cary away all the preferment and yet when the question is concerning the chiefe preferment of all which is to be a found Christian they put euery body before themselues they are content that others shall be Kings but they will be vassalls vnto sinne and Sathan What folly or rather madnesse is this Doe they imagine that they shall not come to iudgement as well as others Doth not experience manifest vnto them that age creepeth vpon them as well as vpon others That sicknesse taketh hold of them as well as of others That horrible vexations and terrours doe sease on them as vvell as on others And why then doth it not enter into their hearts that damnation belongs vnto them as well as vnto others if by speedy repentance they doe not preuent the same Now as some doe fondly and falsly conceiue that they shall be boren vvith in regard of their greatnesse so doe others hope in regard of their meanenesse to be dispensed with We are poore day-labourers and seruants say they who are to be imployed in worldly affaires and to spend our whole time that way I hope it is not required of vs that wee should be skild in the scriptures be able to conceiue prayer able to admonish offenders c. And therefore either they absent themselues from the Church altogether or els are carelesse and negligent and sleepie when they are there and if they be called to an account and examined vvhat they remember they make answere that they are wearied out with labouring in the weeke dayes and therefore they must haue rest vpon the Sabbath day That they were hired for their worke and that they will doe and no more they will not be examined nor catechized nor be held to any such strict orders But doth not the Lord in his holy word require obedience of poore men and of seruants as farre forth as of any Doth not he in the fourth commandement enioyne them to obserue not a bodily rest alone as beasts doe but an holy rest And whereas they say that they are so toyled out with worke that they cannot listen to Gods word that is but a fleshly and diuellish excuse for vvhen the Sermon is ended they are fresh and liuely enough to follow after their sports and sinnefull recreations if they may haue libertie so to doe and can take more paines that way than they haue done in their callings all the weeke before and therefore these vaine shifts shall not serue their turnes Gods threatnings are denounced against them and his iudgements haue beene executed vpon such as they are heeretofore and so shall they be still profane seruants and sinnefull poore men were not spared in the destruction of the olde world and of Sodom and Gomorra and wee reade in the Gospell that at the comming of Christ those that are labouring in the Field Mat. 24.40.41 and women that are grinding at the Mill shall be some of them cast off vnto destruction as well as others are receiued vnto saluation But all seruants are not of so meane a condition as some but there are a second sort that haue another pretence for their casting off of Christ his yoake and they are such as are followers of great men who alledge that it is not for their Masters honour for them to be religious or as they tearme it precise but to be proud and quarrelsome to be ruffians and roisters to be swearers and blasphemers to be drunkards and whore-Maisters these they thinke be for the credite of the house vnto which they appertaine and by these practises they hope to be-please their Masters But when they haue spent their daies in these courses can their Masters saue them from perdition which by their leudnesse they haue iustly deserued no surely the holy Ghost speaking of the mighty ones of the world sayth Psal 49.7.8 that they cannot redeeme their brother nor giue his ransome to God they cannot procure their naturall life to be prolonged one day nay nor one moment much lesse can they purchase the redemption of their soules that they should liue for euer and that in perpetuall blisse and happinesse Others there are that thinke they may haue a tolleration to be vaine and sinnefull because they are yong especially if they haue this resolution that when their youthfull bloud is spent and the vigour of their bodies gone they will betake themselues to more sober courses and repent for that which is past but till that time if they take their libertie vpon the Lords day and liue in idlenesse and profanenesse euery day you must pardon them but will God pardon them doth not he say Remember thy creatour in the dayes of thy youth Eccles 12.1 whiles the euill dayes come not nor the yeeres approach wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them And if they will not take his aduise marke what he sayth in another place Reioyce Eccles 11.9 O yong man in thy youth and let thine heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth c. This they can well like of be too ready to put in practise but what followeth But know sayth the Lord that for all these things thou must be brought to iudgement Dauid found that the sinnes of his youth lay heauy vpon him and therefore prayeth God would not remember them Psal 25.7 and shall we make so light of them Paul admonisheth Timothy a very sanctified and mortified yong man to flie the lusts of youth and shall we let loose the raines thereunto as if they were matters of nothing ah let vs not be so foole-hardie vnto our owne ruine and ouerthrow but considering how fearfully the Lord doth iudge many young men that giue vp themselues to fornication and adulterie and theft and all manner of vile and sinfull behauiour as namely that some of them die an vntimely death being either brought to the gallowes or some other way strangely cut off and that others hauing great reuenewes left vnto them are notwithstanding cast into extreme miserie and necessitie and that some others being well descended are for all that branded with egregious infamie and reproch considering I say these and the like extraordinary tokens of Gods heauie displeasure against sundrie lisencious yong men let vs take warning by their example and consecrate the first fruits of our yeeres vnto him by spending our time religiouslie and profitablie in some good course or other Secondly Vse 2 sithence the care of saluation pertaineth vnto all indifferently let Ministers hence learne to deale equally with those that are vnder their charge and not know any man after the flesh to respect him more or lesse for that hee is rich or poore high or low or the like but giue euery one their due portion of spirituall food which they in the wisedome of the Spirit iudge to be most fit for them let them not feare to administer an admonition or reprehension to the greatest and wealthiest neither let them
Phil. 2.12 not being so presumptuous as many are who hauing had some illumination in heauenly things and some flashes of good motions in their hearts presently conclude that they are in the state of grace and can neuer fall away from the faith and therevpon take libertie vnto themselues to walke in many inordinate courses which tend much to the dishonour of God and the discredit of the Gospell and let them be admonished and haue the iudgements of God denounced against their sinnes they set light thereby and professe that they feare not the threatnings of the Word as knowing that they cannot but be saued Let vs beware of this carelesse disposition and hearken rather vnto the aduice of the Prophet Dauid who biddeth vs serue the Lord in feare and reioyce before him with trembling Psal 2. for notwithstanding their carnall confidence and boldnesse they may nay they shall except they take better wayes bee vtterly disappointed of their expectation for no prophane person hath any communion with the holy God 2. Cor. 7. and vnlesse they clense themselues from all filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit the promises of life belong not vnto them Would we then build our assurance vpon a firmer foundation then such kind of persons do Vse 2 then let vs rowse vp our selues from that dead slumber of securitie and set straight steps in the pathes of righteousnesse and while we haue light let vs conscionably walke in the same for we know not how soone it may be taken from vs. It is recorded by the Euangelist Luke that when our Sauiour drew neere vnto Ierusalem he wept for it saying Luke 19.42 O if thou haddest knowne at the least in this thy day thâ—se things which belong vnto thy peace but now are they hidde from thine eyes As if he had said if thou haddest wisely considered of the season when the Lord offered vnto thee fauour and mercie and haddest made vse of the same thou mightest haue beene happie notwithstanding all their former rebellions but now thou art miserable because thou wantedst wisdome to discerne the opportunitie We haue through the preaching of the Gospell the same offer of mercie that the Iewes had let vs not be slacke in taking holde thereof nor harden our hearts while it is called to day but seeke the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is neere and looke how watchfull and obseruant men will be of the fittest opportunitie for the preserring of their suites especially in matters that neerely concerne them vnto an earthly Prince so and much more vigilant let vs be in obseruing the best and meetest season for the seeking and obtaining of fauour from the Lord of Heauen and Earth And whereas many doe seeme to be faire for the crowne of glory 1 Cor. 9. and yet misse of the same Let vs so runne that wee may obtaine casting off euery thing that presseth vs downe and hindereth our making of speed in this race and pressing hard vnto the marke that is set before vs vntill we haue attained vnto that happinesse which we labour and striue for Experience telleth men that the things of this life cannot be gotten vvithout great industry but for eternall saluation they imagine so foolish are the common sort that it may be obtayned without any great adoe nay that it shall be as it were cast vpon them whether they seeke for it or not But if any thing be hard to be come by it is euerlasting life and therefore our Sauiour biddeth vs Luk. 13. Math. 7. Striue to enter in at the straite gate for many I say vnto you will seeke to enter in and shall not be able As nothing is more sure than eternall blessednesse if we in a right manner labour for it so nothing is more impossible to be gotten if we vse not all diligence for the obtayning of it Let vs therefore put our selues to it with all our might resoluing to breake through all manner of impediments that we shall meete with all and making full account that we shall meete with a great many for first of all our owne carnall and sinnefull reason will set vpon vs and obiect very dangerously against all the points of faith and of mortification then the lusts of the flesh will rise vp against the good motions of the spirit and seeke to quench or corrupt them so that our reason we shall finde to be very vnreasonable and our affections to affect the things that are most vnlawfull Furthermore the diuell wil be a sore enemy vnto vs in which regard the Apostle saith We wrestle not against flesh and bloud that is Ephes 6.2.3 against weake aduersaries such as the mightiest men are in comparison of Satan but against principalities and powers c. And what of that For this cause saith hee take vnto you the whole armour of God that you may be able to resist in the euill day c. Which exhortation we should the rather giue heede vnto because otherwise wee shall light vpon Satans snares in euery thing wee set our selues about he hath traps for vs in our recreations in our eating and drinking in our calings yea in the very exercises of religion which wee performe so that if wee be not very wary and circumspect we shall certainely be insnared Lastly we haue the world to discourage vs from well doing and especially our carnall friends who proue commonly the most deadly and dangerous foes for they will be euer and anon thrusting diuellish obiections into our heads why will you be more strict than your neighbours will they say Are there not vvise men that much dislike your course and doe you not see that others cary away wealth and credit and preferment from such as you are What doe you meane therefore by your precisenesse not onely to disaduantage your selfe but to vndoe your wife and children and so to discredit and greiue all your friends these and a thousand suchlike obstacles and lets wee shall meete with when once we enter into a Christian course and therefore it standeth vs vpon to looke narrowly vnto our steps and to craue strength from heauen that we may breake through all hinderances and oppositions That so being faithfull vnto the death we may not be depriued of the heauenly rest but at length attaine vnto the crowne of life which God the righteous iudge will be bestow vpon vs. TWO SERMONS Of Christian Loue and Life On Canticles 2. Verse 10. PREACHED AT Tedbury in Glocester-shire vpon Christs Ascention-day last past 1612. By Richard Webb 2 Corinth 11.2 I am ielous ouer you with a Godly ielousie for I haue prepared you for one husband to present you as a pure Virgin to Christ LONDON Printed by THO. SNODHAM for ROGER IACKSON and are to be sould at his shop neere to Fleetstreet Conduit 1613. To the right Worshipfull and his very good friends Mr. Thomas Stephens and to his good and vertuous
first place they are heere reprehended who care little or nothing at all for the Lord Iesus Certainly whether they be Iewes or Gentiles bond or free male or female their estate is most lamentable we may quake euen to thinke of it for no lesse then dampation it selfe as was intimated before is their portion and inheritance for euermore They will perhaps consesse that Murther Adultery Idolatry Witchcraft and such notorious crimes are sinnes indeede and that they doe deserue euerlasting punishments but let them now at the last both see and confesse that this is indeede a great sinne not to loue the Lord Iesus Christ and such an one as will damne them for euer vnlesse they doe repent for it in time and therefore let them leaue it and amend it mourning and lamenting as bitterly for this fault as for any other sinne whatsoeuer In the second place they are here comforted who haue made choise of Iesus Christ to be their husband and haue set their whole heart soule vpon him In this they haue performed a worthie duty and such as may bring vnto them consolation at all times For now will Christ respect them most gratiously for euermore and alwayes doe them good as who is much delighted in their loue according to his owne words vnto the Church in Cant. 4.10 When hesaith My sister my Spouse how faire is thy loue How much better is thy loue then wine And the sauour of thine ointments then all spices In the third and last place all of vs are here admonished to doe that which the spouse did namely to loue Christ well wee must take him for our onely bridegrome and accept of none but him I doubt not but that you shall haue many suitors to the contrary For the world and the flesh and the deuill will be labouring still to draw you vnto them and send vnto you as it were many solicitors for that end and purpose time after time but beware I pray giue not your consents vnto them neither harken vnto their voyces though they sing as sweetly as the Sirens or Mermaides are reported to doe O stop your eares against them as Vlisses is feigned by some to doe in this point be like to the deafe adder who will not heare the charmer though hee charme neuer sosweetly Giue entertainement I beseech you to the Lord of glory and let him be your welbeloued For this end and purpose remember the reasons before going What Shall hee beginne to loue vs and shall not wee loue him againe What Is hee rich and bountifull to all such as doe loue him bestowing large benefits dayly vpon them And shall not wee our selues loue him What is he most worthy of the loue of all persons as being most faire and beautifull as being most rich and wealthy as being most noble and honourable as being most wise and prudent as being lastly most louing and kinde and yet shall not vvee loue him What in the last place Will he destroy all those that shall not loue him and bring them to a perpetuali desolation and yet for all that shall not we loue him Oh my brethren let vs remember our selues and be vvise at the last for our owne good let vs not wilfully cast away our selues but saue our soules from the euils to come My suite vnto you at this time is for your loues for Christ my Maister If he were that I may so speake without offence to any a deformed person like to Thersites I would not wish you to loue him if hee vvere a poore man like to Lazarus I would not wish you to affect him if he were a base brat like to Abimilick I would not wish you to follow him if hee vvere a foolish fellow like to Nabal I would not wish you to respect him finally if hee were a cruell beast like to Nero I would not wish you to embrace him But now seeing hee is beautifull rich honourable wise and louely aboue all comparison with mortall men I would wish you yea most humbly intreat you that you vvould loue him affect him follow him respect him and embrace him and that for euer and euer Euery wise man in choosing a Maister to himselfe doth refuse three sorts of persons namely his enemy his fellow and his seruant Hee that serueth the deuill serueth his enemy he that serueth his flesh serueth his fellow and he that serueth the vvorld serueth his seruant Because the former of these doe argue foolishnesse and want of wits and the latter two basenesse and want of courage I hope that none of you who are wise and couragious vvill now serue any of them but that from henceforth Iesus Christ shall be your Lord and Maister alone But here that I may not loose my labour and so fish in vaine but bring you all rather vvithin the compasse of my ner and so take many fishes giue me leaue to giue an answere to three sorts of persons The first is of those that make exceptions against the state of such as loue Christ The second is of those that boast of their loue towards Christ and yet doe want it The third is of those that would be informed what manner of loue it is that is pleasing to CHRIST For the first of these many are vnwilling as dayly experience doth teach vs to ioyne themselues in a true knot of marriage loue because they thinke that their estate is most miserable vvho are so ioyned to him in loue and that first because the deuill doth persue them Reu. 12.13 Secondly because the world doth hate them Iohn 15.19 Thirdly because Christ himselfe doth correct them Reu. 3.19 But let none of vs be deceiued Answere The condition of the CHVRCH is farre better then the world doth take it to be Hearken vvhat Dauid doth say of it Blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord euen the people saith hee that hee hath chosen for his inheritance Psal 33.12 For this cause did he make this request vnto the Almighty saying Remember me O Lord with the fauour of thy people visit mee with thy saluation that I may see the filicitie of thy chosen and reioyce in the ioy of thy people and glory with thine inheritance Psal 106. 4 5. Surely I dare here pawne my soule and life that there is no estate in the vvhole vvorld so good as the estate of Gods people and of such as doe loue Christ the vvhich I will make euident vnto you by Gods good grace in a few words We account as you know those to be maruellous happy persons and their estates to he the best of all First who are out of debt Secondly who fare vvell Thirdly who goe fine Fourthly who are attended vpon by many seruants Fiftly who are able to giue to others Sixtly who are out of law and trouble hauing peace within and without Seuenthly who inioy their health Eightly who are in authority of high place to command or rule Finally who haue great lands
vnto vs out of the word of God that must wee take as proceeding from God and thinke that God euen then doth speake vnto vs himselfe from heauen as indeed he doth according to that in 2 Cor. 5.20 For this cause must we hearken with reuerence beleeue with stedfastnes and practise with obedience whatsoeuer the Lord our Gâ—d shall make knowne vnto vs. But now alas many doetake that which is spoken as the word of man and cast it behinde their backes as a matter not much to be respected but those that doe so doe despise God himselfe Lâ—k 10.16 As this may teach vs what to iudge of preaching of the Word so it may allure our soules to come vnto it For shall Christ like a Schoole-master come to teach vs and shall not we like good schollers draw neere to heare him If the Kings Maiestie should set vp a schoole and reade Lectures vnto men would not we flocke vnto him and presse vpon him with great companies But behold here is one greater then the King that doth come to teach vs it is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords euen the very wisedome of God it selfe And therefore let vs hasten vnto his house and attend at his gates to heare what he shall say vnto vs. In the last place wee haue here a caueat and a comfort for the Minister in that he is but the voice and mouth of Christ and the Word that he doth speake is not his owne A caueat that hee doe vtter nothing but what he is sure doth come from Christ A comfort in that he is so highly aduanced as that Christ is content to speake vnto men by him and in him Hee is no lesse honored hereby then an ambassadour is when hee is made the mouth of his King Yea much more honored then he But to leaue Christ teaching let vs come to the person whom he taught It was his Church My welbeloued spake and said vnto me Hee doth direct his words to her and not to others But why to her Was shee now at this time ignorant and so to be instructed Or was she in trouble and so to be comforted Or was she in a fault and so to be corrected or was shee negligent in her dutie and so to be quickned vp for which of these foure causes did he now speake vnto her for the last as the words following in the text it selfe doe shew where she is willed to Arise and to come away Here I might take an occasion in that Christ doth thus direct his words vnto her to shew vnto you that the word of God is a treasure bestowed onely vpon the Saints It is proper to Gods children onely and not common to the wicked For howsoeuer the sound thereof be gone through out the world and all people haue heard the same according to the letter yet the sauing fruit and benefit thereof hath redounded onely to them that are of the house-hold of Faith This I might easily confirme vnto you to be true in three respects The first is for the knowledge of it the second for the faith of it and the third for the practise of it For howsoeuer the wicked haue a certaine kinde of knowledge and a certaine kinde of faith and a certaine kinde of practise yet they haue neither the sanctifying knowledge of it nor the iustifying faith of it nor the vniuersall practise of it The God of heauen hath kept these three as proper and peculiar Iewels for his owne alone But this point I will passe ouer Doct. The onely thing that I will now vrge is this that the best that are are to be taught and schooled in the wayes of their good as the Church here was by our Sauiour Dauid was a man according to Gods owne heart yet Mathan must come vnto him to schoole him for his fault which hee committed with Vriahs vvife as it is in the beginning of the twelfth Chapter of the second booke of Samuell Asa was a reformed King ruling with his good and remaining faithfull with his Saints yet Azariah the sonne of Obed must come vnto him to stirre him vp to seeke the Lord as it is in the beginning also of the fifteenth Chapter of the second booke of the Chronicles Zerubbabel vvas a valiant Prince and couragious for the honour of his GOD yet Haygay the Prophet and Zachariah the sonne of Iddo must come vnto him to set him forward about the building of Gods house at Ierusalem as it is also in the beginning of the fift Chapter of Ezra In a vvord to pretermit many examples Timothie was a rare youth being more like an Angell descending from heauen then a man ascending from the earth hee did so spend himselfe like a candle for the good of Gods people yet Paul must vvrite vnto him two Epistles to admonish him of his dutie and to teach him how to behaue himselfe in the Church the house of God which is the ground and pillar of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 The reasons hereof are three First Reason because they are ignorant in many points and doe not know all those things that concerne the Lords vvorship and their owne peace Here we know in part and here wee Prophesie in part 1 Cor. 13.9 And howsoeuer Dakid was a deepe scholler knowing more then all his teachers Psal 119.99 yet hee was so blind in some things that hee was more like a beast therein then a man as hee doth confesse of himselfe in Psal 73.22 when he saith So foolish was I and ignorant I was a beast before thee Secondly because they are delinquents and doe not performe all that which they know but faile exceedingly therein In many things saith Iames Chapter 3.2 wee sinne all And although Saint Paul were a sanctified man farre aboue many others yet hee bewayleth his owne estate in this regard very much especially when hee saith in Rom. 7.9 I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that doe I. Thirdly because they are faint-harted and are ready oftentimes to giue ouer their goodnesse chiefely in the time of presecution As for me saith Dauid Psal 7â— 2 My feete were almost gone my steps had wel-neere slipt And albeit Ehab was a rare man one of 1000. yet in the anguish of his soule hee desired that hee might die and said It is now enough O Lord take my soule for I am no better then my fathers 1 King 19.4 In all these respects they are to be taught and schooled that so they may not erre in iudgement but hold all things according to the truth that so they may not wander out of the path of righteousnesse but walke still in the same that so lastly they may not faint vnder any crosse or affliction but be constant therein to their dying dayes So that continuall teaching is necessarie for them in regard of determination in matters of faith of conuersation in matters of workes and of consolation in matters of triall The