ENGLAND'S Remembrancer BEING A COLLECTION OF Farewel-Sermons Preached by divers NON-CONFORMISTS IN THE COUNTRY Revel 3.3 Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast London Printed in the Year 1663. THE PREFACE TO THE READER THe great Importunity of some serious Christians hath been the occasion of bringing these Notes to light and a singular care not to wrong the Authors hath procured as exact and perfect Copies as could possibly be expected excepting what Errata's have happened in the Printing They are not sent forth upon any bad design but it is very much desired and also hoped that they may do good When our Fields are not so fruitful 't is a comfort if our Garners are not quite empty but that some of the old store is left When our special Bosom-Friends are at a distance that we cannot see them it 's some satisfaction if we can here from them When our sins have driven so many of our Teachers into corners that we cannot hear them in Publick it may be some help to us that this way we may converse with them in our houses still And though it hath been the great sin of many English Professors to lust after Quails to affect new airy Notions and to loath heavenly Manna because it was common how many of us alas that surfeted upon our plenty thereby provoking the Lord to send years of scarcity yet it is possible that some by this time may have recovered their appetite to sound and wholesome Food To such the ensuing Sermons no doubt will be welcome And is it not now high time to be sensible of what we have lost As Jerusalem in the dayes of her affliction remembred with grief of heart all her pleasant things which she had in the dayes of old Lam. 1.7 They were sorrowful for the Solemn Assemblies whom the Lord Promised to gather and bring again Zeph. 3.18 20. And would it not be our wisdom to make the best advantage of what we yet enjoy If we are kept shorter in respect of Publick means the greater should be our care to improve all private helps If we have less plain and practical Preaching the more need to give attendance to Reading If we are unfaithful in a little why should we be entrusted with more were there never so many to be found amongst us that pray daily for the restoring of their Ministers yet while our unprofitableness that cast them out still continues there is little hope that prayer alone should bring them in again And so the more we see amiss abroad should it not the more provoke us to reform at home He that would have his House a Bethel must see to the cleansing of it and put away those things that would provoke the eyes of God's Glory How should an Holy God delight to dwell there where Sin and Satan his greatest enemies bear rule Oh that our Houses were indeed consecreated as little Churches to his Service surely then the Lord himself would be a little Sanctuary to us Yea so we might hope further to see his Power and Glory even as we have seen them in the great Congregation They that joyn themselves to the Lord to serve Him and to love the Name of the Lord to be His Servants every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it the Lord hath Promised that He will bring them to His Holy Mountain and make them joyful in His House of Praise Isa 56.6 7. O let us chuse the things that please Him as ever we would have our Pleasant things Indeed was Holiness to the Lord more engraven on us then there would be greater hopes that we should yet possess the Land and inherit His Holy Mountain But alas what do we any of us crying out of the sins of the times what do we complaining of Disorders and Corruptions in Church-Assemblies if in the mean time we neglect to reform disorders at home in our Families and overlook Corruptions in our own Hearts Would not this bewray great Partiality and Hypocrisie Good Reader Be serious when thou viewest over these Sermous Examine what thou readest comparing it with the un-erring Rule of Sacred Writ Turn to those Texts of Scripture where for brevity sake the places are only noted the words not recited If thou comest with a sober unprejudiced mind thou wilt find here the words of Truth and Soberness These Sermons most of them were Preached and Heard with Sad and Mournful Hearts O do not thou bring a vain light spirit to the perusal of them They come forth recommended to the Blessing of God by Prayer Let it be thy earnest Prayer to God also that thou mayest profit by Them Without His Blessing all Means are ineffectual If thou gettest any Light or Heat any Quickning or Comfort from them bless the Lord for it and be more mindful of these whom He hath covered with a Cloud in the Day of His Anger Who have sometimes Prophesied in Sackcloth and are now cloathed in Sackcloth because they may not Prophesie O strive together with them in Prayers to God for them What Great things have sometimes been done by Prayer By Prayer Joshua commanded the Sun Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon And the Lord hearkned to the voice of a man Sure we are he that hath caused the Sun to go down upon so many of our Prophets yea hath caused their Sun to Set at Noon He can so order it that at evening time it shall be light Zech. 14.7 Now Beg hard of God on the behalf of those who are Peaceable and Faithful in this our Israel that He who hath the hearts of Kings and all Men in His hand would give those His Servants to find favour in the eyes of our King and Governours that after the example of good Hezekiah 2 Chron. 30.22 they may countenance and encourage all such as would teach the good Knowledge of God in the Land ERRATA PAge 4. line 18. reade fruitful P. 11. l. 2 3. r. To shew that Christians are to remember how for the manner they P. 14. l. 33. r. sorrow P. 17. l. 25. put out to P. 21. l. 30. r. wantonness deadness l. 31. r. worldliness P. 23. l. 14. for injoy 1. have P. 30. l. 30. r. deserts P. 31. l. 22. dele by their sins P. 39. l. 1. r. another P. 47. l. 9. f. III. take 3. l. 27. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 33. r. Loquitur P. 48. l. 24. r. now that l. 32. r. remove P. 53. l. 27. r. reclinemus P. 58. l. 12. f. this r. His. P. 71. l. 13. dele that P. 73. l. 21. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. ult r. several controversies P. 77. l. 9. r. think themselves wise l. 15. r. it is P. 60. l. 21. dele to go P. 84. l. 20. r. tendiculam l. 24. r. Bonus P. 91. l. 18. r. This is P. 94. l. 23. r. halting l. 28. r. so true P. 96. l. 31. r. replentes P. 98. l. 18. r. that answered
secular emploiments yet not to be spent in idelness they are the harvest-time for our souls And when will ye work and bestir your selves if not in harvest The Lords Day is to be spent in such works as more directly tend to the promoting of our Salvation And the more you should see this work going forward the more would Sabbaths be your delight You would not be for those vain recreations that sinfull liberty you may see others take on God's Holy-Day 10. Sit down and count the cost So you might be prepared to go thorow with your work If you reckon right you will see let Salvation cost what it can it can never cost too much Rom. 8.18 I reckon sayes the Apostle and we need not fear to take his account here that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to follow I would have said a word more to this but have prevented my self in speaking to the third caution Therefore here I conclude my Sermon and Exhortation desiring that the Spirit of Truth may bring these things to your remembrance Beloved could I have thought of any word more profitable and generally useful for you you should have been sure of it It may now be expected I should speak something touching my Deprivation O that the Lord would lead Ministers and People each into their own hearts to find out the cause of this sad dispensation as we read of the Fathers in another sense He causeth us this day to pass under a cloud I know some think and will not spare to say that we wilfully bring this Obscurity on our selves But the Lord the searcher of alâ— hearts knows and will manifest to the world one day whether it was a meet humour or whether indeed it was not Conscience that would not suffer us to comply with the things now imposed The Lord knows we dare not adventure on the checks reproaches smitings of our own hearts and consciences though it follow that our mouths be stopt Beloved I cannot forget the respects you have shewn to me how you chose me at first under great bodily weakness and were willing to procure me assistance I have not wanted outward encouragement among you but above all I have oft thought when I have come to my publick work here unpreparedly enough God knoweth yet I have found the fruit help and benefit of your prayers for me That I must acknowledge those few years I have spent amongst you have been the best to me the most comfortable years I have spent in the Ministry That might I have liberty the Lord knows I would most gladly spend and be spent for you Nothing but death should part us And howsoever we are separated yet I pray we may live in one anothers hearts and that we may more earnestly than ever strive with God in prayer one for another More I would have said but strength and spirits fail and further I would spare you Now how glad should we be if those that shall follow us may do more good amongst you then ever we have or could have done The Lord carry on his own Work and though He quite lay us aside though He should never honour us so far as to make any further use of us yet we could rejoyce to see Gods Work prospering Religion and that not only in a form but in the life and power of it promoted and more and more set up in this place So I commend you to God and to the Word of His Grace who is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are Sanctified SERMON IV. 1 King 18.21 And Elijah came unto all the People and said How long halt ye between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him IT is not a thing indifferent what Religion men are of whether they are for God or Baal That is a pernicious opinion that affirms You may be saved in any Religion Again it 's not enough that we are of the true Religion but we must be true to it And so much we may learn from faithful Elijah both his Doctrine and practice When Israel went a whoring from God he was jealous for the Lord 1 Kin. 19.10 He continued to stand for God His Truth and Worship even when he could not see one more of his mind to be his second So here he durst plead for God when there was none found to take his part Note by the way that in the worst of times in times of most prevailing corruptions yet the Lord is not wont to leave himself without witness It 's further observable Israel had never degenerated more than in Elijah's dayes Yet never had they been priviledged with greater means Many Prophets at this time raised up amongst them see ver 4. of this Chapt. and Elijah among the rest Note Extraordinary means sometimes serve only to heighten and fill up the measure of a Peoples sins See Mat. 23.34 35. And now comes a dreadful Famine The Prophets shut up and the Heavens shut up together Elijah had foretold the drought Chapt. 17.1 And after three years he is sent with good news that rain was coming Chap. 18.1 Ahab seeing Elijah v. 17. when he should have acknowledged his own sin and guilt he wrongfully accuseth God's Prophet Art thou he that troubleth Israel Note It is no new thing for God's Faithful Messengers to be accounted enemies to the State As Elijah said I am not better than my Fathers Are we better than Elijah and other of God's Prophets who have been thus censured Why then should we look for better here Note Again observe Wicked men are very prone to mistake the cause of troubles and calamities See Jer. 44.18 20 21 22. where there is most guilt commonly there is least ingenuity or grace to see and acknowledge it It 's natural unto sinners we have it by kind from our first parents to transfer all blame as much as we can from our selves to others But how deeply soever Ahab is pleased to charge him Elijah is ready to clear himself and the Truth He desires that himself and the prophets of Baal might come to a fair tryal So he doubts not but to prove himself by a miraculous sign to be the Servant and Prophet of the most high God and shew them to be a pack of most wretched Impostors Ahab yeelds to a discussion of this business either out of curiosity expecting some strange discovery or through fear being awed with the present Judgment they lay under not knowing but upon refusal the Prophet might have some other dreadful Message to deliver or in hope and expectance upon his yeelding herein to have the Judgment removed Some such way he is perswaded and enclined to call the prophets of Baal and the Heads of the people together unto Mount Carmel where being assembled Elijah sets upon the people in the words read unto you How long halt ye
modesty by the woful experience of his false heart answers not to the degree of love but only that he loved Christ 4. It is possible that many Christians may hate Christ as much as we doâ— the memory of those Jews that crucified him albeit we be strongly perswaded that if we were called to formal trial we would rather dye than openly deny him or his Gospel Do we from our hearts detest the mention of Annas Caiaphas Judas and that rabble which conspired the death of the Lord of life In like manner did those Jews abhor the memory of Korah Dathan Abiram and the rest of those that rebelled against Moses Do our spirits rise in indignation against them that stoned Stephen persecuted the Apostles forbiding them to Preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved 1 Thes 2.16 With no less displeasure were they moved against the memory of Ahab and Jezebel and those though their own Princes who slew the Lord's Prophets Matt. 23.30 If we had been in the dayes of our Fathers c. The name of Abraham they had in high esteem he being the prime person of their Progenitors with whom God Almighty made that glorious Covenant wherein they had the priviledges of the First-Born The memory of Moses was amongst them very precious with whom God was pleased to talk face to face who received the lively Oracles to give unto them Acts 7.38 To have upbraided the softest spirit in that Rebellious people with treachery or disloyalty against the Messias when he should be revealed would as much have moved his choler as to tell some forward professor amongst us he would betray his Lord were he now on the earth for half the money that Judas did yet these men brake first in their love to Abraham so our Saviour telleth them John 8.39 then in their fidelity to Moses John 5.45 46. and the Prophets Matt. 23.35 No marvel then if they took offence at our Saviours life his carriage and conversation amongst them and afforded him such entertainment as they did Let not then Hypocrisie deceive us by suggesting these or the like suppositions they are the words of Dr. Jackson if we should be urged by the Turk or Jew to deny him we would sooner dy the death he did then do it or were he present in person to exhort us to such duties as his Messengers enjoyn us we should sure be as forward as any man living to do them these or the like imaginations do but foretoken our need of that apology and argue our inclination to use it though alas it cannot stead any in that day of tryal Lord when saw we thee naked or an hungred When in the Pulpit or preaching in our streets deterring us from evil and exhorting us unto good Much more to this purpose see in Dr. Jackson of Justifying Faith That we may not therefore deceive our selves with vain pretences of love let us try the sincerity of it and weigh it in the ballance of the Sanctuary Notes of sincere love to Christ. 1. The first shall be that which you have in Psal 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil Lovers have enemies and friends in common Gen. 12.3 I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee God will be a Friend to Abrahams friends an Enemy to his enemies Who love Christ unfeignedly hate sin which he hateth Rev. 2.6 Sin is evil the greatest of evils The work of the Devil which Christ came into the world purposely to destroy 1 John 3.8 If thou art a friend to sin any way of wickedness If thou love Ignorance superstition If thou love a false oath Zech. 8.17 If thou love flaggons of wine Hos 3.1 If thou delightest in scorning Prov. 1.22 if thou make a mock at sin Prov. 14.9 If thou hate knowledge despise duty scoff and scorn at Holiness which Christ commandeth thou lovest him not If thou regard iniquity in thy own heart if thou allow of it in thy children thy friends if thou plead for sin undertake the patronage and defence of it thou proclamest thy enmity and hostility to Jesus Christ But if thou hate and abhor the way of lying Psal 119.163 If thou hate every evil way Psal 119.128 in thy self first then in others as he that hates a Toad hates it most in his own bosome as saith D. Sibbs if thy hatred of it be universal against the whole kind if thy hatred be rooted irreconcilable so as there is no appeasing of it but by the crucifying and abolishing of thy hated corruptions this is right hatred of sin which argueth thy conversion to be sound and thy self an unfeigned lover of Jesus Christ Note 2. Who love Christ in sincerity love what ever hath relation to him As 1. His House and Worship there performed Saints love Communion with Christ love to be where he is The Lord loveth the gates of Zion his People love the threshold of the Sanctuary Psal 120.14 Thy servants take pleasure in her stones they favour the dust thereof Psal 26.8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy House and the place where thy Honour dwelleth Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said Let us go up to the House of the Lord. Our feet shall stand in thy gates O Jerusalem 2. Saints dearly love the Truth and Word of the Lord. As their voice is sweet to him in prayer Cant. 2.14 So his voice in his Word is sweet to them Psal 119.103 How sweet are thy words unto my tast Yea sweeter then honey to my mouth vers 72. The Law of thy mouth is dearer to me then thousands of Gold and Silver The very reproofs of Christ are precious to them Psal 141.5 Our love to Christ is not right if we be impatient of admonition if we cannot endure reproof for sin but swell against it it is a sign we love sin which cannot consist with unfeigned love to Christ 3. His Messengers are welcom their feet beautiful Rom. 10.14 Because they are the servants of Christ and shew us the way of savation therefore we have them in reputation Phil. 2.29 Because they are over us in the Lord and admonish us therfore we esteem them highly in love for their works sake 1 Thes 5.13 But if we repine stomach or maligne his Embassadors taxing our crimes though in sharpest terms or if we neglect to examine our hearts and consciences at their request or instance it is a sure token our perswasions of Faith and love unto him are but fancies that we are still in the gall of bitterness enemies as cruel to him as these Jews were c. Dr. Jackson 4. His Day the Lords Day Rev. 1.10 is to all sincere lovers of Christ a joyful Day a Day of delight Isa 58.13 On this Day Christ appeared to his Disciples after his Resurrection upon this Day he still appeareth to his People making neer approaches to their souls in his blessed Ordinances teaching them inlightning them comforting their hearts
Assemblies we want the things to be enjoyed done received in the Publick Worship Oh the Blessing that is in this cluster surely a cluster of Blessings It is a Mercy that comes not alone nor goes away alone We may say of these Mercies when they come as she of Gad Behold 〈◊〉 Troop and when they go On how much do they carry away As to instance 1. In the want of them we want our dearest Enjoyments such as are 1. The gracious Presence and Visits of the God of Heaven the Day of our Visitation sets with them Luke 19.42 44. The Publick Assemblies are God's Chambe◠of Presence Cain going from that quarter of the World where God had his Church is said to go from the Presence of the Lord Gen. 4.14 16. Is it nothing to be without God in the World Is it nothing to be deprived of the sight of his Goings in the Sanctuary Is it nothing to want his Walks amongst his Candlesticks Seemeth it a small thing to us to stand under Suspension Did Mary weep when she supposed they had taken away her Lord John 20.13 and shall not we when our Lord is clearly withdrawing himself Will a departing God fetch never a tear Depart from me will make weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth and that thou maist fear since the Departures of a God do not affect thee 2. Open Vision and the benefit of the Gifts of God's Ministers whom God hath endued with Gifts to profit withal for the edifying of the Body of Christ for the perfecting of the Saints Solemn Assemblies are the Orbs wherein these Stars shine they are the Candle-sticks in which these Lights are set up When the Ark was taken the Priests fell too When we want our Signs we want our Prophets too When no Solemn Assemblies then are our Teachers driven into Corners Some have thought it more elegible to lose the Sun than these Stars Is it a matter to be passed by without Regard to see Lights put under Bushels to lose the Treasure that is in these Earthen-vessels to lose so many faithful Guides that were as Eyes to us in the Wilderness of this world Oh to want their Counsels their Comforts the Fruit of their Studies Temptations Intelligence from Heaven The beautiful feet of them that publish glad Tydings turned from us calls for sad hearts when we cannot hear the joyful Sound let both God and man hear sorrowful sighs and groans Reade Acts 20.36 37 38. People know little of the Reality of spiritual Relations whose hearts are not touched with the sense of spiritual breaches Read and apply to this head 1 Sam. 3.1 Psal 74.9 3. The Communion of Saints which is the nearest resemblance of Heaven that is upon Earth When Assemblies are gone then the Sheep are scattered Oh how many times do God's People experience warmth by the affections of others What will the coals do when they are pulled one from another Oh what is it to want those gladsome Calls Let us go up to the House of the Lord come let us go to the Mountain of the Lord's House Oh to want opportunities to unite our strength in prayer to gather about God and besiege Heaven and make a common cry Father pitty Father help Single Prayers are heard but bands of Prayers vollies of Prayers these have the honour to prevail with Heaven God shews his Condescentions to his People when they twist their Prayers and with one consent stir up themselves to take hold on him and hang upon him Christians have great need one of another as the members of the body have of each other and except there be an increase of influences from him that is instead of all we shall be very poor and weak and unfit for our duties when we want the supply of the joynts God's Plants are quite different from other plants for God's Plants thrive best when they are the nearest together Oh this true good Fellowship what a sad world is it when it is broken up Read Eccles 4.9 10 11 12. Heb. 10.24 25. especially Psal 42.4 In that Psal 42.4 you may see what our frame ought to be under this Loss When I remember these things I pour out my soul in me for I had gone with the Multitude I went with them to the House of God with the Voice of Joy and Praise with a Multitude that kept Holy-day 4. A special and main help of the Sanctification of the Lord's Day The seventh day is the Sabbath of rest an holy Convocation Lev. 23.3 the Sabbath is the Meeting day for God's People Meeting to Hear to Pray to Praise to receive the Supper truly if there be no holy Convocation it will scarce be an holy Rest if no holy Assemblies there will be many sinful Assemblies there will be Assembling by Troops in other houses there will be routs of Sporters and surely it is no less dangerous to sport upon God's holy time than to play and sport with holy things if no Assemblies Let Assemblies go and God's holy Rest will be troubled and not sanctified Sabbaths will not be known they will be forgotten when People have no Sabbath-journeys to go viz. no Ark no Tabernacle to go to they will even have some week-day journey to go on that Day High-wayes on that Day will soon be occupied when the Ways of Zion mourn And doth not that loss cal for tears that makes way for the breach of a Commandment at which Religion in its Power and Peace will go out Reade Jer. 17. from ver 19. to the end 2. In the want of Assemblies we want our highest imployments we are taken off from Angelical work Nehem. 9.6 The Host of Heaven worshippeth thee From work that is at once our Duty and our Honour our Holiness and our Happiness They are truly called Priviledges Psal 65.4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach to thee 1. In these Solemn Assemblies the standing Imployment of Christians is most gratefully performed Such as are Prayer and Praise and the like for Prayer somthing hath been hinted and for Praise like Musick it is most melodious when it consort Psal 107.32 Let th m Exalt him also in the Congregation of the People and Praise him in the Assembly of the Elders Psal 111.1 I will Praise thee Lord with my whole heart in the Assembly of the Upright and in the Congregation There is a sweet savour goes up to Heaven with Prayers and Praises that come from Assemblies as seems to be hinted in that expression in Amos. 5.21 I will not smell in your Solemn Assemblies God is fallen out with a People when he cannot away with their calling of Assemblies and the Solemn Meeting is a grievance as some reade that Text Isa 1.13 2. In these Solemn Assemblies the extraordinary imployment of Christians is most acceptable such as is Fasting and Prayer not to mention holy Feasting Thanksgiving Prayers in Assemblies help at dead lifts and in extraordinary cases Samuel will
excellent Copy indeed for us all to write after Learn of me sayes he And what grace what virtue is there that ye may not learn of Christ Never was there such love to God and man like that which wrought in the heart of Jesus Christ Never was there self-denial or humility comparable unto Christs Never any zeal any holiness like Christs O beloved no danger of our being too holy too precise since it 's impossible but that when we have done our best we shall fall far short of out Copy here They that censure Christians now and charge them with over-much strictness and making too much ado in Religion much more that these had they lived in his dayes would have found fault with Jesus Christ But I have no more to say to these here who are enemies to the power and strictness of Christianity onely a word to you my Friends Don't ye think much to bear reproaches for Christ here who hope at last to appear with him in Glory We would be like him in his glorified estate what reason then we should be conform'd to him in humiliation and in an holy conversation But let this serve as touching the coherence In the words themselves you may observe I. A weighty Exhortation Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling Where you have 1. The duty it self Work out your salvation And 2. The manner how it must be done with fear and trembling II. The manner how the Apostle presseth this Exhortation 1. By a sweet compellation My Beloved 2. By a prudent commending of their former course as ye have alwayes obeyed III. Another Argument may be couched in these words not as in my presence onely but now much more in my absence i.e. Though ye have not me present with you yet God is present with you and the eye of the Lord is on you still And this would further evidence your sincerity that what you have done in Religion was not Pharisee-like to be seen of men if you obey and work on not only in my presence And indeed it is a work of necessity and as much need you should follow it close now as ever yea much more in my absence sayes he While I was with you I was most willing and ready to do what in me lay to promote your Salvation but now if you have not so much help from me as when I was amongst you ye had need take the greater pains your selves Children that were but too careless while their Father was with them had need learn to take care when he is gone My Beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Copy hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Brethren But I shall not stay at the compellation which you so frequently meet with As ye have alwayes obeyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some read it O◠with Grotius we may understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 2 Thes 1.8 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 2 Thess 3.14 obeyed the Gospel or obeyed the Word As ye have alwayes obeyed Obeyed what Loquiter de obedientia non erga improrum hominum traditiones sed erga Deum ejusque Evangelium sayes Zanchy He speaks not of obedience to the traditions of sinful ungodly men but of obedience to God and his Gospel Ye have obeyed alwayes i. e. from the time that you first received the Gospel Not but that they had fallen into many particular acts of disobedience even since their conversion but they now no more followed a course of disobedience as they had done before Their desire will and purpose care and study was constantly to obey Note That good beginnings must be seconded and backt with good proceedings and crowned with an answerable conclusion It 's not enough to begin but we must end in the Spirit For this the Church of Thyatira is commended that her last works were more than her first Rev. 2.19 O Christians you that have set forth that have entered into the ways of God go on I beseech you You have had a Name to live and more than a Name I trust Religion has flourished in this Town the Lord grant it may flourish still O may it take such deep root in your hearts that all opposite power let men and devils do their worst may never be able to pluck it up It follows Not in my presence onely i. e. while I am among you calling earnestly upon you to follow your work but now much more in my absence that you have fewer helps and greater hinderances Note also by the way That Christians are not sure they shall always have Gods Ministers at hand When the means of Grace are brought to a place none can say how long the same shall be continued As when the children of Israel were encamped and had pitched their Tents they could not tell how soon the fiery pillar would move and call them forth again Now how does this blame the folly and security of the most who are careless of improving Gods Ministers while they are continued amongst them Indeed this minds your poor Ministers at least that have been yours of their falling short Oh may we not remember our faults this day Oh our want of diligence that we have done no more good while we have had opportunity that it has not been our meat and drink to feed the souls of others so much as it ought to have been Brethren we will not excuse our selves we dare not the Lord is lust in threatning at this day to lay so many of us aside who have laid out our selves no more for him and the good of souls But have you nothing to charge upon your selves who have been our hearers The Lord knows whether in the course of our Ministry we have vented our own fancies or have not declared the will and mind of God to you and whether you have heard and received it as the word of God I hope it has been our desire not to with-hold any thing that was profitable and has it been your care indeed to profit Oh! I must tell you it grieves us at heart to think that we shall leave so many of you in gross ignorance after means of knowledge that we should leave so many of you in prophane courses after many plain reproofs that we should leave so many of you strangers unto Christ who have heard so much of him and have been so oft invited perswaded and pressed to come in to him And howsoever many will think there is no loss of us yet one day you will see what your souls have lost who have enjoyed Gods Ordinances though dispensed by never so weak and contemptible instruments and have not regarded to improve them Here I would have spoken a word to others of you who have got something though not so much as you might have done Let what hath been wanting in your former proficiency be made up as it were in after-humiliation and repentance And if you are conscious to your selves that your unprofitableness
Glory by Christ Jesus make you perfect stablish strength settle and confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ I now come to make some improvement of the Point And because I want time and strength to speak more fully to it I shall limit my self onely to one branch of Application Vse And I beseech you Brethren suffer the word of Exhortation O that my Counsel might be acceptable to you this day That if indeed I should never have liberty of preaching to you more yet this Word this Exhortation of mine mine did I say nay this Exhortation of the Apostle might ever be fresh in your thoughts and as it were continually sounding in your ears O whatever you do or leave undone be â—ure to look after your main business to work out your Salvation And now what I might have brought in as Reasons of the Doctrine I shall offer to you here as Motives to enforce the Exhortation to press you to the duty 1. Consider there is no work you can set your selves about so necessary as this to work out your Salvation Either do this or you do nothing Leave this undone and you are undone for ever You know the wages of the slothful and unprofitable servant Cast him into utter darkness where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth If we are loth to be at any pains for Heaven this slothfulness shall be scourged at last with the endless insufferable pains of Hell Though there were never so many Lions in the way to Heaven yet should we resolve to go on and otherwise we are sure to fall into the Lions mouth that our souls shall be made his prey 2. Consider the work of our Salvation sticks no where if it stick not at us it sticks not on Christ's hand O how did he sweat at this work the purchasing of Salvation for us It drave him into a bloody sweat yet he went thorow with his work And now he is able to save to the uttermost all that come to him and he would be the Author of eternal Salvation unto all that obey him Heb. 5.9 This blessed work sticks not on the Father's hand who is willing all men should be saved first coming to the knowledge belief and obedience of the Truth God excludes none from Salvation who are willing to be saved in that way the Gospel sets forth He excludes none who exclude not themselves The work sticks not at the Spirit neither who is so oft moving and perswading yea striving with us to set about this good work How unreasonable a thing is it now if the work sticks on our hands who are most concerned to promote it Oh how strange if it should stick here 3. Consider this is the end of all the labours of God's Ministers They are sent from God to shew you the way of Salvation They are God's Stewards and Overseers to call you to and direct you in your work Ah Beloved it 's well if so many of them as are now like to be laid aside be not therefore taken off their work to punish the negligence of the most because Hearers have been too mindless generally of their work Verily this will be unprofitable for you that your poor Ministers should have bestowed on you labour in vain Though we would bless God for any the least success for blessing our endeavours unto any yet surely we should have had more comfort at this day could we have seen more good done that souls had less need of us 4. Consider that diligence in working out of your Salvation would not obstruct but rather promote and bring a blessing on other works you have to take in hand Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness let your main care be laid out that way take most thought for your souls and for the life to come and all these things shall be added unto you Believe it Sirs Godliness is the greatest gain for that it hath the promise both of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 See Deut. 29.9 5. Again have not many of us done something this way already If we would not lose the things we have wrought then let us go through-stitch with out work O let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not O my Friends how sad it is to faint and tire in the way to Heaven As it 's the portion of such to lie down in sorrow Let us therefore fear as the Apostle exhorts in Heb. 4.1 lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any should seem to come short of it That we should have been once in a fair way for Heaven but since we were not careful to hold on our way and therefore have fallen short at last O how would such thoughts eternally torment us Blessed be God I may say in reference to many of you as the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 5.12 That this is the true Grace of God wherein ye stand Wherein if you continue and persevere you shal ere long see the work of Grace in your souls crowned with Glory And I am perswaded am confident of this very thing that he which has begun a good work in many of your souls will perform will carry on the same unâ—il the day of Jesus Christ And therefore gird up the loins of your minds up and be doing for now is your Salvation nearer than when first ye believed 6. I add but this one consideration more The more pains you are at here in your life-time in working out your Salvation the more peace and comfort may you expect in the hour of death The rest of the labouring man is sweet They that now are taking most pains for Heaven when they come to dye enter into peace indeed O the vast difference betwixt those who in fear have wrought out their salvation here and those that have wrought out their destruction without fear We shall see a difference betwixt these one day And as I have told you often I tell you this once more It is better better a thousand thousand degrees to go toiling and sweating to go sighing and weeping yea or bleeding to Heaven than to go slugging and sleeping or to go singing and dancing to Hell Now perhaps some of you are ready to say These are weighty considerations and we are now convinced how much it is our duty and our wisdom to set about this work and therefore we resolve upon it if you would give us the best direction you can about it Here I would close up this subject with some directions but first let me give you two or three necessary cautions 1. Take heed of having your heads hearts and hands too deeply engag'd in the World They that make that their great study and business to be rich in this World take a ready way to destroy their souls 1 Tim. 6.9 Many in
halting from the reigning power and predominancy of corruption The former is found in the Godly but it is their grief and burden Peter upon a sudden push of temptation halted down and fell fouly into a denial of Christ and that with such circumstances as might make any Christians ears glow and tingle to hear recited Mat. 26. yet afterwards he was far from applauding himself herein He went out and wept bitterly As one of the Ancients sayes of some that fell through weakness in time of Persecution Vicit eos paena non avertit perfidia negarunt semel sed quotidie confitentur negarunt sermone sed confitentur gemitibus ululatibus flecibus liberis non coactis vocibus They denied in word but afterwards confessed with sighs and groans and tears The Faithful sometimes halt through infirmity but it is their grief Others that halt deliberately far unlike them neither can they fairly pretend sorrow for it Alas it is their choice they approve of it and think themselves in taking their liberty in having so great a latitude about the matters of Religion much wiser then those who are more precise and strait-laced But so much for Explication to shew what it is to halt in Religion and how many wayes men are subject to it Now that is very sad and sinful you have as much affirmed Hos 10.2 Their heart is divided now shall they be found faulty God will be served with all the heart and with our whole soul and to divide it betwixt Him and others is a thing He cannot endure He cannot brook It were easy to produce other Scriptures that speak to this purpose but we shall have occasion to make use of them in the following discourse therefore I wave them here to proceed to the Demonstrations of the Point And I shall evidence the great evil of halting in Religion 1. From the nature of the thing it self 2. From the whence it proceeds 3. from the consequences and effects Demon. 1. Halting in Religion must needs be exceeding evil that considered in it self is directly opposit and contrary to God from whom the true Religion is derived and unto whom it returns It is both contrary to God's Nature and to his Mind and Will Contrary to Gods Nature He is still the same with him is no variableness neither shadow of turning Now how unlike to God are they that are off and on ever and anon changing one thing to day another to morrow yea it may be seemingly devout while on their knees but vain and prophane when on their feet Good and upright is the Lord. Thou most Upright Thou most Upright dost weigh the path of the just Then surely they are contrary to him who are for crooked ways The Lord that is faithful Isa 49.7 Heb. 10.23 He is faithful in all his promises to us How unlike to God are they who are false in their engagements playing fast and loose with him And how contrary this halting in Religion is to God's Mind and Will you may learn from what is said of those Mongrel-Worshippers 2 King 17.33 34. In v. 33. it is said They feared the Lord and served their own gods But in v. 34. They feared not the Lord. Such serving of God is as no serving of him There 's one But which takes off the lustre of all Amaziah did He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord BUT not with a perfect heart 2 Chron. 25.2 He began well but afterwards turned away from following the Lord v. 27. So we find this as a Blot in the story of some of the good Kings whose Acts are recorded in Holy Writ Such and such a one reigned well did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord only the high places were not taken away And here they fell short Demon. 2. Halting in Religion must needs be very evil which comes from such ill causes Such as the cause is such is the effect Now here I shall not insist on the Fall of mankind which is indeed the prime cause of all that halting in Religion which is in the World I shall not stay at that sinning sin the corruption of mans nature which was consequent upon his fall which makes way for all those sinful warpings crooked windings turnings in the course of our conversations But I will come to some more particular and nearer causes And so this halting I am speaking of is either from a bad head or from an evil heart or from both 1. From a bad head As we may see those that are troubled with the Vertigo c. that have bad heads how ill they can guide their feet Thus corruption of the judgement false Principles received into the mind cause the soul to halt and turn aside Many Hereticks of old thought it lawful enough to bow their bodies to an Image to an Idol so that they kept their hearts for God But this was doubtless a false Principle They whose hearts were true to God in Israel would not so much as how the knee to Baal Many of them taught It was enough to believe with the heart that confession with the mouth was not necessary Though as Anastas Sinait wel determines to be restrained by any fear of persecution a libera fidei confessione est quaedam species Abnegationis Not to confess Christ is to deny him No mean betwixt these Matth. 10.32 33. Some hold it lawful enough to profess the contrary to what they believe Jura perjura secretum prodere noli Whereunto the Doctrine of equivocation and mental reservation maintained by the Jesuits is as near a kind as may be The Christians in Justin Martyrs time were of other Principles We had rather dye sayes he for the Confession of our Faith than either lye or delude those that examine us otherwise we might readily use the common saying Jurata lingua est animus injuratus est My tongue only is sworn my mind unsworn Such principles as these they were far from approving of Some hold that men may be saved in any Religion It is not very likely that such should stick to the true But such are the false principles that teach men to play fast and loose with God These would teach men to deny Christ with Peter but not to repent with Peter Further many halt from a doubting Conscience or from an erring Conscience and it is sad being left to the conduct of but a doubting Conscience Rom. 14.23 Whatsoever is not of Faith is sin That man halts in his course who is drawn to this or that sed titubante Conscientia as Beza terms it with an hobling hesitating Conscience The Apostles Rule v. 5. is Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind Again how sad is it being led by an erring Conscience Indeed such a soul is in a miserable strait Ordinarily it is a sin to follow Conscience when it erreth When Conscience determines that to be a sin which is a duty or that to be
afterwards conclude with Directions Motives 1. Consider halting is very unseemly The Linsey-woolsey-coat is but an uncomely garment How ill doth it become a Child of God the Kings daughter Psa 45.13 14. Lameness or crookedness is a deformity in the body Not to walk uprightly is very uncomely among Professors There is an expression Psa 52.9 I will praise thee for ever and I will wait on thy Name for it is good before thy Saints Constancy and perseverance in God's Worship and Service and in our dependance upon Him this is good before the Saints And the contrary to see souls falling off from God and His Wayes is evil in their account They blush are asham'd to see it It is a sad and strange sight to them Gal. 1.6 I marvel saies the Apostle to these halting backsliding Professors I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the Grace of Christ Yea this is unseemly not only before the Saints but before wicked men Hence it is that the uncircumcised Philistines do so rejoyce and triumph when they can see or hear that any of Israels Worthies are fallen As the Psalmist complains Psa 38.16 When my foot slippeth they magnifie themselves against me They insult over the Righteous when they see them fall into any trouble and distress and no lesse when they fall into sin when they can take notice of any thing in their carriage and practice unbecoming their profession 2. Halting in Religion is most unreasonable No fair pretence that can be put 〈◊〉 As the Lord expostulates with them Jer. 2. 〈◊〉 What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and are â—â—lked after vanity What a strange course they take wâ—â—â— turn aside from God from the true God to walk after vanity The People were convinced of the folly of such a course in Josh 24.16 God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods That were a folly and madness indeed God forbid we should forsake our own mercy our happiness to follow lying vanities How foolish was the Prodigal in leaving his Father's House to feed upon husks When the Galatians were halting in Religion how strangely the Apostle bespeaks them Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galatians Who hath bewitched you and verse 3. Are ye so foolish What so foolish q. d. none can be more foolish than thus If the Lord be not God why do we follow Him at all And if He be God as nothing more sure Why do we not follow the Lord fully If it be not good to be truly religious why do we make any profession of it why are we not open avowed Atheists And if it be good indeed Why are we no more careful to walk up to our profession Thus if we did but attend to Reason it would inform us thus much that either we should quite lay down our profession or indeavour to bring up our lives to our profession 3. Halting in Religion is exceeding hurtful As there is an expression Jer. 7.6 Neither walk after other gods to your hurt That some instead of cleaving to the Lord followed Baal-peor was it not to their hurt Deut. 4.3 4. see Ezek. 6.22 If we belong to God and yet are halting in our course before Him we may look to smart for it here if we are turning aside from him He will fetch us in with the rod Psa 89.30 c. 4. We have gone â—n halting too long already It is more than time we â—â—â—ld now seek for cure that we should now mend of it Hath not this been our manner from our youth As Moses said of the Children of Israel Ye have been rebellious against the Lorâ—â—rom the day that I knew you Have not we been still at this pass at â—ff and on playing fast and loose with God I may here allude to that in Josh 22.17 18. Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed unto this day but that we must turn away this day from following the Lord We have been too long unsteady and uneven in our course 5. This halting in Religion is hard to cure And the longer any soul goes on in it it is still so much the worse As a leg out of joynt the longer it goes so it is so much the more difficult to set it right again Oh that this was seriously considered every step we take awry we are making work for Repentance And as it is not so easie but exceeding painful to have a broken leg set right and sound again so it is no such easie matter to have a lapsed soul restored by â—â—pentance 6. If we have made any progress in Christianity to halt now would deprive us of the comfort of it O what comfort is to be found iâ— close walking with God! The whole world if you search it through has no such cordial for a fainting dying creature as the sense of ones integrity and former upright-walking before God When Hezekiah had received the sentence of death this was more to him than all his Kingdom again Isa 38.3 On the contrary when we are halting in our course we undermine our own peace lay a foundation for inward troubles jealousy of our estates John 8.31 If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed Mark it If ye continue But otherwise you would only seem to be my Disciples It 's not enough to begin well but we must continue And otherwise all that we have done in Religion or suffered upon this account will be lost and in vain Gal. 3.4 And if our goodness be but as the morning cloud and early dew that soon passeth away even such will our hopes be Our comfort will hold out and continue no longer than we hold fast our integrity 7. Halting will really set us back cast us very much behind in our Christian course A lame man makes but a bad traveller So halting Christians drive on very heavily in the wayes of God A man that is careless of keeping in his way no wonder if he comes late and weary home And if we are oft turning into crooked paths how will this hinder us in the way to heaven This is going about indeed and no getting thus to heaven but we must return by weeping cross Thus every step we take awry is one step out of our way 8. It is a most unworthy thing to halt with God He keeps touch with his No God like him that keeps Covenant with them that walk before Him with all their heart 1 Kings 8.23 No God like him for this All besides Him are found lying vanities It was horrible blasphemy that message which Senacherib sent to Hezekiah Isa 37.10 Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee Little danger or fear of this Never to this day that the Lord deceived any one soul that trusted in him and was faithful to him 1 Sam. 10.19 Ye have this day rejected your God who himself
saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations Most disingenuous and ingrateful creatures If we cast him off now he would not have dealt so with us If we forsake him he would not have forsaken us With an upright man he will shew himself upright Psal 18.25 This motive the Apostle useth to perswade unto Christian stedfastness and constancy Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised God would be true to us then should not we be true to him 9. Others obstinacy in their false and evil wayes should provoke us to stedfastness in the wayes of God Jer. 2.11 How many rooted in their errors that there is no stirring of them how many wedded to Superstition how many doting upon their old heathenish customs like those Jer. 44.16 17. no taking them off How many hardned in sin so resolved upon the pursuit of their lusts as there is no turning of them And do not all these shame and condemn us if our hearts are not as much fixed upon God if we cleave not as close to Him his Truth and Wayes 10. I add but a word more How should we fear to halt with God lest it provoke the Lord even to depart from us O Sirs do you desire it may go well with the Land whereof you are Inhabitants with the Church of which you are Members would you have it to go well with England then take ye heed of halting in Religion See Josh 22.18 If we turn away from following the Lord to day to morrow he may be wroth with the whole Congregation If such as profess his Name are turning further back from him how may such provoking of his sons and daughters cause the Lord to abhor us will not this make a way to his Anger or rather make the gap wider like a great breach of the Sea never more to be repaired I say halting in Religion may provoke the Lord to depart As we read of the Israelites Psa 78.57 to 62. They turned back and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers they were turned aside like a deceitful bow When God eard this he was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel so that he forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh c. I come now to the Directions I promised with which I conclude And would you halt no more in Religion 1. Get a clear sight and knowledge of your way Labour for a distinct knowledge both in matters of Faith and Practice Thus get your way made plain He that walks in the dark goes he knows not whither and stumbles at he knows not what He that walks in the Light is not in that danger of stumbling We must first know before we can be established in the Truth 2 Pet. 1.12 First prove and then hold fast 1 Thes 5.21 We must know the certainty of those things wherein we have been instructed that they may be most surely believed of us Luke 1.1 4. They that receive the Word with much assurance as the believing Thessalonians did 1 Thess 1.5 there is hope that they will venture all rather than renounce or part with the Truth 2 Tim. 3.14 Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of There must be a learning of the Truth and assurance that it is the Truth if we would continue in the Truth So Col. 1.23 Here 1. Be very clear in thâ— grounds of Religion They that would â—ot be fluctuating in Religion must get their minds well ballasted with the knowledge of the grounds of Religion They that would stand in a storm must see they have a basis of their own a good foundation laid that they do not pin their Faith on others Indeed I know not what should hinder but an ignorant Protestant may soon turn a confident Papist But Catechism Instruction in the Principles of Christianity was one main engine whereby our Reformers battered down Popery The foundation is a principal part of the building so the lowest Principles as it is observed the lowest Principles of Religion in one sense are the highest Principles If you would have the house to stand lay the foundation well an errour in the foundation is destructive to the building 2. Get your minds established in the present Truth It concerns Christians to be very clear in those Truths for which they may be called to suffer And when ye are assured you have the Truth on your side you may go on boldly you need not fear Let the world storm you have a strong City Isa 26.1 2. Be established I say in the present Truth And so be at pains to aquaint your selves with your present duty Be wise concerning the times to know what you ought to do While you know you are in away of duty let others censure reproach or persecute you yet what should hinder but you may go on chearfully O how comfortable a thing it is to know and be assured that if troubles do befal me in the way I take they overtake me in a way of duty This greatly emboldened the Prophet Daniel to pray before his God as he did afore-time Dan. 6.10 Come on 't what wil he is sure it was his duty to pray after that manner While we are in way of duty we may trust God to bear us out Or if we suffer in his service we should yet have no cause to complain of an hard service He that considered Nebuchadrezzar what hazards and hardships he had been put upon in serving His Providence and would not let it go unrewarded Ezek. 29.18 c. much more that he considers his suffering Servants who are exercised with many troubles here that attend their observing his Commands who commit themselves to Him in wel-doing 2. Get your hearts set right This is another general Direction The upright heart will hate every false way But where the heart is not right such a soul is not stedfast with God Psal 78.8 A generation that set not their heart arigth then it follows and whose spirit was not stedfast with God As we would not halt as we desire to walk in a streight and even course our eye must be single 3. Be humbled in the sence of your former sinful warpings They that are pained and afflicted in the sence and remembrance of their former sinful slips and falls will look better to their feet and take more heed to their wayes When the soul hath experienced that it is an evil thing and bitter to forsake the Lord it will fear to turn aside from him again On the other hand where men are not humbled for the irregularity of their former course they will be likely to go on in the same course still Jer. 44.10 They are not humbled even unto this day neither have they feared nor walked in my Law But deep humiliation is a proper means to cure halting We never read that Peter denied Christ after his repentance and humiliation for that sin nay how boldly
is a reduplication of this Votum Apostolicum for so some reade it Gratia inquam adsit omnibus c. In words it is more contracted but in sense more comprehensive than the former verse thus I wâ—sh Peace Love Faith to the Brethren yea Grace all spiritual and heavenly blessings to you and all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity By Grace he meaneth omnimodam Gratiam all sorts of Grace having mentioned already Peace Love and Faith which are excellent graces yet are they not all Grace therefore he adds Grace that he may take his leave of these his beloved Brethren in the same manner as he resolved to come to others Rom. 15.29 In the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ In the Text are two principal parts 1. A Character of a right Christian a Christian indeed as Christ said of Nathaniel Behold an Israelite indeed he is one that loveth our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity For the Apostle wisheth not so great good to all that pretend love to Christ to Hypocrites but to such as love him unfeignedly 2. The subject matter of his wish what it is he desireth for sincere lovers of Christ it is Grace Not outward good things as health long-life riches honour though he excludeth not them nay Peace in the largest sense may include them and Godliness hath the promise of the life that now is and that which is to come But the Apostle willing to give them a brief Epitome of his large heart and good wishes for them doth it in this one word Grace as not knowing any bâ—tâ—er thing for them Doct. 1. Jesus Christ is our Lord. He is Lord of all Aâ—ts 10.36 but especially he is Lord of his Church which is his house Heb. 3.6 1. He built the house it is He that made us not we our selves 2. He hath moreover bought us Acts 20.28 the Church which he hath purchased with his own blood 3. Him hath God the Father exalted to be a Prince c. Acts 5.31 and Phil. 2.9 Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him c. Vse Let all things in the Church be regulated according to the Institutions of our Lord Christ Let Ministers who are Stewards over the House of God be wise and faithful to preach no other Doctrine administer no other Sacraments exercise no other Discipline introduce no other Rites into Divine Worship than what they have good warrant for from the Lord Jesus Christ and can say with the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.23 I received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you 2. Let all that profess hope of Salvation by Jesus Christ receive him for their Lord to rule over them as well as for their Saviour to redeem them Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say Luke 6.46 So we profess in our Creed I believe in Jesus Christ our Lord and so in the close of our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord. So let it appear in our Lives and Gospel-becoming-conversations But this I pass over There are two Doctrines arising from the two several parts of the Text which I am to insist upon And as I am to preach this day not knowing whether I shall ever have the liberty to preach again so I would have you to hear as not sure whether you may ever hear again Doct. 1. It is the character of a right Christian to love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity 2. The Apostle wisheth Grace to all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity as the best thing he could wish them 1. Of the first It is the character of a right Christian to love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Qu. To love Christ in sincerity what is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the letter of the Original is as much to say as in incorruption So reade the Interlin and vulgar Jesus Christ the Incorruptible God So reads the Ethiopick Arab. Amore non vitiato neque culpato that love Christ with a love not faulty nor blame-worthy which agrees best with the sense of Interpreters who render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incorruptly sincerely not feignedly It being the Apostles purpose by this phrase to exclude all rotten Hypocrites from the benefits he wisheth to good Christians Ubi notandum est hoc Apostolicum votum non in sceleratis hypocritis sed in sinceris tantum Christi Discipulis qui viz. Christum incorrupto animo diligunt locum habere Vorstius More particularly To love Christ in sincerity is the act or affection of a gracious heart whereby knowing the excellency and worth of Christ he desires union with him preferreth him communion with him and obedience to his Commandments before all things in the world 1. What it is to love Christ 2. In sincerity 1. Love of Christ implieth knowledge of him of his Worthiness and high Deserts Right Love is no blind affection but ariseth from Light and Understanding of the loveliness of the Object upon which it is placed and to which it is carried forth Cant. 5.10 The Church describing at large the Excellencies of Christ whom her soul loveth concludes ver 16. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 altogether lovely or desirable 2. From knowledge of the worth that is in Christ springeth desire of union and communion with him A man desires to be near his Friend in whom he delighteth loveth his company converseth with him Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight Psal 86.11 Unite my heart David desired to dwell in the House of God for ever because he loved him Psal 23. ult The wise Merchant buyeth gets into his possession the Pearl which he prized Matth. 13.46 3. Hence followeth an high esteem of Christ so as he preferreth him to all other things whatsoever He seeth no beauty excellency comparable to his Cant. 5.10 The chiefest of ten thousand Psal 63.1 My soul thirsteth for thee 4. Lastly The loving soul is most obedient 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth him so as he thinketh nothing too hard to do or suffer nothing too dear to part with for Christs sake Amanti nihil durum 2. What it is to love Christ in sincerity 1. It is to love him with the whole heart according to the utmost extent of that phrase Mat. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul c. Isa 26.8 The desire of our soul is unto thee This is to love without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 To love not in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth 1 John 3.18 Where love is sincere there is idem velle nolle as if two hearts were in one body We love Christ sincerely or with all the heart when his will is ours our will is conformable to his when his Laws are so wrirten in our hearts that we are wholly his to be commanded as men subscribe their Letters to their friends Yours to
and perswading the things concerning the Kingdom of God Luke 24.32 Did not our hearts burn within us whilest he talked with us and opened unto us the Scriptures 5. The Lords Table where he feasteth his Friends as Cant. 5.1 and bids them welcome saying Eat O Friends Drink yea drink abundantly O Wel-beloved I appeal to the consciences of many sincere Christians when they have taken most pains with their own hearts to get them into frame against a Sacramental day when they have been deeply humbled in self-abhorrency broken in confessions with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered if God have not spoken peace to their souls Son daughter be of good chear thy sins be forgiven if their hearts have not danced for joy as David did before the Ark 6. The Lord's People his faithful Members are they thy friends thy companions of thy intimate society dost thou prefer them to others Psal 16.3 as the only excellent ones 119.63 I am companion to all that fear thee to all even to poor Saints as well as rich despised as well as honourable dost thou relieve them in want succour them in misery visit them if in Prison and therefore because they belong to Christ have much of Christ in them This he taketh kindly Mark 9.41 because they belong to Christ 7. Dost thou love the Day of Christ's appearing which though it be black and gloomy a terrible day to the proud and all ungodly enemies of Christ yet is it a day much to be desired by all that love the Lord who may rejoyce and lift up their heads in joyful hope of this Dayes approach their Redemption draweth nigh now is their Salvation nearer than when first they believed now shall the Elect receive the end of their Faith and Hope and Prayers and Tears and Sufferings 2 Tim. 4.8 It is made a character of the righteous that they love the appearing of Jesus Christ Heb. 5. ult Unto them that look for him Tit. 2.13 Looking for c. Not only looking for but hasting to the coming of the Day of God 2 Pet. 3.12 3d. Note is in Christ's own words John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments all one as well as another hard as well as easie John 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Abraham is called the Friend of God and his friendship was tried and approved by his obedience to those hard Commandments of leaving his Country and offering up his only son his son Isaac whom he loved The partial obedience of most people is no obedience at all argueth no sincere love to Christ 4. To suffer for Christ to part with our dearest interests for him argueth sincere love to him Jacob endured a hard service of seven years for Rachel which though long because hard yet seemed to him but as a few dayes for the love he had unto her Jonathan endured his father's displeasure for David whom he loved and was well content to part with his hope in the Kingdom because he loved him as his own soul The Martyrs Rev. 12.11 loved not their lives unto the death The Apostles went away rejoycing they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ If we dare not adventure to suffer the spoyling of our Goods dare not hazard the frown or displeasure of a Landlord dare not suffer the loss of Name or Reputation for Christ and his Gospel how dwelleth his Love in us 5. Who love the Lord in sincerity will not easily part with Him his Comforts his Graces his Presence and Power of his Ordinances Exod. 21.5 The servant that loved his master and the family would not go out free Love prevailed above Liberty which is very desirable To sincere Christians the absence of Christ is grievous how they mourn to part with Ordinances in which they have found sweet communion with Christ David in the Wilderness how he longed after God! Psal 63.1 With sorrow and weeping tears the Disciples take their leave of St. Paul Acts 20. ult when they were to see his face no more Those people that with those Jews Acts 13.50 expel Ministers out of their coasts or with them Luke 4.29 thrust Christ out of their City or with the more mannerly Gadarens who besought him to depart from them who can be content to suffer a famine of the Word rather than be at the cost of maintaining a Preaching-Minister they will not buy the Truth so dear who are well enough pleased to see their Ministers removed burning and shining Lights put under a bed or a bushel Teachers driven into corners do give a plain demonstration how little love they have to Jesus Christ it is evident they prefer their Swine their Gain their Money to Jesus Christ Now I beseech you Brethren take a little pains to try the truth of your Love to Christ It will be the greatest comfort to your souls of any thing in this world if upon good ground it may appear you are of them that love the Lord in sincerity What bonefires of joy may such Christians make in their hearts in the saddest times and darkest night of affliction Psal 112.4 To the upright ariseth light in darkness If you love Christ be sure ye are of him beloved Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me To you he will be a never-failing friend in trouble in sickness in all afflictions in life and death and at the day of Judgement to them he will pronounce that heart-chearing sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom c. But if by the foregoing Evidences taken out of the Scriptures of Truth the contrary do appear and we be not found amongst Christs real Friends but however we may flatter our selves among his enemies and of them that hate Him then shall we from his mouth hear that heart-breaking doom Depart from me ye cursed c. I never knew you And if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha SERMON VI. Ephes 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity VVE come now to speak to the second Doctrine which is this Doct. 2. The best thing in the world is Grace not gifts parts which are Gratiae gratis datae of an inferiour nature which the Apostle elsewhere wisheth for his Corinthians 1 Cor. 14.5 But here being to take his leave of his People wisheth for them saving Grace such as Faith Remission of sins Fellowship with all Saints in the general Resurrection So Haimo in locum That Grace is so excellent a thing appeareth in this That the Apostle in all or most of his Epistles both begins and ends with it His first salutation in the entrance is Grace be unto you and Peace to which he sometimes addeth Mercy Grace to renew our nature Peace of conscience Mercy for pardon of sin If we find sin pardoned our persons accepted our natures altered then may we comfort our selves c. saith Dr. Sibbs In
given because Jesus was not yet glorified Whether we take the holy Ghost there for gifts and spiritual endowments or the Efficacy of the Spirit accompanying those gifts in neither sense was the holy Ghost given so plentiously before as after Christ's Ascention on the day of Pentecost and afterwards Eph. 4.8 When he ascended on high he gave gifts unto men God the Father reserved the â—aâ—â— donative of his Grace for honour of his Sons Ascention unto the last times as the Gospel-times are called whereby so many millions of souls have been converted to Christ So then it being our lot with Capernaum to be lifted up to Heaven in regard of spiritual enjoyments take heed with the same people lest we be cast down to Hell for want of good improvement of so high priviledges Take with us therefore these brief Directions that we may not fail or come short of Grace 1. Be sure thou have an high esteem of Grace for God will not cast his Pearls before Swine carnal people that prize them not We may easily over-value these sublunary things bestow more serious thoughts labour sweat time money on them than they are really worth But we cannot possibly set too high a rate on Grace which we are bidden to covet follow or pursue seek ask knock for strive for 1 Cor. 12. ult Heb. 12.14 2. This estimate we shall not set upon Grace except we be sensible of our want of it We need not seek a thing we have in our hands Most men perish through lack of Grace which they seek not labour not for because they perswade themselves they have it already Be thou poor in spirit destitute blind naked If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God who giveth liberally viz. to them that ask so in sence of want God is not like unto man in this respect Men send gifts and presents where is least need and so for them they that are poor may be poor still Semper eris pauper si c. God giveth Grace where most need is He feedeth the hungry he inviteth the poor Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth Survey the state of thy soul when thou goest to Prayer to the Word Saâ—â—ament As when you go or send to the Market you consider what is wanting that supply may be made When thou goest to God's Ordinances thy Spiritual Market enquire what is lacking and there pour out thy heart to God put up earnest cryes for the work of Grace and Conversion for a new heart God hath promised no less than the holy Spirit to them that ask Luke 11.13 i. e. that ask so as in that parable our Saviour teacheth with fervency and importunity 3. See thou hunger and thirst after Grace keep a continued desire and longing after it for so the Participle implyeth Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that are hungring and thirsting Psal 143.6 My soul thirsteth after thee as the thirsty Land How is that When the Earth is chapt and gapes through long drought it never ceaseth gaping and craving till the Heavens hear the Earth according to Hos 2.21 So let the thirsty soul do Psal 123.2 As the eyes of a servant c. so our eyes wait on the Lord until he have mercy on us 4. Delay not the time take the first opportunity slip not one market-Market-day to gain so excellent a Commodity Seek the Lord while he may be found call on him while he is nigh When Shops are shut up it is too late to make our Markets Many are afraid of having Grace too soon they are loth to be holy too soon to be sanctified too soon as if Grace were a burden But why not rather fear we lest we should come too late as did the foolish Virgins who dearly rued it as all shall who in this their day will not know the things of their peace 5. If thou wilt have Grace be content to buy it though without money without price in buying you part with one thing for another whereof you have more need so must thou here though heavenly commodities are not to be valued for Silver you know what Simon Peter said to Simon Magus Thy money perish with thee c. yet must thou part with that which it may be thou valuest above Silver i. e. thy lusts Isa 2.20 Idols of Silver costly sins must be parted with of them thou hast no need if thou part not with them they wil ruine thee if thou cast not them away they will cast thee away Sin and Grace reigning sin a way of wickedness is inconsistent with Grace God and Belial the Ark and Dagon will not agree under the same roof The Spirit of God is a holy pure delicate Spirit will be grieved and at last will be gone if that unclean spirit the Devil be entertained by a voluntary resignation of thy heart to the love of any course of sin or impiety If the blessed Spirit of Grace will vouchsafe to be thy guest O prepare him a lodging as Paul writes to Philemon ver 22. of that Epistle Purge thy self from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 6. Diligence in the use of means constant attendance on the Ordinances of Grace is necessary to the obtaining of Grace Frequent daily the Throne of Grace by fervent prayer wait duly at the posts of wisdoms house by attentive hearing the Word make conscience of sanctifying the Lords day be not thou absent from Gods house when he deals his dole of Grace and Blessing to his People use the society of Gracious persons whose communication is savory and their words minister Grace to the hearers and be constant in exercises of Godliness follow Pauls counsel to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.15 Meditate on these things continue in them give thy self much unto them that thy profiting may appear The diligent hand maketh rich when drowsiness clotheth a man with rags which is as true in spiritual as in temporal things 2d Branch of Exhortation If Grace be the best thing in the world let Christians that have Grace already labour for further degrees of it Grow in Grace 2 Pet. 3.18 Grace and sanctification is not perfect at once but hath its several ages and periods of growth We read of the Embrio or the forming the new man in the womb Gal. 4.19 The new-born babe 1 Pet 2.2 little children 1 John 2.13 young men ib. aged Christians ib. and Psal 92.14 shall bring forth more fruit in old age To this purpose are the commands in Scripture to abound more and more 1 Thess 4.1 that your love may abound Phil. 1.9 alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult They are likewise commended who are rich in Grace and fruits of holiness Matt. 15.28 O woman great is thy Faith Matt. 8.10 I have not sound so great Faith no not in Israel So on the contrary dwarfs in Christianity are blame-worthy Matt. 6.30 O ye of little Faith 1 Cor. 3.4 Are ye not yet carnal that is babes in
in God 1. The foundation of this Interest is laid in the free Love of God to their souls We can shew no other ground of all those rich heavenly priviledges Believers enjoy but only this because God loved them from eternity this is the bottom of all every one of our priviledges is laid in God's love Whom God loved from eternity them he chose from eternity to be a People nigh unto him that should have interest and propriety in him Hence it is Believers are called Elect and Chosen ones Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world 2. ' T is ratified and made sure by the Covenant of Grace When God having brought the soul over to himself and enriched it with Faith and other Graces comes actually to strike covenant with him than is this interest and propriety in God established and made firm this appears from the very tenour of the Covenant of Grace Jer. 31.33 This shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People God hath given his People an interest in himself and he hath confirmed this by Oath and Covenant he hath sworn that he will be the Believers God Come we to apply this Doctrine 1. Have Believers an interest in God We may here stand and wonder at the honour that is bestowed upon Believers Surely the outward glory of Solomon fell short of this to be a People near to God is a high honour to be related to him is a great dignity but to have a right to God and all in God is a priviledge not to be fathomed by humane arms and yet this honour have all the Saints though in their outward condition never so poor and contemtible t is the greatest honour in the world to be able to say My God If David was filled with admiration that he should be son in law to the King How may the hearts of Believers run over when they consider what honour they have in being Sons of God! 2. Have Believers an interest in God Then in vain do Satan and his Instruments labour to make them miserable Can any man be miserable that hath an interest in God Men would have judged David a miserable man but he hath a friend to stand by him in whom he encourageth himself Will God forsake his People will he suffer men to spoil his Jewels No they do but polish them if Satan and his instruments could dissolve this interest and pluck Believers out of God's arms than were their misery at hand but this they cannot do God feels the blows which Believers receive Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me He is touched with all their injuries and surely he is able to save them 3. Have Believers an interest in God Then hath God also an interest in them and this Believers must know and remember this propriety is mutual betwixt God and his Saints as he is theirs so they are his not their own This must put us in mind of our duty that we do not altogether dwell upon priviledges and forget duty We must not boast of our propriety in God and serve our selves and our own lusts As God in his Covenant sayes I will be their God so he adds and they shall be my People and for this end he promiseth to put his Laws in our inward parts and write them in our hearts that so we may yeeld him Covenant-obedience Remember Christian thou art not thine own but God's 't is not for thee to serve love and please thy self but God As we have right to all God hath and can do so hath God right to all we have and can do our gifts parts strength time and estates must be laid out for God 4. Have Believers an interest in God then let them pity such as have not and strive to bring them under this happiness let our souls bleed within us to consider how many thousands are strangers yea and enemies to God and without God in the world Canst thou call God thy God there are many thousands in the world that cannot do this Canst thou call God Father O how many are there that cannot do this in Faith Pity such and pray for them yea labour by all means to bring them home to God See whether there be no such in your families or amongst your kindred and neighbours Are not many of these in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity if so pity such souls and labour to pray them in to God that they also may have an interest in him 5. Have Believers an interest in God This speaks exceeding great joy and comfort to Beleivers such as can say with David The Lord my God If we knew God better we should understand more of this great consolation The serious thought of this interest in God is able to make a Believers joy to exceed all bounds The consolation will empty it self into these four chanels 1. If God be thine thou then art Gods and he will own thee he will preserve thee he will provide for thee thou needest not torment thy self with carefulness who hast such a God to care for thee There is as much comfort in that last branch of the Covenant they shall be my People as their is in the former I will be their God 2. If God be thine then is his Christ thine thou hast an interest in Christ and all his Sufferings his Merits and Righteousness He is made of God to us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption whole Christ is thine Christ and all that he hath done Christ and all that he hath suffered Christ in his Person and in his Portion thou maiest say of him with the Spouse My Beloved is mine and I am his 3. If God be thine then is his Spirit thine to lead thee into all Truth the Comforter to abide with thee the Spirit of Grace to sanctifie thee the Witness to testifie thy Sonship to God and to seal thee unto the day of Redemption this Spirit is thine if God be thine 4. If God be thine then is his Kingdom thine his Glory thine T is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom a Glorious Kingdom whose builder and founder is God an Inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you such as can call God theirs shall be sure one day to Reign with their God in the Kingdom of his Glory Proceed we to the second Observation from the words which was this 2. There is enough in God to encourage a Believer when greatly distressed 'T is clear from this instance of David he was greatly distressed as you have heard yet he encouraged himself in his God Follow him from hence to the 23. Psal the 4. ver and there you may find him insulting over the
nothing can hurt them there Psal 46.1 2. God is our refuge and strength a present help in time of trouble therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed and the Mountains carried into the midst of the Sea See how the Church encourageth her self in the Strength and Power of God even beyond all fear come what will we have a refuge to betake us to Isa 26.4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting Strength such Strength as can never faile Oh how may a Believer glory when he is inclosed within such Walls though he be compassed about with troubles yet his comfort is that everlasting Strength is engaged for him There is a threefold Comfort in this general Encouragement 1. This Power is sufficient for our deliverance be our distresses what they will though Believers may have many enemies yet God that is on their side is able to save them He is greater than all In this the three un-martyred Martyrs encouraged themselves against the burning rage of an angry King and his fiery Fornace Dan. 3.17 Our God whom wâ—â—serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Fornace The proud Heathen cries Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands Who why the God that made Heaven and Earth the living God he can deliver us The Believer knows that the powerful God is able to save him It was He that shut the hungry Lyons mouths and saved Daniel in the Den It was He that filed off Peters Chains and threw open the Iron-gate that he might escape He hath wrought Miracles for the deliverance of such as have trusted in him 2. All the power and strength the enemy hath comes from God and is limited by him the Devils themselves are led up and down in Chains by the hand of providence So that if the Believer be frighted by hearing the Lyon roar he is again encouraged by the gingling of the Chain he cannot fix a scab upon our body without a licence from God as appears in Job's story Our God hath his hook in the nose of the chief of our enemies he cannot go whither he would nor do what he pleaseth and so wicked men who are Satans instruments they have their power from God John 19.10 11. Pilaâ—e boasteth of his power to release or to crucifie Christ Jesus answers Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above But 3. From this Power and Strength the Believer receives strength to undergo his burthen 't is a strong God that makes patient sufferers a heavy burthen upon weak shoulders will make ill work but when the shoulder is made strong by strength from above then it can bear the burthen better Psal 138.3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Believers count themselves to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might when in themselves they are low and weak through trouble and distress 2 Cor. 12.10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak then am I strong 4. The last thing I shall name in God whereby the Believer encourageth himself in his distress is the Faithfulness of God we have a God to go to in our troubles that never was known to faile any that came to him after a due manner He is a God of Truth keeping Covenant and Mercy whatsoever Promise he hath made to his People in troubles he will be sure to make all good Heaven and Earth shall pass away but his Word shall not pass away God in very faithfulness doth afflict when he sees 't is needful and he is faithful in over-ruling all our afflictions 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it We may encourage our selves in the true and faithful God He is faithful that hath promised who also will do it These things principally there are in God wherein the Believer may encourage himself when he is in trouble and distress For Application 1. This gives a check to the immoderate fearfulness of Christians who are ready to run out of God's Way to avoid troubles and are ready to cry out they are undone they shall perish by the hands of these enemies whereas they ought not to be dismayed with their own folly and weakness but to encourage themselves in the Power and Wisdom of God What ails thee O Christian that thou art more afraid of man whose breath is in his nostrils than of God that giveth life and breath and all things Think not the Lord's hand is shortned that it cannot help or his arm weakned that it cannot save 2. We see the vanity of the wicked man's confidence he encourageth himself in that which cannot save him but will vanish when he hath most need of it he encourageth himself in his sinful wayes in his own wisdom leans to his own understanding he encourageth himself in the arm of flesh but he hath no God to encourage himself in he is without God in the world God is not in all his thoughts there 's nothing below God and an interest in him wherein the soul can find encouragement therefore 't is that the wicked are so often at their wits end when they are in distress they have nothing to encourage themselves in when once their refuge of lies is swept away and their agreement with Hell is come to nothing 3. We are hence exhorted in all our troubles and distresses still to encourage our selves in the Lord our God in his Presence in his Wisdom in his Power and in his Faithfulness let us stay our selves upon these things God is the same now as he was in former Ages he will be the same to thee as he was to David to Habakkuk to the three Children to Daniel to Peter therefore let the thoughts of God and the Comforts that are in God stay up and delight your souls every thing that is good is contained in that Name let nothing amaze you so long as you have such a God to fly unto your condition may be low and sad but is it worse than David's was at this time therefore do as he did and for your direction take with you these two things 1. Be sure that the Lord be your God otherwise you cannot encourage your selves in him A man cannot rejoyce in an Estate which is not his own or in a great Man in whom he hath no interest be sure then to get an interest in God he gives no encouragement to strangers he is a consuming Fire to his enemies but to his Children and Servants he is a sure Defence Get near to God by the Blood of Christ beg of Him to take you into his Family amongst his adopted
Alas that I should be forc'd to speak a word which will be so little for the honor of the Gospel The Professors thereof in England are become flow to Duty and of a drowsie temper As to publick specious but little serious as to private perhaps constant but very cold as to secret I doubt very careless A Professor of late hath been little or nothing more than another man save only that he hath heard one Sermon in a week more Alas the very best are remiss and seem to be of the declining hand If a serious zealous Christian of another Church should demand of our Ministers concerning their people as the followers of John asked our Saviour concerning his Disciples Mat. 9.14 Why do we and the Professors of other Churches fast oft c. but your people fast not pray not sanctifie not the Sabbath to any purpose Is it not because the Bridegrooms are with them is it so indeed The day is just upon you that the Bridegrooms are taken away God grant that our curb may prove your spurt The less we must do for you the more do you for your selves and your Children 7. Call to remembrance old Truths repeat in your hearts and in your houses too what ye have formerly received chew upon the Word that you have formerly eaten Who knows but that God may have taken you off your meat your green and flourishing Pastures on purpose to make you find your cud On the precious Truths that at this day lye by the Professors of England as stale commodities or meats out of season verily one Sermon-less-year will make you make a meal of the most despiseable and homely dish that was ever set before you If you can but suck at old Truths with new appetites you will find fresh vertue coming from them and that Doctrine that was laid aside as having served one turn may be effectually taken up for many other good purposes in the soul It is said of our Saviours Disciples once and again in the Gospel after he himself was removed from them Then they remembred the words of Jesus his Disciples remembred that he had said this unto them Joh. 2.22 and again Joh. 12.16 These things understood not his Disciples at the first but when Jesus was glorified then remembred they c. The former part of this verse Ah! how true is it of this People of England Oh that the latter part may be found so to that this affliction may prove a rod to bring to remembrance both sins committed and Truths neglected that so the People of God may be truly humbled and the Gospel of God greatly furthered In a word What ever God shall reveal unto you as a pertinent Duty as a Duty of the season as a means to further the eternal Gospel of Christ that do In the mean time praying and purposing as Elihu sayes is meet Job 34.32 That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more SERMON IX Ephes 6.18 With all Prayer DYing Israel gave his Children portions and to Joseph one above his Brethren Gen. 48.22 I would commend one or two parts above what some of your brethren are content to sit down with All Prayer Three are All as we speak of principles I. Publick Prayer Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after That I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my Life to behold the Beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple He subjected himself to the appointed publick means and resolved his pursuance of them in case of hidings This Ordinance of Solemn Meetings appointed 1. That God's Name may be hallowed Psal 29.1 2. Give unto the Lord Glory worship Him in the Beauty of Holiness Glory must be given unto the Lord and we must alwayes look what way the Lord hath prescribed for it and that is in his own Ordinances Singularly is the glory of God's Power Wisdom Goodness c. born upon the shoulders of many this way God rides in triumph The Kings honour is in multitude of Subjects Blessed Parents have a full quiver Great Men have many poor at their gates At an Assize and Sessions Great Men have more cognizances than at private meetings and this for their honours When Men Women and Children lay siege to Heaven Haec vis grata Deo Tertul. It 's the Glory of God to be overcome by a multitude 2. Herein his People are regarded 1. Hopes given them of Audience Mat. 18.20 There 's a threefold cord in this one kind of Prayer strong to remove Evils and a powerful twist to pull down Blessings The Wayes sure will be mended when not only rich men with their teems but cottages with their scuttles come to the common work 2. The Godly quickned in the Duty Growing and thriving People have that language Zech. 8.21 Come let us go and Pray I 'l make one in Prayer O come let us worship 3. Others stir'd up When they see a King a Landlord a Master casting a copy for them 2 Chron. 6.12 Thus they are ready to reason See my concernments are like theirs but not my heart zeal love to God watchfulness preparation c. What a fool am I in the midst of the Congregation c. II. Private Prayer Josh 24.25 I and my House will serve the Lord. There should be right houshold-Order and Government according to the Rule amongst Christians Col. 4.1 Paul speaks to Masters of Families to carry like good Kings in the first verse and in the second minds them of their Priestly Office Continue in Prayer This Kind instituted First That his Name may be hallowed The wise and merciful God hath a quick Eye and a strong Shoulder as he knoweth so he profers to bear burdens wherewhith Families are loaden Cast your care on me for I care for you When we lock up our selves at night and have Prayer the Key at our girdles letting out our selves in the morning under his Providence we have him for our God and acknowledge him what he is Secondly Families regarded 1. A bar to domestick Discords There must necessarily be a studied intended right carriage in the family where Prayers are on foot 2. Servants and Children acquainted with their Duties framed to that Worship of God fitted for publick Prayer c. 3. Superiors in Families hereby are under rich Promises Gen. 18.17 4. Affaires of the whole sanctified 1 Tim. 4.5 I I. Secret Prayer Mat. 6.6 This kind instituted First That God's Name may be hallowed For the more self is set aside more way is made for God's Glory the Glory of his Omnisciency c. Secondly Particular regard of man 1. As to the matter of Prayer What an Hell the House would be but for the Closet If the wife heard the confessed vile miscarriages of the husband and â—he husband did but peep into the heart of the wife through an open window and so in other
109.8 Though he had the honour to be one of Christ's Disciples dignified with gifts ordinary and extraordinary yet his Apostacy procured him that dreadful Curse Wo be to that man it had been good for that man he had never been born They that were the constant followers of Christ whom he led out they are his blessed ones 3. Here is the action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he blessed them and in blessing or while he blessed twice mentioned that we should well consider it 4. The circumstances of this Farewel and they are three the Place the Time the Gesture 1. The Place Bethany it was a Village about fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem the Town of Mary and Martha and Lazarus where Christ raised Lazarus John 11.1 8 18. Bethany at the mount of Olives so it is called Mark 11.1 Reverend Beza upon Act. 1. 12. where the Ascension of Christ seemeth to be from Mount Olivet understandeth by Bethany not strictly the Village but the whole tract containing the Mount of Olives and that from the Mount near Bethany Christ ascended You see Christ could make a house of affliction or poverty as Bethany signifieth a place of blessing he is not tied to places but where two or three are gathered in his Name there is he amongst them where true Worshippers are worshipping him in Spirit and Truth there will he come unto them and bless them He preached and pronounced blessing in the Monnt The Disciples John 20.19 were met in a house and had the doors shut for fear of the Jews and Christ came and said Peace be unto you He might at his Ascension have Blessed his Disciples in the Temple or holy City but he led them out to mount Olivet where or nigh to which Bethany stood And why Some say lest being seen new troubles should arise but the main reason is because he would have a select number to be eye witnesses to testifie to the world that he ascended according to Acts 10.40 41. Him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly not to all the People but unto Witnesses chosen before of God even unto us so Beza on Acts 1.12 Historia ipsa The History it self sheweth that Christ would not ascend into Heaven from some place where there were many Inhabitants or other Witnesses of his Ascension but took only his Disciples into some part of the Mount Olivet to be Witnesses of his departure from us in respect of the humane nature till the last day 2. The Time when he blessed them Just at his Ascension he had blessed them before and doth it now solemnly with hands lifted up it was the last thing he did on Earth He was seen of his Apostles forty dayes after his Resurrection and now that they must see him no longer on earth he would shew them not only his hands and his feet as sometimes he did for the strengthening of their Faith but his heart enlarged in love and compassion his bowels yearning towards them he here kisseth them with the kisses of his mouth and his lips drop sweet smelling Myrrhe on them he speaks kindly to them Blesseth them and while he Blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he departed 3. The Gesture used in Blessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He lift up his hands Where observe it is arrogance and great presumption in the Papists to say for the upholding of their Crucifixes and Crossings that its very like that Christ Blessed them with his arms cross as Jacob Blessed Joseph's Sons Gen. 48.17 See Rhem. Testam Where Jacob as is evident from the text laid his right hand on the head of the younger by a Spirit of prophecy fore-telling that he should be the greater and at not all in favour of any their superstitious use of the sign of the Cross whereof Valentinus the Heretick was the first that made any great account as Dr. Fulke relateth out of Irenaeus We have Christ's Blessing in the Text twice mentioned and the gesture not omitted of lifting up his hands but a total silence of the sign of the Cross We may then conclude it is a cursed addition of the Rhemists who presume to father that upon Jacob nay on the Lord Christ which is indeed but a Novel fancy not in any estimation with the Apostles nor the Godly in their time How can they reade and not tremble Rev. 22.18 If any man add God shall add to him the plagues Nor can Christ's using of this gesture warrant humane Inventions in the Worship of God nor the rigorous enforcing of a heap of Gestures Vestments and other unnecessary and ungrounded Ceremonies so as men must not worship at all nor enjoy their properties without them since lifting up of the hands is but a natural gesture of Reverence and Authority neither is there any consequence in arguing from things written to things Apocryphal But as bodily exercise profiteth little so large discourses about it are but little to edification of common hearers Only let me mind you that Jesus Christ was faithful as Moses and his Apostles kept back nothing that was profitable for us Scripture must not cannot be taxed with deficiency And little children keep your selves from Idols O be not tainted with Romish Superstitions when her plagues are so nigh at hand But the Doctrine which I would this day commend to you from these words is this Doct. The Lord Jesus Christ went to Heaven solemnly blessing his Disciples In this Doctrine you have two branches 1. Christ ascended into Heaven 2. Christ blessed his Disciples at his Ascension 1. Jesus Christ went into Heaven 1 Pet. 3.22 There are three Reasons why Christ ascended The first is that he might fulfill the Scriptures In his Ascension he fulfilled Scripture-Types and Scripture-Prophesies Christ was typified in the High-Priest's going into the second Tabernacle alone once every year not without blood Heb. 9.7 24. Christ is entred not into those Holy places made with hands which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the figure of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us It was prophesied of Christ Psal 68.18 Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive The Apostle Eph. 4.8 9. expoundeth this Text accomplished in Christ's Ascension 2. Christ ascended that he might be glorified He had glorified his Father on Earth and finished the work which the Father gave him to do and then went to be glorified with his Father John 17.4 5. He had been manifest in the flesh and then is received up into Glory He descended dwelt among men was a man of sorrows and again ascended and sate down at the Right-hand of the Majesty on high when he had purged our sins by himself Heb. 1.3 As it was impossible he should be held of Death so it was impossible he should be held in a state of Humiliation Ought not Christ to suffer and enter into his Glory Luke 24.26 The Vision of Christ's glorified Body is reserved for Heaven in mercy
they go Gen. 28.12.13 We read Ruth 4.5 At what time the Kinsman must have the inheritance he must have it at the hand of Ruth to allude hereto You can never inherit the Blessing unless you be espoused to Christ Ye shall not see my face said Joseph except your brother be with you So here no seeing the face of God with comfort nor prayer heard nor person accepted nor sin pardoned no souls reconciled no Blessing obtained but through Christ Prayers are but as howlings if they be not put up in the Name of Christ the only Mediator Read Heb. 12.18 c. you shall find the misery of souls without Christ but their happiness being come to the Mediator of the New-Testament Out of Christ we have to do with God from Mount Sinai in thunderings and lightnings in tempest and terrible voices but through Christ from Mount Sion whence better things are spoken than Abels blood spake So Ephes 2.12 c. Without Christ and afar off without God having no hope strangers to the promise But through Christ made nigh reconciled fellow-citizens with the Saints of the household of God the partition-wall broken down he is our peace God is a terrible Judg a consuming Fire to men out of Christ but in him a Gracious Father reconciling this world to himself not imputing iniquities Ephes 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings But how or for whose sake Why in Christ only on his account In him we have redemption the remssion of sin ver 7. God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Ephes 4.32 Jesus Christ is the Light of the world without which darkness horrour and perpetual confusion had been upon all mankind the onely Foundation to stand against Hell gates no other Name given whereby we can be saved The way by which we draw near to God with hope to speed is consecrated through his blood the grand encouragements we have in our addresses to God are Christ's Merit and Mediation Jesus Christ is the only door at which God giveth his dole of Blessings and by which we can enter into the Fathers presence and favour He is the gate of Heaven He is all in all My dear People The time of my departure from you not voluntary but constrained seemeth now at hand possibly I am speaking the words of a dying man and may see your faces no more in this place 't is my comfort I have not kept back any thing that is profitable for you nor shunned to declare to you all the Counsel of God But have to my ability taught you to observe all things whatsoever Christ hath commanded for so runs my Commission Mat. 28.20 And let me tell you I dare not exceed knowing that terrible Commination Deut. 18.20 The Prophet that shall presume to speak a word in my Name which I have not commanded him to speak even that Prophet shall die And Mat. 5.19 Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and teach men so he shall be called the Least in the Kingdom of Heaven The Scripture tels me what things I must teach and exhort And if any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine according to Godliness he is proud knowing nothing but doting c. 1 Tim. 6.1 2. Could I find the things which it is probable are shutting the mouths of many hundreds of learned consciencious Ministers expressed in or by good consequence to be drawn from the Scriptures which I am sure are sufficient to furnish the Man of God throughly to every good work 2 Tim. 3.17 I would not for a World divest my self of the Liberty of my Ministry nor bereave my self my wife and little ones of our Livelihood nay I would willingly practise them and teach you so to to I this day appeal to the most High with the Prophet Jer. 17.16 As for me I have not hastened from being a Pastor to follow thee O Lord thou knowest Most gladly would I have continued preaching Christ Jesus the Lord furthering your Faith and Joy and driving on the great Marriage between Christ and your Souls but sure I am my Lord needeth not my sinning to carry on his Work amongst you neither will I charge him with unfaithfulness nor his Word with deficiency in pretending to mine own faithfulness in the Ministerial Function but I 'le patiently commit my self to Him that judgeth righteously endeavouring to follow his steps who became poor that we might be made rich and suffered greater things for me than I can do for him On Him I desire to be found waiting and keeping his Way who hath the giving of the Opening of the Mouth and is thereby known to be the Lord Ezek. 29.21 He that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth can if he please restore our Liberties and pleasant things if not here am I let him do what is good in his fight The Will of the Lord be done Why should I part with you repining or murmuring at a churlish unkind World whilst it is evident the World hated him before it hated us and my Text tels us that Christ blessed his Disciples at his parting and Ascension Now the Lord Christ who went to Heaven blessing bless you this day with the best of Blessings the sure Mercies of David and lasting Benefits of the everlasting Covenant The Lord Jesus the good Shepherd who gave his Life for the Sheep be your Shepherd and cause showers of Blessings from Heaven on your Souls Bodies Children Families and Estates And God even the Father for Christ's sake grant that you and I who are this day parting with grieved hearts may at last meet with joy having all tears wiped from our eyes and every sad thought taken from our hearts to be ever with the Lord at whose right-hand are pleasures for evermore And God the holy Ghost abide with you and me to guide us into Truth to stablish us in the Truth and comfort our hearts unto the end of the world The Lord be with you all And are we parting Suffer I beseech you this word of Exhortation In the last day that great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cryed If any man thirst let him come to me and drink John 7.37 The Apostle at Troas ready to depart the morrow preached long at his parting with the Elders of the Church of Ephesus who must see his face no more how fervently did he preach and pray Acts 20. Two of Luthers wishes were That he might have seen Christ in the flesh and have heard Paul preach But my Brethren what tongue can express the worth of their Farewel-Sermons Though I be a weak earthen vessel a reed shaken with the wind yet shall not my mouth be open and my heart enlarged when I must preach to you no more And am I leaving you My Beloved and longed-for how gladly would
I leave you all in the Arms of Jesus Christ Shall I leave any of you wedded to your sins and lusts Shall I leave any of you glued to the world and not espoused to one Husband even Jesus Christ Shall my liberty to preach Christ to you cease before you can all say of him My Beloved is mine and I am his O that if it were the will of God it might not be so Brethren my hearts desire and prayer for you is that you may be saved My earnest request and suit to you this day is that you will come to Jesus Christ and be married to him for ever Have pity upon me cryeth sorrowful Job in another case Have pity upon me O ye my friends the Hand of the Lord hath touched me Have pity upon me O my People have pity upon your afflicted grieved dying Pastor And this is the pity I crave at your hands that you would none of you rest in a Christless condition but expect Blessings and Blessedness only through Christ that whether I come again to you or be absent I may hear of your affairs that ye prize and love Christ fervently that ye obey him sincerely constantly and universally having respect to all his Commandments that ye set a high estimation and stick close to his Truths that ye abhor Evil and account Gospel-administrations glorious that ye stand fast in the Faith and abound in every Grace Unum erat c. said Monica to her son Augustine It was one thing for which I desired to live a little longer that I might see thee a Christian ere I dye So say I to you this day whose cheeks I see bedewed with tears If my heart deceive me not I desire my Natural and Civil life a little longer that I might see you Israelites indeed and grown in Grace I seek not yours but you O my Flock I labour not to draw you after me but after Christ So far am I from murmuring at this sad providence exercising me this day that I bless God who bringeth good out of evil that hath given so many of his Ministers opportunity and hearts to confute those Scandals cast on them by unstable souls of being Hirelings Baals Priests greedy Dogs Balaams loving the wages of unrighteousness Diotrephes and loving preheminence preaching for filthy lucre supposing Gain to be Godliness c. from whom men ought to withdraw themselves Let such as are guilty answer as they can Let Baal plead for himself We are sure that the Judgment of God is according to Truth against them that commit such things That God who hath so far rouled away our Reproach can in his due time make our Righteousness shine forth as the noon day Only my Beloved let me not have cause to take up such sad complaints of you that I have bestowed on you labour in vain that I have piped and ye have not danced that I have mourned and ye have not lamented that ye have not believed my report that ye will not come to Christ that ye might have life that I come in my Fathers Name an Embassador in Christs stead and ye receive not my Message but if another come in his own name him ye will receive that ye are easily perverted marvelous soon shaken See Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. and your minds corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ to fall in love with will-worship and empty things of mans devising but will not be converted nor fall in love with Christ nor take his yoke upon you Good People add not thus to my affliction but let me have joy of you that I may say Ye are my Crown and Rejoycing Now I live seeing my Peoples souls are alive and prosper and have their hearts established with Grace so as they cleave with purpose of heart unto God escaping the temptations and pollutions of the world and running like the River Arethusa through the salt Sea yet keep their sweetness and the Word of God abideth richly in them Monica Leapid for joy at Augustine's conversion Cumulatius c. My God hath done abundantly for me that I see thee his Servant So let me have cause to rejoyce and say My God hath granted my desire letting me see you that were serving divers lusts serving the Lord Christ and you that were dead in sin spiritually alive and you that were Swearers fearing an Oath and you that were lost found And you that were haters of Holiness following Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Sirs think not that Angels or some from the dead should ever come to invite you to Christ and testifie these things neither may you expect Christ himself in bodily presence to preach to you when he was on earth He went about doing good calling sinners Come unto me Follow me If any man will be my Disciple let him follow me but now his work is in Heaven where he is about his Peoples Business pleading their Cause Nay you may not expect me to be preaching to you any longer but once more I am here tendering to you Jesus Christ I come a wooing in behalf of my Lord and Master who was dead and is alive and behold he liveth for evermore In his Name who was preaching of old by his Spirit in Noahs time to souls that by their obstinacy and disobedience are in prison in Hell 1 Pet. 3.19 I come to tell you that Except you Repent ye shall all likewise perish and except you believe ye shall be damn'd Mark 16.16 that unless you obey Christ ye will fall short of eternal Salvation and if ye have not the Son ye have not Life I come to tell you of your poverty and blindness of your nakedness misery without Christ that all your hope will perish unless it be built on Christ the Corner-stone and that you can obtain no Blessing but through Christ 'T is recorded that the dead that Sampson slew at his death were more than they whom he slew in his life To allude to it O that this my dying Sermon might shake the rotten pillars on which souls have built their hopes of Heaven short of Christ that more sins might be mortified and more souls quickened and converted than ever by any Sermon in the course of my Ministry that now at the end of the liberty of my publick Ministry you might all be the seals thereof being pricked to the heart and feeling the weapons of our warfare mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Joseph's Brethren thought evil against him but God meant it for good to save much People alive And O that this sad breach betwixt us this day might occasion some poor souls to say Periissem nisi periissem I had been undone if I had not been undone The smiting of the Shepherd and scattering of the Sheep was
the occasion of a Sermon that enlightened me quickened me This breach brought me to Christ acquainted me with my necessity of interest in Christ I am not of the temper of that Emperour who said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when I dye let the Earth be burned But O that my Civil Death might minister occasion of your Spiritual and Eternal Life O that this divorcing day betwixt you and me might be the day of your Espousals to Christ Dying David bespeaketh Solomon I go the way of all the Earth Keep the charge of the Lord thy God that thou mayest prosper 1 Kings 2.1 2 3 4. My loving People I am this day going the way of all that will live godly in Christ Jesus the way of tribulation I charge you keep the Lord's way as you expect any blessing and prosperity look for them only through Christ the Way the Truth and the Life I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge both quick and dead as the Apostle when his time of departure was at hand charged Timothy that ye rest not without Interest in Christ and I leave this Sermon as Joshua did the Pillar as a Memorial that I admonished and besought you to come to Christ and become his Servants O let not the Word I have spoken to keep my self pure from your blood condemn you in the day of Christ You cannot plead We were not bidden to the Wedding-Feast we were not called to Christ No if you be found out of Christ at that great day how will it torture you to consider How have we hated Instruction and have not obeyed the voice of our Teachers In vain may you wish O that we had the day of Grace once again Domine cur non modo c. said Augustine at his conversion Lord why not now an end of my filthiness So say I to you Why not now a parting with sin and closing with Christ Take these Considerations or Motives 1. The Lord Christ calleth you whilst we are testifying these things to you Whilst Noah was preparing the Ark Christ was preaching See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh from Heaven 2. Others who have had as great hindrances as you have followed Christ at his Call James and John Mat. 4 22. left the ship and their father immediatly and followed Christ neither enjoyments not imployments nor relations could hinder them Zacheus a rich man of low stature in a great press yea of a wicked Sect a Publican great obstacles yet he breaketh through all he runs and climeth to see Jesus If you come not to Christ you will be inexcusable 3. Let the Loveliness of Christ draw you he is the Rose of Sharon the Lilly of the Valley the bright and morning Star the Sun of Righteousness chiefest among ten thousands and altogether lovely O let his Fulness and Perfections win your hearts and attract your affections 4. Let the Love of Christ constrain you his condescending and dying for you to save you from everlasting death Will not such bonds of Love hold you 5. The Lord taketh exact notice how long your Teachers are labouring with you what means you have and what fruit appeareth These three years have I come seeking fruit Luke 13.7 6. You must shortly appear before the Judge to give account how you have profited by all the Sermons and Lectures you have heard c. 7. Now is the Ax laid at your roots Judgment begining at the house of God your Teachers ready to be removed into corners possibly you may go from Sea to Sea and not find that refreshing food for your souls nor those advantages which you have had Now therefore what mean you O sleepers are you set on fire round about and not lay it to heart Let the time past of your life suffice you to have been servants of sin It is high time for you to awake out of sleep and to follow Christ 8. If you will not come this day what if the Lord should write you Christless and swear in his wrath You shall never enter into his Rest nor tast of his Supper saying I would have purged you and ye were not purged never be purged dye in your sins he that is filthy let him be filthy still 9. Christ is willing to be yours if you will be his he will not reject you if you come you have as fair Encouragement to come as ever any had 10. They are very fair terms propounded Is it not fit you serve him if you expect him to save you that you obey him if you hope for his Salvation Had he bidden you do some great thing should you not have done it how much more when he requireth nothing but what is your reasonable service befitting you as his Creatures They are fair terms Repent and be conuerted that your sins may be blotted out Come to me and find rest Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Be faithful unto death and obtain the Crown of Life 11. And lastly Let your necessity drive you to Christ Is there but one Ark in the world to save you from drowning but one City of refuge to keep off Vengance from you O hie thither apace Is there but one day-Star to shine into your hearts but one Son of Righteousness with Healing under his wings but one Sacrifice for sin accepted But one Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus O get interest in Him Oh! why do any of you linger and not hasten to this Zoar when Fire and Brimstone are so nigh so certain to all that reject Christ Oh! why do you draw back when drawing back is unto Perdition Know my Brethren these things as much concern you as ever any souls in the world what need have you of Christ to be your Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption without Him you are cursed captivated and condemned John 3.18.36 without Christ ye are deaf and dead poor and polluted and have no title to Heaven to the Promises nor any thing but sin and its wages Death Nay if you obey not whilest Christ calleth Come unto me you must with honour hear that other voice Depart ye cursed Those mine enemies that would not that I should rule over them bring forth and slay them before me Let me hint to you on what terms you must be in your coming to Christ 1. You must be divorced from your sins make sure you take off the heads of your dearest lusts 2. Disclaim all other Saviours besides Christ renounce confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 rest not in your outward priviledges nor performances but when you have done all you can say We are unprofitable servants 3. Rest not in a bare notion of Christ take heed lest you sit down with Fancy instead of Faith 4. Take a whole Christ Christ to rule you to teach to sanctifie you as well as save you 5. Give your selves wholly to Christ without reserve give him your ear open to his
Calls his Sheep hear his Voice and know not the voice of strangers give him your eye look unto him and be saved give him your hand and feet to do what he commandeth and come when he calleth give him your knee to bow to him not meerly in a complement but to submit to his Laws and obey him as King and Lord especially give him your hearts let him be enthroned there Lift the everlasting Doors that the King of Glory may enter With the tongue you must confess and with the heart believe that you may be saved And take him for yours for ever abide for him for many dayes Beware of Apostacy by which Judas lost the Blessing and went to his own place You see Brethren al blessings are to be expected only through Christ I beseech you go home and work these things on your hearts by meditation wrestle for a Blessing say Lord Jesus who blessedst thy Disciples bless me even me also I will not let thee go unless thou bless me cry to him as the blind lame and diseased cryed when he was on earth Jesus have Mercy on us and believe that he is able willing and ready to bless you As for me God forbid I should cease to pray for you that the Lord would put his Blessing on you One thing further let me mind you of That you be much in blessing God for his Love and Faithfulness in giving his Son and ascribing Blessing and Praise to the Lord Jesus for all spiritual Blessings and for going to Heaven blessing his People Especially I charge you be careful to spend the Lords Day which is precious time which he hath sequestred and set apart for himself in a thankful Commemoration of Jesus Christ his Grace and Compassion to poor sinners and not in sports and past-times study what you shall render to him in lieu of such superlative and incomparable Love and in a due Sanctification of the Lord's Day endeavour that the Name of Christ may be remembred through out all Ages The third and last Use is Consolation for I would not leave you comfortless 1. Here is abundant Encouragement to poor sinners to come to Christ you that have trembling hearts and dare scarce look up to Christ by reason of your sins lest he call you Dogs and cast you out who are ready to say There is indeed Consolation in Christ and he hath Blessings enough to bestow but they are not for me let me tell you it is good to be humble and sensible of your own vileness but not to be faithless and unbelieving for unbelief is highly derogatory dishonourable to Jesus Christ and wrong to your own souls a rejecting of your own mercy I could also tell you it is the most unreasonable thing for you to question Christ's pitty and tenderness towards poor heavy laden sinners after that he hath from Eternity had his delights with the sons of men Prov. 8.31 And in Noahs time he was preaching to save souls would they have believed and obeyed He sent all his Prophets of old to testifie remission of sins to all that believe in Him Acts 10.43 The Prophets testifie his tenderness Consult Isa 55. the seven first verses Ho every one that thirsteth He will abundantly pardon Isa 40.11 He shall gather the Lambs and carry them in his bosome Isa 42.3 A bruised Reed shall he not break Isa 61.1 2 3. He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted Ezek. 18.23 Have I any pleasure that the wicked should dye Psal 72.12 13 14. He shall save the souls of the needy You have his own Testimony John 6.37 Them that come to me I will in no wise cast out You have the Experiences of the Saints recorded for your encouragement The Apostle Paul who was a Persecutor and confesseth himself the chief of sinners yet he obtained Mercy The thief upon the Cross though before he reviled Christ yet praying obtained a very gracious Answer Nay consider what Christ hath done to shew himself in good earnest to save souls He knew what a bitter Cup he must drink yet Loe I come he became our Surety and longed to have our debt paid and his People redeemed Luke 12.50 He was wondrously straitned till his Baptism of Blood was accomplished He hath sent his Apostles after such signal Manifestations of Grace to testifie it And in his Name my Beloved I am this day declaring to you That he is very willing and ready to receive any that will come to him and would gather you as a Hen doth her Chickens under her wings never did any find him backward nay He is more willing to bless you than you are to receive his Blessings It 's some satisfaction when men will come that he may see the travel of his soul Isa 53.11 He taketh it ill that we are so backward in coming He loved the young-man that came running kneeling enquiring Good Master what shall I do c. and had the young-man liked the terms the match had been made the breach was not on Christ's part Nay Luke 15. he sheweth there is joy in Heaven over one repenting sinner in three Parables Draw near then thou drooping dejected soul come and see not only the Hands and Feet of thy Saviour put not only thy hands into his pierced Side But behold the heart of thy Redeemer behold thy Lord lifting up his Hands and Blessing and see if there be not ground to cry out My Lord and my God Had you seen Him after sweating drops of Blood for you ascending with such Expressions of hearty Love could you have doubted Had you seen his Hands lifted up in blessing his People on Earth at his last farewel could you doubt of his willingness to bless you 2. Here is Comfort for the People of God amidst all the Curses and Persecutions of the world Be not afraid no matter who curse so Christ bless Psal 109. Let them curse but bless thou Christ's Blessing is your Pavilion from the strife of tongues For first Christ blesseth effectually Psal 37.22 when Christ will bless men cannot let Secondly Irrevocably When Christ blesseth men cannot reverse it Balaam could not curse Israel when God had blessed The Blessings of Christ are without Repentance Men now cry Hosanna anon crucifie but they whom Christ blesseth shall be blessed everlastingly Thirdly he blesseth such as bless his Servants and curseth them that curse them Gen. 12.3 Fourthly He blesseth his People for mens cursing 2 Sam. 16.12 Fifthly He turneth the Curse into a Blessing Deut. 23.5 Sixthly He hath variety of Blessings Blessings of the Dew of Heaven and of the Deep Esau cryed Hast thou but one Blessing bless me also O my Father But Christ's Blessings are an Ocean never exhausted He is a Sun full of Light after so many thousand years emanation of Blessings and irradiation of the World therewith he is as full as ever He is a Fountain always flowing and ever full He hath national Blessings pardon of sin
and peace and plenty Zech. 3.8 9 10. The whole 72 Psalm sets out Christ's Blessings Would you have a Land rid of Idolatry and Heresie Zech. 13.2 After the Promise of Christ as a Fountain open the Lord engageth the names of Idols shall be forgotten and the false Prophet shall pass out of the Land Would you have blessings on a Congregatition Good Teachers and all their abilities and success are from Christ Eccles 12.11 Ephes 4.11.12 He hath a Blessing for the habitation of the Just Prov. 3.33 Riches and Honour are his Prov. 8.18 All fresh Springs are in him He hath plenty of spiritual Blessings being the store-house of his Church where it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell From him flow Acceptance Ephes 1.6 Justification and Pardon Mat. 9.6 1 Cor. 6.11 Sanctification Acts 3.26 Illumination Col. 2.2 All the Treasures of Knowledge are hid in Him and He openeth the eyes of the Blind He is the Author and Finisher of Faith full of Grace by Him we have Adoption of Children Ephes 1.5 These are rich Blessings Moreover through Christ we have interest in the Promises 2 Cor. 1.20 and right to all our Comforts and Priviledges 1 Cor. 3.22 23. All are yours and ye are Christ's Briefly Through Christ you have Everlasting Blessedness Heb. 5.9 Rejoyce then in Christ Jesus O ye Upright ye are the blessed of the Lord who went to Heaven blessing Read over your Charter Priviledges through Christ what is there wanting that heart could wish for your selves your Children this life or a better Yet consider further with me Christ went to Heaven blessing and Acts 1.11 In like manner will he come again How will Christ do you think bless his People at his second Coming What a joyful meeting will there be of the Lamb and his Spouse decked and adorned with Graces how will he welcome his Bride when he cometh again to receive her to abide with him who left her whilest full of spots and wrinkles so kindly he then took a few apart and blessed them but then at his second Coming Gather my Saints together Earth and Sea must give up their dead and never a Saint be lost but raised at the last day Christ blesseth Believers at death receiving their souls making their bodies rest in hope but at His appearing he will bless them with a glorious Resurrection making their vile bodies like his glorious Body Phil. 3.20 Saints bodies shall then be glorious spiritual strong and incorruptible 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. No more hunger and thirst nor cold and weariness no more crying nor saying I am sick nor pain nor death Christ will set them at his Right hand and bless them with a sentence of Absolution Come ye blessed of my Father Well may the afflicted Church on earth tossed with tempests cry Come Lord Jesus come quickly Oh! what a time of refreshing shall that be Act. 3.19 how shall the Saints then sing Halelujah Blessing Honour and Praise be given to the Lamb and to Him that sitteth on the Throne O joyful Day when our Lord Jesus who went to Heaven With his Hands lifted up in Blessing shall come to carry his People blessed triumphantly in Heaven Into the hands of this Lord Jesus I commit you my Dear People SERMON XI Psal 69.6 Let not them that wait on thee O Lord God of hosts be ashamed for my sake let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake O God of Israel The Psalm for the main substance of it is Davids prayer for deliverance from the grievous oppression of his cruel enemies yet it so relates to David that many passages do also respect Christ of whom David was an eminent Type so the 9th verse is applied part of it John 2.17 and the rest of it Rom. 15.3 and so may more passages in it be applied This Petition for deliverance whether you refer it to David or Christ is 1. Propounded in the beginning of the first verse Save me 2. Prosecuted and urged with divers Arguments whereof the first is drawn from the greatness of the calamity under which he lay ver 1 2. Secondly From his long waiting and earnest crying his throat dried his eyes fail ver 3. â— Thirdly From the number and nature of his enemies more than the hairs of his head and they very malicious and injurious hating him causelesly forcing him to unjust restitution Under which also is couched a 4th Argument viz. his own innocency as to the matter wherof he was accused and for which he was hated and persecuted ver 4. Notwithstanding which innocency of his as to the particulars wherewith he was charged by men â—e yet justifies God in permitting these evils to befal him for this I take to be part of the sense of the 5th vers O God thou knowest my foolishness and therefore I cannot justifie my self before thee nor accuse thee of injustice for permitting it to be thus with me Though the words may seem also to look another way viz. to be Davids appeal to God concerning his innocency in those particulars q. d. Thou Lord who knowest my foolishness from whom my sins are not hid knowest my innocency in the things whereof I am accused By the way take this Note Obs When men oppress and pesecute most unjustly yet there is cause to justify God in suffering it to be so God's Justice is executed upon us by their injustice if men falsly accuse us yet God can truly charge us When Job had to deal with men he will maintain his integrity against their accusations chap. 27.4 5 6. but when he hath to deal with God he acknowledgeth his sin will not stand upon his own justification he will not plead but supplicate chap. 9. throughout The Prophet Jeremiah grants the conclusion chap. 12.1 though he defiers to debate with God about the prosperity of the wicked and about God's permitting them to oppress and trample upon his People If any of God's People think they have hard measure from men that they are wrongfully and injuriously handled as to some particular yet let them eye God and confider their carriage towards him and they shall find cause enough to say as Ezra 9.13 Thou hast punished us lesse than our iniquities deserve It may seem hard that the poor Messengers of Christ who desired nothing more but libery to speak to fouls that they might be saved and have daily bread should be deprived of this liberty livelyhood upon such ground as were not necessary to be imposed by others of which themselves cannot submit to without losing the peace of their conscience and credit of their Ministry yet who so innocent that he cannot see reason enough to justifie God alas there is so much unfaithfulness luke-warmness negligence laziness and a thousand other miscarriages to be found in us as may abundantly justifie God in this dispensation though he seem to spit in our faces and to lay us aside as a vessel wherein there
Son Is he a pleasant Child Since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him and I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord. And this tender compassion is not a bare pitty but an helping relieving succouring Pitty Many have compassion but want ability to help and succour others have ability to help but want compassion but God hath both Mercy to pitty and Ability to help and save his People and therefore we have frequently an Act of Deliverance joyned with an Act of Mercy When Hazael King of Syria oppressed Israel all the dayes of Jehoahaz the Lord was gracious unto them and had compassion on them and would not destroy them 2 Kings 13.22 23. And the reason why God did not destroy the Jews in the Wilderness was because of his Mercy But he being full of Compassion for gave their Iniquity destroyed them not Psal 78.38 Mercy steps in and pleades prevailingly against Justice for the preservation of a People And this Compassion of God God's People have pleaded with him for deliverance Look down from Heaven and behold from the Habitation of thy Holiness and of thy Glory Where is thy Zeal and thy Strength the sounding of thy Bowels and Mercies towards me are they restrained O Lord thou art our Father and our Redeemer Isa 63.15 16. This Mercy is a sin-pardoning-Mercy And this will be a refuge to fly unto when ye are pursued by an accusing condemning Conscience for sin committed this is a Cordial of greater comfort than sin a cause of sorrow a Plaister of a larger proportion than the wounds of sin upon your Conscience it as far excells thy Scarlet-dyed sins as the distance is betwixt East and West As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us Psal 103.12 compared to the height of heaven above the earth As the Heaven is high above the Earth so great is Mercy to them that fear Him Psal 103.11 And again My thoughts are not your thoughts nor my wayes as your wayes for as the Heaven is higher than the Earth so are my Wayes higher than your wayes and my Thoughts than your thoughts and therefore he will abundantly pardon Isa 55.7 8 9. Compared to a Sea that can swallow and cover Mountains as well as mole-hills Mic. 7.19 This Sea of Mercy covered Noahs Drunkenness Lots Incest Davids Adultery and Murder Mary Magdalens Whoredom Peters Denial of Christ and Pauls Persecution and covers the mountains and multitudes of sins of all God's People in all ages of the world and will be a Refuge for your security against the guilt of sin if you flee unto it this is a Refuge to secure you against the violence of the proud Psal 86.14 15 16. This is a Mercy so lasting that is everlasting In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting Kindness will I have Mercy on thee saith the Lord Isa 54.7 8 9 10. Christ is so merciful a Shepherd as in the dayes of his flesh he had compassion on the multitude because they were sheep without a Shepherd and now he sits upon the Throne of Glory he hath not laid this tenderness to his Church aside but will either provide fresh supplies or support and preserve his People under want of ordinary means by an extraordinary manner And to this Mercy I commend you that as a shield will defend you from the Curses Divinations Inchantments Anathema's of your enemies that will destroy your Persecutors pitty you under all your pressures redeem you from your miseries â—ecure you against the guilt of sin committed and provide for your want and relieve you by some ordinary or extraordinary way 3. This is to commit you to the greatest fidelity They that will defend and secure others must be faithful as well as merciful Faithless defenders are worse than open pursuers they rob us of the safety we expected and expose us to the danger we least feared Jaels peace was Sisera's death And how often did faithless Dalilah attempt to betray Sampson to the Philistines Judg. 16. And David must not lodge in Keilah because the Inhabitants would deliver him up 1. Sam. 23.11 12. Ahabs Children lost their heads by the unfaithfulness of their Guardians 2 King 10. How many famous and strong Castles well-fenced Towns and formidable Armies have been destroyed by the treachery of faithless Guards Commanders Open fields have more security with Faithfulness than the strongest walls with Treachery Nothing safe committed to the custody of faithless persons Orphans wronged and defrauded your Estates imbezeled your Persons betrayed your Lives exceedingly endangered and what comfort or security can there be in such Guardians or Protectors But to be committed to such Keepers whom Favour cannot win nor Preferments corrupt nor Rewards bribe nor Fear nor Threatening nor Dangers discourage but remain resolute and faithful against all is great Security and Comfort And such an one is God He is the faithful God faithful to make good his Promises faithful to preserve whatsoever is committed to him The Apostle would not have committed the Ministers the Affairs and Concernment of the Church of Ephesus to God if he had not been a faithful God Christ when he dyed said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit And Peter exhorts the afflicted Christians in his dayes to commit their souls unto God as unto a faithful Creator 1 Pet. 4.19 And how many Martyrs when they have become whole offerings to God have given their souls in charge to God Father into thy Hands I commit my spirit whatsoever is laid up in the hands of God is safe and secure He cannot be bribed by Promises Rewards or any other way to surrender any thing that is committed to his custody He is faithful to the least Beast of our Herds to the least hair on your heads Luke 21.18 And if he be faithful in the least he will not be unfaithful in the greatest He is faithful to keep your persons in dangers not to give you up to the rage and ruine of your enemies The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the Earth and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his Enemies Psal 41.2 And David prayes that God would secure him against false Accusers Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies for false witnesses are risen up against me Psal 27.12 He is faithful to preserve you from Temptation He binds up Satan that he cannot tempt you when he would and when he gives Satan leave to tempt yet God will be your refuge in the temptation God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear but with the temptation will find out a way for your deliverance 1 Cor. 10.13 Thus he prayed that Peters faith failed not Luke 22.31 his Grace was sufficient for Paul 2 Cor. 12.7 he is
faithful to preserve your Graces your Knowledge Faith Love Hope Patience Humility c. if God did not keep them they would soon wither decay and come to nothing Satan would soon rob you of them sin would soon wast and destroy them but he will not lose the least dust of this Gold He is faithful to preserve your Joy and Peace of conscience Our Comforts have need of his protection as well as our Graces How soon would temptations sin and persecution blow our Comforts away if not preserved by him In the world yee shall have tribulation but in me ye shall have peace John 16.33 Your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you ver 22. Neither reproaches nor imprisonments nor persecutions shal quench your joy for he can make you sing in prisons and rejoyce in tribulation for his Name Acts 16. Rom 5. And though your Graces be weakened and your Comforts eclipsed yet he will revive and strong then your Graces he will restore your Comforts Though he cast down yet he is faithful he will not cast off though he may suffer your bodies to be imprisoned banished tortured burned yet he is faithful to keep them safe until the Resurrection the great and general Spring when they shall be raised and reunited to your souls and reflourish in a glorified manner to eternity And here is great security concerning temporal danger temptation Graces Comforts and all To which I commend you and your All for Protection and Comfort 4. This is to commit you to the greatest care and diligence Diligence is as necessary in those that will secure and protect others as well as Mercy and Faithfulness Sleepy Guards and Watchmen betray strong Castles and fortified Garisons as well as unfaithful Guards The men of Laish were a secure and negligent People and the men of Dan took their City and destroyed them with the edge of the Sword Judg. 18. Whilst Abner and the Army slept Abisha would have slain Saul their King if David would have permitted him 1 Sam. 26.11 12. How many famous and formidable Armies have been utterly routed and thousands of men slain by an handful of people through carelesness and negligence better is a weak defence with care and diligence than a strong fortified place with negligence But Jesus Christ is very diligent and watchful for the preservation of his Church and People even as the diligent Keeper of a Vineyard alwayes watcheth that none spoil his Vineyard that wild beasts break not in and spoil it so God watcheth and defendeth his Church I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Isa 27.3 He knows all the plots and contrivances of ungodly men against his Church Why do the Heathen rage and the People imagine a vain thing and the Kings of the Earth take counsel together against the Lord and his Anointed Psal 2.1 2. He knew all the devices of Senacherib against Jerusalem I know saith God thy abode thy comming in thy going out and thy rage against me Isa 37.28 Many are the devices of wicked men against God's Children and they know them not but God knows them when they are in their deep consultations God's eye is upon them he stands by and hears them God knows the confederacy of Syria and Ephraim against Judah and Jerusalem to take it and set up a King for themselves Isa 7.5 6. He knew the bloody design of Herod against Christ notwithstanding his pretence of worshipping him He saw the desperate Popish Gun-Powder Plot here in England God is very diligent to know all the designs of his Churches enemies He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep Psa 121.3 4. Though the enemies of the Church are vigilent politick and strong yet the Defender of the Church is more vigilent more politick more strong he opposeth his Wisdom to their wisdom his Counsels to their counsels his Power to their power he out-wits them and out-powers them He bringeth the counsel of the Heathen to nought and makes the devices of the People of none effect Psal 33.10 He taketh the wise in their craftiness he maketh them to fall into the same Snare they have laid and into the same Pit they have digged for others Psal 7.15 16. He hangs Haman on the same Gallows he had raised for Mordecai And as he is diligent to discover the plots of his Peoples enemies so he is diligent to defend his People even as the Governour of a besieged Garison is diligent to look to every place and bring fresh aid and new supply where there is most need he encourages them that are fainting saves them that are in danger his care and diligence is a great security and comfort So God is every where with his People diligent to save them to refresh to strengthen them He is with his Josephs in Prison with his Jobs on the Dunghil with his Daniels in the Lions-Den with the three Children in the fiery Fornace Are they imprisoned banished sick pesecured in great dangers God is careful to save them The eyes of the Lord run to and fro upon the whole Earth to shew himself Mighty on the behalf of them that fear his Name 2 Chron. 16.9 He is diligent to preserve the souls as well as the bodies of his People from Satans temptations the allurements of the world and inward corruptions and though he suffers them to be tempted yet he is with them and will not suffer them to be tempted above what they are able to bear He is diligent to preserve the Graces of his People even as the Goldsmith is careful and diligent to keep and save all the filings and dust of his Gold because the least grain of it according to its proportion is precious so the least of your Graces though weak and small in your account is precious and of great worth in the account of God and he will not suffer the least to decay He will not break a bruised reed nor quench smoaking flax God's People are very precious in his esteem they are his Jewels Mal. 3. as dear to him as the apple of his eye Zeph. 2. As a man when his house is on fire is wonderful diligent to keep and save from the flame whatsoever is dear and precious to him his Wife and Children his Silver and Gold and his Jewels So when the World or a Nation is on a flame God is wonderfully careful to preserve his People that are his Jewels his Spouse his Children they are dear to him Are you afraid that the Furnace will be heated too hot that the Temptation will be too strong or the burden of Afflictions too great to bear Let this be your comfort he is your Security and will proportion afflictions to your strength or give strength proportionable to the burden And if he give strength to bear a burden it is as if he laid no burden at all upon you he
that are his 2 Tim. 2.19 Though you be in Prisons in Dungeons in Banishments though the wool be scratcht off and the skin tore by Persecutions yet he knows you even you who are given him of the Father in his eternal Election John 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me Such of you as have his Image upon your souls and his Fathers Name wrote upon your foreheads Rev. 14.1 such of you as have the sprinkling of his Blood and are washed white in the Lambs Blood Rev. 7.14 Shepherds use to preserve their Flock David hazarded his Life to preserve the Flock from the roaring Lyon and revenous Bear 1 Sam. 17.34 Shepherds watch night day to preserve their Flocks as Jacob Gen. 31.40 and the Shepherds to whom Christ's Birth was preached Luke 2.8 Jesus Christ is that careful Shepherd who defends his from them that would destroy them the Devil was never yet able to get the least Lamb of his Flock Those that thou hast given me I have kept and none is lost but the Son of Perdition John 17.12 and never shall the Devil be able to get any of Christ's Sheep John 10.29 my Father is greater than all and none shall be able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand This Shepherd will heal you of all your spiritual Maladies and Diseases He is the great Physician of Souls in the dayes of his flesh he healed all that came or were brought to him He made the Blind to see the Deaf to hear the Lame to walk the Dumb to speak He cleansed Lepers raised the Dead and cast out the Devils Mat. 11.4 5. And He is the same for the soul no disease to great for him to cure He heals us of the Guilt of Sin by Pardon and Justification Thus He healed Noah of his Drunkenness Lot of his Incest David of his Adultery and Murder Solomon of his Idolatry Peter of his Denial Mary Magdalen of her Whoredoms Paul of his Persecution He heals us of the filth and dominion of Sin by Sanctification The God of Peace sanctifie you throughout in spirit body and soul He enlivens and raiseth them that are dead enlightens them that are blind softens them that are heard cleanseth the unclean making a dunghil of sin 〈◊〉 Temple of his Spirit and the souls that are 〈◊〉 stituâ—ed Adulteresses to Sin and Satan a Spouse to himself He is anointed to bind up the broken in heart to proclaim Liberty to the captives to open the Prison-doors to them that are bound He gives Beauty for Ashes and the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness Isa 61.1 2. This Shepherd will gather his Sheep together his Gentile Sheep scattered and Jewish Sheep dispersed both these he will gather The Gentiles John 10.16 the Jews also One end of the Ministry is to gather in all the Elect into a state of Grace out of the state of Nature and one end of the Ministry and Discipline is to gather in all that have strayed or been scattered since their conversion He will gather all that have been scattered by Storms and Dogs all that have been devoured all that have dyed in Prisons Dungeons Banishments in loathsome and unknown places the Sea shall give up her dead and the Grave give up her dead and shall separate them from the Goats and lead and conduct them safely into the Folds of Heaven and Glory 4. This is to commit you to the Father of the Church who hath begotten his People unto himself by the Immortal Seed of his Word Joh. 1.11 12 Jam. 1.18 who loves delights in pitties provides for and defends his People even as a Father loves delights in pitties and provides for and defends his Children 5. This is to commit you to God the Husband of his Church and People who hath chosen them out of the mass of mankind and espoused them unto himself Hos 2.19 20. and made one with them according to the antient Law of Marriage And they two shall be one â—â—esh Ephes 5.30 31. and dwells with his People in every place and condition Heb. 13. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee He partakes of our humane nature and makes his People partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 As your Husband he sympathiseth with you in all your sufferings accounting your afflictions his Isa 63.9 As your Husband he derives upon him all your sins Isa 53.5 2 Cor. 5. ult The wife is not suiable at Law but the husband Jesus Christ is the Husband of you that are Believers he answers and non-suits all Bills of Indictments put up against you There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 And as he takes your sins upon himself so he communicates to you the Riches and Priviledges Purchases of his Grace and Sufferings here The Glory that thou hast given me I have given them Joh. 17.22 The Kings Dunghter is all glorious within Psal 45. And he will communicate to you the Greatness of his Glory and Blessedness hereafter Joh. 17.22 Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be where I am that they may behold the Glory thou hast given me Here Christ doth win and contract his People by his Ambassadours but at the great Day of his glorious Royalty when he shall be attended upon with a glorious Retinue of blessed Angels he will publickly solemnize the Marriage betwixt himself and his People Here they are in a Pilgrimage then they shall be brought into the Brides Chamber here you have a Crown of Grace then he will put upon you a Crown of Glory Now if you faithfully consider that God to whom I commit you is the Fulness Sweetness of all these Relations to you that are his People the most potent politick victorious Captain the most powerful wife and rich King the most diligent and skilful Shepherd the tenderest Father and most loving Husband to his Church and People it must needs be ground of Security and Comfort in this your left and desolate condition Eighthly This is to commit you to that God who works wonderous things for the deliverance of his Church and People Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the gods Who is like unto thee glorious in Holiness fearfull in Praises doing Wonders 1. He is wonderful in disappointing the great plots and desperate counsels of his Churches enemies He bringeth the counsel of the Heathen to nought he maketh the devices of the People of none effect Psal 33.10 Syria and Ephraim had combined and plotted together to take Jerusalem and set up a King for themselves but God said It shall not stand neither shall it come to pass Isa 7.4 5 6 7. How wonderful was he in disappointing Hamans bloody design when the Order for the destruction of the Jews was procured signed and sent by Posts in the Provinces of the King and the day appointed for slaughter drew nigh and the Jews a weak unarmed captivated People had no Power
to save themselves and few Friends in the Court then the High-Court of Heaven appears their Friend and the Lord of Hosts their refuge and saves them But how Not by an Army nor by an Angel but by breaking the Kings sleep and that the time might not be tedious the Books of their Chronicles must be read and God so ordered that they read how Mordicai the Jew had saved the King from the Treason of Bigthana and Teresh two Chamberlains which was the beginning of their delivery Esth 6. How wonderfull was the discovery of and delivery from the Powder-plot how near was it to have effected the great design how unlikely to have been discovered and prevented if God had not disappointed it He is wonderful in changing the very order and nature of the Creatures that Fire shall not burn you nor hungry Lions devour nor Waters drown you 2. He is wonderful in working deliverance by small means and the greater the things done by small means the greater is the Wonder How did he overthrow Zerah the Ethiopian leading an Army of a thousand thousand by an handful of men 2 Chr. 14.11 The formidable Army of the Amalakites by Gideons three hundred Judg. 7. By Deborah and Barak and Cyrus weak instruments he delivered his People from great thraldom He can arm the smallest creatures Frogs Lice the dust of the Earth the ashes of a Furnace with strength to plague his Churches enemies He can make Israel a worm and poor weak contemptible People to beat Mountains into dust that is destroy Nations and Kingdoms and Oppressors that seem great immovable and impregnable Mountains Isa 41. Infinite Wisdom and Power knows no difference betwixt the smallest and strongest instruments 3. Wonderful in delivering his People without means What he doth by means he can do without means he can create means when there is none When Hezekiah complained The Children are come to the birth but there is no power to bring forth God sent an Angel and in one night slew an hundred fourscore and four thousand of the Syrian Army 2 Kings 19.35 He smote Herod that he was devoured with worms Acts 12.23 and Julian the Apostate with an Arrow from Heaven He can smite his Churches enemies with divisions and make them destroy each other as the Ammonites Moabites and inhabitants of Mount-Seir when they came against Jerusalem in the dayes of Jehosaphet 2 Chron. 20.22 23. And how wonderful will God be when he shall raise up his slain Witnesses as men out of the grave And make new Heavens and a new Earth giving his Persecuted Church great Peace and Tranquility 4. He is wonderful in turning the devices of the Churches enemies upon themselves that catcheth them in the same Snare they have laid and maketh them fall into the Ditch they digged for others He returns their mischief upon their own heads and their violent dealings upon their own pates Psal 7.15 16. He hanged Haman on the same Gallows he reared for Mordecai And cast Daniels accusers into the Lions Den all whose bones were broken in peices before they came to the bottom of the Den when he brought Daniel forth having no hurt upon him Dan. 6. I have done with the Doctrinal part of the first Branch for your Security and Comfort to wit God A word or two for Application and then to the second Branch If God be the best Security and Comfort a departing Minister can commit his People unto Be perswaded 1. To get an interest in this God It is of small or no advantage to hear that God is such Security and Comfort to his People in their lowest conditions and sharpest afflictions unless you have interest in him in his Love to delight in you in his Mercy to pitty you in all your miseries in his Diligence and Faithfulness to keep you in his Power to save and defend you in dangers in the fulness of his Grace to supply your wants in him as the fulness and sweetness of all relations to you your Captain your King your Shepherd your Father your Husband It is no relief nor comfort to a naked hungry and thirsty man to hear there are fine Cloaths dainty Food sweet and rich Wine in such and such places if he hath no propriety in them he may perish in his want for all these So though God is such Sovereign Security and Comfort to his People yet you may perish that have no interest in him Propriety in God is ground of your comfort and security If you would have him to be your Captain you must be his Soldiers to fight his Battels against Sin and Satan If you would have him to be your King you must become his loyal Subjects to obey his Laws If you would have him to be your Shepherd your Father your Husband you must be his Sheep not Goats his Children not Bastards his Spouse not Adulteress God must have a propriety by Grace in you before you can have a propriety of Security and Comfort in him 2. Labour to improve your interest in God An interest in God known and improved is the best way and means to support and comfort the soul under sufferings Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him There is light in the Sun to direct us vertue in Meat and Drink to nourish us in Cloaths to warm us in Physick to heal us in Cordials to strengthen us but if we shut our eyes against the Sun it is to us as if there were no Sun at all Meat and Drink nourish not unless we feed on them Cloaths do not warm us unless we put them on Physick doth not cure us unless we drink it So though there is enough in God for your security and comfort yet unless you improve your interest in God you will have small comfort from him Therefore exercise your Faith much upon his Promises his Attributes upon his Dealings with his Church of old upon your own Experiences and draw strength and supplies of Grace from them Be frequent in fervent Prayer to God for your selves for the slain Ministry your Minister in particular and for these Nations Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love her See a suitableness and alsufficency in God for every condition you are in and improve it and you cannot want comfort in that condition Time will not permit me to enlarge upon these I hope the indispensable necssiety of the former duty and the incomparable benefit and advantage of this latter duty are sufficent motives to stir you up to perform them Now my Brethren we usually see when the Father of a Family dyes he leaves and commits the protection of his Widow and Fatherless the management of their affairs and concernments to the prudence and justice to the love of his most faithful and trusty friends And we see when Paul was no more to be at Ephesus he commends them to God and we read that Jesus Christ a
God that gives the increase His blessing upon the smallest means makes them very beneficial to you when the want of this blessing makes the greatest and most likely means insuccesful his blessing upon the Pulse made Daniel and his Companions look fresher and fairer than those that were fed at the Kings Table Dan. 12.3 5. Barley loaves in Christ's hand and with his blessing is more beneficial than Wheaten Bread in the hands of man only John 6.9 This God by his blessing can make up the want of outward means That is the best Faith that is got by the weakest means You see poor children that are brought up with hard food brown bread and water to look fatter ruddier to be stronger than those who are fed with dainties and varieties God's blessing upon the weakest means makes fat and flourishing Christians when the want of his blessing upon the strongest means makes many lean Christians He fed Elijah by the black Ravens 1 Kings 17.6 6. I commend you to this God that can preserve your Graces when outward means fail I told you he is a God of Wonders what he doth by means he can do without means what he doth mediately by Instruments he can do it immediately by Himself Did not he sustain Moses without meat and drink forty dayes in the Mount Did not he sustain our blessed Saviour forty dayes without food in the Wilderness Did not he provide for and maintain the Israelites in the Wilderness for the space of forty years without plowing and sowing by an extraordinary providence so that they wanted not until they are of the old Corn of the Land of Canaan Did not he preserve the Widow's Meal in the Barrel and her Cruse of Oyl that they wasted and failed not until God sent rain upon the earth 1 King 17.14 15 16. So if God bring upon you a Famine of the Preaching of the Word yet God can and will preserve your Graces they shall not waste till God send supplies Doth God bring you into a wilderness where you have no Ordinances of God God can and will provide supplies till your Grace shall be turned into Glory He enabled the Prophet to travel in the strength of the Cake forty nights and dayes until he came to the Mount of God 1 King 19. And is the hand of the Lord shortned that he cannot help or are the bowels of his mercy shut up that he will not or is he more careful of the life of Nature than of the Life of Grace No! no! he is the same God still and he will enable you in the present strength of Grace if you want Means to travel on till you come to the blessed Mount of God 7. To him I commend you that can and will turn all to your good He can overshoot Men and Devils in their own bowes what they design for your hurt and destruction he can turn it to your great benefit Even as the Apothecary kills the destructive nature of poysonous Ingredients and makes them medicinal so God pulls out the Sting and Poyson of every suffering and affliction and makes them good Rom. 8. All things shall work together for good to them that are called according to his purpose Doth he suffer you to be under many and divers Afflictions he exerciseth you with divers Rods and Tryals with Reproach Blasphemy Sickness Imprisonments Poverty Buffetings with Satan God will bring good out of all these Several Diseases must have several Cures And several Ingredients make up one Remedy to cure a Malady It may be you have many Corruptions and strong Corruptions therefore you must have strong and divers kinds of Cure and by all this variety God aims at your good to wean and win you to purge and kill sin in you to prevent sin in the future Every twig of the Rod though bitter at the present will at last drop Hony into your Souls He will turn your water into Wine your wandrings in the wilderness shall end in Canaan all his Dispensations to his People come in Love and Mercy though Sickness yet in Love and Mercy though Poverty yet in Love though Affliction yet in Love A Cross in Love is better than a Comfort in Wrath. Wicked men have a Curse in their best things a Curse in their Honours a Curse in their Riches a Curse in their Health God's People have a Blessing in their worse things a Blessing in Poverty a Blessing in Sufferings a Blessing in Affliction and God's Love sweetens our sowrest Draughts when his Curse imbittereth and poysoneth the sweetest Enjoyments This God will sanctifie all Providences to you and sanctified Sickness is better than unsanctified health Sanctified Poverty is better than unsanctified riches Sanctified Afflictions are Blessings and Mercies and better than unsanctified prosperity I have done with the first part of the Remedy your Security and Comfort in your desolate condition I now come to the second part of the Remedy that is The Word of his Grace Before I come to prove it give me leave to shew you why it is called Grace or give you the Reasons of the title Grace given to the Word The Word of his Grace and it is so called 1. Because it is a Gift of Grace It was Gods free good Will why it was bestowed at all and why one Age or Place of the World should receive it rather than another and why God should discover the Mystery that was kept secret since the world began to those who were sinners of the Gentiles serving dumb Idols it is of Free-Grace We may say of all these Even so Father because it seemed good in thy sight 2. Because the subject matter of the Gospel is Grace all benefits contained in it flow from Grace whether they be blessings without us or blessings within us Election is of Grace and according to the good Pleasure of his Will Ephes 1.5 Our effectual Calling is according to Grace 2 Tim. 1.9 and our spiritual Birth our Regeneration is of God's Free-will Jam. 1.18 Faith is the Gift of God Ephes 2.8 Forgiveness of all our sins is according to the Riches of his Grace Eph. 1.7 Justification is freely by his Grace Rom. 3.24 And Life Eternal is the Gift of God Rom. 6.23 3. It is called The Word of Grace because it is an instrument to impart and bestow these Blessings upon us it is an Instrument through God's Blessing to work in us the Life of Grace Of his own Will he begat us by the Word of Truth Jam. 1.17 This enlightens our understandings and turns us from darkness to light Acts 26.17 18. This sanctifies us Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy Word is Truth John 17.17 All the Gifts and Benefits of Free-grace are imparted to us by it hence it is called The Grace of God that brings Salvation Tit. 2.12 It doth not only bring it to look upon but by the power of its Ordainer accompanying it doth make us partakers of it Now this Word of
exercised your patience to the full and the time far gone yet give me leave a little more have patience for your dying Minister God knows whether ever or never I shall trouble you thus again the pains is mine I pray God the profit may be yours If the Word of God's Grace be such Security Comfort to a left People Be exhorted 1. To attend upon the Publick Preaching of the Word This is the ordinary and appointed means to get benefit for your souls Those that came to Christ were healed of their several infirmities and maladies Would you have your spiritual maladies healed your natures sanctified corruptions mortified Grace implainted Grace increased strengthned Wait on the Word for this is the standing and appointed means When Joseph and Mary sought for Christ they could not find him in the Company nor amongst their Friends nor in the City but in the Temple Luke 2.43 44 45 46. Think not to find God and Christ in sinful company in your houses nor in your fields nor flocks but in his Ordinances these are his Wine-Cellers and Banqueting-houses wherein he will feast your souls with spiritual dainties and varieties Cant. 2.4 2. Be frequent in reading it labour to understand and believe it The oftner you reade it the more you shall understand it the more you understand it the more you shall believe it and the more you believe it the more comfort and benefit you shall reap by it What advantage will all the excellencies be to us if we do not believe them and how can we believe them unless we understand them and how can we understand them unless we reade it and hear it preached Therefore be constant in reading every day some part of God's Word season your souls with it in the morning let it lock up your thoughts in the evening Here you have a prescribed remedy for every malady a plaister for every sore here is comfort for every sorrow and in all affliction here is counsel in all your straits Deprive not your selves of the benefit for want of reading studying the Word You feed every day your bodies with your daily food feed your souls with this food 3. Treasure up the Word in your hearts Let the Word of Christ saith the Apostle dwell in you richly in all wisdom Col. 3.16 Where there is a Malady there the Remedy must be applied Your Malady is within So many sins so many diseases so many sins so many wounds This will be Physick to cure your diseases A Plaister to heal your wounds Blindness is the disease of the understanding Vanity the disease of the mind Stuborness the disease of the will And the sin of each faculty of the soul and member of the body is the disease and wound of that faculty and member But this Word dwelling powerfully in you enlightens your understandings fils your minds with heavenly mindedness makes your wills obedient heals every faculty and every member though it be in part Physick doth not cure us Cordials do not comfort nor strengthen us unless we drink them Plaisters do not heal us unless we apply them Food doth not nourish us unless we eat and digest it No more will the Word of God be as Physick as a Cordial as a Plaister as Food to purge sin to comfort us to heal us to nourish our Graces unless it dwell within us How can a Souldier defend himself and beat his enemies when he is a naked man without his Weapons you are naked unarmed if the Word dwell not in you Well than Be well acquainted with God's Menaces against sin and his Judgments upon it Be well acquainted with his Promises that you have both in readiness when occasion requires 4. Walk according to it Make it a light to your feet and a lanthorn to your paths Psal 119.105 This is the way of peace And as many as walk according to this Rule peace be upon them and the whole Israel of God Gal. 6.16 It is the way of security read Isa 33.15 16. It is the way of blessedness Not the hearers but doers of the Word shall be blessed in the deed Jam. 1.22 23 24 25. I shall give you three or four instances First In sanctification of the Sabbath God hath given us six dayes to do our work in and hath taken himself but one in seven to be served in and it is a robbing of God not to keep his Day holy The Christian Sabbath is a weekly commemoration of Christ's arising from the dead and accomplishing the great work of our Redemption and in thankfulness for so great a mercy be sure you keep holy be strict in religious Duties publick and private Make conscience of performing duty and make conscience of a right manner of performing duty when others play sport walk abroad sleep or talk at home reade you the Word or good Books pray and sing praises to God Such as are not careful to sanctifie God's Day care not for God nor Religion any day Such as deny him publick Worship will deny private Worship Such as are careless in performing publick Duties are careless in performing private Duties and Cursed be they that do the work of the Lord negligently Mal. 1. ult Secondly Be careful to govern your Families according to the Word It was Joshuahs resolution That he and his house would serve the Lord Chap. 24.15 and David would suffer no wicked man in his house Psal 10â— Be careful to offer to God a morning and an evening Sacrifice reading some portion of God's Word Be careful and constant to instruct your Families your Children and Servants in principles of Religion in the fear of God season them while they are with you that they may be preserved from infection when they are from you Endevour that Husbands be holy that your Wives be holy that Children be holy that Servants be holy that your Families be as little Churches of God The holiness of a Family is the glory the safety the riches of a Family Thirdly Live in subjection to Supream Power and Authority of the Nation We are branded for Rebels Fomenters of divisions labouring to fire the Nation with civil Discord and engage it in another War but our Practice and our Doctrine shall witness the contrary to the world And therefore I charge you before God's holy Angles and God himself the great Judge of the world that ye be subject to the higher Powers Be actively obedient so far as you may keep peace and a good conscience within and when you cannot obey actively obey passively Fear not Josephs Prison nor Jeremiahs Dungeon nor Daniels Lions Den for a good conscience Praying for all in Authority that under them we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in ALL godliness and honesty Labour I beseech you by your quiet and peaceable lives to vindicate the innocency of your Ministers and their Doctrine from those black-mouthed blasphemies and reproaches envie and malice and ignorance hath cast upon them and doubtless
diminish from it we may not close with added substantial parts of worship Whatever power a Church hath about natural Circumstances they have none about the substance of worship either to add or take away by putting in or putting out To add new Ordinances or parts of Worship is a breach of the second Commandment The Pharisees ered on this hand Mat. 15.19 teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men they pressed Gods Commandments as indifferent and mens Traditions as necessary God commanded to Honour Father and Mother they teach contrary to this ver 4. this was a diminishing They teach that the washing of hands before meat the cleansing of cups c. as necessary to Salvation this was to err by addition See Rev. 22.18 To add in God's Worship is to make our selves wiser than God and to accuse Christ of unfaithfulness in God's House Moses was a faithful Minister in God's House much more was he who was Mose's Master Well be sâ—re in all your worship that it be according to the Parâ—â—â— shewed in the Mount viz. according to â—he â—â—â—script and Standard of the Scriptures 〈◊〉 very dangerous to offer strange fiâ—â— such as God commands not Levit. 10.2 Give not God cause to say to any of us Who hath required this at your hands 8. Be spiritual and zealous in God's Service Take not God's Name in vain either by vain praying hearing or reading Bring your hearts to and keep them at prayer I will pray with my spirit Psal 25.1 Unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Prayer consists more in the elevation of the understanding and desires than in the lifting up of the eyes and hands and so bring your hearts to the preaching and hearing of the Word Rom. 1.9 Paul served God with his spirit in preaching and we should serve God with our spirits in hearing When Paul preached Lydia's heart was opened that she attended to the things spoken by him Acts 16.14 When God's Embassadours deliver their Embassy imploy your understandings to discern your memories to retain your wills to choose your affections to love and delight in your consciences to apply what you hear And so sing Psalms with your heart as well as with your voice Col. 3.16 Singing with Grace in your hearts to the Lord. God complains of those who bring their bodies before him but leave their hearts behind them Isa 29.13 They draw near me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but their heart is removed far from me this is a mocking of God Therefore be fervent in spirit when you serve the Lord rest not in bare enjoymment of the Means but get Grace by the Means Labour to enjoy the God of Ordinances in the Ordinances of God God is much displeased with eareless heartless and superficial worship If we offer ignorant heartless and distracted prayers will he accept them Cursed be the Deceiver that hath in his flock a Male and voweth and facrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1.13 14. Well then rest not in a formal customary way of serving God serve him out of Conscience and give him your heart in every duty 9. Maintain an high esteem and make great Conscience of the Lords-Day Keep the whole day holy morning and evening It 's not said remember to keep part of the Sabbath Day But keep the Sabbath viz. the whole Sabbath holy sanctifie it in private as well as in publick in your own houses as well as in Gods House in your Closets as well as in your Families do not only keep a Rest but sanctifie that Rest How By Meditation meditate on the Sabbath of that Sabbatism that remains for the People of God Heb. 4.9 Muse upon the Joys of Heaven which are pure spiritual constant and perpetual Think of the sweet Company you shall have even Angels and Saints besides God and Christ whose Presence makes Heaven Dwell upon your Immunities and Freedom from Sin Temptations of Satan and the World from troubles as Sickness Poverty Crosses and every thing that makes your life uncomfortable Imitate the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ by raising your hearts from Earth and ascending into Heaven by spiritual Comtemplations Moreover continue the day by reading and singing of Psalms attend upon God in publick also let not private duties hinder you from publick neither strive to attend so much upon publick Ordinances as to abridge your selves of private secret Opportunities I think those Christians do much wrong themselvs who spend all the day in attending upon publick prayers and hearing I would not have you strive to hear four or five Sermons a day unless you can take so much time besides as is necessary to meditate of and apply what you hear so order the day that secret Communion with God may fit you for publick and publick Ordinances fit you again for private and secret converse with God It is not much eating but eating moderately and digesting what we eat that encreaseth strength Two or three Sermons seriously heard and ruminated upon in secret do more good than ten Sermons heard without meditation Brethren what shall we think do those sanctifie a Sabbath to the Lord who hear a Sermon and a few prayers and then go to the Alehouse they who drink sleep sport walk or work away the Sabbath all these are forbidden Isa 58.13 Thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight not finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words nor doing thine own works Again Christ and his Disciples did not spend this Day partly in religious Exercises and partly in Recreations or Workings John 20.18 and Acts 20.7 we find there that Christ came amongst the Disciples on the First day and that Paul and the Christians used to spend this Day in Prayer preaching and receiving of Sacraments Moreover God will bless us inwardly and outwardly if we conscienciously observe it Isa 58.14 He will curse us inwardly and outwardly in soul and body if we prophane it See Jer. 17.27 Well then my Brethren do not prefer a Holy-day before the Lords-Day It s sad to think that hundreds should more scruple to work on a Saints-day which is of humane institution than on the Sabbath which is of God's Sirs you of this place have got shall I say an undeserved name of more than ordinary piety but I assure you that if you fall to neglect and prophane the Sabbath as some of our neighbours do you shall lose your very Name I should be very sorry to hear when I am gone that you should prove a Sabbath-breaking-People 10. Make great Conscience of Prayer family and secret Let your houses be Houses of Prayer Those families are called Heathenish Families that call not upon God Psal 79.6 Power out thy Fury upon the Heathen the Families that call not on thy Name Let God have a morning and an evening Sacrifice from you Under the Law God called for the first Fruits and there was a Feast of Ingathering or of the Last Fruits
Blood of Christ that you may grow thereby I commend you to the Word of God's Grace Acts 20.32 5. Make conscience of all your thoughts and words Do not entertain vain and unprofitable meditations especially beware of Ungodly Athiestical Envious Repining Quarelsom Impure thoughts God sees them and is angry at them The Lord knows the thoughts of man when they are vanity Psal 94.11 He will call us to an account for them in the Day of Reckoning he will Judge the secrets of men Rom. 2.17 and then every private and close thing shall be brought to light whether it be good or wether it be evil Eccl. 12. ult Entertain holy and profitable conceptions Carry something every day in your minds that is worth thinking of when you are at leasure and out of imployment Let some Experience Promise Threatning or some Obscure place of Scripture which hath been explained to you or some profitable part of Scripture-Story be treasured up in your minds that so you may not be at a loss how to imploy your thoughts when you have any vacant hours Sin many times enters in by the thoughts beware therefore of and silence sinful conceptions and imaginations lest they produce sinful actions And so make conscience of your words beware of idle frothy wanton expressions for of every such we must give account Let not your communication be such as that it should corrupt the manners of those you converse with David was careful of his words Psal 39.1 I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue I conclude this with that in Ephes 4.31 5.4 Let all Bitterness and Anger Wrath Clamour and Evil-speaking be put away from among you as becometh Saints and Filthyness and Foolish talking and Scurrilous jestings which are not convenient 6. Be and continue to be good in evil times In times of prophaness be you holy by how much others are worse by so much be you the better It 's Noahs commendation that he was upright in his generation Gen. 6.9 now the generation in which he lived was very wicked Lot was pure in an impure Sodom Say as Joshua Chap. 24.15 Chuse you whom you will serve but I and my house will serve the Lord So let us say let others prophane Sabbaths we will sanctifie them let others despise Prayer we will call upon God as long as we live Be not stumbled because you see the way of holiness every where spoken against Fire burns the hotest in winter nights let your zeal for God's Honour appear when others are Luke-warm and Cold. Do not think the worst of holiness because contemned by wicked men they are fools and are not competent judges Who thinks the worse of himself because a fool laughs at him Gold is gold still though thrown into the dirt by a mad-man so Religion is Precious and Honourable still though mad-men throw dirt upon it 7. Let your life be a walking with God Manifest Holiness and Piety in every turn of your lives Be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every turn manifest Holiness in every calling in every condition in prosperity in adversity in every relation when you are single before you change your condition and whilst you are in a married state A Christian may shew much of Piety in all these circumstances Be holy not only at sometimes but alwayes 8. Live the Life of Faith Gal. 2.19 the Life of Faith is an excellent Life it gives God the glory of all his Attributes of his Wisdom Goodness Faithfulness Power c. It 's a comfortable life Believing we have joy unspeakable and full of glory It keeps the soul from sinking under wants and troubles Faith as I may so say holds life and soul together If you live not the life of Faith ye cannot live see how much there is of unbelief so much there is of death yea unbelief is sometimes a promoter of temporal death That which the Apostle saith of worldly sorrow that it worketh death even natural death the same I may say of unbelief that it doth in it self hasten death for whilst infidelity and distrust prevails sadness discontent vexation repining and murmuring and fear prevails and all these are enemies even to the body of a Christian Moreover if we live by sence we shall lose much of our spiritual life your Graces and your Comforts will dye your Love Hope Joy and Delight in God will decay yea all Religion will decrease and grow faint Faith is the life of all Graces and Duties Sence and Reason is many times at its wits ends we know not what to do but Faith is never at a loss But our eyes are towards thee there is Faith in the former expression was the language of Sense Faith realizeth seeming impossibilities and presentiates things afar of Heb. 11.1 Act Faith for every thing wanting for your selves or for the Church Do you want pardon of sin is conscience burdened with the guilt of your corruptions act Faith upon such Promises as these Isa 1.18 Though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow though they be like Crimson they shall be as Wool and in Hos 14.4 Do you want Righteousness to make you amiable in God's Eyes live upon that Promise in Jer. 23.6 He shall be called The Lord our Righteousness and that in 1 Cor. 1.30 Do you want purging Grace would you feign be washt from the filth and pollution of your lusts Plead such a Promise as that in Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle you with clean water that ye may be clean from all your filthiness will I cleanse you Do you desire persevering Grace and are you fearful of falling away urge that place in Jude 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling c. and John 10.28 29. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish my Father is greater than all and none shall pluck them out of my hands Live by Faith for Counsel when you are in the dark and cannot see your way clear Isa 42.16 I will make darkness light before them and crooked things streight For provision when in straits for security and preservation in a time of danger from Isa 33.16 His place of defence shall be the Munition of Rocks Bread shall be given him his Waters shall be sure And so for the Church Live by Faith for the restoring of a faithful Ministry from Jer. 3.15 I will give them Pastors after my own heart which shall feed them with knowledge and understanding For the restoring of an instituted Worship Mal. 1.11 In every place Incense shall be brought and a pure offering Mal. 3.3 I will purifie the sons of Levi and they shall offer to the Lord a pure Offering in righteousness Believe for the returning of God to his Church and People after his seeming departure and forgetting them Isa 49.14 15 16. Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee
Candles and then to put them under bushels I do not remember that the like ever was heard or read of in England before that so many Ministers should have the doors shut upon them in a time when the Protestant Religion is professed and countenanced In the former times when Prelacy was Tyrannical though here one and there one had their mouths stopt so that they could not preach in their own places yet they might preach in another Extraordinary Eclipses usually presage some extraordinary Events The Lord alone knows what the the effects of this Great Eclipse will be And the rather this is to be look'd upon as a great affliction if we consider that we cannot tell when or whether or no there shall be a restauration of Pastors to their People How many poor People may cry out as in Psal 74.9 We see not our Prophets neither is there any amongst us that knoweth how long Well do but see Acts 20.37 38. and think how many Pauls are saying to their People this day Ye may see our faces no more and think how many weeping eyes and sad hearts there are Friends weep many times for a short parting when People are deprived of their Ministers they part with their best Friends 8ly Pray for the Faithful Minâ—sters of God both those that stay behind and especially for those that are constrained to depart 1 Thes 5.25 They have prayed for us many a time In every prayer of mine making mention of you all They have shed many a tear and sent up many a sigh They have mourned for your deadness and unteachableness They do now especially need your prayers 1. Pray that God would keep them stedfast They are Leaders of the People Pray they may not cause them to erre They have many temptations to sin they may be in necessities and that is a great temptation 2. That they may have counsel from God Both those that stay in and those that go out may be in the dark as to their own and the Churches affairs Pray therefore that God's Vrim may be with them both Pray that God would discover to both sorts of Ministers wherein they are defective in any thing that might or should be done and wherein either of them have exceeded that knowing their error they may repent 3. For provision Though bread be taken from their mouths pray God would provide some Obadiahs that may feed them though it be with bread and water In Deut. 10.9 we reade that because Levi had no inheritance amongst his brethren therefore the Lord promised to be his inheritance The Lord knows that many of Levi at this day have little or no inheritance amongst their brethren therefore pray that God himself would be their inheritance They are willing to leave House and Land for the sake of Christ and that they may keep a good and quiet conscience O beg that God would not leave them That seeing they are desirous to honour God that of him they may not be slighly esteemed 4. For their return That you may see their faces once more Rom. 1.10 That they may have a prosperous journey to you again if it be the Will of God If God delight in us he can bring his Priests into his Temple again he can bring Ministers to their People and People to their Ministers O beg that God would speed and hasten the time Plead with God the honour of his Name the necessity of his Church and the shortness of the lives of many of his Ministers Many of them are aged and at the most their dayes are like to be few and those that are younger know not how soon a period may be put to their lives O beg that they may not stand all their dayes idle The door is shut and bars are set so that they cannot enter into God's Vineyard as formerly O beg that the Lord would hasten the opening of the doors of the Temple for them and that he would break these bars assunder What the resolution of God is in this particular you and I know not however do you your duty and perform this office of Love to your Ministers and then let both them and you sit still and acquiesce with the same humble resolution that David had 2 Sam. 15.25 26. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me his habitation but if he thus say I have no delight in thee Lo here I am let him do to me as seemeth good to him So if God see it good for you and us he can and will restore us to his House again but if he say he hath no delight in us behold here we are let him do to us as seemeth good in his eyes We do acknowledge we are unworthy to be Priests any longer to him and that God can bring about his own glory though we were all really dead and if God should lay us aside all our life time as vessels in which he hath no pleasure we desire to submit And now Brethren not knowing when or whether or no you may see our faces again in a publick manner I bid you farewel Acts 20.32 Commending you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up And with the words of the Apostle in Heb. 13.18 19 20. Pray for us and the rather that we may be restored to you the sooner And the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ make you perfect in every good work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen SERMON XVI Zeph. 3.18 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn Assemblies who are of Thee to whom the Reproach of it was a burden THe Prophet Zephaniah supposed by some Mayer ex Gualth cap. 1. v. 1. as the Prophet Isaiah was of a Family of some Note amongst the Jews some Noble were and are called prophesied in those times that bordered upon the Captivity which was Israels second Egypt and in regard that the body of the People were in his time corrupt and sensless he is a Son of Thunder unto them and in that there was in that corrupt body some sound members a few names that had not defiled their garments he is a Son of Consolation to them The body of the People would not believe enough to humble them nor the Faithful amongst them take in so much as to chear them The Prophets of those times found it little less difficult to prop up good men under their dejections than to throw down bad men castled in their own presumptions The most were perswaded that Captivity would never be and the best had much ado to believe it would ever end as appears by Jeremiah's Purchase Jer. 32.6 7 41 42 43 44. The Text is in the Promissory part of this Book The Prophet ascends the Mount of Blessing at the
his People a love to above Private Worship He loves it Psal 87.2 He loves the dwellings of Jacob but especially the Gates of Zion He will meet his People in secret but he hath made a more peculiar Promise to meet them in their Meetings Mat. 18.20 Exod. 29.42 Private Duties want not a blessing but Publick Worship is honoured by God to be the main Conveiance of Blessings Publick Ordinances are the great Veins wherein the Blood of Christ runs Psal 128.5 Psal 133.3 The Mount of Zion is the Mount of blessing The Gleanings of Ordinances are better than the Vintage of other Helps There he commanded the Blessing 1. There is Conviction 1 Cor. 14.23 24. 2. There is Conversion Rom. 10.14 Private Means want not their Encouragements but God sets the most seals to his Publick Worship Hearing is not the only way but it is the most ordinary way of Faith God's chief Doles are at Wisdoms Gates Psal 87.5 Of Zion it shall be said This and that man was born I may say new born there These are as it were the troughs as once Jacob did wherein God layes the Rod of his Strength and transforms hearts 3. There is Consolation The Ordinances are the breasts of Consolation Isa 66.11 There in the Banqueting-House God stayes his with Flagons and comforts them with Apples as in Cant. 2.4 5. There God puts the teat into the mouth and stills the Whimperings of his Children The Comforts that are given in Assemblies are most satisfactory as things done in open Court are most Authentick Hannah 1 Sam. 1.18 went away and her countenance was no more sad 4. There God carries on his work begun God feeds his People where he breeds them gives them Strength where he gave them Life Psal 84.7 Growth where he gave them truth of Grace Psal 92.13 To talk of over-thriving Ordinances is a mistake 'T is decay not thrift 't is death not growth We must be and may learn in Christ's School till we be sent to the University of Heaven Secondly And as God loves it and hath set his Broad-Seal to it so God hath wrought in his People a Love to it God's People cannot live without Secret Corners nor comfortably without Publick Meetings if they be cooped up at any time they are as a Child in the wombe strugling to get forth Hezekiah was more loth to leave Worship than to leave the world He mentions his Isa 38.11 loss of Converses with Men but not so emphatical as the other as you may observe I shall not see the Lord even the Lord He redoubles the word Lord to express his ardent Affections to God's Service and to intimate his desire of life that he might go to Church again Reade ver 22. of that Chapter Now can we part with such a Dorcas for good deeds and such a Jonathan for pleasantness without sorrow Can we suffer such a Right-hand to be cut off such a Right-eye to be plucked out without grief Shall such a Darling-Blessing dye unlamented Thirdly As Publick Worship is in the Heart of God and in the hearts of his People so Publick Worship is that which all need be their personal Abilities be their private Helps what they will 1. All need it Publick Worship is a publick Good and so a publick general Loss our persons our families will feel it it will be soon every where in a little time The Publick Worship is like Husbandry of which it is said The profit of the Earth is for all The King himself is served by the field Eccles 10.9 'T is well noted That the Ministry of the Word or rather the Ministers of the Word are set forth by common Blessings such as are Light and Salt and Harvest-men Bread so that the removal of such away is a common Mischief it is as if no Sun no Tillage no Labourers to reap down our Fields It is like the bellies want in the Apologue no member can do its office The Minister himself will want this Mercy The Light is profitable to him that carrieth it as well as to others They may in saving their Hearers save themselves 1 Tim. 4.16 But Oh how will all sorts of People want it Solemn Assemblies are the great Banks against Sin the main Quickners to Duty Ministers are both God's and mans Remembrancers Isa 62.6 2 Pet. 1.12 13. The want of them turns our Palaces into Hell for Darkness and Prophaness as Egypt was when it wanted Light Solemn Assemblies are the Directors of all sorts to their duties How soon shall we find this want in our Children and in our Servants nay in our selves We that have had so much a do to get or keep any life or sence what shall we do when we want those Rubbings Chasings Joggs Wheels Quicknings that we have had in the publick Ordinances Read and apply to this present purpose that speech which your dying dead Ministers may use to you Deut. 31.27 Mutatis mutandis For I know thy Rebellion and thy Stiff-neck Behold whilst I am yet alive with you this day ye have been rebellious against the Lord and how much more after my death Nay Furthermore I say it is that which all need be their personal Abilities never so great and be their private helps never so many It is a choice observation of a Man of God Hildersham on John 4. now with God a Man mighty in the Scriptures concerning David that though he was a Man of Excellent Gifts a Prophet a Pen-man of Scripture You have his Character and Portraiture in 2 Sam. 23.1 2. A man of incomparable Abilities vast Experiences singular Integrity A man after God's own heart and yet this man was a lover of the Habitation of God's House Psal 268. Nay besides these his own treasures he had wâ— h him sometimes if not alwayes an extraordinary 〈…〉 to be his Chaplain even God 1 Sam. 22.5 〈…〉 had likewise Abiathar a Priest to enquire of 〈…〉 hâ—m 1 Sam. 23.9 Yet he longs after the Orâ—â—â—â—nces bewails the want of Publick Worship and speaks as if he wanted God in many Psalms as if he had nothing of God comparatively to what he enjoyed there Oh who like David Great men that have much within themselves yet cannot quite keep off the Markets Verily the best stored heart or house will not live fully without these spiritual Markets All private helps may say to the publick Ordinances as Gideon to the men of Ephraim Judg. 8.2 What have I done in comparison of you Lay all this together strike â—â—eâ—e conâ—iderations on the heart as Moses did the Roâ—â— with his Rod and conclude the heart is a Rock indeed if it yeeld no water after these strokes Oh if any thing should open springs of sorrow in the heart iâ— should be the stopping up of such Wells But I stay too long upon things I proceed to the second Particular that sheweth how considerable the Loss of Solemn Assemblies are and that is Secondly In wanting the Solemn
but Bochim's Humble your selves under the mighty Hand of God in your Debasements Do not rise against them whom the mighty Hand of God hath exalted lest haply ye be found sighters against God Plotting and Fighting will not bring Mercies again that a People have sinned away God needs none of our sins to advance his Sons Kingdom When God hath softened our hearts by his sweet Grace he can and will if he see it best tender the hearts of our Superiours to pitty us by his most powerful Providence How did these Mourners at last find an heart touched by a mighty Hand that called them out of their Graves and made open Proclamation for their return as you read 2 Chron. 36.22 23. Secondly Neither is it any part of the business of this Doctrine to embitter you into Schism and sepation from the Assemblies that through Mercy are yet continued which I for my part dare not but call or at least some of them Solemn Assemblies Church Assemblies though perchance in my eye they may want something of that Solemnity Majesty Purity and Power which I and you could desire they had If you may not hear me yet it is some mercy that you and I may hear some others I would not so mourn for what is not as to forget to bless God for what yet is I hope there are yet them to be found that preach Christ of good will and in the simplicity of their hearts continue in their work though many of God's willing Servants have not freedom so to do Take heed of extreams It is the ordinary temptation in a time of Differences to think we cannot run too far from them we differ from and so whilst we decline one Rock we split our selves upon another Remember the old Non-conformists were equal enemies to Superstition and Separation Maintain I beseech you sober Principles such as these are that every defective Ministry is not a false Ministry That sinful Super-additions do not nullifie Divine Institutions That Impurities do not make Ordinances Nullities no more than Leprosie doth unman him that hath it That sinful defects in Ordinances do not hinder the saving Effects of them The seed may come up that is sown by a leprous-hand That there is a difference betwixt directing a Worship prescribing things simply evil and manifestly Idoltrous and directing about Worship things doubtfully good being enjoyned but the unquestionable substance of Worship being maintained This latter doth not justifie separation If Corruptions in Worship I mean such do unchurch a Church it will be hard to find when there was a true Church or where one will be found That the Church of England was a true Church a true reformed Church though not a full compleatly reformed Church is acknowledged by most sober Spirits A man of name amongst the Brethren of the Congregational Perswasion speaking of the Church of England and its first Reformation hath these words As for the great things of the Gospel matters of Faith or Doctrine the Reformers had so happy an hand therein that there is to be found little if any hay and stubble therein But in matters of Order which concern Worship and Discipline let it be enquired into whether they were so exact therein Although this must be said that God did take care for all fundamental Ordinances of Worship And it is a bitter Error and full of Cruelty to say That we have had no Churches no Ministers no Sacraments but Antichristianal So far Dr. T. Goodwyn Fast Serm. before Parl. on Zech. 4.6 7 8. Now me-thinks if it was a True Church notwithstanding some supposed Corruptions retained it should be to still notwithstanding those by some reputed Corruptions returned for if the Disease do not unman a man his Relapse into it after a recovery cannot We have still that Doctrine professed we have still those fundamental Ordinances maintained And methinks where a Church as to the main keeps the Form of found Words and the Substantials of that Worship which is Christ's some adjudged defects in order cannot justifie Separation I dare not dismember my self from that Church that holds the Head I think whilst Doctrine is for the main sound Christ stayes with a Church and it is good staying where he stays I would follow him and not lead him or go before the Lamb. That speech of the beloved Disciple 2 John 9. may without wrong be applied to a Church He that abides in the Doctrine of Christ hath both the Father the Son It may be some may think that these Times that are gone over us have left an obligation upon us in an orderly peaceable way to endeavour Reformation I have no call here to debate that but this I am sure of they have withal brought forth many sad warnings against separation in the sad Apostacies both in judgment and practise which many of that generation of men have been left unto Therefore 1. Maintain communion as far as you can 2. Crave indulgence where you cannot 3. Mourn in secret over what in pulick you cannot help let that which upon good grounds you judge a corruption have that work upon you which Peninnahs provocations had upon Hannah make you weep sore and pour out your hearts before God if there be any smoak in God's Temple let it be smoak to your eyes 4. Enlarge your care and pains in your preparations a right stomach makes good nourishment of an indifferent meal You may be warm though in a colder air and room than you have formerly been if you will but put on more cloaths before you come 5. Watch your hearts more narrowly and speak you things to your hearts more than ever you have done you will not so well know what to do with your hearts if you do not increase own your watch and pains It is the wise man's speech Eccl. 10.10 If the Iron be blunt and he doth not whet the edge then must he put to more strength Now 3. I come to tell you what the errand of this my Doctrine is And it is an exhortation first to all upon whom at this day any measure or degree of this affliction lies And then secondly to some who have a larger share in this affliction than others First then You that are losing or have lost your Solemn Assemblies know that you have a loud call unto mourning The Wayes of Zion mourn after a manner Lam. 1.4 let us mourn after a Godly manner who are the Inhabitants of Zion because the channels of comfort that have releived our souls are gon or going far from us Such dews should fall at or after Sun-setting Jeremiah puts this into his Lamentation that God had violently taken away his Tabemacle as of a garden He hath destroied his places of Assembly The Lord hath caused the solemn Feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion Lam. 2.6 Mercies use to be most lovely when they have their backs upon us and we best see the worth in the want of
of sin to avoid the evil of trouble This is to make a covenant with Hell and to be at an agreement with Death But when the overflowing scourge shall pass through the Land God shall disanull their Covenant and break their Agreement Isa 28.15 18 19. This there carnal wisdom shall be destroyed the iniquity of their heels shall compass them about and they shall be taken in the snare of Vengance so much of this fourth Observation the next is this Doct. 5. That it is a special part of Christian Wisdom to redeem Time to know and discern time and Opportunities doth very much conduce to this redeeming of Time but this the Wise man makes the property of a wise mans heart Eccles 8.5 Redeeming of Time implies some kind of recovering that time which is already lost a diligent improvement of that which is present to the best advantage and a getting before hand with time by making sure of Eternity I would have told you how to redeem Time in three particulars 1. The loss and former misspending of precious time must be heartily bewailed and repented of 2. Those lusts and affections by which time hath The Conclusion My Brethren I have now finished my Text and my Work together for so it hath pleased God in his wise Providence to order affaires that I may not be any longer amongst you in that capacity in which I have been I dare not murmur nor repine I desire with the holy Psalmist to be dumb and not open my mouth because the Lord hath done it Neither men nor any other creatures can do any thing but what God is â—â—â—â—sed to permit them to do I profess seriously from my soul that could I have kept a good Conscience and my station among you also I do not know what good this World could afford that could have prevailed so far upon my affections as to have drawn me away from you In that little time that the Lord hath been pleased to give me an abode among you I have had very great comfort and contentment in my relation to you I desire to bless God from my heart who hath made you teachable and tractable willing to be instructed and informed for that is my rejoycing above all other things which will be my rejoycing in the great Day of the Lord Jesus Though I forget not your Love to me as your Minister expressed in common Courtesies and Civilities yet this is not a place and time to make mention of them But your diligent attendance on God's Word and Ordinances in publick your willing submission to private Instruction and Reproof the flocking of many of you to Repetion the chearful coming of the younger sort to Catechising and the progress they have made therby in the knowledge of God and Christ and the way to Life these things and whatsoever good it may have pleased God to have wrought in you by my poor labours among you have been the comfort of my heart and the remembrance of them will be my joy when I have other sad thoughts enough to press if not oppress my spirits after this day Well my Glass is run my time is short and I have but a few more words to speak to you I am now for ought I know preaching my last Sermon and my face which you have often seen in this Pulpit you are never never like to see here any more I would fain speak one word that might stick by you longer than ordinary as the last words of a dying Friend are wont to do A dying man especially a dying Father hath commonly some word of advice to give to his Friends and Children about him and something to request of them before he leaves the world God hath made me in the room of a spiritual Father to you and now I am as a dying Friend that must never speak in publick to you again I have a word of advice to give you and something to intreat of you and this Advice and Request I shall leave with you as my last Legacy 1. My first Word of Advice shall be the same which the Apostle hath here given us in the Text That you would with all seriousness endeavour to walk circumspectly and to live exactly according to the Rule of Gods Word in performing all holy Duties that God hath required and in avoiding all sins that God hath forbiâ—den This Advice is for your own good and yoâ— cannot reject it without rejecting the Command of God himself and therefore I do the more earnestly press it upon you You know not what Temptations and Tryals you may come to meet withal and therefore get it fast fixed and rooted in your hearts and consciences that you ought to live exactly and strictly Perhaps the time may come when you may neglect Duties and no body put you in mind of them when you may sin freely and none check or reprove you for it when you may swear and curse and blaspheme the Name of God and be drunk and prophane the Sabbath and have no body to tell you of your sins or to warn you of the danger of them nay perhaps you may be encouraged to these sins or perswaded to them or led to them by the evil example of those who should draw you from them and you may be hated and reproached for Fanaticks and Puritans and I know not what if you make any scruple of running into all excess of riot God forbid that this should ever come to pass but if it should and you not have a principle of Circumspection Exactness within your own breasts and consciences to restrain you my heart trembles to think what a sad condition you would be in and in how great danger you would be of being led away with the errour of the wicked to the utter and everlasting undoing of your poor Souls Well God write this Memento upon every one of your hearts and Consciences I beseech you my Brethren for Christ's sake and for your own poor Souls sake that you will not slight or forget this Advice Oh remember remember I beseech you that it is but a little a very little while before you and I and all the world shall meet together and stand naked before the Judgement Seat of Jesus Christ to give an account of this very thing and to answer to this very question Whether we have lived circumspectly and exactly or no Oh how sad a thing would it be if I should meet any of you there who having neglected this Advice and gone on in your sinful wayes and lived loosely and dyed impenitently if I should meet you I say trembling with guilt before the face of Jesus Christ and should be necessitated to confess and say Lord these very men and women I did advise warn perswade intreat beseech with all seriousness and earnestness that they would break off their sins by repentance and spend the rest of their dayes in walking circumspectly and living exactly and told them in thy
Name the danger of a loose careless prophane and worldly life let them now speak let their own consciences say if I did not and yet they would not hear they would not obey Oh Sirs how would you be able to look Jesus Christ in the face Nay how would you be able to look me in the face at that day I beseech you think of this seriously before hand before it be too late I profess to you your souls are so dear to me that I would not for a thousand worlds be your accuser before the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ but yet if you will not be advised your blood shall be upon your own heads and I shall be free I shall now conclude this Particular with that one word of the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.11 14. Seeing then that the Heavens and Elements and Earth and all the Works that are therein shall be dissolved what manner of Persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of Christ in peace without spot and blameless 2. The second Word of Advice that I have to leave with you I shall likewise take out of my Text and that is That you would carefully redeem precious Time for God and your own poor souls A common understanding might easily suggest reason enough to follow this Advice Do but consider how little a time we have yet to live in this World how much time we have already spent in vain how sure an account we must give for our time as well as other talents remember that Eternity depends upon this moment we owe God all our time and we cannot lay it out better than for our poor souls Especially consider this grand Argument of the Apostle in the Text that the dayes are evil If it be bad Weather and an unseasonable Harvest and all the Corn upon the ground be like to be spoiled the Husbandman will be sure to raise the price of his good old Corn. Do but use the same Spiritual good husbandry for your souls You may perhaps think that you have many years to live in the world still that is very uncertain Oh but however consider that opportunities of doing and receiving good are few and like to be fewer still and by how much the more rare they are shall they not be the more precious with you God in mercy prevent our fears and jealousies but it is too suspitious that a good Sermon may be rare a good Exhortation or Reproof may be rare a good Minister may be rare an opportunity of Christian Friends praying together may be rare Therefore redeem time while you may lay hold upon every opportunity of good and labour to know in this your day the things that belong to your eternal peace before they be hid from your eyes When Death comes and Judgment comes it will then be too late and therefore in vain to cry out for a little more time for one more good Sermon for liberty of praying once more to God for Grace and Mercy I should have enlarged my Advice in some particulars of strict walking and improving precious time Pray hard set up that great duty of Christianity in your Families Keep Wickedness not only out of your hearts and houses but out of the Town too to the utmost of your power Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy What help you want in publick make up by your holy diligence in private Reade the Scriptures and other good Books much You that have learned your Catechism do not forget it Parents and Masters have a care of your Children and Servants Husbands and Wives watch over one another provoke one another to that which is good Neighbours exhort and admonish one another pray with and for one another and go before one another in an holy Example But I have not time to ennumerate all I have now given you my Advice and I pray God that you may follow it in truth and now I come in the last place to make my last publick Request unto you I bless God I covet no mans Silver nor Gold my Conscience bears me witness that I have not sought yours but you and now at last all that I shall beg of you is your prayers for me and that I hope none of you will deny me I have taken some pains among you I have often prayed for you and by the Grace of God shall never cease praying for you that the Lord would keep you from evil and furnish you with his Grace and afterwards bring you to Glory All the recompence that I ask of you is That you would not forget me at the Throne of Grace but let me have a share in your prayers In many respects I do earnestly and heartily beg your prayers but I must not now mention them all One is this That God would be pleased to pardon my great Unfaithfulness and Unprofitableness among you I beseech you Brethren do not think that I am now complementing with you Something I have done and God forbid that I should not have some ground to hope that God hath blessed my poor Labours to the doing of some good amongst you and perhaps my weak Labours have been acceptable yea and I bless God for that acceptance they have found with you yet truly Sirs God knows and mine own Conscience tells me that I have come much short very much short of that which was my duty to have done which if not pardoned in the Blood of Christ I should never be able to answer before God in the day of my Accounts and therefore I heartily beg your prayers on this behalf Another thing for which I beg your prayers to God for me is That it would please the Lord not to lay me aside as a broken vessel and an unprofitable creature upon the face of the Earth but that yet in what capacity soever the Lord sees good I may do him some service before I go hence and be no more seen I have but a little inch of time to live in this world and my great desire is that while I do live I may be useful for otherwise life will be but a sin or a burden I beseech you pray also that I may be delivered from or strengthened under temptations I am a poor weak creature and cannot stand but by the Grace and Strength of God and I know not what condition the Lord hath allotted for me Only this I have learn'd from the Word of God that they that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 Pray therefore that what sufferings foever the Lord shall at any time call me to I may be enabled by his Grace and Strength so to behave my self under them as that even by suffering I may glorifie his Name and bear witness to the Truth and practise what I have preached and give a good example to others and credit the Gospel and that Profession which I have made thereof My Brethren methinks I have much yet to say and I know not where to break off yet I must come to a conclusion Leave my Work in publick I must and leave you I must or else I must break with God and my own Conscience This is my great grief but yet it is my greatest grief of all that I must leave any unconverted sinners amongst you I profess to you seriously that if I know my own heart I could with chearfulness and joy forsake not only my Living and Livelihood but even my Life also so that I could but see every Drunkard and Swearer and Curser and Sabbath-breaker and Worldling and Prophane person among you converted to a life of Faith and Holiness I dare not not onely for fear of man but chiefly out of conscience I dare not open my lips to utter one word to encourage you to Faction or Schism or any unquietness but with the Apostle I exhort you to follow the things that make for Peace and to wait upon God for the mending of what is amiss But this I must tell you withall that if you do not follow after the things that make for Holiness also you shall never see the Face of God to your comfort Therefore follow after Holiness Follow not that which is evil but that which is good 3 John 11. In the midst of all my other griefs and troubles I shall have no greater joy than to see or hear that any of you walk in the Truth I have preached the Word of Truth to you according to that understanding in the Scriptures which God hath given me I beseech you remember what I have spoken to you in the Name of God and Christ and look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward Let me use the following words of the Apostle to you 2 John 8 9 10 11. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds I must conclude though unwillingly my Farewelwords to you shall be the same with the Apostle's last Farewel to the Elders of Ephesus Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Amen Amen FINIS
their over eager desires to embrace this present World have let Heaven go have lost that for ever 2. Take heed of following mens examples further than you see them to follow the Rule of God's Word the world is ever ful of bad examples if we would walk safely we must walk by Rule If we think it enough only to do as the most there is little hopes of our working out our salvation Matt. 7.13 The word of Christ must judge you hereafter O let it guide you here As many as walk according to this Rule peace shall be upon them and mercy In matters of Religion of Salvation believe none follow none further than there is ground for their opinions and practices in God's written Word Were we to follow mens examples or mens traditions in matters of Religion besides the Scriptures then will not this follow viz. That the Scriptures are not a perfect Rule as the Papists teach that it must be eeked out with unscriptural traditions and the commandments or documents of men And do but once admit this and we shall have no certain Rule at all 3. Take heed of consultiâ—â— here with flesh and blood In the matters of our Salvation not the Flesh who is ever at that Master spare thy self but Conscience informed out of God's Word must be our Counsellor Our souls interest and our carnal interest are many times cross to one another Hence it is our Saviour so much insists on the duties of self-denial and taking up the Cross Yea he further tells us He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it You know great works are seldom perfected at a small charge A rich Mine it will cost a man something before he comes to it but when he has found it it soon recompenseth him for all his former pains and expences both Heaven and Salvation is such a Treasure though we should lose all our earthly comforts this would certainly repair all our losses and make and enrich our souls for ever 4. Take heed of delaying to set to this work Oh! have we not delayed too long Have we not lost time and lost special opportunities lost such advantages for carrying on this work as for any thing we know we may never enjoy again It is high time now to awake out of sleep to shake off Spiritual sloath to apply our selves to the work in good earnest who knows but the day of our visitation the time of our life and of God's patience may be very near an end It may be the eleventh hour However the longer it is ere we set to our work the more difficulty we shall find in it I now come to the Directions 1. See that you understand your work Be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is Yea study to be filled with the knowledge of his Will Rest not in good meanings My People are destroyed for lack of knowledge Hos 4.6 â—ee here though bare knowledge cannot save one yet many a one is destroyed for lack of knowledge Beloved though we may not be permitted to preach publickly yet I know not that it would be any crime for us to instruct such in private as repair to us for assistance and advice O that poor souls were as ready to make use of us as we are willing to afford them the best help we can 2. Be sure your Ground-work be good Build on the Rock Christ so indeed you need not fear but your Work will stand Other Foundation can no man lay If ye build besides this Rock or build partly on Christ and partly on your selves the work will come to nought We are quite lost and ruined in our selves that we must be taken off from our own bottoms brought out of our selves to Jesus Christ or we cannot be saved 3. Do all in Christ's strength Phil. 3.13 This way the Apostle Paul went to work Then the work of our Salvation is like to go forward when we have Christ the Saviour putting to his helping hand and joyning with us O as ever you would have your work to prosper be sure you take Christ along with you 4. As Noah being moved with fear fell to work and prepared an Ark to the saving of himself and of his house so let us work out our Salvation with fear We should have a reverent fear towards God to quicken us to duty and to awe and make us exceeding serious in duty Again we should have a jealous fear of Satan and our own sinful deceitful hearts to look narrowly to them who like Sanballat and Tobiah will do but what they can to hinder and take us off our work 5. Labour much with God in prayer Thus there were hopes the work would be going forward Observe what immediately follows the Text It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure When it could â—â—â—aid of Paul Behold he prayeth then was Ananias â—â—nt to confirm him that he might receive his sight and be filled with the holy Ghost Acts 9.11 17. The Work is great to work out your Salvation and it is possible you may want some helps you have had yea and meet with greater hindrances new difficulties in it O pray in strength to carry you thorow It may be you shall not have liberty to hear so much to quicken you the more to prayer You may have fewer hearing-opportunities that you shall have more time to pray 6. Up and be doing when you can find the Spirit at work in your hearts Attend to the motions of God's Spirit This is a special season not to be let slip when we have an offer of his co-operating Grace 7. Do all as in the sight of God Set the Lord ever before you Eye-service is a fault in our servants condemned Eph. 6.6 but a vertue in God's servants Indeed could we but ply our work while God's eye is on us we should never be idle or ill-employed 8. Let out the strength of your spirits in the weighty matters of God's Law and not about trivial unnecessary things Such things as God no where requires of which he sayes In vain do they worship me after the traditions of men If we make our selves busie in building hay and stubble on the Foundation our work shall be burnt and we shall suffer loss 9. Improve the day time God hath alotted to you wherein to work The day of Grace O that we had known our day we have had a large space and a fair season of working granted to us and yet I am afraid that as to the most of us little of our work is done The consideration of our former loss of time should cause us henceforward to double out diligence Now let not a day pass over your heads wherein you do not some way further thâ—â—â—â—â—rk of your salvation Especially improve the Lorâ—â— Day Sabbath-dayes are dayes of resting from outward labours from