Priests and were forbid to speak in the name of Christ and to speak of Justification by faith and the Resurrection of Christ from the dead and forgiveness of sins by him things that are further remote from sense and reason the Apostle will tell you Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard Hence it is that poor silly women that in respect of their Imbecillity and Infirmity of Sex the terrours of the fire and faggot might have been such to have brought them to Apostacy yet they confounded the great Doctors and Rabbies when they were brought before them they were able to burn though they could not dispute they beheld things that were invisible It 's an excellent thing not to take up the Word upon notion upon opinion but to have an established heart through Grace I shall direct you in two words 1. Get the Lord by Prayer to teach you every truth what Jesus Christ teaches once is everlastingly taught no word is abiding but what the Lord Jesus teaches himself Look as it is with Satan when he comes to seduce men from the truth he will present such a fine notion without and commonly he darts in some dazling light within so that you never knew a Heretick take up a false opinion but it was with a marvellous deal of sweetness and comfort so when the Lord Christ teacheth by his Spirit he comes with that light that sweetness savour and relish of truth as will be impossible for you to let it go Hence when Christ would confute the Pharisees who had the witness of his Father in his work he saith Joh. 5.37 Ye have neither heard his â—oice at any time nor seen his shape It 's an excellent thing to see the shape and hear the voice of God 2. Be well rooted upon Christ or else you will never be established in any â—ruth of Christ
to look after a better Would any man be content to dye a Drunkard I ask you that are Drunkards I do believe you will answer no why then do you live in Drunkenness How know you that God will spare you when you are drunk until you are sober again We may read of many that have dyed in their drunken fits God doth not always send his Herauld to warn thee before he sends his Serjeant to arrest thee How knowest thou but Death may strike thee on a sudden What will then become of thy Soul Oh Beloved I beseech you live not in that you are unwilling to dye in Balaam was not such a Wretch but he could cry our Good Lord let me dye the death of the righteous Thirdly Lay up for suffering times there are few of you I believe are so bad husbands but will lay up for a rainy day I mean against a time of sickness comes wherein you will be unable to work are you thus careful to maintain your bodies and will you be careless of your souls O be careful to provide for stormy weather you have winter garments for your bodies to preserve them from cold oh let patience be your winter garment to preserve keep your selves warm in afflictions I know that he that will live godlily in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and that through tribulations and sufferings we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven shall I not then provide for them But you may say What doth persecution attend all the godly A man may escape them as well as suffer them Put case afflictions should not come thou wilt be never the worse for being provided for them for he that is fit to dye is fit to live that man that is fit to suffer afflictions is fit to live without them It was Paul's Exhortation to the Ephesians 6.10 Finaly my Brethren put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand the wiles of the Devil And it is wisdom in a man to provide for a misery before it comes There is mention made of a Nation the Spartans I think that useth to chuse their King as we do our Lord Mayor every year whilst they are in their annual Government they lived in all abundance of state have all the fulness their hearts can wish but when their year is over all their pomp glory is over too they banisht into some obscure remote place for ever where they spent the remainder of their lives in great want and misery One King knowing this being called to rule over this Nation made such use of his time wherein he reigned as King that by his provident living he heaped up so much treasure and sent it before him to the place where he knew he should be sent as maintained him all his life time Thus it is God hath appointed to every one a time to live in and that bur a short time too and in that time he hath appointed afflictions to attend us if we will live godlily in Christ Jesus it is not wisdom in us then to provide for them Take heed then to avoid sufferings you do not commit sin to commit sin to avoid suffering is as if a man should run our of the mouth of a barking Dog into the mouth of a devouring Lyon What is the wrath of man to the wrath of God Man can but destroy the body and no more but God can destroy both body and soul into Hell fire to all eternity Fourthly My fourth word of Counsel and Direction is this Be serious in serious things when you come to perform serious things do them seriously I do not know that ever I saw a man fall asleep while he was telling of Money for if he should how could he tell whether it were right or no Yet alas too too many sleep when they should be taking Truth not only by natural sleep but also by spiritual sleep they are so careless in receiving the Word they hear and so lazy withal that rather then they will try the Word they hear they will take all for truth the Minister tells them Beloved I believe you will scarce put so much confidence in a man as to receive a summ of Money without teâ—ling it because he saith it is right and yet will you receive all that your Minister tells you is truth for truth without trying it You must not be sluggish in your working for God but put forth your selves to the uttermost You must make the Kingdom of Heaven suffer violence and take it by force But then Fifthly The fifth Direction which I shall give you is about hearing the Word how you must behave your selves when you hear I take it for granted you will hear I hope you will for brown bread is better than none and a little is better than none at all yet I intreat you take these two words of Direction First Try the Word you hear by the Truth Secondly Try your selves by the Word First Try the Word you hear by the Truth if it be not consonate to that believe it not let who will preach it Paul exhorteth the Galathians so to do Chap. 1.8 9 But though we 〈◊〉 an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed How Paul accursed sure you speak too high what if an Angel must he be accursed sure you will call in your words again Nay instead thereof he repeats them over again As we said before â—o I say again If any one preach any other Gospel than that which you have received let him be accursed If any man pretend a Revelation from Heaven and cannot bring Scripture for what he saith do not believe one syllable Take the noble Beraeans for your Example they would not believe Pauls Doctrine until they had searched to see whether it were so or no. But then as you are to try the Word you hear by the Truth so try your selves by the Word You hear as a Truth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Now try your selves by this Truth and see whether or no you walk after the Flesh or after the Spirit I have likewise two Directions about the preaching of the Word First Do not you receive the Word for the persons sake that brings it I am apt to think that many of you will receive a Truth of one mans bringing which you would not receive of anothers and thus ye receive the Word of God with respect of persons which you ought not But first receive the Word for its own sake and secondly receive the Person for the Words sake 1 Thess 5.12 13. We beseech you Brethren to know them which aâ—e over you to admonish you and labour among you in the Lord and to esteem of them very highly in love for their works sake Sixthly My Direction in the
Ministry hath done more it hath taken the stone out of mans heart and hath given them new hearts it hath made all the Commandements of God easie to maâ—p a poor soul because it loves its Father its Redeemer and Comfoâ—ter There is a kind of obedience in a godly faithful Minister and if this will not do nothing will as in Luke 16.31 3. Is not the cause of the non-proficiency of such a people under such a Ministry in themselves Oh men do hinder the fruit of the Word in their own souls the powerful operation and working of the Word on their own souls The Lord prophesies that sentence on the Jews Mat. 13.14 â—e lays all the blame on themselves and assigns their own sins as the reason and cause of it as in Verse 13. And thus our blessed Savior expounds the Parable of the Sower shewing how many that hear the Word are never the better for it and he layeth the blame on themselves as in Luke 8.14 What then hast thou not profited under the Ministry of the Lords faithful Servant Oh lay the blame on thy self 4. Consider Hath not the Lord himself a hand in the proficiency or non-proficiency under such a Mâ—nistry Surely the Lord hath a chief hand in making the Ministry of his Servants fruitful or not fruitful to them that enjoy it Now to enjoy and not to enjoy is it not a fearful sign that you are not of God as John 8.47 Is it not a sign that thou are not of Gods elect at least of Regeneration But you will say Did not the Jews hear Gods Word Yes they did with their bodily ears but they heard it not with saith submission and fruitfulness and therefore our blessed Savior tells them they were not of God that is they were at least in an unregenerate if not in a reprobate condition And so Joh. 10.26 Ye are those Goats saith Christ that must stand at my left hand in that great day and then Unbelievers shall reflect on themselves not on Christs Ministry by the mouths of his Servants But if any should say What then will you say that all of us are Reprobates that are not wrought on by your Ministry I say not so for that seed which hath been sowen on you may â—o your souls good hereafter though it hath done them little or no gooâ— as yet But secondly that I may boldly say That if any of you dye in your present state unconverted unregenerate you will carry with you to your grave as fearful marks of reprobation as we can finde any in the whole Book of God John Baptist compares the Ministry oâ— the Gospel to a Fan in Mat. 3.12 When the Lord Jesus maketh use of the Ministry of his faithful Servants among the people when he maketh use of those Fans it will appear who among them are Wheat and shall be gathered into the Lords Garner and who among them are Chaff and shall be cast into fire And now whether the present state that you have lived under and are not yet wrought upon by a faithful Ministry be not very dangerous judge ye And so much may suffice for the Doctrinal part If so be then That a Ministers soundness in Doctrine and holiness of sife and conversation doth lay a great Obligation on a people conscienciously and duly to practice every commanded duty Then first of all the first Use we shall make of this Doctrine shall be by way of Tryal and Examination and that in two particulars First Whether you in this Parish in this place you here before the Lord 1. Branch of the Vse of Tryal do make conscience of the due practice of every commanded duty Secondly Whether the Ministry you have enjoyed and lived undeâ— doth not lay a great Obligation on you so to do For the first of these Whether you here before the Lord do make conscience of the due practice of every commanded duty in obedience to Almighty God you may try your selves by these three excellent Ingredients First Vniversality Canst thou in the witness of thy conscience say that through grace thou dost every as well as any part of the Lords revealed Will so far as thou knowest it 2. Vniformity Dost thou do all without prejudice or partiality 3. Vbiquity Art thou the same at home as abroad in thy Closet as well as in the Congregation and dost thou mind inward and secret as well as open and outward holiness What saith Conscience to this As first Have commanded Duties a Throne in your own Souls and Conscience Secondly Have they a Throne in thy Family First Have commanded Duties a Throne in your own souls and consciences Are your hearts fully possest with the power of those divine and heavenly Truths which you have often heard which hath been again and again inculcated upon you as it was upon the Thessalonians 1 Thes 1.5 their carnal principles were confuted their passions moderated their Iusts mortified their self-ends confounded are yours so Have commanded Duties a Throne in your souls and consciences Oh that all your consciences could give a satisfying answer to this Query Secondly Have commanded Duties a Throne in your Families Do you make conscience of Family-duties Are your houses Bethels that is houses of God house◠〈◊〉 Prayer Are your habitations of holiness and righteousness Do you make conscience of relative as well as of personal duties Oh that all your consciences could give a satisfying answer to this Query 2. Branch of the Vse of Tryal But now the second Branch of this Use of Tryal and Examination is this Whether the Ministry you have enjoyed and lived under doth not lay a very great Obligation on you to put in execution every commanded Duty as Rom. 10.6 7 8. that is the Word of Faith we preach read that place And may not we take up that with some variation and say You have heard of the disease the misery and remedy When the great God shall arraign thee at the great and fearful Day and shall say thus Thou rebellious Wretch why didst thou not forsake thy evil ways thy drunkenness thy tipling thy covetousness thy snuffling at Purity thy inveterate heart and spirit against my holy ways and Ministers why didst thou not forsake thy evil ways wilt thou be able to say Lord I lived under 1. A soul-betraying non-resident Minister one that made it his business to fleece indeed not to feed the flock Or 2. under a soul-poysoning Innovator Or 3. under a soul-pining dry Nurse Or 4. under a soulguiding Guide Or 5. under a soul-unsetling Temporizer Or 6. under a soul-destroying Discountenancer 1. Canst thou say that thou livest under a soul-betraying non-resident Minister one that made it his business to fleece and not to feed the flock one that looked after the wooll and fat of the flock the fleece but never minded the flock but non-residency hath been hitherto decryed as that as breeds a Minister idle and erroneous or licentious but wilt thou
be able to say Lord I lived under such a Minister that was a soul-betraying Minister one that was greedy of Livings and had perhaps two or three or four but so bad a man that the worst was too good for him or wilt thou be able to plead or canst thou say 2. Lord I lived under a soul-poysoning Innovator one that was for formality more than reality of true Worship one that preached such Doctrine as did not season but poyson and destroy the souls of his Hearers such are Romish Teachers Jesuites Priests and Seminaries who so affect the outward pomp as they neglect the inward power of it Wilt thou be able to say Lord I have lived under the Ministry of such an one who was more zealous for the formality of thy worship than the reality more zealous for those things that will not endure the tryal of the Lords day of appearance than for the substance of Religion Or 3. Canst thou plead that thou hast lived under a soul-pining dry Nurse one that did not nor could not feed us with the sincere milk of the Word one from whom thou never heardest a soul-solid a soul-working Sermon all thy life I appeal to your Consciences have you not heard often of your miseries and Gods mercy and Christs merits Have you not heard often of the necessity of a holy life Oh the convictions informations exhortations perswasions directions you have enjoyed and lived under Hath not thy state by nature been ripped up and the Anatomy not of the Council of Trent but of Gods Book been shewed to thee What shall I say Hath not Hell and Damnation to all rebellious and Heaven and Salvation to all true penitent Souls been preached unto you 4. Or canst thou say that thou livedst under a Soul-misguiding Guide as 1. A blind Seer a blind Watchman a blind Leader of the blind one who knew not Heavens way Canst thou say thou livedst under such a Creature that is not to be found in Christs Catalogue an Idol-preacher as in Psal 135.16 17. verses read that Or 2. If not ignorant yet one so Vicious that he pulled down more with his foul hands than he built up with his fair tongue Canst thou say thou livedst under one who by his Conversation gave his Doctrine the lye Wilt thou be able to plead thus at the great day or wilt thou be able to say 5. That thou hast lived under a Soul-unsetling Temporizer What would he not do rather than he would lose his Living which made me think Religion to be but a fantasie Wilt thou be able to say at the great day Lord it was my sad lot and portion to live under the Ministery of such a one who turned his Fiddle to the times of every one I Or Lastly wilt thou be able to say thou livedst under a Soul-destroying discountenancer of all purity and holiness one perhaps though no Dunce or Drunkard yet a prophane scoffer one that preached holiness out of his Pulpit and Parish and House and the like But first of all we can through grace appeal in this case both to the Lord and to your selves that it hath not been so with you 2. Consider how inexcusable you will be if you live and die in your ignorance impenitency and unbelief 1. Consider we can in this case appeal both to the Lord and to your selves 1. To the Lord we are able with an humble boldness to appeal to him and say Lord thou knowest we have given this people warning Ezek. 3.18 Now blessed be the Lord we can humbly appeal to his Majesty O Lord thou knowest we have warned the wicked to turn from his wicked way and the profane from his profaneness and the superstitious from his superstition and the schismatical from his schisme and the formal from his formality and the civil honest man from resting in his mortality O blessed be thy name we have endeavoured to take off this people from all their Sandy quagmiry Foundations Lord thou knowest our Prayers for them And so 2. To appeal to you And this was a very great comfort to St. Paul that he could appeal to the people themselves as Acts 20.26 27. This was a great comfort to him and blessed be the God of Grace it is a great comfort to us that we can take you to record that we are pure from your blood we have not ceased to declare all that the Father hath shewn to us we have not been afrighted by any man or mens frowns nor debauched to conceal any part thereof by any mans smile 2 Consider how inexcusable you will be if you live and dye in your ignorance impenitency and unbelief Ezek. 3.10 Observe it if you miscarry for eternity the blood of your souls will not be charged on us Nay it will be on your own heads And therefore the Apostle Paul when he preached Christ to the Jews and they opposed and blasphemed their blood was upon their own heads as Acts 18.5 6. Oh consider it if your Ministers have been faithful they are clear and free and guiltless the Lord will never charge the blood of souls on them Consider it therefore how speechless will you be at the great day if you live and die in your sins may not the Lord say of this place as he did of Capernaum Mat. 11.23 For thou hast enjoyed the Ministry of many of my Servants Dare any of you meet us in the day of Judgment under whose Ministry you have lived in an unregenerate estate and say that you have lived under a soul-betraying non-resident one or under a soul-poysoning Innovator or a soul-pining dry-Nurse or a soul-misguiding guide or a soul-unsetled Temporizer or a soul-destroying discountenancer in an unregenerate estare the Lord will then make you to know what it was to have a faithful Labourer among you as Ezek. 33.33 Then when you shall be convinced in your own Consciences you shall then say You heard all those things and we cannot say we were unwarned either in sin or danger we had preceptaton precept but we slighted all warning and exhortion and direction therefore now are lost and undone everlastingly So much may serve for the first Use The second Use is a Use of Direction which will fall into many very sutable and practical particulars whereto I do beseech you to hearken unto as the words of a dying man do commonly take the deepest impression on the surviving hearts Now this may be for all that I know my last words to you in this place therefore I beseech you to hear me An interruption a suspension of my weak worthless pains and labor among you there will be for any thing I know from this day but observe it is no resignation from me or my Reverend Brother and therefore what other dissolution of the property and relation between your Pastor and you there may be as of that mutual intercourse I shall not account oâ— call it forfeiture of his place whatever
in these we may see him in these we may enjoy him by these we may be made like to him as in 2 Cor. 31.18 But we all with open faâ—e behold as in a Glass the glory of God and are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as hâ— the Spirit of the Lord. Thirdly They make their abode with them in the Spirit which proceeds from the Father and the Son So they may both be said truly to abide with us while we have the Spirit the Comforter which proceeds from the Father and the Son as a pledge of their love Joh. 15.20 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father I will send him says Christ even the spirit of truth which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which proceedeth from the Father There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son to the People that keep his Word and thus Believers are said to hold fellowship with the Father and the Son in the first Epist of John 23. It is by the Spirit we are drawn being drawn we come being come we are enabled to walk with God in Christ It is the Spirit that doth for all us As in the Eccho the Aire being moved by the voyce returns the same sound by its own motion So in all our Communion with God and Christ the Soul being moved by the Spirit returns answer by vertue of the Spirits motion in us Come says the Spirit I come says the Soul being taught by the same Spirit All the works wrought on the Souls of men in order to Salvation are wrought of God and Christ in us but by the Spirit As in these three special particulars First By the Spirit they instruct and teach The Spirit is an enlightening Spirit a Spirit of Judgment and of Burning The Spirit reveals the counsels of God the great Mysteries of the Kingdom leads into all Truth makes men wise to Salvation Secondly By this Spirit they quicken and comfort the Souls of men Rom. 5.5 It is by the Spirit that the love of God iâ— shed abroad in our hourts Our cold and frozen spirits are warmed and made fit for action and by this Spirit we are awakened Hence the Church prayes for the breathings of this Spirit Cant. 4.16 Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices â—â—â—of 〈◊〉 flow out Thirdly By his Spirit they do strengthen and establish the hearts of men in the ways of Holiness thus they are made strong in the Lord and in the power of his might strong to resist temptations strong to suppress corruptions strong to perform duties by this Spirit they are carried through all difficulties by this Spirit their infirmities are healed they are made to persevere and kept stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord and sealed up to the day of Redemption Thus God and Christ do make their abode with them that keep the Words of Christ till they come to make an everlasting abode with them in Heaven And according to the workings of this Spirit more or less in the hearts of men God is said to be present or absent from his people Secondly The Reasons why God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words First Because of their special love to and care of them that keep his words Indeed all the care of God is concerning his people that he hath in the world therefore in the second Commandement he is said to shew mercy to thousands of them that fear him and keep his Commandments that do not cast his words behind their backs and forsaking his Appointments follow their own Inventions So that if we faithfully keep his Word he will abide with us in our work And this is the great Reason in the Text My Father will love him not but that he loves his Elect from Eternity but he will manifest his Love to them and therefore he will make his abode with them as the people of his Love for in Deut. 32.9 The Lords Portion is his People and Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance And in Mal. 3.17 they are called his Jewels and men will abide with their Treasure Secondly Because of the near Relation that is between God and Christ and them that keep his Word That is a very full place of Scripture for this purpose Mat. 12.50 Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother What nearer Relation can there be than these So near are they to Jesus Christ that keep his Word observe his Will and be true and faithful to his Appointments and sure such near Relations will desire Cohabitations on both sides First God and Christ are said to stand Related in a Paternal Relation Secondly They are said to stand Related in a Conjugal Relation First God and Christ stand in a Paternal Relation to his People First God is their Father and they are his Sons and Daughters And this the Church doth acknowledge in Isa 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou O Lord art our Father c. And with this the Lord comforted mourning Zion Isai 49.14 15. But Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me But God says Can a Woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Sons of her womb Yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the palms of my hands c. My abode is with thee Secondly Jesus Christ is their Father Isai 9.6 The everlasting Father Therefore he promiseth his Disciples in this 14 John 18. I will not leave you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orphans or Fatherless children He is the most affectionate tender-hearted Father Tam pater neâ—â— tam pius nemo None so good none such a Father as he says Terâ—ul Secondly God and Christ stand related to them that keep his Word in a Conjugal relation and God hath laid a special command of co-habitation upon persons in this relation The man must dwell with his own Wife First God is related as a Husband And will not God dwell with his People when he hath espoused to himself I will betrothed thee unto me for ever Hosea 2.19 Yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies I have even betreth thee unto me in faithfulness And in Isai 54.5 6. For thy Maker is thy Husband c. For the Lord hath called thee as a Woman forsaken c. Secondly Jesus Christ is the Husband of his People as we see in the whole Book of Canticles And so in Ephes 5. from the 29. Verse to the end of the Chapter Now where shall God and Christ make their abode but with their espoused Ones Doth Jesus Christ delight to
is to have God to abide with us Therefore says the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he is called and in the 24. Verse Brethren let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God and God will abide with him Thirdly Pray God and Christ to your Tables at your eating and drinking for man doth not live by Bread only If these be guests at your Tables you must needs have chear enough there 's more sweetness in a morsel with them than in all dainties without them and then you may be sure also your Tables shall not be a snare unto you Theophrastus reports of the Heathens that they did first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did first Sacrifice and then Kill lay on their meat entertain and eat And it is the Apostles rule seeing all things come of God through Christ That God and Christ should not be unbidden guests but as in 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God Fourthly Pray God and Christ along with you in the morning when you rise and at evening when you lye down visit him morning by morning and evening by evening this is the way to have a prosperous day and a safe night David took this course Psal 4.8 I will both lay me down and take my rest for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety and this gave Jacob such a pleasant dream Genesis 28. that having God with him he was all night within view of Heaven Secondly Love God and Christ above all and then God and Christ will not depart from you for He shews mercy to thousands of them that love him and hath made over himself and heaven and all to them that love him It is reported of Ignatius that his love was such to God and Christ that he had the name of Christ Cordi ejus insculptum graven upon his Heart It is such a Heart love that he requires for he is a jealous God and will have all our love If we love any thing better First It will steal away our hearts from God And Secondly It will take off the heart of God from us so that God and Christ will set themselves against us Thirdly If we would have God and Christ to make their constant abode with us delight we in the society and fellowship of the People of God with whom they dwell never be ashamed to converse with them whom God and Christ do own for theirs The Apostle's Argument why we should entertain strangers in Hebr. 13.2 Because thereby some have entertained Angels unawares is but mean and inconsiderable to this reason why we should entertain and own the Saints of God for thereby we are sure to entertain Christ as in Mat. 25.40 For this cause the Gibeonites made a League with Israel For we have heard that God is with you And there is a promise in Zech. 8.23 That ten men out of all Languages shall take hold of the skirt of a Jew saying We will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Malachy 3.16 They that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it c. He was with them and indeed God dwells in the Tabernacles of the righteous Fourthly If we would have the constant abode of God and Christ with us let us keep our selves clean from sin our hearts pure our consciences undefiled and as the Apostle says void of offence towards God and towards men very careful not to sin against God and very circumspect not to sin against man that this may be our comfort that the world must needs say of us as they did of Daniel That they could finde nothing against him save in the Law of his God as in Daniel 6.5 Whatever others do beware of sin Say as Joshua I and my House will serve the Lord. Watch against sin chuse any suffering rather than the least finne Consider in that choice two particulars First Consider in all your sufferings God will be with you but in any of your sins he will not abide with you as in the example of Israel Exod. 32.23 When the Calf was got into the Caâ—â—p God forsakes the Host of Israel When Saul forsook the Lord the Spirit of the Lord forsook him That was an excellent saying of Azariah the Sonne of Obed in 2 Chron. 15.2 And oh that all England could hear iâ— Hear thou me Asa and all Judah The Lord is with you while you be with him If you seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you Secondly Consider 't is an act of high presumption reflecting much upon the purity and holiness of God for men to imagine that God will own and prosper them with his presence while they go on to do wickedly in their Whoredoms Drunkenness Blasphemy and all manner of Prophaneness which God can no more own than disown himself So they foolishly promise themselves Peace Deut. 29.19 Though they walk in the imagination of their hearts and adde drunkenness to thirst But the Lord will not spare but his anger and jealousie shall smoak against them till he hath brought them down from their high mount of a sinful and carnal confidence Therefore the Prophet reproves that wicked People Micah 3.11 where the Judges the Priests and the Prophets were corrupted Yet they say Is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us Therefore shall Zion be plowed as a Field c. as Abner said to Joab This will prove an evil thing and a bitter in the latter end as Galen says of Meats Quae dulcia sunt facile in bilem amaritudinem convertuntur Sweet Meats generate choller and corrupt matter so sin that is a sweet morsel now will be shame death and hell at last Fifthly With an humble acknowledgment of former barrenness under Gods gracious presence with you resolve and endeavour to be more fruitful God never left his Vineyard and pull'd up the Hedge and commanded the rain not to fall upon it in Isa 5. till it became barren or did bear corrupt fruit The exil'd Confessors in Queen Maries days confessed that as Vrsin says in the Preface to his Catechism the cause of their present suffering was their former barrenness and unprofitableness under the Gospel And a sad example of this is Jerusalem over whom Christ laments O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou c. if thou hadst known in this thy day c. but now they are hid from thine eyes and when once a People grow up to this heighth to reject the Gospel then expect some fearful Judgment Read the last Chapter of Chronicles the second Book and at the 16. Verse and them you will see when the wrath of God is like to break our upon a people without remedy Sixthly If you would have the continual abode of God and Christ with you
alimur ex quibus generamur is a true Maxim We are nourished of those of whom we are begotten Fathers when their children ask bread will not give them stones nor when they ask fish will they give them scorpions Mat. 7.9 He that provides not these things for his children is worse than an Infidel 1 Tim. 4.8 and hath God commanded this from Parents towards their children and will not God much more provide for his children that are truly regenerate and born again and that have his Image by faith engraven on their souls he would do it much more abundantly Mat. 7.11 If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to those that ask him This then is one great priviledge that believers are made partakers of by vertue of this relation having God for their heavenly Father God will certainly provide good things for them both for their being and well-being here and hereafter and they may come to God as a Father with holy boldness of faith for all things that they shall stand in need of God takes care for those that are strangers and enemies to him and makes his rain to fall upon the unjust as well as upon the just Mat. 5.4 5 He giveth them rain from heaven silling their hearts with food and gladness Acts 14.7 And will he not much rather feed his own children he giveth food to all flesh Psal 136.25 And will he not much rather take care for his own children that are engrafted into him by faith that do love and serve him if God's bounty be largely extended to those that are strangers and enemies to him even to those that go on in sin and wickedness as many times it is then certainly he will kill the farted Calf for his own children as the Father of the prodigal did for his returning Son Nay in this the great God exceedeth earthly Parents as far as Heaven is above the earth for natural Parents they give good things to their children when they ask them but God the Father of Spirits will do much more abundantly for his children aboye what they are able to ask or think the Petitions of God's children may be large their desires and thoughts larger than heir Petitions for we are not always able to express outwardly what inwardly we desire but God will do more abundantly for his people beyond all these Let us look into the Word of God and we shall there see what noble provision he hath made for his people what food yea angels food he hath provided for them what a feast of fat things I mean of spiritual dainties and delicates he hath dressed for them for their bread they shall have the bread of life he that eateth thereof shall never hunger John 6.48 they shall have their fill of that hidden Manna laid up in the Sanctuary We read of Benjamins Messe Gen 4.3 last That it was five times as much as any of his Brethren but the children of God their food that they shall have from their heavenly Father shall be a thousand times better and more satisfactory than that which shall be given to the men of the World they shall have their measures heaped up pressed down and running over Psal 34.10 The young Lyons shall lack and suffer hunger but the children of God those that cry unto God their Father shall want no good thing but especially spiritual good things they shall be sure to have their fill of these and shall be satisfied with them even as with marrow and fatness and for their drink they shall have the heavenly Nectar the water of Life the bloud of Jesus Christ the which whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more John 4.14 they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house he will make them drink of the River of his pleasures for with God is the fountain of life in his light they shall see light Psal 38.8 9. there is a River the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God Psal 46.4 and his Children shall drink of this River of Water of life clear as chrystal proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb Rev. 22.1 it is for these especially that God hath provided the spiritual milk of the Word that they may grow thereby they shall suck sweetness out of the promises those rich breasts of consolation and for their apparel the Children of God may say as the Prophet Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with a robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with Jewels What shall I say they shall be cloathed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ a garment without spot or blemish white as snow even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of those Thus you have the first ground of consolation to Believers upon the account of having God for their Father he will certainly provide for them those things that shall be necessary both in this life and in the life to come Secondly Is God a Father to Believers then another ground of consolation is this That he will defend them from their enemies How mightily doth it provoke natural Parents to see their Children abused How quickly will their eye affect their heart and stir them up to come in and rescue them So will the Lord do for those that are his children by Adoption and Regeneration he will defend them he will be a wall of fire round about them so that all their enemies both spiritual and temporal shall not be able to do them any real hurt the Devil and all his wiles and temptations the World and all its tempting allurements yea all the policy and malice of Earth and Hell shall not be able to work their ruine the Lord is on their their side and they have more for them than they have against them Upon this consideration it was that David tells us in his Book of Psalms Though I walk saith he in the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear none ill for thou O Lord art my Rock and my Fortress and my salvation eke for ever Would we not account him unworthy the name of a Father that would suffer his Children to be beaten and abused and destroyed before his face and not act in their defence and will God suffer his dear Children so to be No certainly He that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 and God accounts what is done to them as if it were done to himself in person In as much as ye did it unto those little ones ye did it unto me Will Christ say one day as he tells us Mat. 25.40 and in as much as ye did it not unto the least of these my brethren ye did
it not unto me ver 45. Beloved there is a time coming when the great God will reckon with ungodly men for all the injuries and wrongs which they have done to his people as if they were done to himself immediately Oh! consider of this you that are true Believers are you invironed round with adversaries either spiritual or temporal you have God for your defence a God infinite in power which is able to defend you from the hardest assaults of your most potent and politick Enemies his Name is a strong Tower the Righteous fly unto it and are safe Are you encountring with great temptations The Lord being your Father he will protect you and not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear but together with temptation will make way for your escape that you may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10.30 the Lord knoweth that his Children are liable to many temptations from Satan from the world and from their own corruptions and that they are subject to many afflictions and tribulations from the hands of men and therefore he will be sure to be with them and to be a very present help to them in the time of trouble Thirdly Is God a Believers Heavenly Father then there is a comfort for them that God will pity them and compassionate them in all their afflictions a tender Father pitieth his Children when they are in any calamity as for instance in sickness how will the groans of a Child go near the heart of a loving Parent How do the Agonies of pain in the Child cause grief and sorrow in the Parents heart What means would not a Parent use to procure the health and ease of a Child My life is bound up in the life of the Lad says Jacob concerning Benjamin Oh Absalon my son my son would God I had dyed for thee says David concerning Absalon What sympathyzing and sellow-feeling will a dear and tender Parent have of the miseries of his Children And as a Father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Psal 103.13 The Lord is very pitiful Jam. 5.11 The pity and compassion of the Lord towards his Children is excellently set forth in that Scripture Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear son Is he a pleasant Child I speak against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord The bowels of the Lord do exceedingly yearn towards his people in all their afflictions and distresses and he is full of pity and compassion towards them Fourthly Is God a Father to all true Believers then here is also for their comfort that God doth and always will love them and take delight in them He loves them with an everlasting love they are his chosen Jewels and he will certainly one day polish them though he suffer them to be among the rubbish of the World for a while They are his pleasant pictures and he delights to be looking on them the eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him and upon them that hope in his mercy Psal 33.18 God takes pleasure to be viewing the new creature which he hath framed by his own Spirit in the hearts of his people and his own Image which he stamped upon them and herein the love that the Lord beareth his Children infinitely exceeds the Love that earthly Parents bear to theirs in that he loveth them continually Earthly Parents they love their Children but their love may be withdrawn from them again and is often times but the love of God will never be withdrawn from his love whom the Lord loveth he loveth to the end and although his loving countenance may be eclipsed for a time and they may lose the sence of his love to them by their failings sinful infirmities yet the Lord loves them still There is nothing shall be able to separate Believers from the love of God Rom. 8.25 and onward the Apostle Paul putteth the question there saith he Who shall separate us from the love of God Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword as it is written For thy sake are we killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Nay saith he in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is not all the troubles of the world nor tribulations nor any thing that can render Believers less lovely in the eyes of Christ It is not all the Devils in Hell that can withdraw Gods love from his children although they do endeavour it by enticing them to sin by their temptations and then by accusing them to God for sin yet all this will not rout them out of God's love though the Devil do labour to pick a quarrel between God and his people yet it is not principalities nor powers it is not all the power of Hell that shall be able to withdraw Gods love from them Fifthly Is God a Father to Believers Then they may take this for their comfort that he will continually be mindful of them Parents do remember their Children and are mindful of them so the Lord he remembreth his people and will never forget them Isa 49.15 Can a Woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb yea they may yet I will not forget thee Earthly Parents though it be but rare yet they may and sometimes do forget their children but God he is more tender and mindful of his Children than earthly Parents are of theirs yea they may yet will not I forget thee c. Though Gods people do too often forget him yet he doth never forget them but remember them in all their conditions even in their low estate God is mindful of them Psal 136.23 Who remembred us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever Lastly Is God a Father to Believers Then they may take this for their comfort that God will provide an inheritance for them hereafter Fathers provide portions and inheritances for their Children for hereafter so doth God Rom. 8. Now saith the Apostle We are the Sons of God and if sons then heirs heirs of God and coheirs with Jesus Christ How often is the Kingdom of Heaven called an inheritance the inheritance of the Saints or them that are sanctified Acts 20.32 and 26.8 There is an eternal inheritance laid up for the Children of God for hereafter yea the Kingdom of Heaven is their inheritance and it is now preparing for them John 14.2 and they shall have assuredly one day an abundant entrance into their Fathers Kingdom the Children of God
he will command deliverance for you in his own time Snatch not after deliverance by any preposterous and unlawful courses before God holdeth it out to you lest you provoke him to detain it the longer from you To conclude all I shall take leave of you in the words of the Holy Ghost recorded Acts 20.32 Heb. 13.20 21. And now brethren I shall commend you to God to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified And the God of peace which brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever A Farewel Sermon Preached at Great Ayton in the County of Yorkshire by George Evanke Chaplain to the Right Worshipful Sir George Norwood Baronet at Cleaveland in Yorkshire Matth. 26.39 Nevertheless not my will but thy will be done THe Subject of this Chapter is a sad Story and Tragical Relation of a dying Jesus In the beginning of this Gospel you may see him coming into the World in a Shower Matth. 2.13 And now in the end of it you finde him going out in a Storm Mat. 27.22 Alas that so good a Ghest should find so bad a welcome and that the Lord of Life should so soon be put to death When the Angels those Heavenly Choristers first sang that Christmas Carol of a Saviour that was born into the World Luke 2.10 11 12 13 14. one would have thought the World should have fallen a dancing after such Evangelical Musick and that all hearts should have like the Babe in Elizabeths womb leapt for joy at the news of a new born Prince But it was quite contrary for instead of joyning in that Heavenly Quire in gratulating the happy arrival of this young King into their Country they take the Alarum of his Birth as if an Enemy had landed in their Coasts And hereupon Herod presently heads an Army goes out against him and makes the poor Prince to fly the Country Mat. 2.13 14. But though the meanest of his Birth Extraction and Descent may give them distast at first yet when he begins to display his Divinity among them by working such amazing Miracles as none could work and Preaching such moving Sermons as none could ever Preach Oh then they will recant their Error and own their Saviour and the joyful shout of a King will be heard amongst them as it is expressed in Numb 23.21 Truly one would think that it would have been thus but Oh no! the Rocky hearts of these Marble wretches would not yield nor melt nor thaw nor take impression but still they continue in their unbelief and hardness of heart disowning the Lord that bought them and consulting his death who was contriving to bring them to life All the displeasure he would have done them was to take their sins from them Mat. 11.28 And all the pleasure they meant to shew him was to take his Life from him Mat 26.59 All the hurt that ever Christ did them was to pray for them Father forgive them forgive them And all the good they ever did him was to cry Crucifie him Crucifie him And Crucifie him they did before they could sit down Whose Death and Crucifixion is described and represented to your view 1. By the Antecedents or things before 2. By the Consequents or things following after The Antecedents were 1. The several Preparitories to it Chap. 2. The judicial progress about it Chap. seqr The Prerogatives were 1. The Jews conspiring ver 3 4 5. 2. Judas his Covenancing to affect it 14 15 16. 3. Christs own preparing and fitting himself for it that he might without relucting submit to it and without the least Symptome of disponding encounter and go thorow with it And this is the Argument of the latter part of this Chapter at large and of my Text in short Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me yet not my will but thy will be done Which words I may call The pious Souls sequestring it self for dying or Our Saviours Preparatory to his Passion Wherein you have two Observables 1. Here 's an humble Petition presented Let this Cup pass 2. Here 's an hearty Resignation promised Not my will but thine be done I. First An humble Petition Let this Cup pass from me Our Saviour was at this time very apprehensive of Death The sorrows of the Grave â—haâ—l â—â—â—â—â—ssed him about and the pains of Hell had taken hold upon him 〈◊〉 â—â—w in this dark condition and Spiritual Damp that his Soul lay 〈…〉 â—e gets himself out into the Garden alone and there he fits weepâ—â—â— â—â—â—â—â—â—ah under the Juniper-tree and like dying Hezekiah he lays 〈…〉 and spâ—â—ads his Condition before the Lord imploring him Samaritan-like to shew him some pity in this his Extremity Father saith he Let this cup pass from me Now in that Christ betakes himself to God for help in this hour of heaviness you may learn hence It 's better to intrust and interest God for our help and comfort than man For man yea the best of men are but men and when they have done the best for us it may be they can do no good to us When the man in the Kings had made his misery known to his Neighbours and cryed to them Help Help you know what an answer he got How can we help except the Lord help When Job had told over the sad story of his great losses to his three friends expecting some redress to so unparalleld grievances you know how long they sate by him without giving him one word of Counsel or administring the least word of Comfort which forced him into that passionate Resolve Miserable Comforters are ye all When Judas lay under the Convulsions and Corrodings of a grumbling Conscience and ran to the Priests for Absolution A look thee to that was all the comfort he could get from them Ah! that mans condition is most to be pitied who runs to none but man for pity When all is done God is our surest stay He is usually the last but always the best Refuge Therefore when we have read over the sad Lecture of our Losses and poured out our wants and wrongs into the bosom of our safest and firmest friends then is this Apostrophe this Turn the sweetest Turn the Soul can take when it can Turn to God as you see Christ doth here say Father if it be possible let this cup this cross pass from me II. Secondly Here 's an hearty resignation in these words Nevertheless not my will but thine be done And if he had said 't is true it 's Ease which this Nature this Humane Nature of mine would have but if thou Lord art otherwise resolv'd to continue me in pain I
of you but when we come again unto you I will have you to be of another manner of temper then now you are Well if all that I have said will not prevail with you I am sorry that nothing would prevail with you but the flames of Hell Oh then you will say Oh that we had but hearkened to the voice of God's Messengers that are sent to us Oh that we had our rousing Ministers to awaken us I have one of Advice to you that are the people of God whose hearts God hath humbled and I shall have done First I advise you that God hath humbled for sin now to look to your selves God will not now lead you you must learn now to go alone If you would keep tender hearts then be afraid of sin as well of the least sins as of the greatest Be afraid of a vain thought and if thou takest heed of a vain thought thou wilt be afraid of telling a lye and if thou takest heed of telling a lye thou wilt be afraid of swearing an Oath Secondly If thou wilt keep tenderness of heart then lye under the best Ministry you can get that there is a difference between some mens Preaching and others is plain by the effectual working of their Preaching upon the hearts of their hearers First Take heed of a blind ignorant Minister If the blind lead the blind they will both fall into the ditch If one that understands not what sin is nor feels not the guilt of sin Preaches Repentance it is ten hundred to one if ever God doth work upon your hearts by his Preaching Secondly Take heed of fly shun avoid an idle drunken Minister If you would ask me what we shall do in such a case I Answer Keep such a one out of your Parish if you can if you cannot then I advise you to take heed how you hear him First Because all such Ministers are no Ministers at all No what and are ordained No because they are not sent from God And let me tell you that men have no power to Ordain such to Preach the Gospal as are not sent by God I do verily believe that God never sent any Minister for to Preach the Doctrine of Salvation but such as God hath endowed with gifts and abilities to speak and if there be any Ministers that have not those qualifications that are fit for a Bishop to have then they are none of Gods Ministers although they are made Ministers by man 1 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. This is a true saying If a man desire the Office of a Bishop he desireth a good work A Bishop then must be blameless the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no striker not greedy of filthy lucre but patient not a brawler not covetous own that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity For if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the Church of God Not a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil Here is all these excellent qualifications that a Minister of the Gospel ought to be endowed with Secondly I say that those Ministers that are not endowed with these qualifications but are ignorant drunken Ministers it is generally observed that people grow more wicked and that their hearts grow harder while they live under such a Ministry Object But how if we are forced to hear such and we can do no others wise if we will not hear them our purses must pay for it Answer To this I answer I wish that every place had an eminent Minister that you might gather up Manna at your own dores But if your Minister be wicked and prophane he is no Minister of Christ and in such a case you must rather hazard your purses than you souls But the Doctrin that he preaches it is good 'T is true it is so if it do not come out of a stinking vessel The water that is drawn out of a sweet Well if it be put into a stinking cask it will smell of the cask But I would not have you to be quarrelsome A Third advice that I shall give you is this Be sure that you ply the company of those that are of a tender heart It is a true saying Birds of a feather will flock together Take heed of being in the company of such as will swear and of living with such as scoff at religion It 's true a tender holy heart may live among wicked company as Lot did in Sodom but let me tell thee there 's danger they 'l tempt thee to be like them Lastly My advice is this Be sure that the Bible be much in your hand you that can read and beg of God to give you an understanding heart When God bids you to be holy think of Heaven Let the Bible be much in your hands and let God see you much in your Closets Mr. G. N. his Farewel-Sermon Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. IF divine Providence shall make this the season of our separation it is good for us to part with each other in the meditation and consideration of that from which those that are Gods shall never be divided that is the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Apostle is very confident of it I am perswaded We shall conclude the Chapter with our present Imployment and therefore shall not stand long discoursing on every particular but first briefly open them unto you and after improve them First We meet with the. Apostles Confidence a strong perswasion from whence we may learn Confidence belongeth unto a Christian yea it is the priviledge of the Gospel Col. 2.2 That their hearts may be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assuring of understanding c. This is what you may daily stand in need of therefore be perswaded to press toward it The Apostle calls to give all diligence to make your calling and Election sure Great diligence it is you give to assure the title of your earthly possession is it not of far greater concernment to assure your Calling and Election unto an everlasting enjoyment of divine Love And that you may do this remember to live 1. Lest unto this present World 2. More in heaven For then will you be more acquainted with the concernments and counsels thereof Do but draw up your hearts out of the cares pleasures and delights of this present world which choak the Word and
and by our lively trust through the Covenant of Grace on our part let there be such a unity between Christ and us that all the powers of Hell may not be able to separate us from thee speak peace to our hearts still our consciences say I have received a sacrifice for you I shall befriend you I will be just and faithful to forgive your sins my Law is sully fulfilled by another though broken by you my Justice is fully satisfied by another though provoked by you my wrath is ceased by the means of another though incensed by you Oh Lord what a cordial would this be canst not thou amongst this great multitude of people espy some that through the Spirit of thy Son would worship thee in thine own way speak peace to every such soul Is there any soul before thee O Lord to whom thou hast given the grace of desire O lord give them grace according to their desire and thou which didst regard us when we were running from thee do not reject us now we are drawing near thee And thou which bidst us believe by the command of thy Word help us to believe by the operation of thy Spirit draw us that we may be able to follow thee thy loving kindness is better than life Some do say Who will shew us any good But Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and thou wilt glad our hearts more than in the time when Corn or wine or Oil increaseth Let it be fair above head when it is dirty below let us see one contrary in another let us confute an eye of sense with an eye of faith and when we come to see nothing here that can gratifie our senses let us have something to quiet our souls We would fain be at war with sin that we may be at peace with thee though we cannot return as much as we have received yet help us to return as much as we can give us repentance unto life epentance from dead works a mourning fat greater for the remembrance of sin than we have pleasure in the committing of sin those secret distempers in our souls that no eye sees but thine let us cry out Wretched men that we are who should deliver us from this body of sin And as the fear of condemnation doth decrease so set the fear of transgression increase And because O Lord thou hast not made us to bleed with thy greatness O Lord make us to blush with thy goodness let us as truely desire that Heaven would enter into us into a way of holiness here as we desire to enter into Heaven in the way of happiness hereafter Let us see that our kindness to sin is cruelty to our Saviour let net that live quietly one minuite with us that would not let Christ live let us see there is nothing small by which the great God is offended and an immortal soul is damned We are to be in the world but for a while to take a turn or two and be gone Oh that we might make it the business of our life to get into Christ though it be the scorn of men and burdensome to nature yet this is that which will bring us peace at last Let us be what we profess our selves to be let us love Christ and evangelically keep his commandements let us live by faith let us keep thy Commandements let us be above the world in the world above the love of life and above the fear of death let not the smiles of the world allure us nor the frowns thereof affright us from thee but in all these things let us be more than conquerers through Jesus Christ Let us love him much whom we cannot love too much Help us to be above the power of Hell let us ever say My soul it is good for me to draw nigh to God Let us be willing rather to be faved with a few than go to Hell in a crowd let us live as if Eternity were long and life but short let us thrive in holiness and be brought neerer to thy self by every dispensation let us in this our day know the things that concern our peace before they be hid from our eyes and know the time of our visitation and though God suffer long he will strike at last O Lord bow the heavens and come down among us at this time and be with the unworthiest of thy servants and give unto him a door of utterance and to thin great people a door of entrance and let them be all taught of God and let them truly find that the great God is teaching to the heart when that a weak worm is speaking to the ear let all the work be done by theo and let all he praise redound unto thee and let him that is with us be greater than he that is in the world behold us in the Son of thy love smell aswee savor of rest on these our poor prayers speak peace to our consciences rebuke the tempter tread him under our feet shortly raise us up to newness of life let us remember when that which is perfect is rome that which is imperfect shall be done away Hear us and help us through our dear Redeemer let us live for him here and with him hereafter and all for his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory to whom with thee and thy Sprit be Glory and Honour now an for ever Amen Mr. Cradocott's Prayer at St. Sepulchres MOst glorious and most gracious Lord God who art God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hast put thine own Name and stamp upon this Day wilt thou be pleased to appear now and prepare and dispose our unprepared and indisposed souls for holy Observation of this thine holy day Will the Lord vouchsafe us the incomes of his spirit and influences of his Grace whereby we may be inabled to offer up spiritual Sacrifice which may be acceptable to Jesus Christ Lord thou requirest praying hearts but thou hast not commanded us to use Prayer-books and if thou wilt give us the Spirit of Prayer we shall not need them Lord give us praying hearts at this time let us find by experience that the Sabbath is a day of Souls opportunity that thine Ordinances are full of marrow that thou hast not said unto thy Children the seed of Jacob seek my face in vain VVe acknowledge we are unworthy to lift up our eyes to heaven we have cause enough to cry out God be merciful to us sinners undeserving ill-deserving men and women we acknowledge our natures are blots of all wickednesses we are by nature enemies to thy Majesty heirs of death children of darkness slaves to sin captives to lust dead to sins and trespasses how are our understandings darkned and our hearts-hardened what are our hearts but a store house of malicious thoughts a brothel house of adultery a palace of pride we are by nature
it is to be ashamed to sigh over our sins and groan over our iniquities I how few out of tenderness do mouru for sin but as if it were indifferent to us whether we have our sins purdoned or the grace that we beg to be granted and if we do beg to be pardoned where are the souls that desire to be purged If thou shouldst let us have our wills Oh then we should think thou wert a good God whereas it is thy great Love that thou dost deny us our wills we poor wretche we are up and down as the things of this world do come into us and go from us if God give us great things then we think our selves in Paradise and if God take from us then we fall out with God himself Oh! how ill do we take it at thy hands if thou dost not give us what we would or take from us what we would The doctrine of self-denial is a meer riddle to us we would fain spend the strength of our youth in following the lust of the eye and gratifie our sensual affections and when we come to die it may be we would have a Lord have mercy upon us in our mouths and think it strange if God should not give us what we ask O Lord convince us now that we may be willing to be crucified to the world and to die to sin Lord we may flatter with our selves but our hearts do but abuse us while we think there is such contentment in the enjoying of this world what is this when we come to die Alas if we were not besotted content is sooner gained by self-denial than by pleasing our selves Can we think we shall be at ease till we come to God Is it like to be well with us while our wayes are contrary to the wayes of God are not thy waies the waies of peace Oh! how can we be at rest when our waies are contrary to thine Oh! un-lust us we had better part from our idols here that that they should part us from God hereafter Lord if there were no other hell this is damnation to be a sinne for this is the nature of sin to separate us from God Oh help us to account the reproaches of Christ better than the honors of the Cross of Christ better than the Crown of the world O shew us the sinfulness of sin and the emptiness of the world that we may take thy Counsel and mind thy Glory and be ruled by thy Will Oh how happy would it be with us if our souls were brought into such a frame We are Lord as yet great strangers to the life of God Oh! let us know what it is to live with thee and to thee and with thee that we may say For us to live in Christ and to die is gain and that we may say Whom have we in Heaven but thee O Lord We depend upon thee let thy goodness be seen do not put us off with the means of grace but give us grace it self And seeing thou art pleased to make use of such a poor thing as the preaching of the Gospel is and seeing this is the means to bring our souls to eternal life Oh let it be so to us that we may repent from sin and believe in the righteousness of the Gospel Oh Lord thou knowest all our frailties and all our necessities find out them that are dead in sins and quicken them find out the hard hearts and soften them find out the proud hearts and humble them find out the formalists and bring them to the power of godliness and pour in wine and oyl into the wounds of the wounded in spirit and let the administration of the Gospel be in the demonstration of the Spirit that as the truth is delivered to us we may be delivered to the truth that while we touch the hem of thy garment Vertue may come out from thee Thou hast said that mercy pleaseth thee we are sure it will pleasure us Oh let us not loose our time but do thou teach us to profit and supply our wants for the sake of our dear Lord to whom with Thee and thy Spirit be given more Glory from now unto eternity Nr. G. N. his Prayer TO thee O Lord Jesus we commend our selves To thee who judgeth rightly thy poor Servant resigneth and commiteth this Congregation The Lord pardon unto me wherein I have been wanting unto them The Lord pardon unto them wherein they have been wanting in the hearing of thy Word that we may not part with sin in our hearts Unto thee who judgest uprightly I commend them The Bishop of Souls take care of them Preserve them from the love of the World teach them to wait on thee and to receive from thee whatevor any one or Family may stand in need of Provide them a Pastor according unto thine own will only in the mean time give us that Anointing shall lead us out of our own wells and waies that we may walk in the waies of Christ Jesus The Lord Jesus say now amongst them I am your Shepheard you shall not want Say to them as thou didst to thy Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled you beleeve in the Father beleeve also in me So far as we are able we put thy Name upon them we name the Name of the Lord Jesus over them The Lord Jesus bless them teach them to follow Holiness Peace and a Heavenly Conversation The Lord make them usefull to each other The Lord Jesus be a blessing to them and me and all ours The God of Peace and Consolation fill them with blessings according as thou seest every one stand in need of To thee O Lord we commend then do thou receive them that under thy counsel they may be preserved blameless until the day Jesus where we may all meet crowned with Glory Amen FINIS Mr. GEORGE THORNE of Weymouth HIS FAREWEL-SERMON PSAL. 37.34 Wait on the Lord and keep his Way NOt knowing whether ever I shal speak to you more from this place being willing to leave a word in season I shall recommend to you what in answer to prayer I have recived of the Lord for the directing me in my course in this gloomy dark day being well assured that as many of us as work by this rule and fall by this compass how ever we may be scatered by the tewpestuous storms we meet with here in the Sea of this World shall shortly arrive at and meet in our desired Port the Haven of Eternal Rest and Happiness What therefore the Lord hath said to me and that with a strong hand that say I unto you in the Name of the Lord Wait on the Lord and keep his VVay The scope of this Psalm is to direct the People of God and to encourage them to keep on in the course of Godliness at such times as when the Wicked prosper flourish and grow great and the godly are afflicted trouble persecuted and oppressed And there are two
of a place or any other thing 's holiness it is its belonging to God Gods peculiar relation to it and propriety in it declared as he shall please and therefore to be holy to be Gods are the words of the like importance or equivolence it s being Gods and his having a relation to it is the foundation and cause of its holiness And therefore if you look into Exod. 15.2 you shall there find God commands that they should sanctifie to him all the first-born it is mine there now is that which is the cause and reason and ground of its being sanctified or holy it is God himself God hath a propriety in it And therefore I desire you to look into Luk 2.23 it will open this notion to you there you shall see that this command is again repeated but yet in other words And therefore he saith As it is written in the Law of the Lord Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord that which is said in one place to be sanctified or separated is here said to be holy and therefore holy because separated to God Levit. 27.30 All the tythes of the Land is the Lords it is holy unto the Lord it is holy and therefore holy because it is the Lords So that here is the general answer This is the foundation ground and cause of its holiness Gods peculiar propriety in it it is the Lords 2. More particularly That the declared propriety that God hath in any place or his relation to a place or its belonging unto God that is the foundation of its holiness This belonging unto God or Gods propriety in it is declared two ways It s belonging unto God is declared 1. From his presence 2. From his precept 1. By his presence Now the presence of God that was the foundation of the holiness of a place was two-fold 1. Extraordinary 2. Ordinary 1. The extraordinary presence of God was by his miraculous apparitions and discovering himself by some miraculous token vision sign or manifestation of his presence as now here in this burning and not consuming Bush here was a miraculous token of Gods presence We shall find in the fifth of Joshua and the last verse God commands Joshua to put off his shooes Loose thy shooes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground And Joshua did so And therefore as I conceive hence it is the Mountain in which Christ was transfigured is called The holy Mountain 2 Pet. 1.18 And this voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount Why holy Not as if it were holy at that time when the Apostle writ that Epistle but it were manifest there was an extraordinary manifestation and sign of Gods presence and so long as this extraordinary manifestation of Gods presence continued it was called holy And this miraculous manifestation of the gloriousness of Christs God-head ceasing the holiness of the place ceased also And remember this place now of Gods extraordinary miraculous manifestation of himself in the Bush was holy for that time and no longer wherein he did manifest himself for otherwise in the time of the Law it were unholy to offer up sacrifice there 2. As the presence of God was extraordinary so it is ordinary which is two-fold 1. The presence of his standing residence in a place by some visible or external Symbole or else 2. The Presence of God is a spiritual Presence in the Religious services and performances of his people in the place of their Meetings and Assemblies Now concerning the first of these 1. The presence of God by the more visible and lasting tokens of his Presence which was chiefly afforded in the time of the Levitical Pedagogue So the Altar Temple Ark and Mercy-seat were symboles of Gods presence among that people by them God signified his presence he recorded his Name there by those visible tokens of his Presence and therefore the Ark was said to be Gods face and when the Ark was lifted up it was said Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered Hence they so much rejoyced when the Ark came into the city of David because it was the sign of Gods presence and mourned when it was taken away captive And God is said to deliver his glory into captivity that is the token of his glorious presence and as long as this continued God was looked upon as there present and thither the people went to pray and offer sacrifice And thus God more fixedly declared his durable relation to a place by these to 〈◊〉 and while these continued in a place he was looked upon to be there 2. Gods ordinary presence is considerable in the Religious service of his people and this I call the rather the more spiritual Presence of God that is that presence of God in the Ordinances which we have we hope this day and which Christ did promise Matth. 18.20 Where ever two or three are met together in my Name there am I present in the midst of them not in the midst of the place but of them when they do perform holy and institute Worship This spiritual presence of God is that that is afforded in the use of those Ordinances of Praying Hearing and Administration of Sacraments his Presence is there to accept of these and bless them and make them operative and to assist in these and to enable both Minister and people to go through their duty by his own power Nor can Gods Presence be ordinarily expected but in this his own way Now then 2. You must know that as the presence of God is the foundation of a places sanctity and as it is several so you must know Gods propriety in and relation to a place is declared by his Precept the precept of God is Gods propriety in a place as well as his Presence thus it belongs to him by command to make it holy he may do what he will and chuse out what places he will to be holy He to whom all things belong surely may have some places and things more proper to himself und peculiar so the Temple of old and the Tabernacle those Places of Levitical and Ceremonial Worship was separated and set apart by God by Divine institution Hence we have many commands 1. God commands that such a House and such a Tabernacle shall be built and this had been unlawful to do had it not been commanded 2. He directs the manner and the mode and that all things should exactly be done according to the pattern in the Mount And 3. God doth command it should be in such a place in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite and that place that himself had chosen 4. He commands that he will be served in these places peculiarly rather than in any other place he would not have these places changed for others Herein this place tipifi'd Christ one that is onely able to make our services acceptable Hence