selfe Deniall I rejoyce to see the flowings of the spirit of grace in those eminent Servants of the Lord that have both hunted for venison and caught it to make savory meat for the Saints discovering those secrets of the Lords strength and unsearchable riches of love beyond the pennes or tongues of those that have gone before them But methinkes I have sometimes feared lest while those Eminent ones have driven according to the peace of their own soules and made it their work almost onely to dresse out the strong meat they should have driven beyond the pace of the Lambs and onely go away with part of the flock who are able to receive and have eares to heare such sublime gospell mysteries I have sometimes wished a Shepard or Hooker or two more to stay behind and to drive the remnant of the flock which in heaven will overtake the other though there be many things to be spoken which without over driving them they are not yet able to beare I being one borne out of due time am onely fit for such a work the opening the Rudiments of Christianity and it shall be my crowne if by teaching the A B C of the wayes of grace I may be made instrumentall but to fit Saints for their highschooles I have presumed here to present your Honour with the first Lesson of Grace He that will be my disciple saith Christ let him deny himselfe and take up the crosse and follow me first deny himself then follow me Not but that I hope your Ladiship can readily endorse this sermon with that speech of the young man All these have I kept from my youth Though I need not mind your Honour that it is a lif 's not a dayes practice Madam there can be no Mistresse like Experience which easily convinceth me that your Ladiship who have had a constant sight of sublunary vanities an enjoyment of creature-contentments is farre more able to read him who now writes a lecture of the Vanity of every thing under the Sun than he is to read it your Ladiship who hath been blest in the want of those advantages and onely from a guesse at the body by the foot can subscribe Solomons account of them surely Madam there is nothing under the Sun but in cleaving to it and neglecting Christ a rationall creature must dishonour himselfe as well as his Saviour and as well call in question his own judgement and out-law his owne reason as disobey his God Christ Madam Ah! Christ Christ alone is the excelling one that is Altogether desires It is the Rose of Sharon only that wants prickles His name is the onely box of Ointment which one fly or other will not make to stinke And now I mention his name I remember what the spouse saith Thy name is an ointment powerd forth therefore doe the Virgines love thee Of those Virgines I trust your Ladiship is those that love Christ for the ointment of his name powred forth so I trust hath the Ointment of grace powred upon that head from which you drew your naturall breath ran downe to the skirts of all her Relations Madam This world is not so well bred but in Christs wayes if your Ladiship desire to walk you must expect to be a sharer in the scoffs of those that put out the finger at those that run not with them to the same excesse of Riot I need not mind your Ladiship of the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who patiently endured the crosse and despised the shame for your sake Madam the wayes of Christ the paths of holinesse are onely uncomely to those before whose eyes the Devill hath cast a mist and the God of this world hath blinded their eyes lest the glorious light of of the gospell should shine upon them If the King desires our beauty no matter whether our rate be high or low amongst the children of Vanity whose God is their Belly and whose glory is their shame May your Ladiship strive after perfection and yet daunce before the Ark though Michal mocks out at the window The Moone keeps its course though the dogs bark This Sermon Madam was formerly dedicated to your Ladiships eares I never thought then that the noise of it should have gone beyond the chappell it was preacht in nor indeed had it had not your Ladiships noble Mother commanded the transcription of a coppy which desire was also seconded by other Noble friends whose commands I was as unwilling to disobey as unable to performe through my multitude of other occasions which is the only reason of my publication of it that I might be thrifty of my time for my other studies and by troubling the world worke my own ease Having resolved upon this course I was desirous it should appeare as covertly as might be and have therefore added it to some other Sermons preacht long before then sent to the presse to gratify the desire of the Printer Madam your Ladiship I trust will easily excuse me for the want of paines in it If I should spend time to tickle some few ears it would be unthriftily done and possibly I might by it lose the advantage of speaking to many anothers heart I had rather so preach and write that those that heare or read my sermons should read and heare with a trembling heart than with a tickled fancy Madam Such as it is I crave leave to present it to your Ladiship Beseeching the God of grace so to empower every line that it may be a drop of mercy to your Honours and every Readers soule That your Ladiship may grow up like the tree planted by the rivers of water and bring forth fruit in your season That in the renewing of every week there may appeare in your Ladiships heart conversation an answer of those old prayers newly returned to your Ladiships Noble Parent That the Lord may have glory your soule peace and hee the dayly answer of his prayers who truely is Madam Your Honours most humbly obliged servant in the Lord Jesus John Collings Chaplyfield house Aug 21. 1649. A LESSON OF Self-Denyall Psal 45. 10 11. Hearken O daughter and consider and encline thine eare Forget also thy own people and thy Fathers house so shall the King desire thy beauty IT is agreed almost amongst all Expositors that this Psalme is a Marriage-Song and principally relating to the spirituall marriage between Jesus Christ and the beleeving soule or between Christ and his Church But there is a little question amongst them whether the spirituall sense of it be couched under a type or an Allegory Some thinke that the Holy Ghost here treates of that spirituall marriage under the type of Solomons marriage to Pharaohs daughter of which wee read 1 King 3. 11. Of this opinion saith D. Rivet are D. Rivet Pref. in hunc Psalmum the Hebrew Interpreters and most others as Calvin Bucer Junius Jansenius c. yet these grant that there are some things in the Psalme not
of free grace to speake it with reverence and he desires nothing more then to be delivered in thine heart He is a Sea of mercy and he would rejoyce to empty himselfe by drops into his peoples hearts But why did I say empty Can the Sun lose any light by communicating his light to others When the creature speaks of God he must speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he would fill thee and yet continue full himselfe He is satisfied when thou art full He shall see of the travell of his soule and shall be satisfied Thou art not so willing to receive as he is to bestow free grace O then lean upon him Thirdly Consider that canst not dishonour thy God more then when thou art humbled by him for thy sins and cast downe in thine owne thoughts and cal'd to beleeve in his mercies and secured upon his word if thou wilt but trust him If thou wilt not then beleeve in him Surely then thou art of a little faith if not an Infidell Thou couldst not beleeve when thou wert an impaenitent hard-hearted creature Why because thou knewest no need thou hadst of faith Neither couldst thou hear Christs invitation because thou wert not weary and heavie loaden but now that the Lord hath humbled thee now the promises belong unto thee what darest thou not take Christs word Suppose a Traytour were condemned to dye and the King should send a Pardon by the hand of his owne Son to this forlorne wretch and he should refuse it saying The King cannot pardon me what hath he to do to send me a Pardon I know he doth but mock me he meanes nothing lesse c. Were not this a peice of unworthinesse by which he should dishonour his Prince as much as with his Treason before O take heed of provoking the Lord still it is enough that thou hast provoked him once yet he will pardon thee And on the contrary thou canst not honour Christ more then in beleeving for thou acknowledgest the unfadomable depth of his free love and mercy Thou proclamest God to be a God gracious long-suffering a God that may be trusted by the creature which hath deserved nothing at his hand that he is so pure an Essence of love that he will create himself a cause of love where is none And though he coould find nothing in thee to pardon thee for thy sake yet he would pardon thee for his owne Name sake So likewise you that are in any wildernesse or shall be of Affliction Desertion Temptation c. O leane leane T is that which God requires at your hand 't is that which will ease you when you are weary help you when you are heavie laden Beleeving will ease you when complaining will not 't is that which honours God and honours Christ It gives him the glory of his Power and Providence Dominion and free Grace and mercy Christ beleeve me will take it kindly at your hands that you will try him in need and trust him even in despaire though he kills you yet you will trust in him Those that venture upon Death with such a faith cannot dye Those that have such a Spirit must live eternally The way to live is to dye beleeving and the way to stand is to leane falling O come all yee that love the Lord trust in his mercies I have done only I conclude with my Text. O you that are falling as you think into the pit of despaire that are lost in the wildernesse of sorrow Beleeve beleeve and you shall be saved Come out trusting upon God resting upon the fulnesse of his mercy and the freenesse of his grace come out come out leaning upon your Beloved O you that are in a wildernesse of afflictions lean upon Gods staffe let his rod comfort you beleeve that he smileth while he smiteth thee beleeve in affliction you shall have no more then you are able to beare he will let his grace be sufficient for you and all shall worke for your good And come you out of your wildernesse leaning upon your Beloved O you that are in the wildernesse of temptation in the snare of the Devill beleeve and leane your Christ was tempted and he knowes how to succour those that are tempted leane upon him to beare you up in and to give you an happy issue out of your temptations in which you are in for the triall of your faith and come you out likewise leaning upon your Beloved You that are in the wildernes of Desertion cry My God! though you be forsaken keep your faith retaine your Interest O leane lose not your hold you have upon the Almighty leane in and come out of this your wildernesse leaning upon your Beloved Finally All you that are in the wildernesse of sin the worst wildernesse of all Let me conclude with you And once more as the Embassadour of Jesus Christ in my Masters name as if he himselfe were here I beseech you by the many and tender mercies of him whose bowels yerne towards you by his precious bloud which was powred out upon the Crosse for sinners and who knowes whether not for you as well as others as you tender the life happines of your own souls the joy of your faithfull Pastors nay which is most of all as you tender the honour of God come out O come out of your sad wildernesse be humbled and mourne sit downe in dust and ashes that you may rise up adorned with grace and be crowned with glory that you may leane upon your Beloved and O that my first or last words might prevaile with some great sinner this day for whom we might all rejoyce concerning whom we might all say who is this that comes out of the wildernesse leaning upon her beloved FINIS A LESSON OF SELF-DENIALL OR The true way to desirable BEAUTY By JOHN COLLINGS M. A. Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me Ver. 38. And he that taketh not up his crosse and followeth after me is not worthy of me Printed for Rich Tomlins 1649. TO THE Right Honourable The Lady Frances Cecill the only Daughter of the Right Honourable the Lady Elizabeth Counteise Dowager of EXETER Increase of true Honour and Peace and Happinesse Madam WHen I considered the plenty of Gospell-sheaves which the Gracious Lord of the Harvest hath in our days caused his reapers to bind up I could not but question whemy gleane were worth your Ladiships stooping to take up God hath seemed to empty his treasuries upon our heads that there is scarce a gospell-duty but some or other more eminent labourers in the Lords harvest have undertaken to discover and urge which makes me sometimes tremble to think at what disadvantage they must perish that are yet dead or unfruitfull But if there be any lesson that hath been lesser urged or practised than other it is this of
in the Text And forget thine owne people and thy Fathers house Here are two things to be enquired into 1. What is meant by her owne People and her Fathers House 2. What is meant by forgetting of them For the first we must be guided by the Knowledge of the Spouse to whom these words are spoken if you look upon 1. The Church of the Jewes as the Spouse meant here to be married to Christ without question it is meant of the Jewish Worship the Ceremoniall Law and Worship and their Traditions they were to hee forgotten and the Gospell-worship to be embraced the worship of Christs Institution consonant to that of Christ to the Woman of Samaria John 4. 21 22 23. 2. If you understond by the Spouse the Church of the Gentiles then the Fathers house is all the Gentile worship and Paganish Idolatry which must all be left upon their turning to Christ 3. If you understand by the Spouse the particular beleeving soule the Fathers house is old Adams house all sinnne and wickednesse all traditionall worshipping Renounce the Per patris domum intelligo quicquid corruptionis ex utero afferimus aut quaecunque ex prava institutione nobis adhaerent quasi ad nos haereditario jure aut educatione transfusa Rivet ad loc World saith Deodate and cleave to Christ It is a Lesson of Selfe-Denyall consonant to that of Christ Matth. 10. 37. By Fathers house saith Doctor Rivet wee may understand whatever corruption wee either brought out of the wombe with us or have contracted by ill education or custome so that they cleave to us as our inheritance And by People saith he I understand ea quae ex mala consustudine conversatione cum impiis acquisita nos a Deo abducunt quae omnia nobis sunt deponenda all those Corruptions and whatever they be which we have contracted by ill acquaintance and conversing amongst the wicked which estrange us from God these must all bee laid downe Luke 9. 23. Luke 14. 26. I shall anon in the opening of the Doctrine open this tearm more fully I now proceed So shall the King desire thy Beauty Some read it Quia concupivit because the King hath desired thy beauty making it a motive to induce her to forget her fathers house So August Cyprian c. Others read it according to our Translation The King The King of Glory the King of Peace Christ that King I have set my King upon my holy Hill of Zion Hee is the King Greatly desire Out of his love to thee his great love to thee he shall desire it not onely love thee but desire thee yea not onely desire thee but greatly desire thee He speaks after the manner of men whose desire is to the women they love Gen. 4. 7. Vnto thee shall be his desire And so Deut. 21. 11. If thou seest amongst the Captives a beautifull woman and thou hast a desire to her to make her thy wife Christs Love is such to the soule that he hath a desire to her yea not a desire barely but a passionate desire he shall greatly desire he shall be in love with the soule He shall greatly desire thy Beauty What Beauty Pulchritudo est in mente credentium saith Musculus it is meant not of a face Beauty but an heart Beauty Decor Ecclesiae saith Mollerus est in fide obedientia dilectione In the graces of the soule it is a Beauty that the Lord Christ puts upon the soule it is not a Beauty of nature but of grace that is the Saints Beauty Sanctitas Ecclesiae est pulchritudo Eeclesiae saith Piscator the holinesse of the Church is the Churches beauty and so the holines of the soul is the souls beauty This is the fairenes this the Beauty that is meant in those places of Solomons Song Cant. 1. 10 11. Cant. 4. 1. Cant. 6. 1. Cant. 7. 1. This is the Beauty that the Lord Jesus Christ the great King shall so desire in the soule this is the comelinesse that shall make any poore soule desireable in the eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ This is the Beauty which will make the King of Glory rest and content himselfe in his Love to the soule that hath it and make him bee delighted with the acquaintance of the soule and in conversing and having Communion with the soule This is it that which where it is found will so ravish Christs heart that he will never part from the soule as Mollerus expounds that phrase greatly desire Thus as shortly as I could dispatch it you have the sense of the Text. Now in it there lyes these truths 1. That the gracious soule by marriage to Jesus Christ becomes his Daughter as well as his Spouse Hee will not onely love her as a Wife but care for her as a Daughter 2 Cor. 6. 16. 2. That it is a great piece of the Daughters worke to hearken to Christ in his Word It is no height of Saintship to be beyond Ordinances if wee be out of Heaven It is a note of a Reprobate being once enlightned to fall back but it is a new degree of Saintship they are deafe Adders that have lived thus long no Saints Children of the Devill not of God his Daughters must hearken Hearken O Daughter 3. Christs Daughter must and shall see as well as heare Hearing is not enough the soule must be open to receive Christ as well as the eare to heare his voice and if they will heare they shall see Hearken O Daughter and see 4. Christs Daughters must incline their eare as well as heare and see Obedience must bee joyn'd to Faith and Worship Inward affection and intention of minde must bee joyned with outward hearing 5. Which is the Doctrine I will Insist upon Doct. That soule that would have the Lord Jesus Christ desire its beauty must forget its owne people and its Fathers House And whosoever doth that shall bee beautifull And the Lord-Jesus shall desire its Beauty In the handling of this Doctrine I shall doe these 5 things 1. I shall shew you what it is for a soule to forget its owne people and its Fathers house 2. I shall shew you how and in what sense the soule that doth it shall be beautifull 3. I shall shew what is meant by the Lord Christs desiring such a soules beauty 4. I shall give you some reasons why it is requisite that the soule that would endeare it selfe to Christ and make it selfe desireable should forget its Fathers house 5. Lastly I shall apply the whole Doctrine suitably First what is meant by the soules owne people and Fathers house and secondly by forgetting of them What was meant in generall I shewed before Our Fathers house is old Adams house the world and all therein I shall now shew you in some particulars First What of our Eathers must bee forgot Secondly how and in what sense we must forget it The first I shall dispatch in these few following
Mat. 7. 13 14. but then you must not look for the same journies end The Lord give you hearts to consider it and feare to tremble at it 3. And from hence thirdly you may bee instructed that it must bee something more than nature that must make a poore soule beautifull and desirably beautifull in Jesus Christs eyes It must neither bee naturall beauty will doe it nor yet naturall parts no nor natures glory nor the best of nature naturall righteousnesse Matth. 5. 20. It must be something more than flesh and bloud yea something more than flesh and bloud can helpe us with But I passe over this 4. From hence fourthly you may be instructed What an infinit love the Lord Jesus Christ hath loved his Saints with 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold saith the Apostle with what manner of love the father hath loved you with that you should be call'd the sonnes of God Here hee sayes hearken O Daughter the Daughter of a King is honourable but the daughter of the King of Kings is much more honourable But if I may say it here seemes to be a degree of love beyond it the Kings wife is more honourable than the Kings daughter Behold therefore O yee upright in heart with what manner of love the Lord Jesus Christ hath loved you that hee should desire your beauty not only love you but if uncomely poor wretches make you beautifull according to that Ezech. 16. 13 14. nay not only so but desire your beauty not onely like it but desire it O love infinit love when David sent his servants to let Abigail know that hee desired her beauty marke how she admires at it 1 Sam. 25. 41. shee arose and bowed her selfe on the earth and said Behold let thine handmaid bee a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord Doe you heare this newes O yee daughters of men doe you heare this newes that the King of glory the Lord Jesus Christ that hath no need of you that is infinitly above you hath sent me this day to tell you that hee desires your beauty Rise up O yee Saints bow your selves and say Let us be servants to wash his feet c. Let us bee the doore-keepers of his house his meanest servants No Christians you shall be his sons and daughters Nay hearken O daughters here 's more for you The King desires your beauty Spell this love at leisure and now wash your soules follow after Jesus Christ study it with your most serious thoughts live to it with strictest lives What conversation becommeth the gospell what manner of persons should you be Follow on make haste and rise and follow him singing crying as you goe O the heighth and depth the incomprehensible heighth the unfadomable depth of love wherewith the Lord Jesus Christ hath loved sinners before the beginning of the world c. And lastly 5. Can you learn a lesse result from hence than this that Saints selfe-denying despised Saints are happy creatures Terque quaterque beati blessed againe and againe Surely you have not heard mee all this while but you are preventing me in the words of the Psalmist Happy are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God we may say of them O nimium dilectis Deo creatures strangely beloved of their God strangely happy in this that the King should desire their beauty Let the world scorne one let them put out the finger and barke at the moone let them mock puritanisme let the way of holinesse be every where spoken against pro hominum arbitrio let them talke so long as you gaine you dance before the ark though Michal mock out at the window You shall be more beautifull the more vile they think you it is for the Kings sake that hath desired your beauty and scornd theirs for the Kings sake that hath chosen you to obtaine everlasting life through Jesus Christ but hath ordained them to wrath and neglected their beauty One would not think now that these creatures that ravish Christs heart should offend worldlings eyes so much surely Christ should have no judgement if these were the contemptible ones of the earth the unlovely creatures Well well Christians let them mocke on after the way which they call simplicity and foolery moping c. worship thou the God of thy fathers thou shalt have thy pleasures when they shall have torments thou shalt have thy crowne and honour when the pride of their glory shall bee stained and that shall lie in the dust These children of vanity forget what Abraham though something too late to doe him good advised their brother to remember Luk. 16. 25. That in their life time they received good things and those precious Lazarus'es evill things but yet a little while and you shall be comforted and they tormented yet a little while and you shall be honoured and they shall be cursing the wombe that bare them and the paps that gave them suck cursing the honour that ruin'd them the pleasures that damned them the worldly glory which hath made them inglorious for ever yet a little while and instead of their sweet smels they shall have the stinkes of fire and brimstone and instead of their girdles rentings of heart for ever instead of their well-set haire they shall have baldnesse they shall spend more time in rending and tearing their haire than ever they did in curling or powdring it Yet a little while and instead of their stomachers they shall have girdings with sackcloth everlasting burnings instead of their present beauty But blessed shall you bee for you shall shine like the Sun in the firmament of the father for the King hath desired your beauty I have at last done with my first use of Instruction I proceed now to a second and that shall bee of examination Vse 2 Are you willing now to know Christians whether Jesus Christ cares for you yea or no whether you be desirable in his eyes yea or no heaven and hell hang upon this thing Trie whether you have forgotten your owne people and your fathers house The most men and women are afraid of the touchstone and are willing rather to take heaven for granted though they find hell for certaine but this is not safe with you Trie your selves then Christians I will helpe you a little in so good a work 1. If you have forgotten your fathers house you have first seene a great deale of folly and vanity in it Man is a reasonable creature and will never leave any thing but he will see some cause to leave it Did the Lord ever yet convince you throughly not with a Notionall but an heart conviction of the folly of your fathers house Did the Lord ever throughly convince you of your evill wayes the sinnes of your natures the customary sinnes of your lives of your education sinnes and your beloved sinnes Had you ever a through conviction of the vanity
or deny the same principle Naturall perswasion is no faith if Nature gave thee all thou hast thou hast none at all Secondly If it bee Moralities gift to thee it is no faith I call that a Moral perswasion which is wrought from the consideration and improvement of Morall Principles if thou beest perswaded to rest and rely upon God and his promises for salvation meerely upon this skore I live justly I tythe Mint and Annis I have taken no mans Oxe or Asse from him whom have I defrauded Alas thus Aristides and Cato might beleeve Thirdly If thy Faith be thy grandfathers Legacy to thee it is no hand that will reach the Lord Iesus Christ A traditionall perswasion is no faith If thou beest perswaded that Christ dyed for thee c. upon this skore My Mother told me so our fore-fathers held so and they were wiser than wee c. Alas friend there is as much difference betwixt faith and thy soule as there is betwixt heaven and hell This was the Samaritanes Religion which the good woman was as tenacious of as ours are now of the Common Prayer Book Joh. 4. 20. Our Fathers worshipped in this mountaine and you say in Jerusalem is the place to worship It is the great objection wee have against the Church of Rome That they would have men beleeve as the Church beleeves But for the most part wee are condemned in what we condemne Doe not most men beleeve as their Fathers beleeved What a sinne it is thought to thinke of stripping Queen Elizabeths Reformation Are not most men limitted to this faith and is not here all the perswasion that men have of the saving Truths of God that Christ was God and man that he dyed rose and is ascended Why this was our Fathers Faith this wee were taught when wee were little ones and upon this skore being perswaded they must goe under the Notion of Beleevers and when heaven and hell meet this Faith shall save them Fourthly If thy faith be the Devills gift to thee it is no hand that will reach Christ The Devill hath his Apes-faced-Graces Morall walking instead of Gospell-obedience Feare of Hell in stead of feare of God and so presumption instead of Faith He carries too great designes 1. To flatter the soule to hell by presumption Thinke nothing ill of thy selfe sayes the Devill venture upon God let it never trouble thee venture all yes doe and cry confidently Lord Lord open to me I have prayed in thy name c. Hee knowes well enough that the answer will be Depart from me I know you not you workers of iniquity Feare not saith the Devill to apply hot boiling Lusts to the bleeding wounds of Christ you may rest upon him that dyed for you though you doe not take any such care to live strictly and holily with him other folk shall goe to heaven besides Puritanes God is mercifull Is thy faith such a one as this Christian O tremble at that Mat. 7. 24. And would not one thinke that this were the miserable faith of most of men It is impossible but when you heare so many peales in your eares of repentance as you heare in these dayes but you should have some thoughts what shall become of your poor soules And who so lookes upon your lives againe and seeth no repentance no sitting downe and saying What have I done no care of future obedience but a loose irreligious walking would he not bee confident that the Devill hath perswaded you to venture it is but a soule lost but poor wretch it is lost for ever and Christ is mercifull but to no such hell-hounds as thou art wretch O Lord it would make an heart tremble to come to some poore Creatures upon their Death-bed and examine the condition of their soules Why they are well they rest upon Jesus Christ they are confident he will save them who is bolder than blinde Bayard is our Countrey Proverb though all know the wretch never was sensible of his lost condition nor ever carefull to conforme himself in the least to Jesus Christ Faith is not the devils gift Diabolicall perswasion widely differs from faith But lastly Fiftly Faith is the gift of God It is grounded upon divine perswasion The Spirit of God and the Word of God and the Merits of Jesus Christ these are the grounds that perswade the soule to rely upon Jesus Christ Rom. 14. 14. I know my selfe and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus Christ The worldling is perswaded after another fashion from naturall or morall Principles or Tradition or at best as concerning Ahab 1 Kings 22. 21. There is an evill Spirit gone forth and said I will perswade him and the Lord hath permitted and assented to it ver 22. Thou shalt perswade him and prevaile also But now the child of God is perswaded another way come to him and aske him Christian what perswades thee to rest upon Jesus Christ he answereth with Paul I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus Christ Sir Ah Sir I was despairing almost the spirit of God by its inward motions inclined me to roll my selfe on Christ Or the word of God perswaded me I heard a Voice saying come I knew he that had promised was faithfull and able to performe it Rom. 4. 21. Faith is the gift of God saith the Apostle Ephes 2. 8. It is the Fathers work and gift the Sonnes gift and work the 1 Phil. 3. 9. Spirits worke and the Words worke 1. It is the Fathers worke and gift John 6. 37. All that the Father gives me shall come to me Faith is of his willing John 6. 40. It is the Sons gift and work I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus Christ It is a piece of Grace and Christ is the well-head of all divine Grace 1 Cor. 1. 4. He is therefore called The author and finisher of our faith Hebr. 12. 2. It is the gift and work of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 12. 9. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another faith by the same Spirit It is therefore reckoned as one of the Spirits workes Gal. 5. 22. It is a fruit of the Spirit It is wrought by the Word which therefore is called the Word of faith Rom. 10. 8. Now try thy selfe Christian whether thy hand be a true hand Is thy faith a gift of God wrought by his Spirit and grounded upon his Word such must that hand be that plucketh the fruit of this Apple-tree of free grace Not mans much lesse the devills gift but Gods gift it will quicken thee in Gods wayes but I spake of that before I have now done with my rules of examination the Lord perfect this Application in every one of your soules Use 3 I proceed now to a third Use and and that is of Exhortation To all those that are through the mercy of God recovered out of that sad condition in which we were all by Nature that are now cleansed
which is now glorified with our renewing lusts and corruptions I shall conclude this use with a prayer that God would fulfill to all our soules that gracious promise Zach. 12. 10. That he would poure out the spirit of grace and of supplications upon us and make us to look upon him whom we have pierced and doe pierce daily and mourn as a man mournes for his only Son And be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternes for his first-borne I passe on to a second way of Application viz. by way of Instruction Hath Christ and Christ alone raised us 1. Let us hence be instructed How Instruction much the Lord Jesus Christ loved us And here let my soule be drowned in sweetnesse and in sinking cry out O the depth of unfadomable love What tongue what Saint what Angell can speake out this unspeakable love Pray O pray Christians That Christ Eph. 3. 17 18. may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints What is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Is it love in a friend to passe his word for his friend arrested and ready to be haled to gaole and to take the debt upon himselfe and is it no love in Christ yea is it not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the unspeakable of loves for Jesus Christ when a writ of eternal vengeance was Ready to issue out against you to be your surety and beare the blow off to the breaking of his own armes Was it love in the Roman to personate his friend and upon the Scaffold and after to suffer for him and is it not infinite love for Jesus Christ to take the raggs of your flesh upon him and indeed to dye a death upon the crosse for you for you deare friends for you he was smitten despised rejected of men he dyed to make you live he was content to fall so you might rise Let your thoughts sinke in this ocean and spend your lives in spelling the letters of love that must be joyned in this one word or sentence I Raised thee From hence Secondly be Instructed What a perfect Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ is he leaves nothing for thee to doe but to thanke him hee makes the plaister and layes it on hee trod the Wine-presse alone and there is none with him he hath left thee nothing to do but to believe his last words All is finished he conquered sinne upon the Crosse and death and hell in the grave He will have none to be a sharer with him either in his worke of Merit or Application get but hands he will deliver thee thy pardon ready written granted sealed nay he will help thee with hands too He was made perfect through sufferings Hebr. 2. 10. Heb. 5. 9. Being made perfect hee became the author of salvation to them that obey him 3. From hence againe bee instructed Christian What need thou and every poore soule hath of the Lord Iesus Christ Thou wert fallen and layest as unable to helpe thy selfe as an Infant throwne into an open field Men and Angels were at their wits ends to answer to this question How then can any be saved The Heavens said Salvation was not in them and Earth sayes Salvation is not in us nothing but God-man can doe this great work There is no other name but onely the Name of Iesus by which thou or I or any of the children of men can be saved If thou hast him thou hast enough if thou hast not him it is not all the righteousnesse of Saints and Angels that will make a garment which will not bee too short to cover thy nakednesse O cry Lord give mee Christ Lord give mee Christ or else I dye Thinke not of thy owne merits thy righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloth and as a filthy ragge Christs Righteousnesse is sufficient for thee 4. Let all the redeemed ones of the Lord be instrushed How much they owe and shall for ever owe to him that is become their Saviour It is no slight mercy Sirs to be saved out of everlasting burnings It is a piece of love which as wee can never comprehend so we can never walke up to O let us all say What shall wee render unto the Lord for his mereies wee will take the cup of salvation and praise the Name of the Lord. You would thinke you owed a great deale to him that should exalt you from a Dungeon to a Throne Mephibosheth thought he was mightily honoured to be admitted to eate bread at the Kings Table How much Ah! How much Christians is every of your soules indebted to the Lord Jesus Christ who remembred you in your low estate For his mercy endureth for ever But I passe on further Use 3 From hence may every one try himselfe whether he be raised out of that lost undone condition wherein he was by Nature I have spoke to this in the former Doctrine but because I here meet it so fit again take two Notes of Triall from this Doctrine 1. If you be raised you are raised by Christs merits 2. You are raised according to Christs method 1. If you be raised It is by Christs merits all the Abana and Parphars of thy owne merits would not doe it One drop of that fountaine that was set open for Iudah and Ierusalem for sinne and for uncleanenesse is worth all the waters of thine own Damascus What trusts thou in Christian Is it what thou hast done Alas thou art so far from having any naturall strength as Pelagians and Arminians dreame or any other strength of merits either of thy owne or thy friends which Papists dreame of that if all the Saints in the earth and all the Angels of heaven could unite their forces in one arme and to one act they could as little have lifted thee up out of the pit into which thou wert fallen as thou couldst lift up an house with the palme of thy hand if it were fallen downe It was onely this mighty one this Prince of glory this King of power that could doe it Say therefore as they say that great Papist concluded Tutissimum est Christi merit is confidere it is most safe onely to rest upon him believe it all other trusts are as the bruised Reed of Egypt and as the broken staffe of Assyria which if thou trusteth too they run into thy hand and pierce thee they will cause thee to fall many strides short of heaven when they have carried thee to their furthest their Nil ultra O trust not in them if there be all thy confidence thou art not yet raised 2. If Christ hath raised you it hath been in his method of Application Christ saves none but whom he sanctifies and sanctifies none but whom he justifies and justifieth none but whom he calls Some men are justified they think but they know not which way and
capable of that literall sense Others are against this partly because as they say that marriage of Solomons was wicked and against Gods Law Deut. 7. and partly because it is probable that Solomon having before that time as 1 King 3. 3. the feare of the Lord in his heart it is not probable he would have contracted that marriage had not she first contracted to have forsaken her fathers house which the Hebrewes also say was one of the marriage-Articles But it is probable that that marriage gave occasion to the writing of this Psalme and for the reason against it Rivet answers by a Rule of S. Hieroms Homines mali in re non bona sanctissimarum rerum imo ipsius Dei typi esse possunt That In Scripture evill men and that in wicked actions are oft-times types of holy actions and that of Gods owne too oft times Ishmael was a type of the old Testament according to the Apostle an many other instances might bee given Whether it be a Type or an Allegory is not much materiall nor worth the disputing Rivet thinks neither sense improbable but conceives it might be both nor do I see any thing of value against it In the Psalme observe 1. The Preface verse 1. Wherein he Psalmist declares the readinesse of his heart and instinct of the spirit putting him upon the Composure of it 2. The narrative part of the Psalm from the 2 verse to the last 3. The Conclusion of it verse ult In the narrative part is something 1. Relating to the Bridegroom 2. Relating to the Bride The Bridegroome is commended from his Beauty v. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men 2. From his Eloquence v. 2. Grace is powred into thy lips 3. From the blessing of God upon him God hath blessed thee for ever 4. From his Glory and Majesty v. 3. 5. From his successe v. 4. 6. From his Temper and Disposition verse 4. 7. From his Valour verse 4 5 6. 8. From the nature of his Kingdome v. 6. 9. From his love to Justice v. 7. 10. From the perfume of his Garments v. 8. 11. From his choice in his Queene and his Attendants v. 9. So farre it relates to the Bridegroome The other part relates to the Bride and in it is a Lesson of Instruction and Exhortation read to her prest from severall Motives The Exhortation is in the two verses in which my Text lyes And it is foure-fold prest from severall Arguments In the Text then you may consider 1. An Exhortation enforced upon the former Description 2. Severall Motives to presse this Exhortation 1. In the first consider 1. The person exhorted set out by the name of Daughter O Daughter 2. The Exhortation which is five-fold 1. Hearken 2. Consider 3. Incline thin eare 4. Forget thy people and thy fathers house 5. Worship him 3. The Motives inforcing it which are 1. The former description of him now thou art married to such an husband hearken c. 2. The Relation of Daughter Children should harken to their Parents 3. Shee should bee beautifull 4. Her beauty should be desireable 5. The King should desire it yea greatly desire her beauty Let me a little open the words and then proceed O Daughter Quae consentit viro in matrimonium est viro in loco filiae saith Rivet The woman that consents to her Husband in marriage is to him in stead of a Daughter So saith the Parable 2 Sam. 12. 3. The Ewe-lambe which signified the wife laid in the poore mans bosome and was unto him as a daughter Jer. 3. 4. Wilt thou not from henceforth crie unto me Thou art my Father the guide of my youth the guide of her youth that is an Husband and yet her Father God can marry his Daughter and yet the marriage not be incestuous Yea hee first marryes the soule and then makes it his Daughter according to that 2 Cor. 6. 18. Wherefore come out from amongst them and be yee separate saith the Lord and I will be a Father unto you and you shall be to me Sonnes and Daughters saith the Lord Daughters by Adoption Gal. 4. 6. Nor in vaine called a Daughter It is a courteous compellation as both Rivet and Mollerus note by which the Lord will let his Saints know that he will extend towards them the care of a father as well as the love of an Husband he will love them like an husband and protect them like a father Hearke Christians Saints are Sons and Daughters as wel as Spouses to Christ If he be a father where is his honour If an husband where his love But to proceed Hearken O Daughter Audi filia What should shee heare Shee should heare her husband There was a voice from heaven Matth. 17. 5. This is my well-beloved Son heare him Christs Sheep are eare-marked John 10. 11. The good sheep are thus markt They hear his voice Faith comes by hearing yea and it growes up by hearing too they are over-growne Saints that are growne past Ordinances I am afraid they are growne out of Christs knowledge it is the deafe adder stops her eare Davids eare was opened Psal 40. They that are too proud to heare Christs Voice on Earth I am afraid will be thought too vile ever to see his face in heaven Hearken therefore O Daughter Gods way to the Heart lies through the Eare that 's his ordinary way if he at any time comes another way I am afraid it is not when wee have wilfully blockt that up but when himselfe hath stopt it Hearken O Daughter and Consider or see vide First heare then see There is a seeing of Faith Faith is the daughter of hearing the Eare must open before the soule Doe not onely heare but also see Hearing is not enough He that beleeveth not is damned already Seeing may bee of experience As wee have heard so have we seene in the City of our God The soule that heares well shall see Iohn 1. 50. Because I said unto thee I saw thee under the Fig-tree beleevest thou thou shalt see greater things than these Faith must goe before Sight but Sight shall succeed saith yet Faith is a Sight though not of experience And incline thine eare Expositors make this Phrase to containe three things 1. A Repetition of the first Branch Hearken It is a difficult duty the word is doubled that it may bee inforced the Psalmist speaks twice considering our deafnesse yet he speaks louder in this than in the other phrase Secondly therefore To incline the eare is more than to heare it doth argue a notable stirring of Attention Hee that inclines his eare affert aliquem animi motum propensionem quickens up his minde and brings with him to the duty a readinesse of Spirit and an intentnesse of minde 3. Inclining the Eare say some is Nota demissionis a Note of that subjection and obedience which should bee found in the Spouse of the Lord Jesus Christ toward him It followeth
particulars as briefely as I can The soule must forget the manners of its Fathers house Our Fathers house ever since God and hee parted houses in Paradise is an house of ill manners an house of sinne and wickednesse Now every soule that would make it selfe beautions or desireable in the sight of Christs eyes must shake hands with sin Is 55. 7. Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne to the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and unto our God and he will abundantly pardon him ay then the King shall desire his beauty but first let him forget the manners of his Fathers house All sinne must bee forgotten But I take it especially foure sorts of sinnes are hinted to us in this Phrase and may more properly be called the sinnes of our Fathers house 1. Originall sinne If we have any thing of Grace or Goodnesse wee never learn'd that at home It is the gift of God through the tutoring of the Spirit But for Sinne wee need not goe abroad to learne that it was bred in the bone that 's one reason why it will never out of the flesh Ez. 16. Thy Father was an Amorite and thy Mother an Hittite We are chilnren of wrath by nature Ephes 2. 3. Psal 51. 4. In sinne did my mother conceive me Now this must be forgotten this is a piece of our Fathers house Men and Women you know are usually borne in their Fathers House We are all borne in the house of bondage which must be forgotten if ever the soule be desireable to Jesus Christ It is a usuall saying of Divines that he that was never truely humbled for Originall sinne was never truely humbled for any sinne 2. The sinnes of our Education The Fathers house is the house where the Childe is brought up All sinne is not bred in us that which is bred in us may bee improved Originall sinne is sinne in the seed Actuall sinne is sinne in the Blade and Fruit. The World is a dusty house you can set a Creature in never a corner of it but it will contract some dust Joseph by being in the King of Egypts house learn'd to sweare by his Masters life According to different breedings are men addicted to different Vanities whether pleasure or honour c. Now when the soul comes unto Christ he must come off these he must forget his Fathers house all his vaine sinfull breeding and all the filth his soule hath contracted by reason of it 3. Sinnes of Conversation and company The Fathers house and the company of it is the childs company those of his Fathers house are his owne people It is true as well for Religion as any thing else Magni refert quibuscum convixeris It is a great matter with whom we converse from accompanying with vaine persons thou shalt learne to bee vaine Cum lupis ululare When the soule comes to Christ it must leave all sins thus contracted they are part of the manders of the Fathers House Paul left his Pharisaisme that he had learnt at Gamaliels feet 4. Customary sinnes must bee left The Child learnes customes in his Fathers House Customary sinning must be left of that soule that would render it selfe for beauty desireable to Jesus Christ Those sinnes which are to the soule as the Leopards spot and the blacknes of the blackamores skinne Inded this is hard Custome hatcheth a second nature Jer. 13. 23. How can you that are accustomed to doe evill do well Yet it must bee done the Fathers house must be forgotten ill customes must be laid aside or good ones wil not be taken up 5. Beloved sinnes must be left Every thing of the Fathers House almost is deare to the child But the dearest sinne must bee shaken hands with Matth. 18. 9. If it bee a right hand it must be cut off if a right eye it must be pluckt out Our Members must be Mortified Col. 3. 5. Thus the maners of our Fathers house must be forgotten All sinnes but especially these sinnes I proceed now Secondly The soule must forget the Company of us Fathers house What is that you will say I will answer you in two particulars 1. Our most near and dearest Relations See Luke 14. 26. If a man commeth to me saith Christ and hateth not Father and Mother and Children and Brethren and Wife and Sisters yea and his own life also he is not worthy of mee He shall not bee so beautifull not so beautifull as that the King shall desire his beauty As it was said Levi did in another sense so must the Saint doe in some sense He must say unto his Father and to his Mother I have not seen him neither must hee acknowledge his Brethren nor know his owne children Otherwise he will never have Levie's Character to bee one that observeth the Lords Word and keeps his Covenant Not that Religion teacheth or commandeth or indureth a Saint to break the tyes of all Religion No besides that it doth not discharge a Saint of his Duty of Nature it puts in a Plea also against such unnaturalnesse Honour thy Father and Mother c. is the fifth Commandement the first with promise saith the Apostle neither doth it allow a Saint to rob his parents of their due with saying Corban it is a gift The Ravens of the valleys shall picke out the eyes of such persons as well as the Devill hath done of their Religion Neither doth it discharge a Saint of his providentiall duty and respect to his relation Hee that provides not for his Family is worse than an Infidell 1. In point of due honour 2. In point of naturall affection 3. In point of Providentiall care Wee must not forget the Company of our Fathers House Gods Commands doe not enterfiere nor will the Gospell in that case give a supersedeas to the Law But 1. if God and they draw severall wayes if the Parents commands crosse Gods then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is better to obey God than men The Parent is to command for God not against him subordinately not supremely he must be obeyed for Gods sake and God too for his sake as by his command he seconds God but Parents can as little yea less discharge the child of its duty to God than the Pope can discharge the Subject of his Allegiance to his Prince 2. If their love becken us out of the way when God calls us or would intice us to make halts in our running through fire and water to him then wee must forget them I have somewhere met with a Speech of St. Hierome to that purpose Saith hee If the Lord Christ should call me to him though my Father should lye in my way and my Mother should hang about my neck I would goe over my Father and shake off my Mother and runne to my Christ Shetterden a Martyr as it is storied of him writ to his Mother thus Dear Mother imbrace the Counsell of
Gods Word with Heart and Affection read it with obedience so shall we meet in joy at the last day Or else I bid you farewell for ever In these now and such like cases that soule that would make its beauty desireable in the eyes of Jesus Christ must like Levi say to his Father and his Mother I have not seen you in these cases he must not acknowledge his Brethren nor know his owne Children They stand in Christs way and Christ calls hastily The Saint must spare no time to parley Naturall affection with them he must forget his Fathers house the deare company of it his Rolations Secondly all sinfull Company is the Company of our Fathers house The Company of fooles as Solomon calls it Now all this must be forgotten or else in stead of being saved thy soule will bee destroied Prov. 13. 20. A Companion of fooles shall bee destroied Psalme 119. 63. I am a companion saith David of those that fear thee You must leave your swearing Company and your drinking Company and your vain Company or the King will never desire your beauty The soul that would render it selfe desireable in the eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ must make all its delight with David in those that excell in vertue the Saints upon the earth Saul before his Conversion was a companion of those that stoned Stephen and persecuted the Saints Like to like for himselfe consented to his death and was a Persecutor but no sooner had the Lord made his Motion to him but he forgat this company and assayed to joyne himselfe to the Church Thirdly the soule that would render its beauty desireable in Jesus Christs eyes must forget the Honour and Pompe and Riches and Greatnesse of his Fathers house all the high-Towers and Treasures of it c. They that will be Christs Disciples must not take up Crownes and advance themselves and follow him No they must deny themselves and take up the crosse and follow him their Crownes must be of Thornes made after their Masters Coppy They must not be such as love the uppermost roomes at Feasts and the chiefe seats of the Synagogues and Greetings in the Market and to be called of men Rabbi Rabbi Bee not yee call'd Rabbi saith Christ for one is your Master even Christ and all yee are brethren Hee that is greatest amongst them that are Saints must be as a Servant Matth. 23. 7 8 9 10. They must forget that naturall itching which is in the children of Adam usually and must be scratched with Madam or Rabbi or some high-swelling words of vanity they must not bee such as will swell like that Toad Haman if Mordecay give him not the knee or if their Brother give them not the wall or the way Saints are no such creatures they are such as are not at all taken with any such high titles but Rom. 12. 10. In honour they prefer one before another And they must look upon it as the greatest honor in the world not that they are masters and descended atavis Regibus of great Parentage c. but that they are servants of Jesus Christ the name of Christian the badge of honour first created at Antioch must appeare to them better than the names of Lord or Lady Theodosius was wont they say more to glory that hee was a servant of Christ than that hee was Emperour of the East Now I say That soule that would make its beauty desirable to Christ must forget all these not affect any of them not value them for hee that exalteth himselfe shall bee abased and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Behold a miracle saith Mat. 23. 12. Augustine God is an high God yea the most high yet the higher thou liftest up thy selfe the further thou art off him the lower thou humblest thy selfe the nearer he drawes to thee he looks neare to the humble that he may raise them up but sees the proud afarre off that hee may depresse them The proud Pharisee prest as neare God as hee could the poore Publican durst not but stood afarre off God was farre from the one and neare to the other The high towers of the fathers house must bee forgotten yea and so must all the rich coffins and chests of it these are part of the furniture of our fathers house You know what Christ said to the young man when he seemed to bee in love with Christ Matth. 19. 21. If thou wilt be perfect if thou wilt make thy beauty a desirable beauty Goe and sell all that thou hast and give to the poore and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow mee and againe v. 24. It is easier for a camell to goe through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God You know what Christ saies Mat. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poore are those that are gospellized But to proceed yet The soule that would render its beauty desirable in Christs eyes must forget the pleasures and vanities of its fathers house all that is in the world 1 Joh. 2. 16. whether it be the lust of the eyes or the lust of the flesh or the pride of life When the Apostle speaks of lovers of pleasures he puts in more than lovers of God 2 Tim. 3. 4. Jude tels us such as are sensuall have not the spirit Jude 18. 19. Iob in the description of the wicked Job 21. 12 13. tels us that they are such as take up the tymbrell and harpe and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ their children dance they spend their dayes in wealth c. These are they that say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of his wayes What is the Almighty that wee should serve him and what profit is there that we should pray unto him v. 15. Their fiddles must be laid in the water of true repentance and contrition The daughters of pleasure must undresse if they will be beautifull in Christs eyes they must lay aside their paintings and dressings their curlings and perfumings of the haire where as hee wittily sayes the powder doth forget the dust their ornament must not be the outward adorning of plaiting the haire and of wearing gold and putting on of apparell but the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3. 3 4. The daughters of pleasure must undresse I say for the Lord as he threatned hee would doe in the day of judgement Is 3. 18 19 20. so in the day of mercy to the soule of the vaine creature hee will also take away the bravery of their tinckling ornaments about their feet and their cauls and their round tyres like the moone the chaines and the bracelets and the mufflers the bonnets and the ornaments of the legs and the head-bands and the tablets and the carerings and the
the most part of the world yea of those that the world most esteemes of and sets the highest rate and value upon are poore indesirable uncomely wretches in the eyes of Jesus Christ Christ's eye sees not as mans eye seeth man seeth beauty where Christ seeth none man seeth a desirablenesse where Christ's eye seeth none man dotes upon what Christ cares not for man calleth the proud blessed but the Lord's soule abhorreth them they have not yet left their owne people and their fathers house You see many a gallant strut it in the world and who but they are the people of fashion as you call them the glory the beauty of the world every one admires them c. many that in respect of their wisdome or parts or behaviour and civility are the desire of those amongst whom they live and there is not one in ten of all these that the Lord Jesus Christ hath any desire too they are poore uncomely indesirable creatures in Christ's eyes notwithstanding all their honour and greatnesse and nobility notwithstanding all their beauty whether naturall or artificiall borrowed from the Painter or Taylor notwithstanding all these Christ seeth no excellency in them at all The vaine creature dotes Christ scornes the vain creature loves Christ sees no lovelinesse in them but looketh upon them black with the soot of hell eyes their countenance all blots and their soules too the vaine creature preferres them there 's many a poore creature that lives in a cottage that is at an higher rate in Christ's thoughts the poore wormes soule is carried out to desire matches an union and a communior with them Jesus Christ scornes them and hath no desire either to any union or to enjoy any communion with them Christ saith of such vaine creatures There go poor wretches that my soule loathes I am sick of them ashamed of them as my creatures And is this nothing to you O you sons and daughters is this nothing to you it vexeth you to think that you live in a place where none desires you and if you were gone none would lament you It was an untoward character of an unworthy Emperour is it no trouble to you to think I live not desired not cared for of Jesus Christ Zeph. 2. 1. The Lord cals his people to repentance under this notion Gather together O nation un desired O that it might call you to some serious thoughts vaine creatures you are people not desired of the Lord Jesus Christ as uncomely and despised in his eyes as you are beautifull and admired in the eyes of men nay and more and let me tell you in your eares and oh that it may make your hearts rend and your eares tingle if you be not desired of him here you shall never enjoy him nor be enjoyed of him hereafter Haman was such a poore wretch the King had ennobled him every hat and knee did him homage and took notice of the Kings respects to him at last hee came to the gibbet have a care poore creatures else though you compasse your selves about with sparkes poore sparkes of friends honours riches pleasures sparks that will extinguish as quickly as rise yet this and onely this you shall have at the Lords hand you shall lie downe in sorrow everlasting sorrow you shall lie down in hell It is an ill place to leave you in but the Lord pluck you as firebrands out of the burning I passe on 2. From what you have heard you may be instructed which way the way to heaven lies and 2. That it is no easie way we are all pilgrims and strangers here we were bred so our fathers were so Now the journies end which all pretend to though the most ride backward the coast which all say they are bound for which way soever their compasse guides them is Heaven this is omnibus in Voto though few so runne that they may obtaine But hath any blind or misled traveller a mind to know the way Is any poore soule startled this day doth hell-fire flash in any of your faces and are you crying out Sir What shall we doe to be saved which way lies our way to heaven Learne hence that the next way to heaven is not the beaten road but quite crosse Natures-fields and so through the long street of selfe-deniall and up the mountaine of holinesse at the top of which you shall see God it lies over hedge and ditch over rockes and mountaines you must leave your youth sinnes as you goe on your right hand your education and custome sinnes on your left hand your beloved sinnes behind you if your father or mother or husband or wife or brother or sister or child lie in your way you must make no halis but over their necks if all your vaine acquaintance your drunken swearing wanton companions stand of each side and becken you another way you must decline their invitation and go quite crosse you must tread upon all your glory and pompe and greatnesse you must avoid the mountaine of Gold and the rocks of Pearle you must take heed of the pleasant brook of carnall and vain pleasures avoid your dancing and painting and patching and decking your selves In short you must put your selfe in an habit fit to carry a crosse This is the next way to heaven And now I need not tell you in the second place That strait is the way and narrow is the gate that leads to everlasting life and few there be that find it By this time you will know that if you will goe to heaven you must goe like and with very few in this age of wantonnesse and dotage By this time you will easily ghesse sinners are out of the way and proud men are out of the way those that glory in riches and worldly greatnesse are out of the way the carelesse daughters of Sion that stretch out their necks and mince it as they goe are out of the way the selfe-righteous men are out of the way Ah Lord who are in it Heaven is a difficult journey it is an hard way to find it is hard to flesh and blood to doe these things It was the Martyrs speech that the crosse way was the way to heaven The way to heaven is astrait way no dancing way dancers must have the elbowroome of hell-road they that will walke in this strait way must croud they must not thinke to walk thither in state no they must croud and never bee afraid of wrimpling a neat handkerchiefe or cuffe it is not opus pulvinaris said one but pulveris you shall be sure to meet with all the opposition that nature can make all the forces of flesh and bloud and all the forces the devill can adde who then shall be saved even those that God hath appointed to life those to whom the Lord shall give such an heart as I have told you strait is the way and few there be that find If you will have a broader way you may
betimes believe it there will bee more weeping else when you come to part Dir. 4 Lastly Crie crie mightily unto God that he would take off your heart Believe it it must be his work you will be wearied else in the multitude of your owne indeavours if the Lord draw off the heart it will be drawne indeed Be much in publique prayer but especially be much in secret prayer I must conclude 2. Br. Lastly you that have been taught of the Lord to forget your fathers house that so the King might desire your beauty Let mee plead with you still to forget it more Selfe-deniall is a long and hard lesson a Christian must be learning it from his cradle to his grave and every time hee studies it hee shall find something to be done that is yet behind and all that he hath done to bee done better you have learned in part how to doe it I need not direct you you need no other directions then 1. To study every day more and more the vanitie of the creature Read over the book of Ecclesiastes well it is enough to teach you that lesson 2. Converse little with your fathers house have as little to doe with the world the pleasures or profits or riches or companie or manners of it as you can the lesser the better 3. Be more acquainted with Jesus Christ get neerer to him bee more in communion with him get more tasts of Heaven Earthw ill relish the worse for it I might presse upon you the same motives I urged before and I should doe it with advantages you know what this King is how much to bee desired how much to bee odored you know what a difference there is betwixt the worlds comelinesse and the comelinesse which hee putteth upon his Saints Let mee onely urge one word or rather name it Some read the words quia concupivit Because the King hath desired thy beauty here 's an argument an engaging argument to a Saint The Lord hath effectually made it knowne in your soules that hee desires your beauty more than tenne thousands of others Hee hath whispered not onely in your eares but in your heart his desire to you Ah now Christians be you humble self-denying ones because the King hath desired your beauty Let the love of Christ constraine you to order your hearts and conversations as becommeth the Gospell of the Lord Jesus Christ According to the lawes of this King that hath so passionately desired and so effecaciously declared his desire to your beauty I must have done The Lord adde his blessing FINIS THE RIGHT VVAY TO TRUE PEACE OR A discovery of a Gospell-Mystery how the spirit that is troubled may find Peace in Christ and how A Christian may know whither the Peace which his spirit hath in trouble or with which it comes out of any trouble be Christ's Peace Discovered in a Sermon Joh. 16. 33. By John Collings M. A. Preacher of Gods word in Norwich Joh. 14. 1. Let not your hearts be troubled you believe in God believe also in me London Printed for R. Tomlins 1649 To the Right Honourable the Lady Katharine Courteen Grace Mercy and true Peace Madam WHen this Sermon was first preach'd your Honour was pleased to entitle your selfe to it conceiving it which indeed was composed for my selfe to have been prepared and suted to the temper of your Ladiships spirit at that time So farre my Master onoured me that day as to doe him a double work with the same hand Truly Madam it was a salve provided for my owne use and not intended further than for my friends in that assembly where first I published it and accordingly was laid up in my closet till I brought it forth privately for the use of some other noble friends who were better able then my selfe to judge of the efficacy of it having received from some of them a probatum est and God having made it acceptable and in their estimation more usefull than my own low opinion of the workman's pains in it conceived it They were pleased to desire the recent which to spare my owne paines in transcribing it was the onely cause of my least thoughts of the publication of it Truly Madam in these unhappy times wherein the Presse is become such a prostitute I think I may easily be excused of my ambition to have this or any other worthlesse notes of mine come under it To abate the noise of many things in Print which believe it sounds not at all sweet in my eares I have desired it should be added to some former Sermons which before were in the Printers hands in which also I satisfied but his desires in denying my selfe in my owne But to those worthlesse precedent pieces it comes in a fit place The first of the Sermons tels us what is the state of the Elect by nature The second what is their estate in Christ and describes their way of Restauration The third points out their duty as redeemed ones to lean upon their beloved The fourth minds them of the Saints great duty of selfe-denyall Now in regard that the soule reconciled to God may bee sometimes saying where is my God become and as there is none lives and sins not so none shall live but at one time or other shall meet with trouble I have added this to the other in which I have endeavoured to discover to a Christian how hee may recover his quiet and in the midst of those troubles which in the world hee shall bee sure to meet with find that peace which passeth all understanding The first of these Sermons shews us our originall want of peace being not reconciled to God The second describes our Peace-maker and his severall acts both of purchase and application by which he both made peace for his elect in generall and applies it to each of them in particular The third discovers the instrument and directs the soul in the particular use of Faith which is the instrument to convey this peace to the soule upon all occasions The fourth will teach the soule how to keep its peace And this in case the soule hath lost its peace and the spirit of the Christian bee over whelmed with trouble wil in some measure direct him how to find his peace and how to come out of trouble by the hand of Christ Madam this is a great Gospell mystery It is a subject that deserved a more learned pen and one more experienced in the wayes of God to have discussed and resolved it than that poore worthlesse creature who hath undertaken it That in the world the Saints must look for trouble your Honour knowes I believe by as sad experiences as most of those that tread the wayes of God That in the midst of these troubles in Christ the soule of the Christian may have peace This Text and Sermon Madam I trust wil sufficiently make good both by generall proofe and particular demonstrations In troubles to have peace is no
you have learn'd of Christ for hee is meek and lowly see Luk. 14. 26 33. concerning this note Christ in plaine English saith whosoever hath it not cannot be his Disciple it is the first lesson of Grace Deny your selves But are you humble and selfe-denying ones selfe-loathing and abhorring creatures doe you even loath your naturall selfe and hate your righteous selfe and forsake all your selfe then are you Christs Disciples doth the spirit of Christ which is the spirit of meeknesse dwell in you and rest upon you then have you learnd of him 5. If you beare the crosse with that faith and patience which you should bear it then you may know you are Christ's Disciples Luk. 14. 27. without this you cannot be Christ's Disciple there is nothing shall more evidence a Christian to himselfe and to others to bee Christ's Disciple than his religious bearing of the crosse his religious carriage under trialls and burthens of spirit this is a great peece of the way in which Christ will be followed of all those that are his Disciples Lastly If you love one another then you may know and all men may know concerning you that you are Christs Disciples Joh. 13. 35 By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if you love one another Saint John in his Epistles beates much upon this to love the Saints meerly because they are Saints not for their good nature or wit or parts or greatnesse or any respect but impartially because they are Saints It is a good note By these things you shall know your selves whether you be Christs Disciples or no if you be you have a title to his peace And from what you have heard that true peace for the soule in the midst of this worlds troubles is only to be found in Christ and onely that which is drawne from Christ Every Christian hath ground to bring the peace of his spirit the comming of his spirit after trouble to the touchstone that he may be able to know whether it be Christs peace or his owne I shall give you five or six notes for that 1. If it be drawne from some word of God it is true peace Thy soule hath been troubled thy spirit hath been burthened now it is quieted I pray how came your spirit off trouble what was it that helpt thy spirit out of the miry clay what didst thou close with some Gospell-promises didst thou bosome a promise and was that peace to thee this is Christs peace such a peace was Davids Psal 119. 50. This is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickened mee so v. 81. My soule fainteth for thy salvation but I hope in thy word so v. 114. Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy word so v. 147. Davids peace was drawne from the word of God from what God had spoken in reference to him in particular or at least in generall to one in such a condition Jer. 15. 16. Thy words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto mee the joy and rejoycing of my heart Many a poore soule before me I doubt not but hath known this way of getting peace when his spirit hath beene full of trouble that he hath not known what to doe perhaps hath not been able to eat or drink or sleep through anguish of heart perhaps a Minister hath been made the sweet messenger of peace to the soule and God hath used him as an instrument to mind the soule of some promise or other which at such a time hath come into the soule as water to the thirsty ground and hath been even as an apple of gold in a picture of silver perhaps the spirit of God according to that promise Joh. 14. 26. Brings to remembrance something that Christ hath spoken some generall promise or some particular promise which proves as the balme of Gilead to the soule to heale its wounds This is a Gospell-peace a sweetly made peace a peace of Christs making in the soule according to the text 2. If thy peace ariseth from a due consideration and application of some thing in the nature of God as hee hath revealed his nature to us whether it be from Gods will or 2. from the meditation of Gods mercy and goodnesse or 3. from a meditation of Gods faithfulnesse the consideration of many things in Gods nature may command peace in a soule but especially these three are fountaines out of which the Saint drawes peace The consideration of the stroke that Gods will had in Davids affliction brought him peace Psal 39. 9. I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because I knew it was thy doing hence was Elie's peace 1 Sam. 3. 18. when his eares amongst the rest could not but tingle at Samuels news hee said It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good Hence was Hezekiah's peace when he could not but bee troubled to heare what should become of his sons and daughters 2 Kin. 20. 17 18. yet hee had peace v. 19. he said good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken Hence was those good peoples peace Acts 21. 13 14. They were troubled at Pauls departure considering what Agabus had prophesied concerning him v. 11. At last they quieted themselves and their minds stood upon this bottom v. 14. They said The will of the Lord be done now if thy peace be concluded upon this account the Lord hath sent a grievous crosse a grievous affliction upon thee and thou wert troubled but thou begannest to think why this was the will of the Lord concerning mee this is the Lords doing and upon the due meditation of this thy spirit growes quiet out of a meere submission and obedience to Gods dispensation This is true peace it was the Saints peace 2. Or perhaps it is from a due meditation of the Lords mercy and goodnesse thou hast a crosse and triall befallen thee but thou beginnest to think well yet the Lord is good to my soule yet the mercy of the Lord indureth for ever and upon this consideration thy soule hath peace this is true peace upon this account was the Churches peace Lam. 3. 21. This I recall to mind therefore have I hope It is of the Lords mercies that wee are not consumed because his compassions faile not they are new every morning c. v. 25. The Lord is good to them that wait upon him even to the soule that seeketh him c. Hence shee concludes peace in sad troubles 3. Or is it from a consideration of the nature of God in his faithfulnesse Lam. 3. 23. Great is thy faithfulnesse Thou sittest down with thy selfe and considerest why am I troubled the Lord hath promised that joy shall be to the upright of heart and that light shall arise out of darknesse to the upright and that though sorrow be for a night yet joy shall come in the morning This God is a faithfull God hee hath said it and shall hee not