it were betwixt the wombe and the world and now here 's an opportunity now or never to step in and save the Church Save Lord now or never Hester takes the opportunity Who knows saith Mordecay to her whether thou art Hester 4. 14. come to the Kingdome for such a time as this Such a time which carries nothing but death in the wombe of it Such a time wherein the Jews as if all their necks had stood upon one shoulder were destined to the blow at this time Hester strangled the designe and saved the Church by taking the opportunity which had she neglected a thousand to one she her selfe had never escaped to have had the like againe 11 Sometimes there 's an opportunity given to reforme and purge a Land which if we neglect may never be given againe in our dayes as you may see in Judges the first and second Chapter in the first Chapter there you shall finde that Judg. 1. 21. 27. 29. 30. the Children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem but the Jebusiies did dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and her townes and neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer and neither did Zebulun drive out the Inhabitants of Kitron nor the Inhabitants of Nahalol but the Canaanites dwelt among them and became Tributaries and what then see Judges 2. 1 2 3. An Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgall to Bochim and said I made you to goe up out of Egypt and have brought you into the Land which I sware unto your Fathers and I said I will never breake my Covenant with you and you shall make no league with the Inhabitants of this Land you shall throw downe their Alters but you have not obeyed my voice you have not apprehended the season and opportunity what then t is lost in your dayes and in your sons dayes for many generations For now I will not drive them out from before you I have said it it is now past cure but they shall be as thornes in your sides and their gods shall be a snare unto you And when the Angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel the people lift up their voice and wept they called the name of that place Bochin that is Weepers they wept so much because they had let slip their opportunity but all their floods of teares could not bring back the opportunity again nor turne the tide I pray God this be not Englands case time was when we had the opportunity to destroy the Canaanites Heresie Error Prophanenesse out of land but now the bird of opportunity is fled out of our hand She hath taken wing is fled away and gone and I feare me we shall not see her againe in our days the Scepter of Jesus Christ is the primum mobile of all good government set him up and his government right and he will set Statâ—s right till this great wheel be set right all the lesser are like enough to goe wrong Ah England I am afraid of Ezek. 24. 13. that Text concerning thee Because I would have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shall not be purged from thy filthinesse any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee Let us now make application And first then Vse 1 Neglect not your opportunities of heaven make the best of your souls opportunities loose not opportunity for a world you have a world of opportunities loose not one opportunity for a world O you that have souls to save save your opportunities oh your soules oh your souls I am afraid of your souls 1 you loose your souls wee Ministers loose all our labour and Christ looseth all his blood that he hath shed for your soules and what account can you give to God for so much cost Most of you doe not value your souls worth the saving Many a man doth prize his Oxe or his Asse more then some men prize their soules 2 The Devils have lost their opportunities will you not take warning by the Devils if you will not take your opportunities you will shortly be as irrecoverable as the Devils 3 Opportunities iost cannot be bought againe for gold As Ahab could not buy Naboths Vineyard of him Naboth would take no money for it so opportunities lost cannot be bought back againe for money if thou wouldst bid never so high for them thou canst not have them upon any price thou canst not pray thine opportunities back againe thou canst not weep thine opportunities back againe as you may see by Esau he lost his opportunity and When afterwards he would have inherited Heb. 12. 17. the blessing he could finde no place of repentance though he sought it with tears Jacob was no sooner gone away with the blessing but Esau comes in with hope of the blessing the blessing was gone but one minute and yet cannot be recovered 4 Every opportunity thou loosest thou growest worse and worse thou art bad to day if thou loosest this opportunity Gen. 4. 6 7. thou shalt be worse to morrow as Cain God conversed with him as it were to day Why art thou wroth why is thy countenance fallen if thou doe well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest not well sin lyeth at the door but he was not bettered by this opportunity and presently he grew worse upon it Verse 8. for the next thing he did was he talked with his brother Abel and slew him 5 Salvation which these opportunities carry in their wombe is a transcendent birth a blessing of the first magnitude who would not be saved all things else are but shadows and trifles to this reality called Salvation Those are the sons of wisedome that contend for substance for God for heaven God is not a thing indifferent and Jesus Christ is no circumstance Honors ease worldly profits Istae divitiae nec verae sunt nec vestrae and pleasures all these these I say are in their nature things indifferent and being compared and put in the scale with Christ are lesse then things indifferent even toyes dreames losse dung meer nothings at best but fading things that passe away as a picture drawn upon the Ice which soon vanisheth They are meer accidents nay separable accidents that may be taken from the subject without its hurt a man may spare them and yet be happy but God is the Essence of the Soul the eternall Entity of our happinesse This is life eternall to know thee Ioh. 17. 3. the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 6 It may be O Sinner that art now in thy sins it may be this very day even this particular Sermon may be thy day that if thou repent not at this very Sermon thou loosest eternall life for ever Thus Jesus Christ ended the day of grace on the Scribes and Pharisees
but to aggravate his sin as if he should say my fellow-commoner one of my familiar friends that eats of the same dish with me shall betray me And here Christ endeavours to melt the heart of Judas and cause him to forbeare by an argument fetcht from all the kindnesse and intimacy that had been so long between them what my friend my familiar who doth not onely sit at the same Table with me but eat of the same dish with me will he betray me will that hand that hath been with me in the same dish dip and dye it selfe into a Crimson colour in my blood he disswades him by love by the law of love and friendship 2 He disswades him by Terror The Son of man goes as it is written Mat. 26. 24. of him but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed it had been good for that man if he had not been born where observe 1 The Lord Jesus Christ be wayles not himself but Judas even whilst he threatens Judas he pities Judas woe unto that man by wom the Son of man is betrayed 2 He doth not yet unmaske and disclose Judas he carries the person yet in the clouds he doth not as yet say in individuo Woe to thee O Judas but speaks still in the general Woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betraied the individual discovery of Judas comes in afterwards and here Jesus Christ does with this threatning way-lay Judas to make him retreat b Paena predicitur ut quem pudor non vicerat corrigant denunciata supplicia Hieronim in cap. 26. Mat. seeking his salvation It had been good for that man if he had not been borne as if he had said if nothing else yet will if nothing that hath been said yet can recall the Traytor from his purpose of sinning yet let this one thing bespeak him and turne his heart quite about his owne safety his owne fearfull condition which will follow upon his sin let that put a stop to his progresse Woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed it had been good for that man if he had not been borne Here the door of opportunity stood open to Judas and Jesus Christ stood in the door to invite Judas but he had not an heart to goe in and the opportunity was presently shut against him and he never had the like againe he goes away and becomes his own Executioner Judas betrayes Christ and after betrayes himselfe when Christ called him he would not repent kindly and now he meets with an unkind repentance that Swallows him up in the gulph of despaire 3 A man may have an opportunity given him to save his life and so by consequent to save his soule which if he neglects he may never have the like againe I will give you two Gen. 19. 12 13 14. sad instances the one is Lots children in Sodome Then the men said unto Lot whom hast thou yet here either Son in Law or thy sons or thy daughters or what soever thou hast in the City bring it out of this place for we will destroy this place because the cry of them is great before the Lord and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it Note The Saints are so neer to God that he will save those that are neer to them for their sakes God would be a friend to Lots friends a father to his children And Lot went out and spake unto his sons in law which married his daughters and said Vp get yee out of this place for the Lord will destroy this City Behold here 's their opportunity an opportunity to save their lives from fire and brimstone and for ought I know their soules from the fire of hell O golden opportunity for a mans life is his Treasure an opportunity to save ones life is the life of all opportunities and therefore poore Lot goeth to them Grace doth not extinguish nature he flyeth upon wings of love to them and tels them he warnes them like a Prophet and bespeaks them like a Father but what say they he seemed as one that mocked to his sons in Law and so he leaves them for his time was short and now their opportunity is gone and they are gone too Farewell now you are all dead men and women God first raines downe the golden drops of opportunity upon them to save their lives which they neglect and presently he raines downe showres of fire and brimstone on them and takes away their lives 1. Kings 22. 4 5 7 8 17. 28. Another instance is Ahab in the first of the Kings Wilt thou goe with me to battel to Ramoth Gilead and Jehoshaphat said to the King of I Israel I am as thou art my people as thy people my horses as thy horses and Jehoshaphat said unto the King of Israel enquire I pray thee at the word of the Lord to day And Jehoshaphat said is there not here a Prophet of the Lord besides that we might enquire of him And the King of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat There is yet one man Michaiah the son of Imlah by whom we may enquire of the Lord but I hate him for he doth not prophecie good concerning me but evill And Jehoshaphat said Let not the King say so And he said I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills as sheep that have not a Sheapheard and the Lord said these have no Master let them returne every to his house in peace And Michaiah said if thou returne at all in peace the Lord hath not spoken by me Here was his opportunity to save his life but goe he will his opportunity expires and his life too for he never returnes alive againe for a certaine man drew a Bow at a venture and Verse 34. smote the King of Israel between the joynts of the harnesse wherefore he said unto the driver of his Chariot Turne thine hand and carry me out of the Host for I am wounded certaine man drew a bow at a venture the man shot the Arrow but God aimed it the man shot at a venture but God leveld it at Ahab the man shot at he knew not who but Ahab in the whole Army was Gods marks-man Carry me away saith Ahab out of the Host for I am wounded Oh Ahab What thinkest thou now of Gods opportunities What saist thou now of Micaihas words I am wounded saith Ahab I beleeve thee and the losse of thine opportunity wounds thee more ther 's death wounds in thy Soule as well as in thy body 4 When an hypocrite will not obey Gods expresse command he may lose his heart and his restraining grace for ever after when a man loves a sin better then Gods command God leaves him to his sin When a man gives up himselfe to a lust God finds a time to give him up also and sets him a going faster he opens the sluces and puls downe the bankes that the mans lust may run in
over-throw his Estate yet he cares not repents not for 't is not his End to preserve himselfe but to serve Jesus Christ upon him selfe 3 Holinesse is no upstart Vunder which notion the world lookes upon it as if precisenesse in Religion were a new fashion taken up and put on by some but of late No Holinesse was the first Suite that ever was put upon the back of mans nature 'T is elder then Sin 'T is the first borne God made man Righteous 'T is more naturall to man to be righteous Sin is against nature T is a defect of nature It came as I may say of the wrong side of the Hedge a meer Bastard God is not the Parent of it it hath nothing of God in it 't was the Devil that begat it upon mans nature and therefore 't is of a later Edition then grace Grace was when sin was not Let us make man saith God in our Image after our likenesse You see Grace is of a most ancient house of the highest antiquity and therfore if any thing will it will ennoble you 4 And that you may be beated into zeale for Jesus Christ Live in the Scripture fire as the Salamander they say lives in the fire so doo you live in the Scripture as your Element It will scorch you into en holy love to Jesus Christ No book becomes your hand like the Bible It made David wiser then his Teachers 'T is this Book that makes Preachers and this Booke is the best Preacher This Booke will preach to you in your Chamber By this Booke all Preachers and Hearers must be judged at the last day This Booke will expound to you that hidden Booke that is within you your Conscience The Booke of Conscience is a secret and intricate piece very few are well read in it most deceived by it but this Booke of Scripture I say this Booke will discover it and shew you all the Errata in it it will search your very heart and tell all its secrets to you nay this Book will tell out Gods heart to you and his minde concerning you cc Ego odi libros meos saepe opto eos interire quod metuo ne morentur lectores abducant a lectione ipsius Scripturae quae sola omnis sapientiae fons est c. Luther hated his owne Bookes and saith hee I often wish they were all lost fearing least they should hold Readers in delay and take them off from reading Scripture Ierome gives a strange narrative of himselfe how he was dragged to the Tribunall because he had read Cicero more greedily then he did the Scripture Being asked of my condition saith he I answered I was a Christian Thou lyest saith the Judge Ciceronianus es non Christianus Thou art a Ciceronian not a Christian for where thy Treasure is ther 's thy heart also Presently saith he I was put to silence and had not a word to say and among the stripes for he had commanded me to be beaten I was scorched more with the fire of Conscience considering with my self that Verse In the Grave who will give thee thanks Then I began to crâ— Have Psalm 6. mercy upon me O Lord have mercy upon me This voice sounded loud amidst the scourgings At last they that stood by casting themselves downe at the Presidents knees prayed him that he would pardon my youth and give place of Repentance to my Errour Then he requiring punishment if at any time I read heathen Books I who in such a case would have promised greater matters began to sweare deeply saying Lord If at any time I should read those secular Books I have denyed thee And so upon this Oath he was dismissed And he addes moreover Neither was this a sleep or a vaine dreame with which we are often deluded Witnesse that Tribunall before which I lay witnesse that severe judgement which I trembled at that I pray God I never fall again into such examination by torment I confesse I had my shoulders black and blew and felt the blowes after my sleep and have since read Gods word with such endeavour as I never read before any humane writings Thus far Saint Jerome Now let this passage awake you and all of us Let us lay aside the sublimest curiosities of mans witt all Volumnes for Scripture And all imployment for Heaven Wing your haste you have the flourishing plumes of Age upon you How farre might you fly and soar up quite to an heaven of experience and communion with Jesus Christ if you would loose no time I say if you would loose no time I hope you will not I pray you may not For you may see in this Sermon That opportunity is an unvaluable Treasure and yet a transient Treasure it carrieth lasting things along with it and yet it selfe lasts not stayes not with us You may see in this Sermon what great things you may loose if you loose your opprotunity you may loose your selfe if you loose your opportunitie God hath set you upon the higher ground above many in the world Act highly for him Lay up a Rich stock of Grace within you that you may have an heart to act for him in publick I wish you prosperity here felicity hereafter Accept t his Dedication from him who doth and shall ever rest Your real Servant in CHRIST JESVS THO. FROYSEL CLUN Octob. 8. 1651. JOHN XII VIII For the Poore alwayes yee have with you but me yee have not alwayes Mee-thinks I see a sad concourse of people before me this day and truly who can be here and not bee sad A great man and a good man is fallen this day He lived amiable and dyed desirable I am perswaded you could all finde in your hearts to wish him into life againe but that you are loath to displease God Wee must submit and kisse the hand of providence in the death of our dearest Friends and Saints We are now to performe our last office to him wee have brought him from his house to his house I meane his grave which must house him up till the great day of the Resurrection Eccles 12. 5 You see what Death doth it plucks up the tree by the roots the Cedar as well as the Shrub To day we are green within a little while we are not seen Stay but a few dayes and such a day as this will be thy day And therefore that we may make a serious and spirituall use of this occasion turne your eye and cast your thoughts upon the words of my Text. For the poore ye have alwayes with you but me yee have not alwayes These words are the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and they are an Apology or Defence which he makes for a poor Saint who having done a good worke an act of love to Jesus Christ was censured for it 1 The worke which was done you shall see in the third ver Then tooke Mary a pound of ointment of Spikenard very costly
good which if we neglect we may never have the like againe And this I will shew you in two things 1 There is an opportunity of receiving good which if we neglect we may never have the like againe 2 There is an opportunity of doing good which if we neglect we may never have the like againe There is an opportunity to get and an opportunity to act an opportunity to lay up and an opportunity to lay out spiritual treasures which if we neglect we may never have the like again 1 I say there is an opportunity of receiving good which if we neglect may be we shall never have the like againe 1. Sometimes there is an opportunity to beget faith in us which if we neglect we may never have the like againe as you Esai 7. 10 11 12. may see in Esai And the Lord spake againe unto Ahaz saying Ask thee a signe of the Lord thy God aske it either in the depth beneath or in the height above But Ahaz said I will not aske neither will I tempt the Lord. Ask a Signe where thou wilt where thou thinkest it may be the greatest miracle and give thee the greatest satisfaction either in the depth or in the height on earth or in heaven Ah what an opportunity had Ahaz here offered to inspire him with faith A miracle where he would and what he would for the Prophet a Ratio signi autem quod certe magnum enim Regi Achas relinquitur libera quan velit esse habere sive in supremis sive in infernis Sam. Bohl in Isai prescribes not what signe Ahaz should ask lest haply the truth of the miracle might be suspected but leaves it to the Kings owne option and free choice whether he will have it towards the depth or height in earth or heaven if earth were too low for a miracle to heigh then his faith he should have one as high as heaven Ah sweet opportunity ah strong opportunity to worke such a faith in Ahaz as to trust God for ever here was an opportunity for him to try God to put the word of God to an experience and ah what scope had he Aske a Signe in earth or Heaven where thou wilt and what thou wilt I will not grudgeâ—t any thing to mount thy faith beyond the Region of feare and doubting to make thee and my people Israel beleeve in me thy faith shall want for nothing to support it God gave him leave to be his owne Carver As when a great friend comes to your house you entertain him in this Language Sir command all that 's here aske what you 'l have 't is yours So did God be speak Ahaz all that 's in heaven or earth is for this minute at thy service the choicest miracle that heaven or earth can yeeld to banquet thy faith command it 't is thine what a rich table of opportunity did God spread for him What variety of dishes a sign from Heaven or earth did the Lord set before him to entertaine and feast his faith Thus doth God condescend to sinners when they will not come up to him he comes downe to them This was kindnes enough to strike the fire of Faith out of the hardest flint Ah what an opportunity was here lost and once lost 't was lost for ever we read not that the like was ever offered Ahaz any more but he grew worse when men despise Gods opportunities they grow worse and worse So againe you have another sad instance in the second of Kings where Elisha prophecied in a time of scarcity Thus saith 2 Kin. 7. 1. 2. the Lord tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flowre be sold for a Shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria then a Lord on whose hand the King leaned answered the man of God and said Behold If the Lord would make windows in heaven might this thing be and he said Behold Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shalt not eat thereof And see this verified And the King gave the Lord on whose hand he leaned the charge of the Vers 17. gate and the people trod upon him in the gate and he dyed as the man of God had sayd He seeth the plenty for conviction of his unbelief but he dyeth and tastes it not as a punishment of his unbeliefe 2. Sometimes an opportunity of repentance and so of receiving pardon is given to a man which if he neglect he may never have the like againe Such an opportunity Judas had Judas had conceived a plot in the wombe of his intention to betray Jesus Christ and form'd it up into a conspiracy with the Pharisees to deliver him to them yet Jesus Christ gives him an opportunity once more to repent and recall himselfe before it be too late Verily I say unto you one of you shall betray me He that dippeth Mat. 26. 21. 23 24. his hand with me in the dish the same shall betray me The Son of man goeth as it is written but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed it had been good for that man if he had not been borne Ah Judas What a thunder-clap is here sent from heaven to awake thee what a warning-piece goeth off to scare thy soule out of sin 'T was a providence thou shouldst sit at table once more with Christ to heare something fall from his lipps that might melt thy heart Ah what an opportunity hadst thou now put into thine hand to repent and retract thy purpose for the Lord Jesus doth discover his sin and doth disswade him from his sin 1 He doth discover the Sin But not the person yet I say He doth discover the sin one of you shall betray me the Lord Jesus discovers the sin that he might recover the sinner He shewed him his sin that he might not sin he shewed him his sin before hand that he might not sin underhand he did strike the sin that he might open a veine of confession in Judas and make him bleed kindly Ah what an opportunity was here for Judas to confesse and be forgiven 2 But he doth not discover the person yet he doth not name him that he might not shame him he opens the sin but not the person that he might thaw him and not harden him that he might winne him but not irritate and provoke him Jesus is yet tender of his credit how much more of his Soul what an heavenly dew of opportunity drops it self upon Judas to moysten his heart In like manner what an opportunity hast thou O Sinner to repent when God shall reprove thy secret Adulteries and unjust dealings and hypocrisie in a Sermon and not discover yet 2 He doth disswade him from his sin by two arguments By Love and Terrour 1 By Love He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish the same shall betray me which words were not spoken to discover Judas by this signe
even in the very Sermon time whilst Christ was preaching to them they were delivered up to hardnesse of heart 7 In a word to passe by Jesus Christ carrieth with it the most surpassing wrath to disrespect the offer of mercy Heb. 2. 3. ushers in the greatest misery How shall wee escape if wee neglect so great Salvation That is you shall not escape so you shall not passe with an ordinary doome upon you Sinners opportunity attends you Christ is yours if you'I have him the Lord Jesus is at your service if you will imbrace him God sends up and downe the world to offer Salvation hence that phrase my salvation is gone forth Mercy wayts on you and kneels to you and does obeysance to your souls when you are running from it mercy runs after you to catch you and imbrace you Ah how long hath free-grace stood at your doors waiting your leisure when you would let her in yet she cals and knocks againe you may yet be saved but if you will goe on still and disrespect mercy it brings the greatest misery The greatest severity goes along with the Gospel greatest severity goes along with the greatest mercy The Gospel is the greatest mercy that ever saluted the world and there 's the greatest severity with the Gospel that ever came with any mercy into the world Men shall be deeper in hell because heaven was offered them and they would not All they suffer here is but typicall of the wrath to come here they but sip of the top of Gods cup there they must drink the dreggs though it be eternity to the bottome a Sodomite in Hell shall fare better then the refuser of Jesus Christ See the 10. Mat. 14 15. verses and Whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when you depart out of that house or City shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodome and Gomorah in the day of Judgement then for that City Is not here the greatest severity with the greatest mercy So againe in Mat. 11. 21 22. Woe unto thee Corazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sydon they would have repented long agoe in Sackcloth and ashes but I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sydon at the day of Judgement then for you Is not here the greatest severity going along with the greatest mercy God can better bear any thing then the contempt of his free grace in the offers of mercy More yet When the Gospel began to be preached faith the Text Now is the Axe laid to the root of the Tree Jesus Christ Matth. 3. 10. comes with his Basket and his Axe his Basket togather fruit his Axe to cut downe the tree if it will not bear fruit and is not here the greatest severity with the greatest mercy If there were a sword on Moses thigh there is an Axe in Christs hand Now is the Axe laid to the root of the tree Now that is your opportunity is Now if you passe by this now you are gone for ought I can tell you are chopt off presently Neglect not the present Now least yee be cut off for ever 8 Consider sin is your dishonour it doth f Mundiliaenim necessaria est ad hoc quod mens Deo applicetur quià mens Humana inquinatur ex hoc quod inferioribus rebus conjungitur sicut quaelibet Res ex immix-tione pejoris sordescit ut argen turn ex immixtione plumbi Aquia sum 22ae q. 81. ar 8 cup. degrade you The vesture of mans nature is base and beggarly since it was patched with sin It is a debasing of the gold to marry it with any mettal of a courser birth so 't is a dishonour to man to match his golden nature so God at first made it holy and righteous I say to match thy golden nature to base-borne drosse to low-borne sin which derives its pedigree from hell None but Jesus Christ is a fit match for the soule of man take the opportunity then and make choice of Jesus Christ Espouse thy soul to him and keep the marriage knot inviolate with him Rom. 7. 4. 9 Come in quickly take the opportunity to come in presently to Jesus Christ least your sins before you are aware ripen too fast and you be cut downe you know not how soon Sins g De uno peccato enim in aliud ex una turpitudine stuhitiâ in aliam ruerant Ita Aetas parentumpejor avis tulit Hos nequiore mox daturos progeniem vitiosiorem Neque tantum a peccato ad peccatum sed ab errore stuhitiâ ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad insaniam et corruptionem mentis ac rationis Eversionem proceditur Cocceius ad 2 Tim. 3. multiply one sin will shortly multiply into many they are like circles in a pond one circle begets another so doth one sin beget another a lesser begets a greater as in a case of staires one staire is a step to another so every sin is a staire to helpe up to higher and worse sins It is wonderfull to behold the great flames bred out of small sparks of sin how one sin hatched a greater sin is like a whirl-pool which first sucks in one part and then another and never desists untill it drawes in and plungeth the wholebody 10. man may performe duties of Religion after his day of grace is set upon him you thinke that as long as a man performes duties and doth many good things his day of grace is not past My beloved òbserve me A man may come to Church performe religious duties doe many good things have many meltings upon his heart after his day of grace is past and gone as Saul went on in duties of Religion aswell after Samuel had pronounced the Lords doom upon him as before How many times was he offering sacrifice to the Lord after the Prophet had told him that he was a man rejected How many good speeches came from him what meltings some time fell in upon his soule as if there were hopes of him and yet a lost man his opportunities of Jesus Christ Vse 2 My second use shall be to set out unto you the excellency and Majesty of Gods opportunities that you may stand in awe and reverence of them and by no means slight them or neglect them Mysteries are dreadfull we honor them There are mysteries Mysteria tremenda in Gods opportunities My beloved there are these three characters of mysterie and excellency engraven upon Gods opportunities It may be some may thinke of and adde more but I at present observe three characters of mysterie and excellency upon Gods opportunities First they are easie Secondly they are sudden and unexspected Thirdly sometimes they come beside our 1 First Gods opportunities are easie they bring great matters to birth with easie travell they bring hard
things to passe easily Oh that this were observed In Gods opportunitie it is an easie thing to beleeve to repent to subdue a sin and to overcome a temptation as it is an easie matter for the Ship to go when she hath the winde to fill her sayls Every thing is done easily in Gods opportunitie whether it be to save a soul or to destroy a soule because God in his opportunity makes all things concur and brings circumstances together to strike up the action suddenly you shall see it 1 First In the ruine of a man in the destruction of a man when 't is Gods opportunitie to destroy a man what easie way will he make for 't As Saul when Gods time came that he must perish he slew himselfe there was no difficulty in the 1 Sam. 31. 4. worke he fell himselfe upon his sword as the stone doth to its center How easily was Jericho taken when the Priests blew the Trumpets and the people shouted the wals fel down flat of themselves How easily was Pharaoh and his Army destroyed in the red Sea The Sea was divided and a way made for him that he might not stand upon 't but run voluntary into the womb of death Oh the efficacy of Gods opportunities How easily did Goliah fall what stirres and blusterings did he act a little before upon the stage of pride and boasting making a challenge to all Israel but when Gods opportunitie comes how easily is he slaine And therefore the Scripture speaks this with an Emphasis So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and smote the Philistine and slew him but there was no sword in the hand of David 2 So Gods opportunities worke good for men easily they bring great matters of good to passe with no difficulty when 't is Gods opportunitie that David shall take possession of his Kingdome it fals into his mouth as it were not onely Saul but all his sons that might stand as so many screens between David and the Crowne are taken out of the way The house of Judah they of themselves come and annoint David King over them Then Abner Sauls Generall of his whole Army displeased with Ishbosheth revolts to David and all the Tribes come to Hebron to annoint David King over Israel Do you see this great worke is done to his hand So in Gods opportunities it is an easie thing to beleeve and repent Act. 16. 14. Luk. 19. 6. 1 Kin. 19. 20. Ah my beloved the ease of beleiving and repenting attends a peculiar opportunity of Gods owne vouchsafing in which he doth more readily worke then at other times How shall I know when 't is easie for me to beleeve and repent 1 When the light of the spirit doth flash into the eye of thy soule then thy worke is easie as when the light of the day doth dart its rayes in at the windows of thy Chamber 't is easie for thee to read a small print Thus when a light from Heaven did shine upon Paul and shine into Paul how easie did his worke come off Lord what wilt thou have me to doe 2 When thy heart is made combustible and ready to take fire as when the tinder is dry 't is easie to light a candle the least sparke that fals on it takes fire and when the fire is combustible it is an easie matter to kindle a fire it burnes presently So when thy heart is softned it easily takes the impression of the seale upon it and when thy thoughts are stir'd up and made combustible 't is an easie matter to kindle them into a fire of repentance as in the Acts when they were pricked in Act. 2. the heart they said Men and brethren what shall wee doe repent saith Peter and they took presently 3 When thine affections and desires are upon the wheel then any worke is easie as when a load is upon the wheel 't is drawne easily whereas if you should goe about to lug it along upon the ground it comes on heavily and therefore the Lord pursuing Pharaoh took off his Chariot wheels and they drave on heavily So when God puts thine affections upon the wheel and sets them a going then 't is easie for thee to doe great matters and therefore observe thine opportunity 2 Gods opportunities are sudden and unexpected they come upon us without preparation God doth not send us word before hand when he will visit us and come to us as sometimes we send to a friend that we will dine with him or speake with him at such an howre but Gods opportunities come suddenly upon us in the twinkling of an eye before we be aware when we know nothing of it and the spirit rusheth in upon a man and gives him no notice before hand Thus Christ came and called Matthew follow me on a sudden whilst he was sitting at the receipt of Custome And he arose and followed him Some poor soules have sent up many a prayer to heaven for assurance and it hath not come and they poor creatures have thought that God hath not regarded them all the while and then on a sudden assurance hath come when they look't not for it Ah dear father how many mercies from thee have come to us uninvited thy preventing grace and mercy doth alwayes visit us uninvited we send not for it it comes freely to us 3 Gods opportunities come besides our intention they come sometimes when we aime not at them We stumble upon heaven when we are seeking something else as a man that digged in his garden only to set roots and plants and found a pot of gold there and as Saul went to Samuel to enquire for his Fathers Asses and found a Kingdome This was besides his intention he sought one thing and found another his poor Asses were in his intention but a Crowne was the object he met with in execution Oh the misteries of opportunity 'T is so many times in the matters of heaven I am found saith God of them that sought me not Many a soul findes Heaven besides his intention How strangely doe some meet with a Commission they meet with heaven and grace by accident as it were they goe to a place onely to seek health or food something for the body and there they light upon besides their intention salvation for their soules as the lame man seeing Peter and John asked an almes there was all his intention and met with a cure both of body and soule and the woman of Samaria came to the Well for water and there found a Christ It was an accident to her to meet Christ there Gods opportunity comes upon her besides her intention Ah gracious God! that she should come for water that very houre when Christ was there not before nor after but that very houre when Christ is there shee came for water which was but puddle and found a Spring of life So the Marriners that took Jonah into their Ship they received him onely
before how perplexed was his state think you a man drowned and not drowned devoured but not digested alive but yet as dead ah what a dying soul had he in the living Fish expecting every minute the fearefull dissolution of his Soul from his body for he was under horror of conscience now lying on him for his sin and dreadfull conflict of Spirit as if God had forsaken him and given sentence on him for you shall read some such were his expressions Thou hast cast me into the deep that is the Jonah 2. 3 4. Sea then I said I am cast out of thy sight my Soul fainted within me Here Jonah thought his opportunity was gone but the Whale brings him safe to the shore the Whales belly was a place of safety a sanctuary to him had not the Whale received him he might have been drowned for he could not swim to the shore Ah thou poor dejected soul know that God can be angry and yet love thee he can throw thee into the belly of despaire and make thee live in it as the child doth in the wombe The Mothers belly is the Babes Sanctuary the child lyes safe in the womb so shalt thou lye safe in the belly of despair God will make the belly or womb of despair to travel in birth till thou art delivered and therefore doe as Jonah did beleeve in the midst of despaire pray unto the Lord cry unto him out of the whales belly Out of the belly of hell saith Jonah 2. 2. Jonah I cryed and thou heardest my voice Ah blessed word God will hear thee when thou art at the worst if thou couldst pray in hell and repent in hell wert thou in hell if thou couldst beleeve there God would hear thee there a sweet word to a despairing soule Jonah in the Whales belly said Yet I will look againe toward thy holy Temple God will give thee leave to look up to him though thou art in the bottome of destruction I am cast out of thy sight said Jonah yet I will looke againe toward thy holy Temple A soul is never so forsaken of God but he may look up to his God though thou art cast out of his sight yet he will give thee leave to look upon him ah thou for saken soul a look from thee will pierce his bosom a mournfull look from the child wounds the breast of the angry father though the child dares not send out a word yet a mournfull and longing look conquers his Fathers heart Art thou forsaken of God yet thine opportunity is not gone dart a look upon him if thou canst not pray to him yet look upon him God lookes to see whether thou wilt look upon him he waits to be gracious Isa 30. 18. thou waitest to be comforted he waits to comfort thee 5 Mans extremity is Gods opportunity when thou art most ready to perish then is God most ready to save God ordinarily doth not save in danger but in extremity of danger when 't is at the worst with thee then 't is Gods opportunity to help thee as the woman that had the bloody issue her extremity was Christs opportunity She had a wasting disease upon her and time added to it twelve long years had she withered and languished under it besides the tediousnesse her disease must needs get head by continuance yet more to mend the matter poverty which is another disease was super-added to her sicknesse she had spent all that she had upon Physicians her extremity now swels great she hath two evils at once upon her two unsuffererable evils though she were sick yet her wealth as long as she had it would have maintained and succoured her in her sicknesse but now want doth pinch her no lesse then her distemper and helps to make her perfectly miserable she is now perfectly miserable weak and sick and nothing to refresh her in her weaknesse had she spent all and gained her health it had been well enough but alas she hath beggered her selfe undone her state and her body never the better her mony was wasted not her disease Now her extremity is at the height what then her extremity is Christs opportunity when her case is most desparate she is healed 1 Kings 17. â— If I can but touch the hemme of his garment I shall be whole So the widdow of Sarepta Elijah sent to her by God to be sustained by her when he comes he sustaines her she is sustained by him for when he comes and asks her food bring me I pray thee a morsell of bread in thine hand she tells him as the Lord thy God liveth I have not a Cake but an handfull of meal in a barrell and a little oyle in a Cruise and behold I am gathering two sticks that I may goe in and dresse it for me and my Son that we may eat it and dye She was now upon the borders of extremity It was high time for the Lord to send the Prophet to her for poor Soul she was now making her last meal after one meane morsell she was yeelding her selfe over to death she was now going to eat her last that she might dye and what then truly her extremity was Gods opportunity Feare not said Elijah to her goe and doe as thou hast said make me a little Cake first and bring it to me and after make for thee and thy son for thus saith the Lord God of Israel the Barrel of meal shall not waste neither shall the Cruise of oyle faile untill the day that the Lord sendeth raine upon the earth What a showre of comfort was here she was going to eat her last and dye and God sends the Prophet to her to provide for her the whole famine How opportunely doth God provide succour to our distresses It is his glory to helpe at a pinch to begin where wee have given over that his mercy may be so much the more welcome by how much it is the lesse look't for 6 Though I have lost time yet say Lord thou hast not lost time thou wert before all time and canst set time yet before me My losse of time doth not put thee to a losse Object 7 But wil God be a looser by me I have lost him abundance of glory which I might have done him had I improved my opportunities In my loosing my opportunities God hath lost a great deal of his glory Answer God will be content to sit downe by the losse if thou wilt but come in now Oh transcendent mercy he will loose a great part of his glory rather then loose thy soul for he knows he can bear the losse better then thou canst 2 What he looseth of his glory by the one way he gaines another way in pardoning of thee he counts it his glory to pardon thee as the Holy Ghost saith It is a mans glory to passe over a transgression In pardoning the sins thou hast lived in for a time he will gaine glory to himselfe
maximaÌ„ ignis iste Babilonicus obtineret vis ills fuit divinituÌ„ impedita ne se exereret ut quidem statim post exeruit absumens eos qui in fornacem eandem inijciebantur Kecker ibid. property of burning was not taken from the fire for then it had been no miracle what miracle is it for that thing not to burne which cannot burne The miracle therefore did not consist in taking away the naturall power of burning from the fire but in this that when the fire had the gratest heat and power of burning yet it could not burne them The fire had its full power and property to burne but could not exercise it what an honour was it to walke safe in the midst of the fire How did God magnify them that they should be in the fire and yet be safe from the fire the fire doth not kill them but kisse them the fire doth not consume them but court them and denies it self to give them courteous entertainment they walke in the fire as in a pleasant aire what honours are these put upon poor creatures they were bound hand and foot when they were cast into the fire and yet Nebuchadnezzar sees them walk the fire had heat to burne their bonds but not power to touch their bodies Had they mist this opportunity of suffering they had missed of this honour 3 Their suffering was the Churches honour and advantage it won great respect and honour to the Jewish Church and Religion Neluchadnezzar makes a Decree that no people shall speake any thing amisse of the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Now their God comes into request with the King himselfe and their deliverance flying abroad upon the wing of fame makes their God famous and their Religion famous and their people the Jews famous How many taunts and derisions cast daily at the Jewes for their worship were suppressed by the severity of this Law Without doubt this Dâ—cree was of speciall use for the comfort of the Jewes they had a sweet calme and Halcion time of peace and serenity upon it Ah! What honour and advantage brought they to the Church by taking this opportunity of suffering 4 And did not their suffering and their deliverance think yee strengthen the weak faith of their distressed brethren the poor Jews Did it not inspire them with corage root them deeper in the love of their Religion How many Heathens and Chaldeans might this great miracle of deliverance worke home to the true God Surely Nebuchadnezzars Decree made the learning of God famous among the Gentiles a speciall helpe to conversion as we may see in the three Magi or wise Matth. 2. men Ah my beloved your sufferings may be the conversion of others How willing would we be to preach a Sermon if we knew it would be the conversion of some Soul Let me tel you that thy suffering for Christ may be the best Sermon that ever thou preachest all thy life long and win more upon souls then all the Sermons thou didst preach in all thy life as we say that to live well is the best preaching I say also to suffer well is the best preaching To suffer for godlinesse is the most powerfull preaching of godlinesse He that can suffer best for Jesus Christ is the best preacher of Jesus Christ the best sufferer is the best Preacher Ah you Saints this way you may all be Preachers let your lives preach and let your sufferings preach Jesus Christ loose not your opportunities of suffering 5 I am sure also they will increase your future glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. every suffering will be a graine put into the scale of your heavenly glory to make it more weighty For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Oh! be for ever contented to have fellowship with Jesus Christ in all his sufferings It is said that the Saints have grace for grace with Jesus Christ be content also to have suffering for suffering with Jesus Christ you shall also have glory for glory with him if you have suffering for suffering you shall also have glory for glory with him Ah then Loose not your opportunities of suffering for Jesus Christ if you loose your opportunity of suffering you loose a part a beame of your glory your glory in heaven will be so much the darker 9 You that are young men that are the twigs and branches of youth you have blossomes of opportunities growing on you which if you neglect you shall never have the like againe There are opportunities that are married to youth which if you sever can never be united againe you have strength to serve Christ which old age hath not you have yet no cares of the world in your heads to keep out heavenly contemplations you are yet scarce in the world and therfore have not much of the world in you Oh drinke in heaven before you drinke in the cares of the world into your thoughts Fill your thoughts first with God before you fill them with the world fill your Sayles with the gales of Christ before they are filled with the aery vanities of the creature you have a great deale of your time before you when old men have their time behind them gone and past and but a little of it left before them 10 So there is an opportunity sometimes to save a whole Church which if we neglect we may never have the like again Such an opportunity came before Hester which if she had not look't it in the face and embraced it all the Jewes had been cut off at one blow by Hamans policy He had got the Kings Decree that the thing should be done If it please the King let it be written that they may be destroyed and the King tooke his Ring Hester 3. 9 10 11. from off his hand and gave it unto Haman and said unto Haman the silver is given unto thee the people also to doe with them as it seemeth good to thee The signet-Ring did represent the Kings authority and name and therefore when one gave his Ring to another he gave his power over to him to doe what he would in his name as Pharaoh took his Ring off from his hand and put it upon Josephs hand that Joseph might in the Kings name signe Decrees as Viceroy of Egypt and Alexander the Great when he was sick and lay speechlesse and saw no hopes of life took his Ring from his finger and gave it to Perdiccas to signifie as is thought that 't was his mind that Perdiccas should succeed him So Haman had got the Kings Ring to signe the fatall Decree And letters were sent by post into all the Kings Verse 13. Provinces to destroy to kill and to cause to perish all Jewes both young and old little children and women in one day Here the poor Church was at a dead lift Hamans teeming hopes were at the birth nay as