more profane more obstinate then before How can this hold for good at the day of triall you see the course of christianitie which lendeth to eternall happinesse hath both a gate to enter at and a way to goe forward in How shall we thinke to arriue at the rest of the Lord if we make no conscience to proceede in goodnes if wee stand at a point propounding to our selues a forme and course which we will still goe round in like a horse in a mill further then so we will not passe we will be at a stint in our religion and beyond that we will not goe it is as vnpossible for vs to be saued as it is for him to come to a house or towne many miles off who seeing the way to it stands still in it and neuer puts one foote forward from the place where hee tooke vp his first standing Thinke not the word of God hath spoken these things in vaine shadowing out spirituall matters vnto vs by earthlie things Gods purpose is to make vs conceiue the truth the better and by such a place as this is to conuince vs euen by the light of our own reason that there is no hope of saluatiō without a care to adde daily to our spirituall estate to encrease in knowledge to proceede in zeale to bee more forward in the worship of God to haue more feeling of the loue and fauor of God euery day then other If we bee glutted with these things the forenoones hearing filleth our stomack and wee haue no further appetite that day this daies hearing doth not sharpen vs against the next day but wee are readie to please our selues with that wee do and so to amplifie it in our owne priuate conceipt as though no more were needefull It is a dangerous thing I should but deceiue you and plucke your bloud vpon my head if I should tell you that this were the way to eternall life Well for a second vse Vse 2. if it bee so dangerous a thing not to goe forward what is it thinke wee to goe backward to decay and grow cold in our loue to good things Their last state saith our p Luke 11.26 Sauiour will be worse thē their first it is better not to haue knowne the way of q 2. Pet. 2.21 righteousnes thē after they haue known to turne frō the holy cōmaundement giuē vnto thē The euill spirit that is once cast out bringeth with him seauen diuels worse thē himselfe It is a matter to bee thought vpon by diuers of vs There was a time when the word of God was more precious vnto vs and when men and women did euen throng together to this place many seemed euen glad to heare and to bee made acquainted with good things was a ioy vnto them But now wee are full we are like the nice and vnthankfull Israelites wearie of this Manna the commonnes of Gods blessings hath drawne them into contempt Beware of looking backe take heed of going from strength to weakenesse from zeale to coldnes and deadnes of hearte from carefulnes to securitie from the louing the house of God and the exercises thereof to lothing them or at lest to a lesse and more cold esteeming them We shall be vnto vs if wee shall now bee glutted with that which sometimes we longed for it is a signe that all our shewes were but shewes and all our protestations but hypocrisie For if ye haue r 1 Pet. 2.2.3 tasted how bountifull the Lord is then yee desire the sincere milke of the word to grow thereby if yee haue found any sweetnes in the exercises of religion it is certaine your appetite will bee encreased rather then diminished If our spirits bee dulled and tired out with the continuall vse of these holy exercises it is a fearefull signe and yet it is so common that we all haue neede to be admonished of it And let vs all that professe religion remēber that it is a way life eternall is not by and by possessed If there be no proceeding it is dangerous but if there be backslyding if our righteousnes be but as the morning dew ſ Hos 6.4 which the heate of the Sunne soone parcheth it is worst of all the dog to the vomit and the sow to the mire t 2. Pet. 2 22. is the heauiest censure that can bee giuen of any man They which haue been once enlightned and haue u Hebr. 6.5.6 tasted the gifts of Gods spirit if they once fal backe it is impossible they shoul be renewed by repentance it is a wofull saying it should make vs euen tremble to consider it Now to this going on proceeding in the way to life there are sundry things belonging which it is very meet that we should be made acquainted with they are impertinēt neither to the matter nor to the text The first is continuall guidance and direction A man that is to Iourney in a way vnknowne will not be satisfied with this alone that he is set into the right way but cōsidering the possibility of erring he will furnish himselfe with as many directions as he can glad he wil be of any mans company that vnderstandeth the way sometimes he will be at the charge rather then faile to hire a man that may conduct him The way of peace which leadeth vnto happines is a way which flesh and blood is not acquainted with and the nature of man is of it selfe very subiect to mistaking therfore his duty that would grow in godlines is to get vnto him the direction of some sure guide which will not deceiue him that so he may not faile of the end and marke which hee desireth This was * Psal 119.27 Dauids care as appeareth by many speeches of his Make me to vnderstand the way of thy precepts vers 33. Teach me the way of thy statutes vers 35. Direct me in the path of thy Commandements vers 133. Direct my steppes in thy word The grand guid whose directions are al-only to be looked vnto cannot deceiue is the Lord Iesus I am the way saith x John 14.6 he and no man commeth vnto the Father but by me And the Apostle to the y Hebr. 12.2 Hebrewes exhorting to run the race which is set before vs bids vs withall to looke vpon the author finisher of our faith his blood as the z Chap. 10.19.20 same Apostle speaketh hath prepared a new and liuing way The direction which Christ giueth is comprehended in his Word which is therefore often in the Scripture tearmed the Lords way because no course can bring a man vnto eternall life but that which is there prescribed Dauid a Psa 119.105 saith this Word was a light vnto his path and b 2. Pet. 1.19 Peter cōmends those to whom hee wrote because they gaue heed to it as to the best and surest instructer The Word of God contained in Scripture is fitly compared to the
THE CHRISTIANS IOVRNALL Shewing both the course to be held and the way to be shund by all those who desire as they ought to enter into life In three Sermons vpon Matthew 7.13.14 By SAMVEL HIERON Psalm 86.11 Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy truth knit my heart vnto thee that I may feare thy name AT LONDON Printed by FELIX KYNGSTON for Thomas Man 1607. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR FRANCIS BARRINGTON of Barrington Hall in Essex Knight SIR the Wiseman saith that Al riuers go into the sea a Eccle. 1.7 shewing themselues as it were homagers and tributaries to that place from whence so farre as wee may credit Philosophie b Plato in Phaedone they haue receiued their first beginning It hath bin often in my thoughts and more than often in my desires that in testimonie of my remembring that which it were euen a sin in me to forget there might passe backe from me to your Worship some little streame of those larger brooks of your both countenance and beneuolence with which my studies in the Vniuersitie being much refeshed and my first endeuours in the Ministerie as it were by a kinde watring helped forward in their growth I confesse my selfe to be become that Little which by the grace of God I now am in his Church Wherfore hauing a disposition for the satisfaction of some friends to copie a draught of these Sermons I thought I might with one labour doe a publique good and giue thē their priuate contentment And withall it came into my minde to tender them to you not as the full paiment of so great a debt but as an insinuation of my desire to bee thankefull and of my meaning hereafter to present you with some matter of more worth according as God shall enable me and any conuenient vacation from the duties of my publike function shall afford me opportunitie Thus presuming out of your former loue that this poore offer shall at the least be kindly looked vpon with my many and vnfained prayers for the enlargement of Gods graces vpon your selfe your Lady and all those young plants which by the great blessing of God haue branched from you both I humbly take my leaue From Modbury in Deuon Your Worships euer much bound SAM HIERON THE CHRISTIANS IOVRNALL The first Sermon Matth. 7.13.14 Enter in at the straite gate for it is the wide gate and broade way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat Because the gate is straite and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life and few there be that find it THe scope and generall drift of these words is to arme and to prepare all those that desire to be saued vnto a kind of * The scope of the place hardship and restraint and to withdraw them from framing themselues vnto the course and fashion of the multitude The point is deliuered in forme of a very briefe instruction or aduertisement as Enter in at the straite gate The diuision of the Text. it is backed with two reasons in naturall opposition each to other the first is this because the wide and broade way which hath greatest store of company leadeth to destruction the second is this because the straite gate and the narrow way which hath in cōparison but few passengers is that which bringeth vnto life This is briefely the scope and order of the place I will treate of it in the same method that I haue obserued in opening it And first of the aduertisement it selfe The first part Enter in at the strait gate And therein first the meaning must be laboured for the chiefe thing is what is vnderstood by the straite gate * What is meant by Gate and way By the gate and way which we are vrged to enter into is meant that holy course which the Lord hath laid down vnto vs in his holy word it is the same which Dauid a Psa 119.3 termeth the Lords way the way of his b Vers 14. testimonies the way of c Vers 30. truth the way of Gods d Vers 32. Commandements the e Ps 25.10 path of the Lord and Ieremy the f Ier. 6.16 good way It is called a straite gate Why it is called a straite and narrow way and afterwards a narrow way first because of the restraint and as may seeme hard condition which it layeth vpon flesh and blood as we shall see heereafter in the farther handling it secondly because of the circumspection and care to be vsed in walking in it as in a way from which because of the narrownes therof a man easily may decline This is the way that Christ calleth al that will be saued to enter into because only this way leadeth vnto life I wil speake lesse by way of exposition and interpretation because what doubts soeuer may arise touching the sense shall in the further enlarging of euery particular be fully discouered The thing that I will chiefely labour in is according to the drift of the place to shew what things ought of necessitie to bee in euery one that would be saued It will be excellent matter of direction to all those that are yet vnconuerted and of resolution and confirmation to such as haue truly cared to walke the way that leadeth vnto life The first thing which by authoritie of this text of scripture ought to bee in euery one that desireth saluation is Doctr. 1. a right vnderstanding and a true acknowledgement of his owne wandring For euen in reason before a man can frame himselfe to enter into a right course he must be resolued and perswaded of his owne former mistaking for why else should he change his fashion if he haue not erred before to what end should he relinquish his present course and betake himselfe to a guise to which he hath not hetherto been accustomed Reason it selfe must needs yeeld to this in other things and it must needes be true in this How shall I perswade a man to enter into the straight gate If he doe not feele and perceiue himselfe to bee in a way in which it is not safe for him to continue If wee looke into the scripture wee shall see good proofe for this point viz. that the acknowledgement of our by-past error is the very first degree vnto sound conuersion To what ende thinke wee is it that by Gods speciall appointment the terrors of the law should first be preached and should goe like the mightie strong wind which in Gods appearing to g 1. King 19 Elias rent the mountaines before the calme and gentle and still voyce of the Gospell I say to what ende is that and what did the Lord aime at herein but onely this that men might see where they be and in what case they stand and that holding on in the way which nature hath set them in there can nothing follow but destruction As the Lord himselfe at the first began
This people saith he say that the time is not yet come that the Lords house should be builded so many thinke it is not yet time for them to looke to heauenward youth must haue his course the couetous bag must be filled the pleasure of the flesh must be fully tasted ambition must come to his height and then it will be time to retire q Prou. 6.10 Yet a little more sleepe saith the sluggard let God beare with vs a little and in time we will enter This is as the Scripture tearmeth it the very deepenes of Sathan thus to beguile men and no doubt there are many in hell which had a meaning in their life time to enter in but God hath cut theÌ„ short and depriued them of that which when they might they refused to accept of Well if we haue seene our naturall wandering if God hath opened our hearts that we perceiue there is no remedie but a new course must be entered into if we haue learned out of the word of God which is the way let vs resolue vpon a present entry Christ saith the kingdome of heauen sufferreth violence r Mat. 11.12 me thinkes Christ there speakes of heauen as of a matter offred which if it bee not presently taken is presently lost and therefore all men of discretion that know the worth of it presse and throng toward it and catch after it and euen swear about it that they may haue it while there is possibilitie of obtayning it I opened my mouth and panted saith Å¿ Psa 119.131 Dauid there was hast I follow hard toward the marke saith t Philip. 3.14 Paul there was speed This is the third thing required to saluation there is no time named therefore it must bee done presently The fourth thing which now followeth to bee treated of is the entrance it selfe our former waÌ„dering must be felt the right and true way must bee fought for when it is found a resolution of present entrance must bee put on and then next we must put forward Enter in at the straite gate To this acte of entrance there are two things required the first is that I may vse termes agreeable to my text stooping the second a stripping of our selues of whatsoeuer may hinder our entrance First there must bee a kind of stooping because the comming in is low It is said of heauen in the scripture u 2. Corin. 5.1 that it is abâ—use not made with hands Now as in the matter thereof it is differing from our earthly buildings so is it in the framing and contriuing of it In great mens houses it is a great eyesore to see a little low and pinching entrie to a large and spacious dwelling but to the end all things may be answerable as the house is of great receipt so the gates must be high and loftie and the comming in according But now in this house which is eternall in the heauens it is otherwise Indeede it is large within for in my fathers house saith Iohn 14.2 Christ are many mansions but yet the gate vnto it is exceeding low the entrie narrow the passage in very straight It is the gate of humility A man that beares vp himselfe aloft in the pride and securitie and senslesnes of his owne heart that leaneth to his owne wisedome that pleaseth himselfe in a flattering opinion of the goodnes of his owne estate that was neuer beaten downe by the terror of the law and the due beholding of Gods iustice such an one can neuer enter heere this gate is to low for his hautie carnall and selfe pleasing stomake to enter in at See an example or two of the stooping of Gods children in their entrance into grace Looke first vpon x Psalm 38.4 Dauid Mine iniquities are gone ouer my head and are as awaightie burden too heauie for me mee seemeth I see Dauid in this passion like a man oppressed with some carriage more then hee is able to stand vnder which makes him double crouch grone and long to bee eased so Dauid was with the weight of his sinnes hee was stroken downe with the sight and consideration of them What thinke wee did not y Ezr. 9.6 Ezra stoope when he prayed O my God I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eyes vnto thee my God for our iniquities are increased ouer our heads and our trespasse is growne vp to heauen Did not z Job 42.6 Iob stoope when he said O Lord I abhorre my selfe in dust ashes Was not a Isay 38.14 Ezechiah cast downe when he cried in the bitternes of his soule O Lord it hath oppressed me comfort me Looke into the newe Testament what thinke wee of the b Luke 7.37 c. woman that lay at Christs feete that washed them with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head was not here humilitie How iudge wee of the c Luke 18.13 Publican did hee not manifest the humilitie of his soule euen by the standing of his bodie hee would not so much as lift vp his eyes to heauen but smote his breast and said God be mercifull to mee a sinner Consider well the example of d Rom. 7.9.18 S. Paul I was once aliue saith he without the law he once bare his head as high as the best and I warrant you would not haue feared for profession of religion to set his foote to him that was holiest touching the righteousnes which is in the Law saith he I was vnblameable But when his eyes were opened to see his former error when he had found out the true way to life began to frame to enter in it then he stooped I know that in me dwelleth no good thing I count al things but c Phil. 3.6.8 losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord I iudge them to be dung that I may win Christ here was a man stroken downe outwardly in body when he saw the light from heauen on the way but much more in heart when he saw after his long wandring the straite gate that leadeth vnto heauen This is the course that all that will be saued must come vnto It is of very great vse Vse It will proue a great many of vs to be meere strangers to the way to life For why It may bee truly said of vs as the Lord spake once of the f Ierem. 44.10 Iewes we are not humbled to this day the naturall pride of our hearts is not yet beaten downe there be but few that stoope and are cast downe with the sight of their owne spirituall basenesse few that stand in awe of Gods Maiestie and that tremble at his word The proud g Luke 18.11 Pharisee that stood vaunting God I thanke him I am thus and thus hath many followers but the poore Publican that hung downe his head the conscience of his sinnes filling his face with shame hath but few like him What one
with our Grandfather Adam after he had sinned forcing him by varietie of demaunds to see his errors h Genes 3. Where art thou and who tolde thee that thou wast naked hast thou eaten of the tree so al the Prophets and Apostles after held the same course the first thing they laboured in was to make men see that there was no hope of happines without a present forsaking of their accustomed behauiour Ieremie when hee would shew that among the people of his times there was for the generalitie no true conuersion reporteth the matter in these i Jerem. 8.6 wordes I hearkned but none spake aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what haue I done as if he had said there was not a man that had any so much as a conceipt of his owne erring they were all stronglie perswaded that their courses were right and vnblameable and therefore euery man turned to his race as the horse to the battell The same Prophet describing the repentance of the estate of Israell vnder the name of the Tribe of Ephraim which bare the sway in that kingdome k Ier. 31.18 relates it thus I heard Ephraim lamenting thus Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised as an vntamed calfe conuert thou mee and I shall bee conuerted for thou art the Lord my God now among other signes and euidences of repentance hee saith Ephraim smote vpon his thigh as who should say Ephraim hauing all this while runne a stubborne course in the verie depth of securitie now began to recall himselfe and to thinke that questionles he was out of his way the course was dangerous and it was now high time to reforme it It is noted in the prodigall sonne the perfect patterne of a true conuert that when he had runne a lewde course wastfully consuming the portion of goods which fell vnto him supposing as many younkers doe his stocke to haue been as a liuing spring which could neuer be drawne drie at last he came to himselfe the bethinking himself of his by-past folly was the first step vnto his recouery Me thinkes when I reade that parable I doe see the young prodigall like to a man riding fast in a wrong way and at last vpon a fodaine by the call of some that seeth his mistaking rayning vp his horse and euen inwardly chasing and fretting with himselfe for his former carelesnes he came to himselfe he thought all well before but now he perceiued how things went and what would be the issue if he so continued When the Lord was pleased to cal Paul who before as himselfe confesseth was l 1. Tim. 5.13 a persecutor and a blasphemer and an oppressor suddainly there came a voyce from heauen saying m Act. 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me as if the Lord had said O thou man knowest thou what thou doest vnderstandest thou who it is against whom thou settest thy selfe conceiuest thou the danger that will follow it so that the first thing God sought to bring him to was the sight of his own present error and that being once perceiued hee became tractable n Act. 9.6 Lord saith hee what wilt thou that I doe I might easily multiplie examples of this kind but these may serue to shew that the sense and apprehension of our owne wandring is the first step to our entrance into life And therefore it is that the scripture is so full in discouering our naturall erring The spirit of God speaking of the whole race and generation of o Psalm 14.3 mankind for so p Rom. 3.10 Paul applyeth saith that all are gone out of the way In Isaiah q Jsay 53.6 All wee saith the Prophet like sheepe haue gone astray it is a place worth the noting we haue gone astray like Sheep there is no creature more apte to wander then a sheepe there is none more vnapte of it selfe to returne into the right way againe The Oxe as the scripture saith knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib the very swine accustomed to the trough if hee goe abroade yet at night will finde the way home againe but the sheepe once strayed of himselfe returneth not All we therefore saith the Prophet like sheepe are gone astray to shew our simplicitie and how vnpossible a thing it is for vs of our owne power to returne And the Prophet in the next words giueth a reason Wee haue turned euery one to his owne way Gods waies and our owne waies are directly contrarie r Jsay 55.8 We runne naturally after the waies of our owne hearts and we cannot chuse then but wander vtterly from the way of life Again the lesson of our Sauiour here belongeth to all Enter in at the straite gate Entrance into a gate presupposeth a being without the gate no man is bid to enter that is alreadie within if all be exhorted to enter it argueth that we are all without if we be considered in our selues then as the Å¿ Rom. 3.16 Apostle saith Destruction and calamitie are in our wayes and the way of peace we doe know This care of the holy Ghost in the whole course of the scripture to acquainte vs with our wandrings argueth the necessitie of the right vnderstanding of it if wee desire to bee saued Let vs make vse of this point It is a point of great vse Vse helping vs in the most needfull point the right iudgeing of our owne estate let vs not be wilfully carelesse herein I beseech you why should we be desirous to iudge in other things as of times and seasons of the face of the skie as Christ saith of wares and commodities of cases and questions in the law and yet neuer care to vnderstand how it fareth with our own soules The soule is the principall and ought principally to bee looked vnto Let vs learne to bee able to iudge of our selues whether it be with vs as it ought to bee Proue your selues saith the t 2. Cor. 13.5 Apostle Let vs search and trie our wayes saith u Lam. 3.40 Ieremie Examine your heart vpon your bed saith * Psal 4.4 Dauid We all haue a hope that it is well with vs let vs looke to it that our hope as the x Rom. 5.5 Apostle speaketh may bee such as may not make vs ashamed There is no hurt gotten by the tryall of our selues there is alwaies danger in securitie There be thousands plunged into hell that thought nothing lesse till they came there and now they are past recouerie wee are all trauailers in one of these two waies and wee shall arriue at one of these two places here mentioned life or destruction there is no third who would not bee glad to know touching himselfe in which of the two waies he is that if he be in the euill way he may speedily come out of it if hee bee in the right he may goe on therein with cheerefulnes This point is the thing that I