I have had Psal 77. 5. 6. so if any of you besecure ye may remember some thing or other that is past which may awaken you againe hath God never shewed you your damned estate heretofore were ye never sick heretofore and did you not see that if ye had dyed in that case ye had perisht ye may remember that now and awaken your selves and how if God should take you away in such a case as that It cannot be related what a blessing it is that we have a memory But let us come to the third thing and that is this when may the memory be said to be alive I answer there be two parts of the memories deadnesse towards God The first is an aptnesse to forget God and all his commands Secondly an aptnesse to remember those things that are not so good for us now when those two faults are rectified in some measure then the memory is alive towards God First There 's aptnesse in your memories to forget God and all his commands ye know God commands us to remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy Exod. 20. 8. how apt are we to forget it how commonly is it out of our minds so in the 78. Psalme and the 7. verse God sayes there he would not have us sorget his workes but that we should keepe his commandements now O how apt are we to let them leake out of our hearts we have a hellish art of forgetfulnesse how often doe we forget our selves herein and suffer the remembrance of God to be taken away from us ye have forgotten the exhortation that speakes to you as to Children Heb. 12. 5. how often doe we forget to keep our selves unspotted though we be told of the will of God yet any little thing is enough to put it out of our minds stay them not least my people forget it though we be told of our misery and the infinite danger we are in may be at the first it moves us a little but how soon doe we forget it and other things take us up now when this aptnesse is rectified in some measure when God hath a sound impresse on our minds that we must needs remember him and all the things that concerne our peace when there 's a Law in our mindes that we will not forget God as ye may see there in David Blesse thou the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Psal 103. 2. when our memory is sanctified and is made the good Treasury of our heart when the Lord hath lifted up our memory unto him then it is alive Secondly as by nature there 's an aptnesse in our memory to forget God so there 's an aptnesse to remember other things that either are not good for us or not so good we are apt to remember injuries nay one injury will be thought one more then many good turns so likewise idle tales we are apt to remember them whereas good things goe out in our hearts like sparkes in wet tinder We may see this in the hearing of the word the Apostle tearmes us forget sull hearers James 1. 25. if a tale be told us in a Sermon that we can remember how many are apt to carry that way whereas that which is wholesom and might doe us more good how apt we are we to forget that as a Divine sayes our memories are like strainers all the pure milke runneth through but if there be any drosse that stayes behinde or like a grate that lets the pure water run away and if there be any strawes and stickes and filth and mud and dregs that it holds so it is with our memories by nature trifles and toyes and worldly things them we are apt to remember like the Shepheard in York-shire that could remember all his flock he kept a thousand sheep and if one should but change one Sheep and put in another he could tell which it was But for gratious things our memories does soon forget them like Israel they soon forgot all the workes of God Psal 106. 13. now what is this but the corruption deadnes of our memories towards God may be we are apt to excuse it alas we have weak memories true if we were as weake memoryed in other things it were something but when we can remember our pleasures and profits and tales and any thing when we goe to buy weel 'e be sure to remember our selves there when to sell wee 'le be sure to remember our selves there that we will have to the worth if we can But in matters of God there we forget our selves this cannot be excused Now when this is rectified in some measure then our memory is alive when we will rather forget any thing else then God rather forget our selves in all the world then forget our duty towards God when this study is once set up soundly in the soule in some measure now the memory is alive Thus ye see the third thing Now for the fourth that this must needs be the life of the memory I prove it by arguments First because the memory hath hardly any other quickening then the quickening of the man whose memory it is so that when the mans mind is quickened together with his conscience and heart the memory is quickened too as the Prophet sayes I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me Psal 119. 93. that is my memory is quickened up to thy precepts because with them thou hast quickened me for we see commonly that the faculty of memory is much at one after conversion that it was before conversion if it were a weake memory before so it is after onely this as the strength of it was let out towards the world and sinne and selfe before so now the strength of it is in some measure let out towards the best things And therefore what can the life of the memory be but the aptnesse of a man to remember God Secondly because this is the onely practicall memory ye know a man may have an admirable memory to remember Sermons whole Chapters in the Bible and yet have a dead memory to God a Sanctified memory is a practicall memory as the Lord sayes remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy q. d. ye may remember still when the Sabbath is come I this is the Sabbath day that is not it that 's onely a contemplative memory But I would have you have a practicall memory not onely to remember the duty but remember for to doe it for as the contemplative understanding hath a faculty of conserving its species so the practicall understanding hath a faculty of conserving its species too as long as a man hath not this practicall memory it is nothing Because he remembred not to shew mercy Psal 109. 16. marke the Lord does not sinde fault with a man for not remembring of that duty for may be he did remember that I but he did not remember to doe his duty this is
and the Starres which thou hast ordained then I say Lord what is man Psal 83 4. you see how stirring his minde was when he considered the heavens and the earth it wrought mightily on him it made him the more humble Others see the Heavens every day and it does not move them one whit to Humiliation before God But when the minde comes once to consider then it shakes off its dulnesse and remissnesse then it growes busie such a man will not goe to Prayer but he considers what he goes about what a great God he is to speake to what a vile creature himselfe is that is to pray to him he will consider how he may pray with faith and hope and feeling of his wants how he may rise up from his knees not without profit Now he will not goe to the word but he will consider what it is he repaires to now all his mind is how he may get good now he is busie in every duty when he is tempted to doe as others doe he considers what the issue will be and this makes him forbeare Beloved this is the life of our mindes when they consider things when we consider our latter end when we consider Gods promises when we consider his threatenings when we take his commandements into our deep consideration when we consider the danger of sinne we doe not onely know all these things but we consider them Though we know neere so much yet except we consider what we know our mindes are lumpish and dead consideration is the activity of the minde and therefore if we would prove our selves to be alive towards God let us put on consideration a dayes Fourthly the remembring of the minde when the minde forgets it selfe every day this is nothing but the deadnesse of the minde for if it be alive to a thing it will be sure to remember it selfe of that if it oan Can a maide forget her ornaments or a Bride her attire yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number Jer. 2. 32. that is my people are dead-minded to me if they regarded me they would remember themselves every day to serve me looke what a man is alive to the minde will be sure to remember us of that we can have no journey to take but our mindes remember us of it no businesse to doe to feed our Cattell to milke our kine every morning and evening to sheare our sheepe every Lammas if we forget any thing in this kinde presently it 's a 100. to one but we remember our selves now when a man is alive to the best things in some measure he will remember himselfe of them every day so David did I remembred thy name O Lord yea in the night too and so I kept thy Law Psal 119. 55. I remembred my selfe and I would be sure to doe what God bid me do it may be his heart began to arise but presently he remembred himselfe and beat it downe againe it may be some other lust began to be up but by and by he remembred him and checked his owne soule when the minde is alive towards God the knowledge of the word does not lie dead in that man but still he remembers it at every need when the Sabbath is coming then thinkes he I remember what God bade me doe Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy when the Sacrament comes then he remembers himselfe O thinkes he let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that Bread and drinke of that Cup now the minde thinkes I will labour to remember God continually what ever I forget I will not forget him when I rise up when I lie downe still I will set my selfe to remember him when I goe out when I come home what ever the Devill say what ever the flesh whisper I will labour still to remember God if I be tempted to wrath then I desire to remember what God sayes give not place to the Devill when I feel spirituall lazinesse then I will unfeignedly endeavour to remember what God speakes unto me cursed is he that does the worke of the Lord negligently c. Fifthly the inventings or the devisings of the heart where the minde is naturally bent and alive there it is witty if riches if preferment if pleasure if learning be a mans lust that he lives in there he is witty so when a man is a live unto God his wit will have that way it's vent as Christ sayes I finde out witty inventions Prov. 8. 12. he speakes not onely of himselfe But of his grace in every one that is this when the minde is alive set towards Christ it will finde out witty inventions nay it 's a strange thing though men have no parts yet if they be worldly how witty they are for such matters and so for good people whose mindes are turned towards God though they be of very weake parts yet how witty they will be in good things what pretty ways they will have to doe good to shunne offences to break occasions of sinne as a Minister in his preaching as Paul sayes I caught you with guile 2 Cor. 12. 16. so let man have a liberall minde the Prophet sayes he will devise liberall things Isa 32. 8. mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good Prov. 14. 22. whence comes the blockishnesse of our mindes but from this that our mindes are so dead if our mindes were more alive towards God it would make us more graciously witty we should devise good things finde out admirable inventions it would teach us plots against Satan plots against the flesh as the wicked their mindes are full of sinfull devises fetches stratagems policies a man would wonder to see how witty the devill is in them to carry them headlong to hell c. Sixthly and lastly the judging of the minde But I spake of this not long agoe and therefore I will let it alone now thus I have shewed you what a lively Christian is in regard of his minde Now the next is that we shew you what a live Christian is in regard of the heart c. And then in regard of the conscience c. and then in regard of the affections c. REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead THe point we are in is this That a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all First we have opened the meaning of this point and shewed you what is meant by a dead Christian Secondly we have shewed you that this is so by going over all the graces of Gods spirit a man hath near a one of them all that is dead againe by going over all the duties of Christian Religion ye heard a man does neare a one of them all as long as he does them onely in a dead hearted manner Thirdly I shewed you the reasons of this point why a dead Christian is even as no Christian at all there be many reasons of it it stands with good reason that it
have you remember it because your warning is past this is a duty ye have been told in times past therefore looke ye remember it So Solomon sayes Remember thy creatour in the dayes of thy youth Psal 12. 1. That is though thy creatour be not past yet thy creation is past and thou art not so yong but thou hast been told of thy duty in this thing in times past O therefore remember that nay thus a man may remember that which is yet to come as for example the day of his death that he must dye and come to Judgement for though the thing be yet to come yet he hath had warnings of it in times past as Ieremy sayes of Ierusalem her filthinesse is in her skirts she remembred not her last end therefore she came downe wonderfully Lam. 1. 2. the Lord finds fault with her that she did not remember her time to come The reason is because she was told of it aforehand in times past Now for the second thing that this is a great blessing beloved it is a great blessing of God that we have such a faculty in us as to remember it was a naughty speech of Charoone that an excellent memory is needfull for three sorts of men First for great Trades-men for they having many businesses to do many reckonings many Irons in the fire had need of a good memory Secondly great talkers for they being full of words had need to have a good Store-house in their heads to feed their tongues Thirdly for Lyars oportet mendaeem esse memorem for they telling many untruths had need of a good memory to be able to remember what untruths they have told lest afterward they be taken in their lying contradicting themselves I say this a prophane speech as though a good memory were of no other use then for engrossers of affaires and talkative fellowes and forging companions whereas memory is a great blessing of God and the more we have of it the more advantage we have unto our owne eternall good if we have a heart First it is a great blessing that what we once knew we may alwayes know now this may be by memory were it not for this we should be Ignorant againe as fast as we learne whence is it that ye still know how to read but because ye remember your letters and spelling whence is it that ye still know your Trades and your callings which ye were taught so long agoe but ye remember how ye were taught Ye once knew the grounds of religion may be ye were taught heretofore if ye know them still it is because ye remember them were it not for memory we should be as much to seek as if we had never learnt ought as Iude sayes I will put them in remembrance though ye once knew this Jude 5. that is as ye once knew it so I desire that ye may know it still that it may stick by you that you may make it your own what a mercy is this we cannot undertake to have alwayes the meanes of knowledge we may want preaching God knowes how soone now if we have memory to lay up some knowledge we may have the benefit of it how ever things goe may be God gave us a warning to take heed of such and such sinnes now if we have a good memory this warning may be still present with us we have had such motions such convictions such sights of sinne such stirrings such manifestations of God to us what a mercy is it that God hath given us such a thing as memory is as we had them once so we may have them still if we remember them Secondly memory is a great blessing to bring our knowledge to act upon all occasions How many thousand truths doe we know that we doe not neither can we actually thinke of now when we have use of those truths it is a great mercy that the Lord hath framed a memory in us where we may have them upon all such occasions e. g. we know we should be patient may be we doe not thinke of this duty for a day together but now when we have use of it then we may remember it So for meeknesse we know it and for forgiving of wrongs to resist temptations to deny our selves to shunne the occasions of evill we know all these things but our knowledge cannot alwayes be in act now when we have use of these truthes what a mercy is it that we have such a thing as memory is to remember them afresh did David actually think of Gods gracious judgements alwayes no but when he had use of them when he was at a dead lift then memory brought him to minde I remembred thy judgements O Lord and comforted myselfe Psal 119. 52. may be Peter had no occasion actually to thinke of those words of Christ that Iohn indeed Baptized with water but ye shall be Baptized with the holy Ghost but having a memory that gave him the use of those words in due time then I remembred the word of the Lord sayes he Act. 11. 16. may be this truth is not thought of a 12. moneth together that ones enemies may be they of our owne houshold now perhaps all on a suddain we have use of this truth then we remember it now is not this a great mercy that God hath given us such a thing that we may put up his truths as a man does his memory in his purse to take it out when occasion is Thirdly it is a great blessing to have God alwayes with one this memory is such a faculty that if a man have a heart he may have God alwayes with him and heaven with him ye know that most men are without God in the world what is the reason of it but because they will not remember him how many doe know God very much as the Heathens did they knew him to be eternall to be Almighty to be every where to be holy and just they knew him but they did not like to retaine him in their knowledge Rom. 1. 28. that is they let him goe away from them they would not keep him in remembrance as Nebuchadezer sayes of his dreame when he had forgotten his dreame it is gone away from me sayes he Dan. 2. 5. so people forget God they let God goe away from them now beloved this makes us without excuse when God hath given us a memory we might have God alwayes with us if we had a heart we need not let him goe away The memory is a deep vault in the soule where it may hide what it hath a mind too that nor men nor devils can take it away from us as the Israelites hid their corne from the Midianites so we may hide what ever our heart hath a likeing unto in our memories that we may have it always with us if we will as it is said of the good Merchant when he had found the rich Treasure he hid it Matth.
Churches in Asia to Ephesus to Smyrna to Pergamus to Thyatira to Sardis to Philadelphia and Laodicea The third is the conclusion of every Epistle Where it is said thus Hee that hath an eare let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Rev. 3. 6. and so it is at the closure of every Letter to all the rest of the Churches and therefore the Holy Ghost there accuses the Church of Sardis of deadnesse I know thy works that thou art dead and yet hee directs it to the Minister of the Church as a thing that concernes him and that may bee laid to his charge and that hee is faulty in To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead That is thou hast a dead-hearted people and thou art the cause of it Thou dost not doe thy duty thou dost not doe what lies in thee for to quicken them But thou art too remisse in thy Ministery and therefore their deadnesse may bee imputed unto thee Thus you see the Doctrine is very plain from the words The good or bad estate of a people dependeth much upon the Minister Commonly wee see it so fall out as the Prophet Hosea said Like people like Priest Hos 4. 9. Like sheepherd like sheep Such as the builder is such is the building as is the Husbandman so is the husbandry This wee may finde throughout all these Epistles where the Minister is commended the people are commended Where the Minister is taxed the people are taxed And therefore they stand and fall together they swim and sink together a wicked Minister a wicked people an ignorant Minister an ignorant people and so a good Minister the people either are a good people or else they are Monsters nay if the Minister bee good though the world in his Parish bee never so wretched yet hee hath a good people the Church of God in his Parish is very good commonly Well then wee have gotten our point out The Minister may bee in fault that the people are dead I doe not say it is alwaies thus For first the Minister may bee lively and yet the people dead The Lord tells us that Ezekiel had a stiffe-hearted people Ezek. 2. 4. and yet hee was not to bee blamed themselves were in all the fault So Isaiah had a dull-hearted people All the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying people Rom. 10. 21. and therefore I doe not say it was alwaies thus Nay Secondly sometimes the people are the cause of the Ministers deadnesse The Jewes hardnesse of heart under the Ministery of Jonas was the cause why Jonas had no heart to goe unto Niniveh O thought hee if Israel will not heare mee much lesse will Niniveh heare mee Thus the people deaded Jeremiah at one time that hee had little or no heart to preach for a fit Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name Jer. 20. 9. Thus Ezekiel was deaded a while by his people too I came to them of the Captivity at Telabib and I sate where they sate and remained there astonisht among them seven daies Ezek. 3. 15. The Lord was fain to rowze his heart up and to tell him hee would require their blood of him before hee could pluck up a good heart to Preach livelily among them The people deaded him Nay more Thirdly sometimes the Lord locks up his good Ministers and suffers them to bee straitned in their utterance and other gifts May bee the people are ready to lay all the blame upon their Ministers O how tongue-tyed are they and it is their negligence and torpor Whereas it is for the peoples sinnes thus the Lord lockt up Ezekiel for the peoples sinnes I will make thy tongue cleave to the roofe of thy mouth and thou shalt bee dumb and shalt not bee to them areprover for they are a rebellious house Ezek. 3. 26. Nay Fourthly Sometimes peoples sinnes are the cause why their Ministers are quite dead and have no life at all in them the Lord sends foolish Ministers among them meerely because of their sinnes So it was in Hosea's time The Prophet is a foole the spirituall man is mad for the multitudes of thy iniquity Hos 9. 7. Mark they had fooles for their Ministers fooles besotted Ministers giddy Ministers Ministers that were wilde and like mad men you will say these were the causes of much sin to the people No saith the Text the peoples sinnes were the cause of such Ministers The Prephet is a foole the spirituall man mad for the multitude of thine iniquity These foure exceptions then there been of the point Otherwise the point is too too true that the Minister may bee in fault that the people are dead You see here the Church of Sardis was grown dead and the Lord faults the Angel of the Church for it I know thy works that thou art dead The like is said of Laodicea Loadicea was grown horrible lukewarme no zeale of God they were neither hot nor cold and the Lord imputes it to the Angel of Laodicea I know thy works that thou art neither hot nor cold and therefore I will spue thee out of my mouth Revel 3. 14 15 16. The same is said of the Church of Ephesus that they had left their first love and yet the Lord hits the Angell in the teeth with it I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Rev. 2. 4. Beloved the last day I spake of the Ministers concord and unity to the Angel of the Church all the Ministers should bee as one man as if they made up one and the same Angel And therefore our Saviour Christ made choyce of Brethren and Kinksfolkes Simon and Andrew his Brother James and John his Brother St. Peters bark is a fisher-boat not a man of Warre it is not furnisht with mortall Engines but onely with nets to catch fish If Peter were reproved for drawing upon Malchus what reproofe had hee been worthy of if hee had drawn upon any of his fellows this was the Theme that wee spake of the last day Now then let us speak of the influence that a Minister hath in his people hee may bee the cause of his peoples deadnesse if hee doe not take heed And this hee may bee three waies first by his not preaching secondly by his dead manner of preaching thirdly by his dead manner of Life and Conversation First I say by his not preaching yee know the Word of God is the word of life Phil. 2. 16. The Word is that which quickeneth the heart as David saith Thy Word hath quickned mee Psal 119. 50. Now when Ministers doe not preach it this deads peoples hearts Wee see this in those places where the due preaching of the Word is wanting people are dead to all goodnesse nay they that had some quicknesse in them before doe lose them
mis-givings self-condēnings uncertainties about his later end doubtfulnesse whether any thing be sound yea or no and yet no heart of prayer no strainings after Christ to have the Holy Spirit of him Nay tittle tattle is preferred before comming about Christ and every idle busines more takes up our thoughts then how we may injoy Jesus Christ Thirdly where is the man well-neer that is holy some indeed are civill and not very many no not of them that would bee held for Professers For what Civility Honesty is there when people are palpably proud and palpably covetous and palpably malicious and spightfull and envious but put case many be Civill yet holinesse is hardly any where to be seene Where are any that are mortified unto sin Crucified to the world Pilgrims on earth Heavenly-minded taken up with God The Spirit indeed is a Spirit of Holinesse Rom. 1. 4. And Christ hath him to give but hee cannot have our custome We are not thirstie after such matters Fourthly Where is the Communion of Saints a Theme I spake of the last Sabbath day We are all like unto Ephraim Ephraim hath mixed himself among the people Hos 7. 8. that is they had no Communion of Saints there among them They were a mish-mash people there was a Chaos and a confusion and a medly among them If there be any that beare the name of Saints They are like Lambs feeding all alone in a large place Like Israel when they are scatterd Hos 4. 16. Lambes withour flockes Birds without mates As if they were all frighted asunder No Communion of Saints no Communion of graces nor duties nor hearts nor affections I confesse if we had the Holy Spirit of God we would make a communion among us As Paul sayes The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen 2 Cor. 13. 14. He would make a Commuinon among us and Christ hath him too and there we might have him but we care not for him which is a most fearefull thing a signe of horrible deadnesse and livelesnesse in good as it is with the boughes of a tree when they are dead they fall off but they hang together as long as they are alive Though communion of Saints be an Article of our faith yet we let it dye We see in nature if we sling any meat to a Hen presently shee cluckes for all her Chickens to have part So looke what graces we get we should impart what we can the Lord hath appointed mutualgiving good example unto one another edifying one another exhorting one another admonishing one another comforting one another conferring one with another supplicating one with and for another As it is said Luke 5. 10. That Simon and James and Iohn were partners in their fishing looke what fishes they caught they divided among one another so Christians should be partners What they get at a Sermon they are to impart What they get in prayer or at Sacraments or in affliction there be others that should be partners with them as the Apostle sayes Looke not every man on his owne things but every man also on the things of others Phil. 2. 4. O sayes he if there be any fellow-ship of the Spirit thus it must be that is the Spirit would breed this fellowship and communion among you Now Beloved where is this holy Spirit to be had but in Christ I say wee are without excuse if we doe not get the Holy Spirit of God Because Christ hath him for us if we would resort to him and therefore wee can have no plea. First Wee cannot plead wee have no need of the holy Spirit of God what need wee have him as long as wee beleeve there is such a one Is it needfull wee should have him I that it is why else did God make his Son to bee the dispenser and the distributer and communicater of him O Beloved the Lord hath done this because wee cannot bee saved without the holy Spirit of God would wee bee regenerated and born again wee cannot without the Spirit That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3. 6. Wee can never bee spirituall without the Spirit of God none but spirituall men and women shall enter into the Kingdome of God Drunkards and adulterers and lyers and muck-worms and better men than they are carnall men Now to bee carnally minded is death but to bee spiritually minded this onely is life and peace so that wee cannot plead that Again Wee cannot bee justified without the Spirit of God Yee may say O wee hope to bee justified onely by Faith in Christ True but if yee have not the Spirit of God yee have no Faith none have true faith in Christ till first they have the holy Spirit of God and therefore it is called the spirit of Faith that is a spirit inclining a man unto Christ bowing of the minde and heart and soule to all heavenly things in Christ no man can bee justified without this as Paul tells the Corinthians But yee are sanctified yee are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 6. 11. Again Yee cannot have free-will to doe the will of God without the holy Spirit of God I confesse by nature no man hath free-will I but if yee bee not more then nature yee cannot bee saved Yee must have free-will to all the waies of God or yee cannot bee saved Now yee never can have this without the Spirit of God Can yee mortifie every wicked lust can yee resist the devill every day can yee keep out the world and ward off the temptations of the flesh yee can never doe it while the world stands in a holy course without the holy Spirit of God Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. Mark there is free-will to all these things that man hath liberty to doe supernaturall things that hath the Spirit of the Lord and no man else Again Yee are none of Christs if yee have not the holy Spirit of Christ that is the Mark hee brands all his sheep with as a man saies when hee heares tydings of any of his sheep saith hee if they bee mine they have such a mark they have an A. and a B. on the left side or so so saies Christ if they bee mine they have my Spirit if any man have not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Hereby wee know that hee abideth in us saith John by his Spirit which hee hath given us 1 Joh. 3. 24. so that wee have need of the spirit and therefore this cannot bee our plea that wee have no need wee have such need of Gods holy Spirit that wee cannot bee saved without the having of him Secondly wee cannot plead wee know not where to have him For Christ saith hee hath him to give to all that will receive him The Spirit of the Lord
us weary But still wee should goe on a seeking of the holy Spirit of God Thus as wee know where to have the Spirit of God namely in Christ so wee know how too and therefore wee are without excuse if wee suffer our selves to bee void of Gods holy and blessed Spirit this is the second use Thirdly another Use is to you that doe indeed complain of great want of the Spirit here you see where yee may have supplies even from our Lord Jesus Christ hee hath the seven Spirits of God They labour to know Christ more and more this is the way to have more and more of the Spirit as the Apostle saith That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him Ephes 1. 17. Get the knowledge of Christ more and more and thus the spirit shall come to thee more and more It is said of the Indian Gymnosophists that they would lye all the day long looking upon the Sun in the firmament so should Christians doe they should lye looking upon Christ the more spirit still they shall have if they doe so First May be ye want spirit to make you know the Lords will you finde your selves backward from day to day little or no heart to Gods Commandements look up to Christ and say Lord there is enough spirit in Christ and hee hath it for all them that doe want and would have the same O give mee some together with him as hee sayes I will put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my statutes Ezek. 36. 27. q. d. look up to mee I will doe this for you Secondly May bee yee want strength yee have many temptations and you have no strength to resist them they come in upon you like the breaking in upon you may bee yee are tempted to deny all and to say yee have nothing in you sometimes yee are tempted to give over all saying it is but a folly I shall one day bee damned and I were as good give over now as to doe it afterwards when it will bee worse and yee have no strength to hold out sometimes yee cannot meditate yee cannot pray yee are fain to break off in the midst with base feares with security and vain hopes you are tempted to doe as the world does and yee have no strength to oppose them Look up to Christ yee know the Spirit of Christ is a spirit of power and strength 2 Tim. 1. 7. and hee hath him for you Look up to him then and cry for his strong spirit Who knowes may bee you may bee able to say in the end as Paul does I can doe all things through Christ that strengthens mee Thirdly May bee yee want boldnesse to call God your Father yee are in a quandary whether yee should call him so or no yee are afraid hee is none of your Father and that yee are none of his adopted ones yee shall but blaspheme him to call him your Father or to expect of him a childes portion Look up to Christ hee hath such a spirit in him whereby yee may cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. Fourthly May bee yee want life and quickning you finde your selves very dead even as the Church of Sardis in this place I know thy works that thou art dead Look up to Christ as here hee does bid thee hee hath the seven Spirits of God and hath that which will quicken thee Christ himself when hee was naturally dead hee was quickned by his own spirit 1 Pet. 3. 18. That very spirit can quicken thy spirituall deadnesse to every good word and work His spirit is life and that will make thee lively though thy heart bee little better then a Timber-logge in duties yet if that spirit get within thee it will make thee agile and active in every good thing It is a horrible thing to see how little Christians know of Jesus Christ though they have been thought to know Jesus Christ so long a time yet they doe not know him Christ takes this very ill as hee told Philip Have I been so long time with you and hast thou not known mee Philip Joh. 14. 9. Christ could bee even angry with him for learning him no better what little spirit is there in Christians now adaies a signe though they have been a long time a learning Christ yet they hardly know him For if wee knew him Brethren wee could not bee at enmity with the holy Spirit Wee doe not look up to Christ You will say what is it to look up to Christ in all your wayes I Answer It is to follow Christ as where John said Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world The Text sayes That two of his Disciples went away and followed after Jesus Joh. 1. 36 37. O thought they is hee the Lamb of God does hee take away the sins of the world wee will follow him then John bade them look at him and they followed after him that is they lookt at him indeed as a man looks at one whom hee follows when a man so looks up to Christ that hee follows him when a man sees him his onely meanes to bee happy and godly and in the favour of God the onely meanes to doe well and to bee well and desires indeed to follow after him this is to look up to Christ when a man labours sincerely to follow the counsell and direction of Christ in all his wayes Hee bids him to deny himself and that is the thing that hee labours for Hee bids him to repent of all his sins and to ply himself to all Gods holy paths and to rely upon him for strength and acceptance and mercy and pardon and every blessing What-ever thing hee looks for at the hands of God hee sets himself to follow Christs counsell and to expect it in him If hee see his sins hee looks up to Christ and there hee sees his death to defray them when hee sees what power they have over him hee looks up to Christ for his Spirit to subdue them in the use of all those meanes that hee hath appointed Prayer Meditation Watchfulnesse Striving Purposing Endevouring and Fighting against all the lusts of his flesh And wherein soever hee failes hee labours to bee humbled and yet to look still up to Christ for forgivenesse and more help against another time This is to see the Son of God Every one that sees the Son hath everlasting life Joh. 6. 40. This is to look up to Christ to beleeve in Christ to have Christ to bee in Christ to dwell in Christ and Christ in him But you will say I am afraid I never lookt up to Christ then I never yet had him for I have not his holy spirit how shall I know whether I have the holy spirit I Answer first I will tell thee what bee not signes and then secondly what bee signes First What bee
unto the Angell of the Church in Sardis write these things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres THese words contain the Description of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent unto the Church in Sardis and in particular to the Minister there who is here called the Angell of the Church in that place And the description does instance in two royalties of our Saviour Jesus Christ First That hee hath the seven Spirits of God that is he hath the Holy Ghost and all his spirituall graces in his hands to give to whomsoever hee pleases for the quickning of them and the sanctifying of them that if any of his members want spirit or any spirituall good hee hath it for them These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God This wee handled the last day Now wee proceed to the second Royalty of our Lord Jesus Christ That hee hath the seven Starres hee speaks of the seven Churches of Asia Christ hath all their Ministers in his hands and hee calls them starres First because the starres doe direct It s a great help when Mariners can see a starre in a dark night When Paul and they that sailed with him could see neither Sun nor Starre the company were without all hope of comming safe to Land Act. 27. 20. they knew not what to doe when there was not a starre to bee seen The starres serve for direction in the night So good Ministers are for direction unto people they serve to direct people to Christ Like the starre in the East When the Wisemen saw the starre they rejoyced with exceeding great joy Matth. 2. 10. that starre directed them to Christ it went before them all the way and shewed them where to finde Christ so a poore soule rejoyces to finde a godly Minister O thinks hee he is a starre to direct mee to Christ Secondly Because the starres doe shine so good Ministers doe shine forth and hold out a light to give light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Yee are the light of the world sayes Christ Matth. 5. 14. when a man sits in a dark house hee cannot see to doe any thing but if one come and open a window or a casement and letteth in light now hee may see to goe about his businesse so Beloved people that dwell in dark Parishes where no sound Ministery of the Word is they know not what to doe to bee saved they erre they wander they grope they stumble and fall they see not how to bee godly and happy for evermore But when a faithfull Minister comes now light is let in and those that have a minde to goe to Heaven now they may see the way thither so that in this sense too Ministers are starres Thirdly Because starres have influence upon these inferiours bodies as God sayes of the Pleiades and Orion which are a company of starres in the heavenly Orbe Canst thou binde the sweet influences of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion Job 38. 31. the starres have influences into things here below The Pleiades open the earth they make herbes and flowres grow the spring is when they arise once Trees begin to sprout and the plants do waxe green Orion it produces cold the Winter comes when that shews it self the starres have a great influence into sublunary bodies so it is with Ministers Bad Ministers are like the starres of Orion they serve to coole peoples hearts and dead them to all goodnesse But good Ministers are as the starres of Pleiades no soule can have any minde in him to that which is good but they doe exceedingly help and further they quicken the heart they warme and fructisie the soules of Gods Elect. Againe the Starres doe hang high so the Ministers of Christ are set high they hang high that all the people may have the benefit of their glistering Zachany calls them the Prophets of the most High And thou childe shalt bee called the Prophet of the most High Luk. 1. 76. But I have handled this Point in effect when I spake of Ministers being Angels and therefore I will omit it now Thus yee see the Ministers are starres Now hee calls them seven because hee speaks of seven Congregations Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea Seven Churches seven Congregations and every one had their severall stars Whence wee see that every Parish should have a particular faithfull Minister Paul appointed Titus to ordain Elders in every City Tit. 1. 5. The Apostles ordained Pastours and Elders in every Church Act. 14. 23. So it was in the time of the Law as the Text sayes Moses of old time hath in every City them that Preach being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Act. 15. 21. The Reason is first because those Towns that have not a faithfull Ministery in it generally doe all perish I doe not deny but some soules in such blinde places may come otherwise to bee converted and saved but generally they perish for ever that live in such places as the Evangelist sayes of Galile True they had sorry Priests but they had not a faithfull Ministery sayes hee The people sate there in the region and shadow of death Matth. 4. 16. that is till they had a better Ministery they were in a damnable estate So that it is a pitifull thing when any Town or Parish are without a faithfull Ministery no starre of Heaven shining among them Secondly because when people have no faithfull Minister of their own generally they care not for removing of their dwelling neither will they goe a mile or two for the meanes they content themselves with what fare they have at home though it starve them to death Like the people under the false Prophets they liked them well enough My people love to have it so Jer. 5. 31. Nay they love such prophets better than them that would deale plainly with them Nay there bee many that when they have a faithfull Minister at home will bee sneaking out to a drunken Minister abroad they would rather live under such a one Thirdly Another Reason why every Church should have its particular Starre every congregation had need of a faithfull Ministery of their own Because if there be any godly Soule or any one that desires the salvation of his Soule and lives under a blinde guide hee cannot goe out without giving very great offence it will bee thought a giddinesse and a flighting of their own Minister at home now if every Parish had a sound Ministery in it this would not bee When people came out of every Parish round about unto John they had no Pastour of their own but they came flocking unto John no question but this bred heart-burning against John I and ill-will against those
people that would not bee satisfied with what teaching they had in their own Synagogues Now I say if every Parish had its severall shining Starre this would not bee Fourthly When some Parishes have their Starres and many have not This casts in a bone of discord between Ministers for they that are idle and vain and scandalous will envy them that spend themselves in giving light Again the people of such Parishes have many times occasion of conversing together and falling into one anothers company Now how will this harden one anothers hearts when people shall say Gods blessing on our Ministers heart hee does not meddle or make with us wee may doe what wee will for all him who would dwell in such a Parish as yours is wee hear hee keeps a horrible stirre with you hee will not let you alone you cannot bee merry now and then but you are sure to heare of it hee is so strict forsooth and so precise you must have preaching forenoon and afternoon and there is such adoe to get precise Constables that you cannot bee quiet What a wofull thing is this how does this harden the Countries hearts The Use of this is first this shews what a miserable thing it is when a Land is darkened that hath but a few starres May bee here one and there one but most places are in darknesse and have none Beloved this is a sign of the wrath of God God is wroth with such a Land and powres his wrath upon such a people as the Prophet sayes Through the wrath of the Lord of Hoasts is the Land darkned Esa 9. 19. Again secondly you that have your stars shining among you how are you to blesse God when there are so many places in the world that have none Suppose the Harvest should bee comming and the earth hath great need of rain to plump up the eares the Corn is quite spoyled for want of rain if it doe not rain Alas our Corn will bee burnt up and prove little worth Now if God should rain upon your fields and not upon your Neighbours Your Closes and Leizes have raine but on the other side of the hedge there is none What a speciall mercy is this unto you As God sayes I have caused it to rain upon one City and caused it not to rain upon another one piece was rained upon and the piece whereupon it rained not withered Amos 4. 7. is not this a great mercy to the owner of that ground where the rain falls and does not fall else-where so my Brethren you that have the spirituall rain in your particular parishes what a mercy of God is it unto you when so many Parishes have not one drop of it Again thirdly let us take heed lest those few starres that yet bee set upon us and so wee bee all in darknesse wee have a little rain yet here and there some O let us repent and be more forward to bring forth more fruit if wee continue to provoke God with our unfruitfulnesse as wee doe that little shall be taken away from you When Gods Vineyard in Judah became barren and brought forth no grapes but wild ones What sayes God I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it Esa 5. 6. q. d. I will take away all the rainy clouds yee shall have clouds still but they shall be clouds without rain starres without light and heat Ministers that shall doe you no good this is a fearfull case and yet God will bring it upon us for a certain if wee doe not take heed There be six signs of all the starres vanishing away that God will take away those few starres those few godly Ministers away that are left First when people will not walk in the light while they have the light As our Saviour Christ sayes Yet a little while is the light with you walk while yee have the light lest darknesse come upon you Joh. 12. 35. q. d. yee have the light a little while the Lord lets you have it hee lets it stay with you a little while longer but if ye will not walk in the light the light shall bee gone and yee shall bee in darknesse this is an evident signe that the light will surely away from us what a deale of light is yet held before our faces and scarce any have a heart to walk in it When servants are idle and will not mend their cloathes in the day time at spare houres why should the Master allow them any candle so we have a day among us and people will not bestirre themselves they goe all rent and tottered in their garments they care not for doing of their businesse therefore the Lord will allow them no candle he will put out all the lights Secondly when people grow deader and deader when they forsake their first love they were once more earnest for heaven more tender in Conscience more eager for good things more lively in Prayer more zealous in holy duties but now they abate and slacken they are told of it and yet they doe not amend when it is once come to this passe the Lord will remove the faithfull Ministery of his Word To what end should he let it stay any longer as Christ sayes to Hphesus Remember from whence thou art falne and repent and doe the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candle-stick out of its place except thou repent Rev. 2. 5. this is another signe of the Ministeries departing away from us Candle and candle-stick will away for wee will not amend Wee have been told of our formality we have heard whole Sermons against our luke warmnesse and against our declinings and yet nothing wil fetch us up again Wee will not think soundly from whence wee are falne we will not bee perswaded to doe our first works our hearts are grown senselesse and nothing can pluck them up therefore how can wee hope but our candlestick will bee removed and quickly too Thirdly when people wax weary of Gods Ordinances they are even cloyed with them like the Israelites there in Amos when will the New Moon bee gone that wee may fell corn when will the Sabbath bee over that wee may set forth Wheat Amos 8. 5. q. d. here is such adoe with Lectures and Sermons wee can hardly have time for our Markets such adoe with the Sabbath it is so tedious so irksome wee are not able to hold out Prayers in the Family come so fast about and duties come so thick wee have hardly any space for our other businesses Ministers require so much of us Sermons are so strict Sacrifices are so often we can have no breathing thus people are cloyed they are full fed they care not much if they had lesse nay some will not stick to say it and others that in their hypocrisie will not say it yet they have no stomack no appetite there is so much Word that they are not able to
digest it neither have they any minde to concoct it therefore mark there what follows Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord ver 11. that is you are more afraid of a famine of bread yee would bee more troubled if you had no Bread to eate nor liquour to drink you care not so it bee not that famine But think what you will I will send you a worse famine than that a famine of hearing of Gods Word Yee shall have Preaching little enough Little enough food for your soules seeing yee will bee filthy yee shall be filthy seeing ye will be heartlesse towards heavenly things ye shall bee heartlesse yee shall be hardned yee shall be let alone and the blinde shall lead the blinde and both shall fall into the ditch the wicked shall lead the wicked wicked Ministers the wicked people and both shall perish together and then though yee would never so fain have a Sermon that may come to the Conscience yee shall be long enough before yee shall hear it Yee shall starve for want of spirituall knowledge starved to death for want of life Seared in your sins yee shall have no Sermons to dispossesse you of Satan no teaching to purge your hearts to humble your soules before God or to minister the Spirit unto you yee are weary of the sound Ministery of the Word therefore ye shall not bee troubled with it This then is another sign that God will take away those few Stars that are yet remaining And then woe bee to you Fourthly when there are hardly any sonnes of peace that the Ministers peace may light upon then the Lord bids them pack away Like the Market folkes when they see their Commodities lie upon their hands they take up their Commodities lie upon their hands they take up their Commodities and goe home O say they people will give nothing they will not give our price wee and our children will have them for our own selves rather then wee will part with them for nothing So they goe away so Gods Ministers goe away when the Market is dead no Customer will come to their stalls So Paul and Barnabas went away from the Jews Yee put off the word from you and therefore lo wee turn unto the Gentiles Act. 13. 46. q. d. yee will have none of it wee have offered it to you and we were bid to doe so but ye put it off from you therefore fare yee well Die in your sins So people now put off the word of God our Doctrine sinks no where almost one puts it off from him another puts it off from him Like as the Cities of the Philistims did with the Ark. The men of Ekron they cryed out and doe you bring it to us and so the men of Ashdod said and it shall not abide with us 1 Sam. 5. 7. Every one put it off they would have none of it Fifthly when people oppose they are so farre from repenting at the preaching of the Word that they fall to oppose and to mis-use the bringers of it as the Jews did Saint Paul The Text sayes Hee shook his rayment at them and told them your blood bee upon your own heads and away hee went Act. 18. 6. when people lay their heads together how they may heave out the Minister many times God gives them leave for to doe it that they may bring evill on their own heads the Lord lets them have their cursed wills to their own utter destruction and condemnation Sixthly when God hath sent all his Ministers that ever hee means to send Hee sent one Minister and they would not hear him hee sent another after him and they would not hearken to him neither a man would wonder surely God will send no more well may be God in his great goodnesse sends another good man and he does what he can but the people will doe wickedly still Yea but when God hath sent all that Hee means to send now he will send no more as God did with Judah I have sent unto you all my servants the Prophets rising up early and sending them saying return from your evill wayes but yee have not inclined your eare unto me Jer. 35. 15. when God had sent all then hee would send no more You will say how can this bee a signe when God hath sent all that he means to send who can tell that I Answer Beloved God may shew it plainly that God hath sent even all that he means to send when he blocks up the way that more cannot bee suffered to come to us then those that are come when such courses are laid that ne're a faithfull one more is permitted to enter when Gods faithfull ones are forbidden to Preach as Paul sayes They forbid us to Preach When people will have Pashur's and not Jeremiah's When there be Laws made Look yee speak no more in his name When they say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie it When the good Levites are made to goe away and to leave their own places as it was in Jeroboams time 2 Chron. 11. 14. Again when the shadows wax long it is a signe that the Sun is going down The reason why God will take away all his Starres when matters are come to this passe is First because it is but lost labour and Cost cast away to administer phisick to such patients whose diseases are desperate my Brethren God is a wise phisician and he knows whom hee hath to deale with when hee sees men rend in pieces his Prescripts and pull off his plaisters and vomit up his wholesome potions that he gives them for their good he gives them up for gone hee will bee their Physician no longer This was the reason why God did leave Judah Thy disease is incurable Jer. 30. 12. Secondly because it is not only lost labour but it is worse then lost to let such people have the Ministery of the word it makes them much worse Why should yee bee smitten any more yee will revolt more and more Esa 1. 5. why should yee bee preacht to any more yee will c. Thirdly Because if men will needs goe on in their sins God would rather they should doe so without his word then with it as a husbandman if the ground bee stark barren he would rather never plough it and sow it with seed then to have it barren after the seed sown when people will needs bee wicked God would rather have them doe all their wickednesse out of his sight then in it I will cast you out of my sight Jer. 7. 15. God cannot abide to look upon a people that will have their own wayes they anger him more when they commit all their wickednesse under his Word God looks towards a people when hee sends them his holy Word hee looks upon them to doe them good
their accompt Lord thy pound hath gained ten pounds Fourthly another Use is to you what a great mercy is this that Christ should send unto such as you bee If Christ had sent unto you when yee had sought him and turned unto him it had been very much but that hee should dispatch messengers to you when yee had not a thought of him nay when yee sinned against him O what a great mercy is this It was a great kindnesse that Joseph would send unto his Father and his Brethren and bid them leave all and come into the Land of Aegypt and willed them that they should not care for their stuffe for the best of the Land of Egypt shall bee yours yee know his brethren were unkinde unto him Beloved Joseph was never so unkindly dealt with by his Brethren as Christ hath been by us and yet that he should send to such wretches as wee are O leave all and come unto me regard not your stuffe regard not your profits never trouble your selves with this thing and that thing for all the best of heaven shall be yours O what an infinit kindnesse is this when hee will send such treasures of his to us by his Ministers As Joseph filled his brethrens sacks with corne which they carryed to their fathers house in Canaan to preserve them alive till they came over to Egypt So the Lord Jesus Christ hath put his spiritual treasures into a sack and given them his Ministers to dispence them to their brethren to nourish them and preserve them untill they come home to him hee fills his Ministers sacks every week for us they come with sack-fulls of heavenly and divine truths every week to us with sack-fulls of food to feed our soules unto eternall life and when that is spent hee sends us every Sabbath more and therefore how should we esteem a true Minister that comes to us from Jesus Christ He is one of a thousand as Elihu speaks if there be a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to declare unto man his righteousnesse then hee is gracious unto him Job 33. 23 24. that is then is God gracious to us indeed such a one is one of a thousand such a one declares to us our righteousnesse he brings to us the righteousnesse of Jesus This the Lord Jesus Christ sends unto us when hee sends us a true Minister hee sends us an excellent present even his own righteousnesse and merits and the glad tidings of peace how we may live and be saved So that we should be thankfull unto God that Christ sends to us his Ministers with such precious things If the King should send to any one of us but five pound O how would we wonder at it who ever were the messenger we would bid such a one welcome and what does the King take notice of mee such a poore man as I who would have thought that ever hee should send such a token to me what a condescending is this I tell thee if thee if the King should do thus for thee thou wouldest make very much of it I and talk of it too where ever thou commest nay it would make thee glad and a very joyfull man and it would make thee think thy self highly preferred O Beloved and what a horrible shame is this that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords should send a messenger to us every day almost not with five pounds a-piece to every one of us but with all the riches and treasures of heaven to enrich us for ever to make us happy for ever Blessed that ever wee were born and yet that we should not be affected hardly My Brethren we that are the Ministers of God wee come with heavenly and glorious things every day from our Lord Jesus Christ though wee have them but in earthly vessels yet they are things that the whole world is but drosse and dung in comparison of and therefore think how yee should come to Church think how ye should come to hear Sermons Now I come to hear a message from Christ now shall I hear an Embassadour from heaven that will break open Christs Letter to me a reproofe from Jesus Christ a counsell from Christ Directions from Christ concerning the framing of my life Lessons from Christ how I may come to glory O sayes the Apostle He hath given to us the Ministery of reconciliation with God to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation Now then wee are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christ his stead bee reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. 20. q. d. Ah yee poore creatures God and you are out yee are enemies of God by your evill works the wrath of God hangeth over you wrath for all your sinnes wrath for your drunkennesse wrath for your covetousnesse wrath for all your carnall courses yee lye under the wrath of God wrath that will damne you and undoe you for ever Now the Lord of Heaven and Earth hath sent us as Heralds of Peace wee come Embassadors from the Lord of all glory we have the word of reconciliation the word that wee preach will make God and you friends if ye will beleeve it O wee pray you in Christ his stead consider of it and bee reconciled unto God heare our message imbrace our Embassage O doe not slight what wee say to you we speak to you from Christ doe not receive it as a word onely from our mouthes but as indeed it is the Word of the great God This is the onely Word that can make God and you friends O how highly does it concern you to submit hereunto How will this judge the world that the Ministery of the Word is no more regarded or heeded When God sends his Ministers unto people and because forsooth their flesh and blood does not like it they look little after it Whereas this containes eternall life and if ye reject this ye reject eternall life I beseech you judge what I say Doe you meet with a reproofe that crosses your corrupt lusts I pray you reason the case thus with your own Soules O let me not put off this reproofe it reproves me of my drunken doings it reproves me of my security it reproves me of my sins if I put it off I put off the word of reconciliation This is one of those truths that comes to reconcile me to God I stand out in rebellion and desiance against God if I doe not take it home So of any other passage of the Word Still when the Prophets would speak unto the people this was their voyce The Lord sent mee so sayes Isaiah the Lord sent mee and Jeremiah too the Lord sent mee When they refused to hear what he said O sayes hee Surely the Lord sent mee to speak thus unto you One would think it were
him account of what they had done Luk. 10. 17. Lord even the Devils are subject unto us Lord I have done thus and thus I have declared all thy whole counsell I have kept nothing back I have done thy message and such and such have heard mee but such and such will not hear me A messenger is bound to give an account unto him that sends him nay the devill himself returned to give an account when the Lord sent him to tempt Job hee came again and told what hee had done Job 2. 1. So wee should come again and tell God what wee have done When the children of Dan sent spies to search the land they came and related what they had done so should we doe Lord behold here am I and here are the people that I have begotten by thy Word and here are the rebells that I could never get to reforme their wicked wayes Wee see how they that had received the Talents how they came and gave in their accompt Lord thy pound hath gained ten pounds O what a case shall wee be in if wee cannot give up a good account at the last day of what wee have done in our places and callings Fourthly If Christ send us unto you O Beloved what a great mercy is this â—â— that Christ should send unto such as you bee If Christ had sent unto you when yee had sought him and turned unto him it had been very much but that hee should dispatch messengers unto you when yee had not so much as a thought of him nay when yee sinned against him This was a mercy indeed It was a great kindnesse that Joseph would send unto his Father and his Brethren and bid them leave all and come into the Land of Aegypt O saith he regard not your stuffe for the best of the Land of Egypt shall bee yours yee know his brethren were unkinde unto him Beloved Joseph was never so unkindly dealt with by his Brethren as Christ hath been by us and yet that he should send to such wretches as wee are O leave all and come unto me regard not your stuffe regard not your profits never trouble your selves with this thing and that thing for all the best of heaven shall be yours O what an infinit kindnesse is this when he will send such treasures of his to us by his Ministers As Joseph filled his brethrens sacks with corne which they carryed to their fathers house in Canaan to preserve them alive till they came into Egypt So the Lord Jesus Christ hath put his spirituall treasures as it were into a sack and given them his Ministers to dispence to their brethren to nourish them and preserve them untill they come home to him hee fills his Ministers sacks every week for us they come with sack-fulls of heavenly and divine truths every week to us with sack-fulls of food to feed our soules unto eternall life and when that is spent he sends us every Sabbath more and therefore how should wee esteem a true Minister that comes to us from Jesus Christ Hee is one of a thousand as Elihu speaks if there bee a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to declare unto man his righteousnesse then hee is gracious unto him Joh 33. 23 24. that is then is God gracious to us indeed When God sends us a messenger from him such a one is one of a thousand such a one declares to us our righteousnesse Yee know wee cannot stand before God without righteousnesse Now such a one declares to us righteousnesse He brings us the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ So that we should be thankfull to Christ that he sends us any of his true Ministers O my Brethren we that are the Ministers of God wee come with heavenly and glorious things every day from our Lord Jesus Christ Though wee have them but in earthen vessels yet they are things that the whole world is but drosse and dung to and therefore think how yee should come to Church think how yee should bee affected with our message think with what affections ye should heare our Sermons Now I come to heare a message from Christ a Letter from Christ a Direction from Christ a reproofe from Christ counsells from Christ for the framing of my life now I shall be told what I may doe to inherit glory O sayes the Apostle He hath given to us the Ministery of reconciliation with God to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespassesunto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation Now then wee are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ his stead bee reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. 20. q. d. Ah yee poore creatures God and you are out yee are enemies of God by your evill works the wrath of God hangeth over you wrath for all your sinnes wrath for all your drunkennesse your covetousnesse worldlinesse wrath for all your carnall courses your slighting of heaven and heavenly things the wrath of God abideth on you Now the Lord of Heaven and Earth hath sent us as Heralds of Peace we come as Embassadors from the Lord of all glory we have the word of reconciliation the word which we preach will make God and you friends again if yee will beleeve it and imbrace it We pray you in Christ his stead to consider of it bee reconciled unto God heare our message doe not slight what wee say to you we speak to you from Christ This is the onely Word that can make God and you friends O how will this judge the world that the Ministery of the Word is no more regarded nor heeded When God sends his Ministers unto people and because forsooth their flesh and blood does not like it they look little after it Wheras this containes eternall life and if ye reject this ye reject eternall life I beseech you judge what I say Doe you meet with a reproofe that crosses your corrupt Iusts I pray you reason the case thus with your own Soules I am reproved for my loosenesse and my vain wayes my fashioning of my self according to this world my fawning my flattering my gaming my scandalous courses my sinning against light I have had good education I have lived under good meanes but I am very gracelesse if I put off these reproofes I put off the word of reconciliation This is the word that comes to reconcile me to God if I have faith to apply it but if I put it from me and doe not regard it I refuse all reconciliation with God So when the Word shewes you your duty how to beleeve how to live how to walk in all holinesse and true righteousnesse Consider if yee put it from you yee put away from you the onely word of reconciliation These are the truths that are sent unto me to reconcile me unto God O if I will have none of them I cast
am an Embassadour of the mystery of the Gospel though I be in bonds Secondly Have some Ministers such a commission from Christ then let them learn how to behave themselves in their function My Brethren Christ hath committed unto us the custody of his own power and authority and therefore we are to exercise it in his name our commission is to charge the great men of the world Charge them that are rich in this world that they bee not high-minded 1 Tim. 6. 17. True we are your servants for Jesus his sake and wee are to be humbled and to wait upon men of lowest degree and to condefcend unto men of meanest capacity and there is a time when wee should for loves-sake intreat but the truth is too wee have power to charge and command These things command and teach 1 Tim. 4. 11. These things speak and exhort and rebuke withall authority Tit. 2. 15. We must not betray the power and majesticall simplicity of the Gospell of Jesus Christ We have Christs owne power and authority in our ministery and therefore wee are to command you in his stead as ever you will answer Christ before his Tribunall at last day neglect not those things which we preach to you from him Now we command you Brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that yee withdraw your selves from every brother that walkes disorderly and not after the Tradition which hee received of us 2. Thes 3. 6. True we are inferiors to Kings and Princes and Magistrates and the Nobility and Gentry of the land There be thousands and thousands that are our Betters in all civill respects but our Embassage is above all The Lords own Power and Authority goes through the ministery as a Trunk As the King may send a Command to the greatest Nobleman of the Kingdome by the hand of a meane man and he is to hearken to it though the messenger in himselfe be his underling yet his message is above him and he looses his head if he despise it So beloved we are over you in the Lord that is in regard of our message Though we be your inferiors and some of you be our betters and wee are to stand with Cap in hand to you yet ye loose your soules if ye will not heare us and obey our Embassage We must not bow to your humors nor make the Spirit of Christ in the Gospell to bend and comply with human lusts If Princes and Potentates were by we must not spare their sins Nathan deales roundly with King David Thou art the man Jehu with King Jehosaphat wrath is upon thee from the Lord because thou hast helpt the ungodly We must let all the world know that Christ whom wee preach is above them all wee must not prostitute Christs Scepter no not at a Monarchs foot If we be men-pleasers we are not the servants of Christ We must not suffer Christs word to be bound whosoeuer is our hearer whether high or low We defie popish Divinity that exalt their Antichristan Clergy above the civill Magistrate Belarmines Martin is but a foysted story But yet in this sense we are above all the Kingdomes of men as God sayes Behold I have put my words in thy mouth and loe I have set thee this day over Nations and Kingdomes to plant and to root up to build and to throw downe Jer. 1. 9. 10. Let no man thinke we are saucy though we reprove the greatest of you all as long as we doe it in Christ and from Christ we are the mouth of the Judge of quick and dead and he will make our words good The meanest Sergeant in the Kings name dares arrest the greatest Duke So my Brethren we come in the Kings name in Christ his name and therefore we must not be afraid of your faces As Paul told Philemon I have great authority in Christ to command thee that which is convenient Philem. 8. We have great authority to command every one of you to doe your Duties towards God and man We have Christ for our Author and therefore he will be a wall of Brasse to us We are his Embassadors and therefore our Message is with great power Thirdly Have we this Commission from Jesus Christ then this may serve to condemne all such as doe not obey our Ministery Though wee have all this authority the very power of Christ himself in our mouthes that equally binds King and Begger Yet who obeys our commands who stirres who repents who submits himself unto our commission we have called for humiliation but no man will humble himself We have cryed for reformation and amendment of life but no man relents wee have read our commission every week unto people we shew them our Letters Patents from the Lord Jesus Christ and they are counted as idle tales by the most O what an indignity is this unto our Lord Jesus Christ we are his Embassadors and your standing out against us is not against us but against him and he will repay it O sayes the Apostle if any man obey not our word By this Epistle note that man 2 Thess 3. 14. q. d. note him with a brand of infamy note him as a Rebell against Jesus Christ look upon him as a wretched miserable creature take heed of him avoid him withdraw your self from him point at him yonder goes a wretch that will not obey the voyce of his teacher excommunicate him from your company have as little to doe with him as you can Be ye shie of such a man certainly there is great wrath hangeth over him So Beloved if any obey not our word note such persons note such parishes note all such families the wrath of heaven hangeth over them their stubbornnesse and hardnesse of heart is not against us but against the Lord. These are notorious Townes notorious people that have Christs Embassadors among them and yet will not be obedient and yet how is our Embassage made nothing of if Kings onely and Princes and Lords and great men should make nothing of it we should not so much wonder because they are greater men then those that God sends his Embassage by and yet if they were wise and knew what they did they durst not doe as they do but every base fellow stops his eare and hardens his heart against the God of Heaven and earth and will not obey our word nay men can hear their sins ripped up and the Anathema's of Christ spread before their faces and not blush They can heare that those very sinnes they live in doe separate from God do adjudge them to hell and shew them to be under the blacknes of darknesse and the sentence of damnation they can see it showne them out of the word which they cannot deny for their hearts though they would never so faine and yet they will not repent nor returne that they may have mercy Not one drunkard will leave nor one Mocker leave nor one Covetous person nor one gracelesse
every soule present this is the way to catch some When a Minister labours to hit all Fourthly some Ministers may be unsuccessefull for not preaching roughly enough Beloved our times are knotty times Rough hewing is needful Now people had need heare of hell and damnation and wrath and vengeance against their sins Some save with feare as the Apostle speaks plucking them out of the fire Jude 23. Fifthly Again May bee a Ministers successe is not seen may be he is successefull though he shall not live to see it as Christ sayes One sowes and another reaps Joh. 4. 37. as the Prophets sowed and the Apostles reapt So Beloved we may sow now and those that come after us may bee they shall be the reapers The present age now may sow seed for the succeeding Arbores serit quae alteri prosuit saeculo As the Chinah make their dishes the Fathers lay them into the fire and the third generation after takes them out Though we doe not see our seeds to come up may be we meet with no harvest this may be our comfort if we can but sow for others afterwards to reap Let us have a care of sowing many a man that now hears the word and now is brought up under a good teaching Ministery though yet he doe not obey it who knows what God will doe may be God may cast him into some horrible affliction yet before he dyes and sling terrour into his Soule and then what we have delivered may doe him good And therefore we should never lin sowing though wee never see the Harvest this should bee our comfort that the ground hath the seed Let us still powre in good examples into our people Parents into their children Masters into their servants Ministers into their hearers let God alone with it when and what and where the Harvest shall bee Lastly Some Ministers are not godly and then how can they looke for good successe as God sayes If they had stood in my Counsell and caused my people to heare my words then they should have turned them from their evill way Jer. 23. 22. I dare not say absolutely that a carnall Minister shall never have good successe in his Ministery As if a Minister should conclude hee were a good man because God hath blessed his labours No that is not a good argument for First It is the Word that converts and not the person of the speaker I dare not tye God to the goodnesse of any mans person God as he is a Creator he is a wise God and can write well with a bad pen and cut well with a blunt naughty knife Secondly Such may bee sent of God and gifted for the Ministery and therefore for all that I know they may bee an Organ of conversion sometimes Thirdly Paul rejoyced that Christ was preached by the false Apostles though it were but of envy Phil. 1. 15 16 17 18. you will say how could he rejoyce in that that was a wicked manner of Preaching Why surely hee could not rejoyce in it but that hee did think that it might doe some good Fourthly This may bee thus or else no man can be assured of his salvation For if a carnall Minister cannot be the meanes of conversion c. Fifthly They may say at last day Lord Lord wee have Prophesied in thy name and in thy name have we cast out devils and yet Christ will say unto them I know you not c. Sixthly Why else does our Saviour Christ bid people heare the Scribes and Pharisees but that he implies they may be a meanes of good to them Seventhly Judas was sent out to Preach Matth. 10. 4. Christ said to him as well as the rest When yee goe Preach saying the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand ver 7. Eightly Experience hath found this to bee true some godly soules have confessed this very thing that such as now they see to be palpably carnall have been the means of their conversion c. Many helpt Noah to build his Arke that perished in the waters God may make the crowing of a Cock to be a meanes of a wakning Peters Conscience The temptations of the Devill to be the means of Luthers quickning and therefore I doe not simply affirm that carnall Ministers cannot convert But this I say it is a very rare thing as Christ sayes If the blinde lead the blinde both shall fall into the ditch Matth. 15. 14. So if a Hypocrite lead a hypocrite the Drunkard lead the drunkard c. It is a woe to a Parish when their Ministers are not godly Woe to the City sayes God Zeph. 3. 1. why so Her Prophets are light persons ver 4. Woe to such Townes whose Ministers will goe to the Alehouse whose Ministers will keep company and bee haile fellow with every vain fellow whose Ministers will embrace this present world whose Ministers are proud and envious and malicious that give a bad example to the people that depend upon their charge Woe to them sayes God The curse of God is upon such Parishes God hath hardly any intention to save such peoples soules Or if he have any of his Elect there God will save them some other way as God told the naughty Shepheards I even I will search out my sheep and seek them out Ezek. 34. 11. that is I will search them out some other way I will not do it by you and therefore when he hath a minde to save a poore people he sends good Ministers among them or them to good ones Turn o backsliding children sayes God and I will take you one of a city and two of a family and I will give you Pastors according to my heart Jer. 3. 14. c. God would have none but wise-hearted men to work in his manuall Tabernacle Exod. 35. 10. how then doe we think he will let fooles as all carnall Ministers are c. Saint Paul said it was a part of the hope that he had in the presence of Christ at his comming that God had made him the instrument of gaining soules to his Kingdome For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing are not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his comming 1 Thess 2. 19. and hath made a promise to such as convert soules so runs the Promise They that turn others to righteousnesse shall shine as the stars Dan. 12. 3. indeed this is but a secondary evidence of Salvation c. O Beloved if we could convert any of your Soules what a comfort would it be whereas if a man be a wicked man what hope can he have that God will blesse his labors nay he hath said expressely that if a man will not obey the voyce of the Lord cursed shall he be in the field and in the house and so in the Pulpit in his studies he cannot look for Gods assistance as God told the wicked Priests I will curse all your blessings if ye will not lay it to heart Mal.
and ye shall prosper 2 Chron. 20. 20. O if Kings and Princes would do so now call upon people up and down O Sirs beleeve the Lords Prophets and ye shall prosper Ye that have Gods Ministers among you beleeve them may bee when they threaten against all your sinfull courses they tell you of hell and damnation and heaven and salvation ye hardly beleeve any such thing O beleeve them that it may goe well with you Remember they be of Christs placing among you He put them into your Pulpits he gives them the Themes that they preach to you from day to day Beleeve them Fourthly Hath Christ the placing of Ministers then never complain of gracelesse Ministers O ye have gracelesse Ministers and our Minister is not as he should be he is not a good liver he does not preach to the Conscience People are apt to complaine of Patrons and such and such causes but let mee tell you you murmure against Jesus Christ every Parish in England might have a good and a godly Minister a Minister after Gods own heart for all that I know if they would goe to Jesus Christ he hath the placing of Ministers Now what is the reason that there are no more able worthy Ministers every where Answer Surely if Christ were sought to this would quickly be holpen when Judah had no Ministers in the Captivity their soules starved for want of good feeding thousands perisht and their soules were quite lost for lack of Vision What sayes Christ to them Turn ye backsliding children saith the Lord for I am marryed unto you and I will take you one of a city and two of a Family and I will bring you to Zion And I will give you Pastours according to my heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding Jer. 3. 14 15. people are subject to murmure and this is long of such and such that wee have no better Ministers whereas the Truth is it is long of our selves iniquity abounds every where the love of many waxes cold people grow weary of wholsome Doctrine they have itching eares they are full fed any Ministery is good enough for them if a man prophesie of Wine and strong drink hee shall even bee the Prophet of this people Mich. 2. 11. that is any Prophet is good enough for them fitter than a better One that would shew people how to get Bread and Drink and Wine and profits and pleasures People would rather hear such a one preach than to hear of Repentance and Mortification and Faith and Holinesse and the wayes of God they care not for these things The true Preaching of the Word is as contrary to the disposition of men as can be Nothing is more irksome unto them as the Word rightly taught It goes against their lusts it crosses their wicked wills They are weary of it they say unto God depart from us they will not let Christ reigne in their hearts therefore we may rather wonder that there is any good Minister in the Kingdome any where wee are to blesse God and pray for our Governours that wee have any good Ministers at all the truth is wee deserve not any There is so little Religion every where so much hypocrisie so much profession without any power of godlinesse such a deale of vanity and unsoundnesse and hollow-heartednesse nay among such as have gone for good Christians so much falsehood and rottennesse and apostacy to what end should Christ let us have any more Preaching Wee give the world occasion to think that Preaching is the cause of all this wretchednesse What a dishonour is this to Jesus Christ and therefore no marvaile we have no more wee may admire the patience of God that wee have any Fifthly Hath Christ the placing of Ministers then see whether to goe for good Ministers Christ is the generall Patron of all Livings Hee can present whom hee will to a Parish and therefore we should pray unto him When our Saviour Christ preached here and there and saw how the people came out of all Parishes to him it seems though they had Levites in their own Synagogues yet they did not know how to feed their flocks they were as sheep for all them without a shepheard there was hardly ere a good Minister among them all Mark what the Text sayes Jesus had compassion on them because they were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepheard O sayes he Pray yee therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he would send forth labourers into his harvest Mat. 9. 38. so much for the first Secondly Now as Christ hath the placing of Ministers so hee hath the continuing of them as long as hee pleases Hee continued the Prophet Isaiah in his Ministery during the Reigne of foure Kings Hee kept the Prophet Hosea in his function during the reign of five Kings though the times were very bad When it was told Christ that Herod sought his life that hee would not onely put him besides his Ministery but also his very life sayes he Goe tell that Fox Behold I cast out Devils and I doe cures to day and to morrow and the third day I shall bee perfect Luk. 13. 32. Christ had his time appointed him by his Father himself and hee would Preach all that time out and all the devills in hell and all his Enemies on earth should not hinder him So Beloved it is with all his Ministers hee hath set them a time and hee hath power to continue them all that time I shall preach to day and to morrow and such a day doe the world what they can they cannot hinder his ministers from preaching till Christ please as hee told his people Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers bee removed into a corner any more But thine eyes shall see thy Teachers Esa 30. 20. q. d. though thy Ministers have been put by yet I will restore them againe and they shall not be put by any more I have power to continue them as long as I will when he called Noah to preach to the old world he appointed him 120. years and hee continued him all that while whether the wicked world would or no. And the Reason is first because Ministers are his Embassadors Now a King it is in his choyce how long his Embassadors shall lye Lieger in a forain Country he hath so many businesses for them to doe and so long they shall continue there So true ministers are the Embassadors of Christ as the Apostle Paul speaks Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stead be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 20. we are Christs Ambassadours and therfore he will continue us as long as he list as long as he hath any busines to doe as long as he hath any soules to save any men or women to reconcile to his father or to build up so
Gospell good usage the Lord would continue it like a Guest that is the willinger to stay when he sees he is among Friends Thirdly Let us bring forth the fruits of it The Husbandman will ever continue ploughing of his ground as long as hee sees it will give him a good crop But when hee perceives it will not quit charges then hee layes it Fallow So Christ would have stayed his word still in Judah and Jerusalem if they would have brought forth competent fruite But when once they grew barren hee said hee would take his Kingdome away The Kingdom of God shall be taken away from you and given to a Nation that will bring forth the fruites thereof Matth. 21. 43. Fourthly Let us bee earnest with God to have his Gospell continue Importunity may doe much Importunity held Christ a night longer with the Disciples Luk. 24. 29. Importunity held the Levite three or foure dayes longer then otherwise hee would Judg. 19. 4 5 6 7. O If wee would bee importunate with Christ to stay his Gospel still as Jacob did the Angell Thou shalt not goe till thou blesse mee Lord thy Gospell shall not goe till it convert me and it shall not goe till it convert mee and it shall convert mee first if every one would hang upon Christ to stay his Gospell still and thou shalt not let it goe till it hath done my soule good till it hath illightned mine eyes and quickned my heart this would obtaine much may bee some doe doe thus as Jeremiah did O thou hope of Israel Why shouldest thou bee as a stranger in the Land and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to stay for a night Jer. 14. 8. Alas that would not doe if there had been many Jeremiah's to doe thus then they might have gotten him to stay longer So may bee some doe cry importunately thus O thou hope of Jerusalem c. And so I fall upon the third thing ye have heard first how Christ hath the placing of his Ministers secondly he hath the continuing of them Thirdly Now it followes hee hath the removing of them too People are prone to look upon second causes But Christ is the supreame hee is the principall cause of this judgement upon men to take away his Ministers as the Prophet Isaiah speaks The Lord of Hoasts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the mighty man and the Judge and the Prophet Esa 3. 1 2. Whether it bee by death or removeall or imprisonment or suspending or any other way It is he that deprives a people of his faithfull Ministers whosoever be the instrument First He can take them away by death out of the world Thus the Lord took away the Prophet Enoch Genesis 5. 24. Secondly He can take them away by removeall thus he took away Jonas from Israel and sent him to Niniveh Jon. 3. 1. Ye know he was a Prophet in Israel and the Lord removed him thence to the Land of Assyria Thirdly He can take them away by letting them bee imprisoned thus he took away John the Baptist by letting Herod put him into prison for telling him of his sins Mark 16. 17. So Ahab imprisoned Michaiah for telling him the truth Fourthly Hee can take them away by letting them be suspended and inhibited from Preaching by letting wicked men have their wills That say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not Speak to us smooth things prophesie deceits Esa 30. 10. Thus King Amaziah silenced the Prophet that reproved him 2 Chron. 25. 16. Fifthly He can take them away by silencing them himselfe this is as bad as taking them away for the time thus himself stopt Ezikels mouth and made him dumb Now the Reason why Christ does doe thus is first because of the wicked they will not receive their Doctrine Thus the Lord Jesus took away Paul out of Jerusalem Make haste get thee quickly out of Jerusalem for they will not receive thy testimony concerning mee Acts 22. 18. Secondly The Lord does it in regard of his own people because they begin to forsake their first love This was the reason why the Lord threatned to take away the Ministery of the Word out of Ephesus I will remove thy Candlestick out of its place except thou repent Revelations 2. 5. Thirdly The Lord does this sometimes in regard of the Ministery it self that it may be more precious afterwards as it is said there in Samuel when the Lord had deprived Israel of his Prophets for a matter of fourescore yeares together O sayes the Text The Word of God was precious in those dayes because there was no open Vision 1 Sam. 3. 1. The Use of this is first Is it so that it is Christ that removes Ministers then this should teach us to mourn before him if ever any of our Ministers bee taken away by any meanes wee should see whose hand is upon us the hand of the Lord is gone out against us it is hee that inflicteth this judgement and therefore wee should mourn unto him as the Church did When all their Prophets were gone and all Religion went to wrack and the enemies had burnt up their Synagogues and broken up all their godly Assemblies O how they mourned unto God for it O God why hast thou cast us off Why does thine anger smoak against the sheepe of thy pasture Remember thy Congregation which thou hast purchased of old Remember mount Zion wherein thou hast dwelt Psal 74. 1 2. this was a heavy judgement indeed they felt the Lords anger smoake against them then Why What was the matter Wee see not our signes there is no more any Prophet Ver. 9. Secondly Another Use is Let us look into the meritorious cause which is nothing but our sins If Gods Ministers be put down at any time it is our sins that put them down For if Christ be the inflicting cause certainly our sins are the deserving cause wee can blame none but our own sins if any thing stop any good Ministers mouth it is they it is peoples drunkennesse and disorder you are the cause your unfruitfulnesse and security and hypocrisie and formality you doe not learn goodnesse and godlinesse under the Word yee remaine vaine and blinde and hardned in your hearts under the same What Parishes more disorderly than those where most preaching is where is more hatred of word and vertue and piety then there where is more railing at a good life and holy walking and such as desire to doe well the more preaching people hear for the most part the worse they grow People come to Church it may bee but they make it a cloake for their villanies they will give us the hearing but no obedience no practise no Reformation no signe of amendment no love no truth no faithfulnesse no communion at all welaneare where most Preaching is if any thing stop our mouthes this will doe it And indeed what may men think of us but that wee are a
company of hypocrites and teachers of vanities what are these Preachers wee see little good they doe what becomes of all their Preaching factions and odde opinions in one Towne and dissolutenesse and all manner of licensiousnesse in another If the whole world should let us alone I verily feare God himselfe would put us down immediately in the end So many scandals so many thousand offences are given every day that its a wonder wee stand as we doe That the Lord of heaven lets any Minister in England come into a Pulpit more nothing but pride and self-conceits and selftrustings and feared consciences dead hearts and profanenesse unlesse it be a very little handfull O Beloved if where preaching is it were honoured as it ought to bee and obeyed as it should if people would doe as we teach I dare be bold to affirme wee might Preach long enough If our Townes would sweetly reforme set up good Government root out all disorders and cursed abuses live like Christians indeed be humble and sober and loving and dutifull to God and Man Giving to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods If we would feare God and honour the King Reverence Gods Courts obey the voyce of his servants love Christ and his word above our appointed food this would lengthen the Ministery of the Land this would bee a meanes for the establishing of Gods Kingdome among us Christ would never repent that ever hee sent his Gospell unto us where wee have some wee should have more where we have more wee should have a hundred times more as the Apostle Peter sayes Who is he that will harme you if yee be followers of that which is good 1 Pet. 3. 13. Thirdly Another Use is is it Christ that takes away Ministers either by death or restraining or by any other way Then let it bee a meanes to exhort us to repent of our sinnes that Christ may still give a doore of utterance to his Ministers that they may still speak in his name This should move us to seek God When Peter was cast into prison O what fasting and crying and praying was there to God for him till hee was restored again Act. 12. 5. they did not goe to Herod to restore him No they knew Christ was hee that tooke him from the Church whoever were the instrument therefore they sought to Heaven for him again if any peoples Ministery bee gone this is the best way to fetch them again Paul knew this to bee true and therefore when hee was in prison at Rome hee writes to Philemon thus I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you Philemon v. 22. Nay hee is so confident that if people would but cry hard for him to God that hee should quickly bee enlarged Nay sayes hee prepare mee a lodging for I trust that through your prayers I should be given unto you q. d. I make no question but I shall out of prison if you will but bee earnest with God So also it seems the Authour to the Hebrews was restrained from Preaching Now mark what an exhortation hee uses Pray for us sayes hee and I beseech you the rather to doe this that I may bee restored unto you the sooner Heb. 13. 18 19. Thus I have finished this part of the Description of Jesus Christ That hath the seven Starres in his hand and the whole Subscription too These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I come now to the Epistle it self I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead but of this more c. REVEL 3. 1. And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven starres I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead I know thy works c. Revel 3. 1. I know thy workes c. YE have heard two things concerning this Epistle First the Inscription that declareth the person to whom it was sent To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write That is it was sent principally to the Minister of the Church in the Town of Sardis and also to the Christians that were in that Church Secondly the subscription that declareth from whom it was sent These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Stars that is it was sent from Jesus Christ Now we come to the third thing and that is the subject matter of this Epistle which consists of three things First a Reprehension of the sins of the Minister and the body of his congregation Secondly a Direction or the shewing of the remedy for the curing of their sins Thirdly a Commendation of some particular persons in that Congregation that were not carryed away with the sins of the times The reprehension is either in generall I know thy works that is I know them all and I know them to be stark nought for the most part what-ever they seem they may seem to be very good but I tell you plainly I know them all what they be q. d. Generally they are stark nought And then in particular hee instances in two first the sin of hypocrisie or seeming to be good Thou hast a name that thou livest Secondly the sin of deadnesse of heart But thou art dead This is the reprehension or the reproof Then follows the Direction or the shewing of the remedy for he does not reprove them out of any ill will but for their good And therefore he prescribes them a remedy and the remedy is twofold The first is to strengthen the things that remain that are ready to dye v. 2. q. d. as many of you as are not quite and clean dead stir up your selves quicken up your hearts and this is first illustrated by shewing how they should doe thus Be watchfull sayes he q. d. that 's the reason why ye languish on this fashion and ye will languish more and more because yee are not watchfull therefore be watchfull and then it is urged by rendring a motive to use this remedy For I have not found thy workes perfect before God that is thou art hardly sincere a jot thou art full of hypocrisie and formality and thou wilt lose all thy labour if thou dost not look well about thee therefore shake up thy self and strengthen the things c. this is the first remedy The second remedy is to repent v. 3. and this is amplified by shewing how and that is two wayes 1. Remember how c. i.e. consider how thou hast been taught and bewail thy declinings for thou art horribly departed from what thou hast heard out of the Word 2. Hold fast i.e. so bewaile thy warpings and degeneratings that thou mayest get up again and hold thee fast there when thou art up Now lest they should neglect the using of this remedy the Lord Jesus sharpens his speech with
know that already and no body will deny it we are Christians I answer this is the hypocrisy of men hearts their hearts will confesse it to be a truth but in their workes they do deny it The Prophet David speakes of men that were in the visible Church of God aswell as we and that would confesse this truth aswell as we and yet he sayes of many an one of them He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hath hid his face he will never see it Psal 10. 11. And the truth is this is the cause of all the boldnesse of people to goe on in their sinnes or to yeeld to sinne at any time they put this out of their bosomes that God sees them As Ezekiel speakes the land is full of blood the City is full of perversnesse for they say the Lord hath forsaken the Earth and the Lord seeth not Ezek. 9. they say so in effect they put God afar of and they doe not consider that hee sees them Beloved there 's none of us all but hath need that this truth shoud be urged upon us that God beholds all iniquity and evill we can never doe amisse but he takes notice of it Thirdly another use is is it so that God sees all mens sins Then this is a terror to all that goe on with a selfe condemning heart O consider what the Apostle sayes if our heart condemne us God is greater then our heart and he knowes all things 1 Joh. 3. 20. q. d. if we have a selfe condemning heart how much more shall we find a selfe condemning God If our own heart can find us out if that can find out our worldlines or our irreverence or our carelesnesse of God how much more wlll God find us out He knowes all our sins better then we our selves and therefore O let us quake all of us to goe on with a selfe-condemning heart it is a bad badge it is a prodigious token of the fearefull judgement of God if wee doe not get our sins done away by the blood of Jesus Christ and by his sanctifying Spirit God will finde us out for hee knowes what we are and what wee doe daily and how we live every day and howre Againe this is a terror to them that are Hypocrites If God could not see a rotten heart he should speed as well as the best O but sayes God I the Lord search the heart J try the reynes even to give every man according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings Jer. 17. 10. and therefore wo be to such as are otherwise within then they seeme to be without without they are painted sepulchers but within they are full of rottennesse they professe godlinesse but they suffer within a Worldly spirit a guilty conscience a vaine minde an unbelieving heart no love of God no zeale to his glory no feeling of the Churches misery no compassion with the Saints no delight in them that feare God indeed and yet they will goe for Christians forsooth God sees all their workes and will unmask them in his due time either in this world or in the world to come and will poure everlasting contempt on them Fourthly this is comfort to good people for if God see all mens sins then he sees all mens goodnesse much rather what a comfort is this in prayer to consider that he that searcheth the heart knowes what is the minde of the spirit Rom. 8. 17. Hee knowes all thy groanes Hee knowes all thy desires what a comfort is this when ever an honest soule is put to it soundly in temptation when the soule is accused by Satan hardly thought on by men and God lets bitter temptations to come on I say what a comfort is this that God knowes all the good things that are in man all ones affections all ones endeavours ail ones combats against sinne all ones griefes for corruption as Peter sayd Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Joh. 21. 17. Peter was put to it soundly at that time But yet this was his comfort that God did know all things Hee had many tokens of Gods gracious goodnesse about him hee had love to Jesus Christ hee had deepe desires to doe all that hee bade him O sayes hee and thou knowest it Againe this is an excellent comfort in time of affliction When Iob was in affliction and his friends scorned him then did hee goe and poure out his Teares unto God and this was his comfort Behold my witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high Job 16. 19 20. Againe this an excellent encouragement to serve God in these bad and sinnefull times people generally never looke after God nor holinesse the World lookes after their pleasures and their profits and preferments and friends and the like but Religion and Devoutnesse and Godlinesse of living few people looke after that as though God did not regard what people doe Now beloved when wee heare that God sees all that men doe and markes it and will call all men to accompt what an encouragement is this to serve God as David sayd to Solomon Know thou the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart for the Lord searcheth all Hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts 1 Chron. 28. 9. Againe what a comfort is this against false accusations Hee knowes all our innocency when our Neighbours say all manner of evill of us Hee knowes wee doe that in simplicity which others thinke wee doe out of a sinister respect or out of pride or popularity or for applause What a comfort is this when wee can appeale to God as Paul sayes the Lord knowes that J lye not as David sayes I have not refrained my lips from Preaching thy Righteousnesse O Lord thou knowest Psal 40. 9. Hee knowes the uttermost endeavours and desires of our hearts is to be as good as wee seeme though the World take us for Hypocrites Hee knowes wee be true men that reverence every power that is of God though the World esteeme us factious and humorous Little does the World thinke what the Saints doe every day what wrastlings with God what conflicts in their mindes they indure this is sufficient the Lord knowes Againe what a comfort is this if wee desire to know our sinnes God is able to shew them unto us Hee can open our eyes to behold them for our humiliation that wee may say with the Prophet I know mine owne iniquities and my sinne is ever before me if we want a right sight of our sinnes at any time it is but going to God Hee knowes them all hee can helpe us to see them aright Fifthly does God know all mens sinnes then this should make us afraid to doe evill at any time or in any place yea in the secretest wee can never do any evill but God will spy us out wee cannot have a thought in our heart but hee does discerne it nor
they passe for currant among men yet God sees what they are men may pretend what they will and deny what they will and set an impudent forehead and face on the matter and go unperceived among men but they cannot goe unperceived by Allmighty God his understanding is infinite Secondly as he is omniscient so he is omnipresent he is everywhere whether can any creature goe from his presence if he goe into the street or ale-house or drabhouse or his house or his closet or his privy chamber he can goe nowhere but where God is and therefore how can he doe ought but God must needs see him can any hide himselfe in secret places that I should not see him doe not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Ier. 23. 24. Thirdly the Lord hath his providence in every thing nothing is done without his concurrence or sufferance if it be good it is done by his assistance if it be evill it cannot be done without his permission and disposition therefore he must needs know every thing He knew whether the Devils should enter into the herd of swine for they could not enter in untill he suffered them he knew all that Iudas and Pilate and Herod and the Jewes and the High Priests did against Christ because they did nothing but what his hand and counsell had determined before to be done Act. 4. 28. Fourthly the Lord knowes every mans sinnes because he hath a candle in every mans bosome The Spirit of man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly Prov. 20. 27 that is a mans conscience that 's the Lords Candle well if Hee have a Candle standing in every mans bosome what can bee done there in the darke Fifthly because He is judge of the whole World O Lord of Heasts that judgest righteously that tryest the Reines and the Heart Jer. 11. 20. Hee could not judge every man righteously else A man may doe well and yet seeme to doe evill againe a man may doe very evill and yet seeme to doe well yee know the heart is all in all now if God did not know all mens hearts all mens lookes and aymes and intents and meanings the circumstances and every thing that men doe Hee could not judge every man according to his workes as hee will for a certaine Hee will judge every man according to his works and therefore Hee knowes what every mans workes bee The use of this was First To confute Averroes and others that say that God does not know mens sinnes O say they God sees all things by looking on himselfe now there is no such thing to be seene in himselfe Beloved here you see that this is a blasphemous Doctrine for God knowes what ever men are or thinke or speake or doe or have done or shall doe or would doe in any case and though sinne be not in God yet the suffering of it is in God and Hee may suffer it in his just judgement and wisdome though the commiting of it be wicked yet his suffering of it is good and just The Eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evill and the good Pro. 15. 3. But I let this passe Secondly to condemne the most sorts of men that doe not consider of this truth for though men will grant that God knowes all the evill that they doe yet this vile Atheisme is lurking in mens hearts they either make God as the Epicures hold that hee sits in Heaven and regards not what men doe or at least God will not require it Psal 10. 13. they doe not charge this truth on their hearts This is the cause that men are so daring to doe evill Thirdly this is a terror to all that doe evill This is a terror to them that have condemning hearts as John sayes if our heart condemne us God is greater then our hearts and Hee knowes all things 1 Joh. 3. 20. againe this is a terror to all Hypocrites if God could not see a rotten heart then a Hypocrite should speed as well as the best But God sees what men are seeme they what they will He sees what they be Fourthly this is comfort to good people for if God see all mens sinnes then Hee sees all mens goodnesse what a comfort is this in Prayer to consider That Hee that searcheth the Hearts knowes what is the minde of the Spirit Romans 8. 27 Hee knowes all thy groanes and sighes though thou canst not utter what thou wouldst in Prayer yet Hee knowes what thou wouldst have What a comfort is this in temptation in the midst of the accusations of Satan when a man is pitifully put to it in spirituall conflicts that God knowes what is in us all our secret affections our mournings after him our private seekings of him all our hidden meanings to him all our combats against sinne all our griefes for corruptions as Peter sayes God thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Joh. 21. 17. Peter was put to it soundly at that time yet this was his comfort that God did know all things and as Hee knowes more evill by us then our selves so He knowes more good by us then our selves Againe what a comfort is this against the nick-names and false judgings of wicked men Hee knowes all our innocency when men say all manner of evill of us Hee knowes wee doe that in sincerity which men thinke wee doe in Hypocrisy Hee knowes our simplicity when men judge that wee doe it out of by and sinister respects what a comfort is this when wee can appeale to God as David sayes the Lord knowes that I lie not as David sayes I have not refrained my lips from preaching thy Righteousnesse O Lord thou knowest Psalme 40. 9. little does the World think what the Saints doe every day what wrestlings with God what goings out unto him they have this is a comfort the Lord knowes Againe what an encouragement is it to serve God in these bad and sinnefull times People generally never looke after God nor holinesse as though God had forsaken the Earth most people are of the minde that if a man bee precise hee is little the better and if hee be not so precise as some be hee shall never be the worse for that as though God cared for no such matter Beloved when wee heare that God sees all that men doe and markes and will call all men to an accompt what an encouragement is this to serve God as David sayes to Solomon Know thou the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect Heart for the Lord searcheth all Hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts 1 Chron. 28. 9. This was the first pont And then the Second point was this The consideration of this that God knowes all our workes is a powerfull meanes to all Gods elect to doe them good and to quicken them and to make them take heede of all
a dead people a dead congregation For the first thence we had this point of Doctrine that a dead Ministry is little better then no Ministry at all By a dead Ministry I meane though the matter preached be never so sound orthodox yet when the preaching of it is dead this is a dead Ministry as a Prayer may be dead though the things prayed for be never so honest and godly now such a Ministry is little better then no Ministry there 's no warmth hardly to be had by it at all like the Ministry of the Scribes that had no power nor authority in it at all Matth. 7. 29. as Luther said when he heard one preach very cold cold cold sayes he this is cold preaching here 's no heat at all to be gotten First this is nothing like a true Ministry indeed a true Ministry indeed is lively it is a Ministry that warmes and heats it is a very earnest Ministery as when the Lord let the Jewes have a true Ministry he sayes they had a lively Ministry I earnestly protested to your Fathers Jer 11. 7. he speakes of the Ministry of Moses and the Prophets it was a very lively Ministry they preacht in good earnest to the people so Paul was earnest in his Ministry I have striven to preach the Gospell Rom. 15. 20. he belaboured him hard in the pulpit he laid about him soundly so that a dead Ministery is nothing like a true Ministery Secondly the Lord counts a dead Ministry even as if it were no Ministry at all The Scribes and the Pharisees were very morall men most of them as ye may see by Paul's Testimony of himself and they were orthodoxe Ministers for the maine as our Saviour sayes of them for he bids people heare them yet he counted their Ministry even as no Ministry at all he cals the people that sate under their Ministry people having no Shepheard Matt. 9. 36. true they had Shepheards but as the Prophet sayes of the Shepheards of Judah they were Jdoll Shepheards Zach. 11. 17. they were very Idols ye know Idols are dead Images Thirdly a dead Ministry does little or no good it is very unfruitfull it does not awaken any of the auditory it does not stir any of the hearers it does not rouze up mens hearts it does not grapple with the obstinate nor pull down the proud neither does it carry life at all with it as Ieremy sayes of many of the Priests and the Prophets of Israel they did not convert any God tels them if they had stood in his counsell they should have turned many Jer. 23. 22. But as the matter went they turned none they converted none a lively Ministry doth a great deale of good but a dead Ministry is a flat thing Fourthly a dead Ministry God seldome goes along with it nay that 's the life of ones Ministry when the Minister seekes God to goe along with him now a dead Ministry God goes not along with it a lively Ministry God gos along with that as Christ sayes Lo I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. such a Ministry God blesses it gathers up Gods Jewels it builds up Gods Church it helps to perfect the Saints But a dead Ministry the Lord does not goe with it he does not worke with it Fifthly a dead Ministry prophanes the word it makes it seeme nothing worth it makes people thinke there is no great matter in it a lively Ministry glorisies the word it lets out God into the conscience it givs people to understand they come upon life and death it makes people looke about them it makes people heare over all that ever they have done it flashes the word of God into their hearts as a light to discover all their wayes it gives them a view of their eternall estate either one way or other it is the savour either of life unto life or of death unto death as it is said of Pauls Ministry the word of the Lord was glorified by it Act. 13. 48. But a dead Ministry prophanes hides the glory of it it lets people set quietly under it it diseases no sinner The use of this was first here we saw a reason why a dead Ministry is not houted at but applauded in the world Why it is as good as no Ministry at all it does not make the devill roar it lets people sleep in their sins such Ministers are dawbers they are the divels upholsters they doe not pluck away mens pillowes from under their arme-holes people may doe what they list for all them The world will let such alone they may sleep long enough whereas a livelie Minister can heardly come into the pulpit but presently he is halfe a Martyr as the Lord said to Ezekiel Briers and thornes are with thee Ezek. 2. 6. The world fought against Ieremy they played the wolves against the Apostles of Jesus Christ Lively Ministers cannot give the world any good content there 's an antpathy between the world and such they cannot more agree then light and darknesse such a Minister stands in the worlds light he makes the world see their works are evill he detects shams and opposes the sins that the world wallows in such a Ministry is a dissering Ministry it makes a division among men There cannot be a lively Ministery any where but the world hath a sting at it But a dead Ministry may goe Scot-free it does not torment them that dwell upon the earth Secondly this may serve to reprove our selves that are no more lively in our Ministry That our Ministry hath no more edge upon it to enter into this horny thick-skin age we complaine of much deadnesse now a dayes alas how if we be found guilty of it in that we preach no more quickeningly if the Apostles of Christ complained of dull hearers Heb. 5. 11. O how many dull hearers have we The Lord awaken our hearts The deader people be we had need to be the quicker in our Ministry or else we cannot say we are pure from their blood Don't we see the damned estate that our people are in by nature the carelesnesse of getting to be delivered out the necessity of faith of repetance of holinesse the danger of sinne the multitudes of them that perish and the fewnesse of them that strive to enter in at the straight gate the deceitfulnesse of the heart how the world and the cares of this life carry almost all eleane away the badnesse of the times the shortnesse of this life the irrecoverable estate after death the immortalitie of the soule the paines of hell the joyes of heaven O how should we bestirre our selves to beat these truthes into mens hearts that they may bethink them and flye from the wrath come The cold preaching of such weighty things quite cozens the world we give them such faint warnings that it 's no wonder that so few doe take any warning we sound the Trumpet
and therefore it awakens the soule to be earnest to please him in all things for the time to come the soule was dead and carelesse and drowzie and neglectfull of obedience goodnesse holinesse humility purenesse strictnesse precisenesse of walking it cared not for these things afore but when true repentance comes in it wheeles about the life of the soule towards God now the cares shall be to him now the endeavours make after him paines labours cautious watchfulnesse considerativenesse studious striveings and all 's active that way now so that if a man be still dead his repentance is false Againe to goe over all the duties of religion they all must be done with life to doe them with a dead heart is as good as not to doe them at all First prayer suppose we pray at Church and pray in our families and pray in our closets is this all to pray with a dead heart as if we cared not whether we sped or no no pullings of our heart downe before God no wrastlings with God for what we aske no liftings of our soules up no fastnings of our minds upon his presence no cryes no mournings no importunity but the heart as lumpish and unweldy as a stone is this praying no sayes David quicken us O Lord that we may call upon thy name Psal 80. 18. Secondly for hearing of the word It is not thy hearing of it so many times a weeke though thou must heare it as often as ever thou canst and those that will not no hearing as frequently as they may are high despisers of God his Ordinances but yet if thou hearest the word with a dead heart thy hearing is made as no hearing it is said of those primitive converts that they were pricked in their hearts as they were hearing Act. 2. 37. they onely got good by their hearing they heard the word with life so it is said of many of Christs hearers they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they laye upon him they preased upon him Luk. 5. 1. in another place it is said that they hung upon him they were attentive and eager to him our Saviour Christ says it is a very great judgement to be dull of hearing Matth. 13. 15. when people set as if the word did not concerne them when they heare without any motion or affection the word hardly joggeth their hearts it hardly shaketh their conscience at all the word does neither delight them nor wound them nor pierce them it heales none of their sinnes it cannot get betweene them and their lusts when they have heard a Sermon they goe away just as they came they sinde nothing now to doe it does not dragge them one jot more out of the world nor an inch neerer heaven their carriage is much at one as it was when they come home it cannot be perceived that ever they were at the word as earthly as ever as carnall as ever as backward to all goodnesse as ever this is no hearing at all Thirdly for sanctifying of the Lords day it is said of the Sabboth that we should call it our delight Isa 58. 13. that is we should keep it with life it should even quicken up our hearts to think it is coming we should be revived to consider Gods goodnesse that he would give us such a day seeing we have so much need of it when we have been six dayes about our owne businesse in the world that we should have a seventh given us of God lest we should be over head and ears in the world to take off our hearts now when this is no delight to us our hearts are dead to it we doe not sanctifie it indeed but prophane it as though it were not honorable and the house of the Lord. Fourthly for taking hold of an opportunity to doe good this is a duty too to be done with all life how glad should we be if there be any opportunity for us to shew our love to God or our hatred to sin we should be willing to ride or goe or be at charges nay we should deny our selves and lay downe our gaines and credits and goods and friends and all that we have at Christs Foot and blesse God that gives us such a price in our hands but now we have a dead heart to this what a horrible thing is this though we doe take the opportunity yet to goe about it as though we were sorry that God hath given it unto us this is meere folly as Solomon sayes Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a Foole to get wisedome seeing he hath no heart to it Proverbs 17. 16. Fifthly In one word for all the wayes of God there 's neere a one of them all that can be walkt in aright without a live heart as the Prophet sayes Lord turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in thy way Psal 119. 37. now when we goe dreamingly on as though we could not doe withall though the way be God's yet our going in it is stark naught and little better then not going in it at all and therefore the Lord accepts not of it when we humble our selves before God to hang downe our â—eads â—ike a bull-rush it 's naught it 's naugh the Lord cannot away with it when we conferre about the word or any gracious and Godly theme to speake as if we had no saveur of it no pleasure in it when our hearts would rather be on another subject and never lin till they have wound all good talke out if we speake one word to edification there shall be twenty to that one that shall serve to no other end but to the hardening of one another when Christ and the two disciples were communing together their hearts burned in them did not our hearts burne within us while he talked with us by the way Luk. 24. 32. that was talking with life But when our hearts are as cold as a flint this we may call talking but holy conference it cannot be termed Thus ye see a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all no grace is without life no duty can be done without life the reasons of this are First because this is all one as to have no grace at all though a man be a member of the congregation of the Lord though he have the seales of the covenant and professe the faith of Jesus and be as morall in his life as ever any of the heathen and as full of good duties as ever any hypocrite was and more too yet if he have not life yet he is but a tinckling cymball he hath no grace at all I meane no saving grace at all saving grace the Apostle cals it the grace of life 1 Pet. 3. 7. It is the grace of life it breeds life in him that hath it it makes him alive towards God it lets out the life of his heart in every good word and worke it makes him pray with life
to sinne we should be willing to ride or goe or be at charges nay we should be willing to deny our selves to lay downe our names and goods and friends and respects and all that we have at Christs foot and blesse God that gives us such a price in our hands But now to have a dead heart to this what a horrible thing is it though we doe take the opportunity yet to goe about it as though we were sorry that God hath given it unto us This is meere folly as Solomon sayes wherefore is there a price in the hand of a foole to get wisdome seeing he hath no heart to it Prov. 17. 16. But I will not repeat any more you see now that a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all I shewed you the reasons of this point but I will let them passe I come now to the uses And first this is for the reproof of the deadnesse that is now among us the Lord may say to us as he did unto Sardis I know thy workes thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead for notwithstanding the great means of life that the Lord hath placed among us O how does deadnesse of heart reigne we are like them the Prophets speakes of that drew nigh to God with their mouth and honoured him with their lips but their heart was far from him Matth. 15. 8. they had no heart to his holy worship So it is with most of us we draw nigh to God with our outward man but our heart is farre from him no heart to prayer no heart to the word we heare it peradventure but no heart to it at all how ordinarily doe we come to Gods house but heartlesnes hath dominion over the most of us the doctrine of the Gospell does not quicken up our hearts we deale with it as Phinehas his wife did with her Sonne when the women about her told her she had a Sonne the text sayes she did not regard it So what little regard have we of the Gospell of God! I stretched out my hands and no man would regard Prov. 1. tell us of our damned estate by nature how cursed we are from the wombe what infinite need we have to be sensible of it we know it but how dead is our knowledge of it it does not stirre up our hearts to consider of it neither does it prick us so much as the pricking of a pin tell us of the the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ his precious bloud his passion and merits whose heart is enlivened and quickened up by them nay our soules are hardly moved at all at the hearing of them Tell us of the Kingdome of heaven the marriage Supper of the lamb his Oxen and his fatlings O they are all ready come Sirs come to the marriage we are even as they in the parable they made light of it Matth. 22. 5. these things are made as if they were of no moment as if they were light matters they finde poore entertainement at our hands what little irk somnesse do we feele in sinne what little dejectednesse of heart what little remorse of conscience nay few know by experience what humiliation meanes we can confesse in our prayers how vile we are and how unworthy and how wretched and sinnefull but as though these were words of course our hearts are so dead that there is little or no relenting at it we can say we are undone if God doe not heare us our prayers are all nothing except they be with faith and life and yet who strives to awaken and rowze up himselfe we can say O how are we beholding to God for life for health for his daily good providence for his patience his bounty and we can say it is not the bare naming of his Blessings before him that is counted thanksgiving without being affected with his infinite goodnesse and yet who does unseignedly labour to be affected with them from day to day no body of us dares deny but that we should set the Lord alwayes before us tthat he may be at our right hand and yet who hath the heart to provoke this hereunto The devill may be of their right hand not God for all the pains that they take to have him there So that dead-heartednes is a common evill now a dayes as Christ saies of the last times Because iniquity shall abound The love of many shall waxe Cold Matth 24. 12. so it is now because iniquity abounds the most are prophane and dissolute and licentious and loose therefore many that profession love to Jesus Christ their love does grow cold and dead no life heardly at all no signe that they are alive from the dead if they doe beleeve after a manner there 's all they doe not live in Jesus Christ if they have any hope of mercy or heaven that 's all they have it is not a lively hope that may quicken them up in Gods holy wayes if they doe see their sinnes there 's the utmost it is a dead sight that does not excite them up unto strictnesse and precisenesse of living if they doe follow good and godly duties alas there be few that doe so but if they doe goe so farre it is cleane without heart and life as though any thing would serve Gods turne well enough what a horrible thing i' st when a dead Christian is as good as no Christian all No matter how many Christians we have alas none of us are true but such as are alive from the dead Secondly is it so that a dead Christian is even as good as no Christian at all then learne hence my Brethren what a dangerous thing it is to be a dead hearted Christian First all that we doe with a dead heart 't is as good as nothing as Paul sayes of love had we all faith and all knowledge yet if we have not love we are nothing 1 Cor. 13. 2. Whatsoever we doe if we doe not doe it out of love all 's nothing so I may say of life whatsoever good duty we doe if we doe not doe it with life it is but a dead worke and therefore it is no more then nothing when the prophet David would doe good duties so as to doe them to good purpose indeed you shall see how he labours against a dead heart Quicken me after thy loving kindnesse so shall I keepe the Testimony of thy mouth Psal 119. 88. so we may say too Lord quicken me after thy loving kindnesse so shall I preach so shall I heare so shall I doe thy holy will so shall I goe up and downe doing good now as long as a man does it with a dead heart it is even all one as if a man had not done it at all a dead man is no man as the Apostle sayes God quickens the dead and calls things that are not marke dead things are no things so dead workes are no workes as Solomon sayes There is
it I Matth. 26. 21. they all did apply it you see how his speech stirred their mindes they fell presently to apply so when a man cannot heare any sinne ripped up but presently he cryes out Lord it is I Is it I that am guilty of this sinne O if it be I let me see it that I may leave it if he heare of any threatning he sayes Lord is it I O teach me that I may be humbled when he heares of any grace Lord is it I that have this grace O if it be not I O let it be I a quickened minde is an applying minde now if the minde be yet dead it cares not for applying though it know never so much yet it lets the word still be a stranger unto it it does not take it home to it selfe like the hearers there in Hosea as God sayes I writ to them the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing Hos 8. 12. they would not take them home now a quickened minde takes them home this reproofe is to me this Commandement is to me this reproof is to me nay when a reproof to ones thinking of all other should seeme least to concerne him as when our Saviour Christ spake against rich men O how hardly shall a rich man enter into the Kingdome of God! yet the Apostles took it to themselves they were amazed sayes the Text Matth. 19. 25. one would have thought the doctrine should little concerne them alas they were not so rich but they applyed it though fearing least that little that they had should draw their hearts away from God this then is the first Secondly the meditating of the minde this is another stirring act of the minde a naturall man may think of his eternall good now and then but this is nothing his minde is dead for all that But when a mans minde runnes on such things now it is alive look what your mindes doe run on that your mindes are alive to Because it is most certane that that is it which you respect most as David sayes I will meditate on thy precepts and have respect unto thy wayes Psal 119. 15. A dead mind may light on good thoughts but when a man meditates of them when his minde runneth upon such themes this mans minde is alive to them he gives his minde to them as Paul sayes to Timothy meditate on these things give thy selfe wholly to them that thy profitting may appeare 1 Tim. 4. 15. you may see this in ungodly men they doe not onely thinke of the world for so a godly man may doe and must doe but their mindes runne on the world they give their mindes to it it is the Apostles saying they minde earthly things Phil. 4. 19. it may be they know gracious things I but they minde earthly they cannot finde in their heart to give their mindes to Gods word and will so that would you prove your selves and your mindes to be alive towards God labour that your mindes may bend their meditations that way let your mindes runne on him and how ye may have his favour and how ye may keep it how ye take heed of offending of him a man is yet dead that does not give his minde to these things whose minde does not runne on them daily And therefore beloved as ever ye do desire to have a proofe of your life towards God let your mindes runne on these things give diligent heed that they may not slip out of your mindes as the Apostle sayes ye ought to give so much the more diligent heed to the things which ye have heard least at any time ye let them slip Heb. 2. 1. if they doe slip away ye know not how as the flesh will let them goe if ye doe not take heed call for them againe as God sayes Bring it againe to minde O ye transgressors Isa 46. 8. Thirdly the considering of the minde when the minde lookes cursorily on things what is this but the remissenesse and loosenesse of the minde now when the minde comes to consider seriously of them now it quickens up it selfe now it lookes wishly and intentively on them indeed alas all our knowledge of the truth all our approving of good courses all is nothing without consideration our knowledge and approbation are dead things without this even as good as if we had no knowledge at all for all the good it will doe us if we doe not consider as God sayes Israel doth not know my people doe not consider Isa 1. 3. looke what our mindes doe consider from day to day that our minds are lively on consideration is the eagernesse of the minde when the minde cares not for an object it will not trouble it selfe to consider of a lesse act will serve such a thing well enough but looke what the minde is inclined unto there it will not goe slightly and lightly to worke there 't will take paines nay it counts it no paines to perpend and to weigh things as in a Ballance as it is said of Mary looke what she heard from Christ she kept it and pondered it in her heart Luk. 2. 19. she pondered it and weighed it in a ballance O it was matter of great weight with her minde where the minde is alive there it will consider and ponder and weigh nay there is not a circumstance but the minde will take it to consideration Take a man that is alive to the things here below how considerative is that man in all matters of that nature As for example now for his gaine he takes every thing into consideration that may make for his gaine He will have his wits about him when he buyes or sels when he sowes or reaps he considers with himselfe that he will not sow too soon or too late in the year or a grain that the ground will not beare he considers how long it was since it was fallow how long it will beare till it be laid fallow againe he considers when he may sell dearest when he may buy cheapest when is the best time to put off a commodity This is the livelynesse of his minde in these things Take this man now for his soule his minde is starke heavy any loose thoughts shall serve turne for that he does not consider here But when a man is a live unto God now his considerations runne out this way now he is considerative this way for his soule for his spirituall and eternall good Beloved consideration is a lively act of the minde as you may see there in Moses Know therefore this day and consider it in thy heart that the Lord he is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath Deut. 4. 39. that is doe not onely know it but quicken up thy minde to consider it this will doe thee good indeed this is a very perfect Act of the minde as we see in David when I consider the Heavens the worke of thy hands the Moone
is deep in the heart so if thou beest alive towards God God is in the deep of thy heart the word is deepe in thy heart nor like the salt water in the Sea onely on the Top. Ye know what became of the Seed that wanted depth of the earth Matth. 13. 5. so it is with the heart when the word does not get into the depth of it it never quickens in it The heart may be so farre towards goodnesse as to bring a man to good duties a dayes it may bring one to Sermon or to Prayer to others of the Ordinances of God and other good courses but what 's all this as long as it is dead the life lies in the bottome of the heart look what the bottome of the heart stands unto that 's a man alive unto then thou art alive towards God when the bottom of thy heart is unto him when thou labourest to obey him from the bottome of thy heart when thou callest upon him from the bottome of thy heart like Sugar at the bottome of the Cup stirre up the bottome the best is at bottome so thou must stirre up the bottome of thy heart the heart is a deep thing Psal 64. 6. though religion be on the top yet if the world be in the deepe thy heart is dead towards God as it is with a puddle it may be cleare at the top faire water at the top but there 's nothing but mudde at the bottome Secondly there be flitting Acts of the heart be they never so deep in the heart yet if they doe not stay there the heart is dead still Solomon sayes of his Father he said unto me let thy heart retaine my words keep my Commandements and live Prov. 4. 4. though the word does stirre neere so much for the present this is not life except thou retaine it and hold it fast a man may have many flashes of life in him but as long as the heart does not keep them it remaines dead they that seeke the Lord the heart shall live Psal 22. 26. that is when it is not a flash but it is an Act that abides by a man the heart is stedfastly set towards God now his heart lives now when people are moved onely by fits they are humbled by fits and startled by fits their righteousnesse is like a morning dew ye know there the dew is every morning but all the day it is gone may be when morning comes there it is againe but all the day it is gone It is true there may be horrible offs and on s in the Children of God to the confounding of their faces before God But I doe not speake to discourage them But let us take heed we may have admirable flashes of life fits of humblings fits of enlargements fits of selfe-denyall sits of great eagernesse after God the heart may be towards God for a sit a false heart as the Land of Israel their heart was firmely towards him for a sit they remembred that God was their rock and that the high God was their redeemer but their heart was not right with him they were not stedfast in his Covenant Psal 78. 37. mark it was but a fit like Esays crying for a fit This is a poore argument of life then no no the flitting acts of the heart may be no acts of life Thirdly there be wouldings and wishings in the heart and these cozen the world more then any other these they thinke verily are effects of true life First because these are not in the outside of the heart but lye or at least seeme to lye very deepe in the heart it is very certaine that many naturall men would give the whole world if they had it as they doe verily conceive that they had true grace that they were Saints that they could leave their sinnes that they were in a childe of Gods case they deeply wish it it is a profound would in their hearts and therefore now when they see such yearnings in their hearts they doe verily apprehend this is life certainly Hence it is that they will say they would from the bottome of their hearts serve God they have nere a lust but they would full faine have God deliver them from that indeed they confesse in their consciences if they might have a 1000 worlds they cannot give it over I but they would faine they could and thus they deceive themselves because this act seemes to be from the depth of their heart this fancy you may see to be in mens hearts out of Mich. 6. 6. 7. where ye see though they could not finde in their hearts to walke humbly before God to live justly and righteously yet they would give thousands they could O say they what would not we give for the sin of our soules no question but they thought they were alive but God told them they were not Secondly another reason why they thinke this is a token of life is because this is no flitting act neither But they have these wouldings every day nay you can never come to them but still they have these they would doe well nay they would doe as well as the best thus they hope they have a fountaine of living water in them that springeth up daily thus it was with them in the Prophets they seeke me daily sayes God Isa 58. 2. they thought it was their every dayes work to serve God and where they did faile they thought they could say they would doe better they sought the Lord daily Thirdly because they finde that this is attributed to the Saints as the Apostle sayes ye cannot doe the things that ye would Gal. 5. 17. nay the Apostle Paul himselfe speakes it of himselfe the good that I would doe that doe I not and the evill which I would not doe that doe I Rom. 7. 19. So that thus they argue now when they finde this same woulding in their hearts and cannot doe as they would O say they I may say with the Apostle the good which I would doe that doe I not I cannot doe as I would Thus they hoodwinke their owne soules It is very true these be the Saints groanes and a part of their sighing towards God that they cannot doe as they would this makes them a burthen to themselves and so againe when they finde themselves disturbed and limited and straightened by their flesh this is a comfort to their soules and an argument of Gods infinite goodnesse unto them that they can unfeignedly say they would doe better they doe please him in some measure through his grace and they would please him better they doe some good by his heavenly spirit and they would doe more they doe resist every sinne and they would resist it more This is very true But yet how many a thousands lul themselves asleep in security by the fancy of this thing The heart may put forth daily wouldings and be as dead as a carcasse to all the workes of
so eager to deny himselfe I count all drosse and dung the intentions of his heart were after Christ O sayes he that I might know him Phil. 3. 10. Thirdly the elections and choosings of the heart this is another part of the hearts life no man is dead to that which he chooses rather then any thing else now if we did still choose the wayes of God we could not be dead to them when we are dead to them at any time it is because we could even finde in our heart to make another choyce and therefore if we would know whether our heart is alive unto goodnesse whether doe we choose the way of goodnesse every day before any other way as David sayes I have chosen the way of truth Psal 119. 30. as the Lord sayes of the good eunuches they choose the things that please me Isa 56. 4. Beloved what ever we doe or thinke or speake still there be two wayes propounded to us one that is Gods way another that is our owne way now which doe we choose every day what thoughts doe we choose rather of the two to thinke what words doe we choose what actions what courses when we are together what conference doe we choose when alone what doe we choose there be two kinds of eating and drinking which choose we when we are provoked there be two wayes to take either to be impatient and suffer our passions to arise or to quell them and beat them down which doe we choose doe we say as that good man said Lord let thy han help me for I have choosen thy precepts Psal 119. 173. Fourthly the aversions of the heart ye know the heart it chooses what it likes so there is some thing that it shuns now if thou wouldst know whether thy heart be alive towards God doe but thinke with thy selfe what it uses to shun when thou art angry is it disgrace or sinne it ever shuns some thing or other either what God dislikes or what thou every day and houre something it puts off does it put off things that are offensive to thy flesh or things that are offensive to God Here lies thy hearts life if thy heart be alive towards God it is of this temper to put off those things that are displeasing to God I hate vaine thoughts sayes David Psal 119. 113. marke his heart was of this temper to put of all those things that were contrary to God it may be many of those thoughts his own heart would have rather kept I but when his heart was alive towards God he put them off though I have refrained my feet from every evill way that I may keep thy word Psal 119. 101. now when good things shall be put to a man every day by the word and by conscience and a man hath a refusing heart to them this is a dead heart as God put to Iudah to returne but they refused to returne Jer. 5. 3. God put shame before them for their sinnes but they refused to be ashamed Jer. 3. 3. now my brethren examine your bosonies how stand the refusals of your hearts doe you refuse good or evill every day if thou canst refuse temporall evill and not spirituall thou hase a dead heart Fifthly the savourings of the heart this is another peece of the hearts will something there is that every heart savours most and that it is which it is alive unto now then if thy heart be alive unto God it will savour the things of God most it will not onely doe good duties but savour them too not onely heare the word of God but it will have an admirable savour with the heart as the Apostle sayes it will have the savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2. 16. as the Church sayes to Christ because of the savour of thy good oyntments therefore the Virgins love thee Cant. 1. 3. Oh how it will savour a reproofe how it will relish but if holy things have no sweet savour in thy heart it may be thou canst not for shame of the world not seeme to stand for them thy conscience will not let thee but thou wilt give them a good word and seeme to approve them but there 's no more savour in them then in the white of an egge nay they are irksome and untoothsome they doe not goe merrily down with thee like sweet conserves assure thy selfe thy heart is a dead heart Sixthly the cares of the heart this is another show of the hearts will what the heart is alive to it carketh and careth for it and therefore if thy heart be alive towards God how carefull will it be that it may not offend him yea what care 2 Cor. 7. 11. As the Apostle sayes to Titus I will have thee affirme constantly that they which beleeve in God must be carefull to maintaine good works Tit. 8. 8. therefore if a Minister be alive towards God he will be full of care for his people how he may pull them from their sins how he may draw them to God how he may most doe them good as Paul sayes of Timothy he will naturally care for your Estute Phil. 2. 20. True a man hath many things to doe in the world many cares how to live how to pay rent at quarter day what may become of his poore Children c. I but if the heart be alive towards God it will labour to cast these cares upon God cast all your care upon him 1 Pet. 5. 7. But for heavenly things for the having and keeping of a good conscience it will be full of cares about these things yea it how may get to be more afraid of sinne how may I get a weaned heart from the earth it will be caring how he may be provided for evill times how he may stand in the wofull day Seventhly the appropriating of the heart the esteeming of the heart what 's the hearts jewell that 's the heart most alive to now thinke what does thy heart prize most of all if it be alive towards God he is dearest to thee his will dearer then thine his glory then thy credit his word then thy life as Paul sayes I doe not count my life deare so that I may finish my course with joy Act. 20. 24. this was the Jewell of his heart how he might doe the worke that God set him to doe that he might finish his course so likewise if thy heart be alive love will be like a precious oyntment Psal 133. 2. heavenly wisedome more precious then Rubies Prov. 3. 15. a promise will be precious to the heart 2 Pet. 1. 4. So also faith will be a precious thing 1 Pet. 1. 7. But above all Christ will be precious to the heart to you that beleeve he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. these are heart Jewels these it endeares most it will rather â—art with any thing then these nay it will morgage any thing to redeeme these againe These things are little
his conscience justified God O he deales very rightly with me The Lord is righteous 2 Chron. 1â— 6. so Adonibezek when the Lord brought that lamentable judgement on his head his conscience likâ— of Gods doings as I have done so God hath done to me so againe the conscience awakened may like of Gods commandements as Moses tels Israel that God gave them no other Commandements but such as were right and wise and good in the sight of the Heathen Deut 4. 6 7 8. that is they were such commandements that the Heathens thought in their conscience were good Againe the conscience somewhat awakened may like of Gods people that walke according to those Lawes and Commandements you may see this in Balaane O that I might dye the death of the righteous Numb 23. 10. his conscience lik't of their courses so Sauls conscience did approve Davids courses Thou art more righteous then I 1 Sam. 24. 17. A conscience somewhat awakened may like of the best preaching and the strictest preachers never man spake like this man O how mightily they lik't him Herod lik't Iohn admirably he was glad for to heare him profane Israel did wonderfully like the Sacrament of Gods presence when the Arke of God came into the Camp they shouted with a great shout that the earth rang againe 1 Sam. 4. 5. now when a carnall man perceives this work to be in him he is apt to conceive this is true grace of life Beloved you see this is very false Thou mayst like of Gods dealings with thee yea thou mayst thinke in thy conscience he deales very rightly with thee though it be never so bitter thou mayst thinke in thy conscience his commandements are good though they be never so strict thy conscience may like his Ministers and like his precepts and like his Ordinances and his Sacraments and yet be a dead conscience Secondly a conscience somewhat awakened may oblige a man to all manner of good things it may lay the commandements of God to his charge conscience may make him say not onely that the commandements are good but that it is his duty to doe them we see this by experience in many carnall people tell them of any commandement what is their answer Oh you say well I confesse it is my duty every drunkard will say thus I it is my duty never to be drunken the swearer will say thus you say right it is very true I confesse I should not take Gods name in vaine and therefore they are said to be under the Law Rom. 3. 19. that is they are bound in conscience to the Law their conscience tels them they ought to doe it their conscience layes it on them as a bond as the mad Prophet said must I not take heed to speake what God bids me speake Num. 23. 12. conscience layed a must upon his soule And this is the reason why a naughty heart will put off a commandement of God if he can when he sees it goes against his profit or his ease or his credit for he knowes if he yeeld it to be a commandement of God his conscience will come over him and say why then ye must doe it as we read of the Priests and the Elders they would not yeeld that Iohns Baptisme was from heaven O if we should yeeld that why then Christ will say why doe ye not beleeve Mat. 21. 25. mark the conscience comes over a man in all that he knowes God hath commanded and it layes it to his charge and you must doe this and you must doe that this is your duty now when men see this they are apt to conclude that their conscience is alive they thinke this is the life of their conscience to lay Gods commandements to their charge Alas brethren the conscience may be dead for all this you see this in people that are dead in trespasses and sinnes All that the Lord speakes that must I doe Num. 23. 26. it was the speech of a very wretch thou mayst have this principle in thy conscience all that the Lord bids me that must I doe and yet be a dead man O how does this beguile people because they feele such a principle in their conscience a dayes O thinkes one all that the Lord bids me that must I doe when people feele such a principle as this they thinke they are well now if they doe offend at any time they hold it to be but their infirmity and there 's an end But this is very false the conscience may have this principle in it and be dead Thirdly a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled about his sinnes he may be troubled before he commits he may be very loth to commit them as we see there in Herod when he was betrayed with his rash Oath and he was now tempted to behead John the Baptist his conscience made him very loth to doe it the Text sayes â—â— was exceeding sorrowfull Mark 6. 26. and the contempt shewes it was meerely because he thought in his conscience he should doe very ill to behead so good a man and therefore he was very loth he was troubled in conscience about it so was Darius when the Princes had wound him to cast Daniel into the Lions Denne he was moved troubled in conscience about it he was very loth to doe it he sought a good while how to put off the temptation by getting away how to avoyd this great sinne Dan. 6. 14. so was Pilot troubled in conscience about the condemning of Christ he went to it with a heavy heart and as a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled before the committing of sinne so he may be troubled in the committing of it An example of this we have in Saul when he committed that sin in sacrificing before Samuel came he was troubled in conscience in the very act I forced my selfe and offered a burnt offering 1 Sam. 13 12. Marke he did not commit the sinne hand-smooth as some doe but he felt a reluctancy againstit Againe a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled exceedingly after the committing of sinne when Iudas had betrayed our Saviour you see how his conscience was troubled after he had done O sayes hee I have sinned in betraying innocent blood Matth. 27. 4. especially at the hearing of a searching Sermon or at a Fast also then the conscience if it be onely awakened a little will be troubled exceedingly for his sinnes when Samuel kept a Fast there at Mizpah the Text shewes how they were smitten in conscience for their sinnes in so much that they cryed out in the open congregation we have sinned against the Lord 1 Sam. 7. 6. and yet many of these very men by and by shewed the rottennesse of their hearts so that this is another gall when men feele a lothnesse in them to commit sinne trouble of conscience before and at and after they thinke this is true grace doubtlesse doubtlesse their conscience hath life Fourthly conscience somewhat awakened
may urge one to good things and no question but many of you that are yet in your sinnes have found this to be true how often have your consciences urged you to give over your sinnes to looke after the getting of Christ to lead a godly life how many heaves have your consciences given at you to hoyse you up out of the state ye wallow in to make you more earnest for heaven more strict in your walking to provide for your latter end when ye are at Prayer how often does it urge you to dwell longer at it As it is said of Doeg he was detained before the Lord 1 Sam. 21. 7. he was held there he would have gone away afore but he was held now what should that be but his conscience his conscience urged him to stay long so your consciences urge you to be more attentive in hearing more mindfull of preaching more humble in your mindes lesse worldly more heavenly you may thinke this is a lively conscience no no it is not the truth is the more your consciences doe urge you a dayes the greater is your sin if ye yeeld not But this is so farre from life that it argues you to be the more dead if ye doe not obey and urging conscience is a great blessing I if men have eyes to see what the Lord does for them to deliver their soules from the pit This is the taking of men by the shoulders now if thou pull away thy shoulder They refused to hearken and pull'd away their shoulder Zach. 7. 11. that is the Lord set conscience upon them and urged them to obey as if a man should take another by the shoulder so dragge him and hale him and yet they would not So when Paul spake to Agrippa he felt an urging in his conscience O let me be a Christian and he confest as much two Paul almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian it was almost done he had a great heave he was urged But it would not doe so that this is no argument of life neither Fifthly conscience somewhat awakened may be very eager in urging it may be very importunate every day digging in his sides every day whispering in his bosome O thinke of God O consider thy soule O remember death conscience may be earnest and wonderfull eager with a man O doe not live as thou doest O be not so carelesse of God what wilt thou dye and be damned wilt thou to hell wilt thou never have done away with thy sinnefull courses away with thy dreamings O be stirre thy selfe or thou wilt perish such a conscience had Pilat about Christ it was eager with him not to condemne him This conscience is an admirable blessing woe be to those that stand out against it it is like Iacob with the Angell He would not let the Angell goe till he blest him Gen. 32. 26. like the man that was importunate with his friend and knockt and knockt and would have no nay Luk. 11. 8. I am in bed never tell me of your being in bed I pray let me have three loaves my children are in bed I pray trouble me not that is all one still he knocks he will have him up so when conscience is thus awakened and is importunate and will not be answered c. many a wretch hath such an impudent conscience as this But this is so farre from an argument of life as that it is a signe of a greater death Sixthly conscience somewhat awakened may prevaile very farre by its eagernesse it made the King of Iury doe many things it made the Heathens doe the things contained in the Law Rom. 2. 14 15. when the Pharisees came to tempt Christ with the woman taken in adultery conscience made them cease and goe out one by one Joh. 8. 9. it made Paul live so unblameably as he did ye know concerning the righteousnesse that is in the Law he was blamelesse Phil. 3. 6. now if ye looke into the 23. of the Acts and the first you shall see it was his conscience that made him doe so men and Brethren I have lived in all good conscience before God to this day as since his conversion his sanctified conscience made him live godlily in Christ so before his conversion his naturall conscience holpen by good education made him live unblameably so that what with one and with the other he could say he had lived in a good conscience to that day that is either morally good or spiritually good And therefore it was conscience that made him doe all that he did people thinke I indeed if they did good duties for outward by respects then they should thinke they were unsound but conscience sets them a worke and therefore they gather they are sound and alive towards God no beloved conscience may make a carnall man goe against all outward by-respects and doe very good dutie this we see in Balaam he went against all outward selfe respects and followed conscience for a house full of Silver and Gold he would not goe beyond the word of the Lord to doe lesse or more Num. 22. 18. so Iudas went against his credit and his profit and all ye know when his conscience told him the money was unjustly taken he went and threw it downe so did Michah the man was an Idolater and had stollen 1100 Peeces of Silver from his Master yet when he heard his mother curse he restored all againe O thought he what shall I heare my mother curse his conscience rose up against that and made him make restitution why doe carnall men pray in secret no question but it is conscience that makes them may be when they are tempted to a sinne in secret they will not doe it and it is the conscience that with holds them in this sense they doe good duties out of conscience now is this Conscience alive no it does not follow ye see this may be in naturall men and women Seventhly conscience somewhat awakened may make one looke at God so farre as it prevailes you may see this in Laban the man was a wicked man yet he lookt at God in not hurting of Jacob though it were in the choyse of his hand yet he would not hurt Jacob and he lookt at God in the thing O sayes his conscience the God of your Father spake to me yesternight Gen. 31. 29. he abstained from hurting of Iacob and he lookt at God in the abstaining from it Because God had forbidden him therefore he will not hurt him so it was with King Cyrus he was a naturall man too yet when he tooke order for the building of the Temple at Ierusalem his conscience made him look at God in the thing O sayes he the Lord God of Heaven and earth hath charged me to build him a house Ezek. 1. 2. so when Jehu destroyed Ahabs house and Baals Priests he himselfe sayes how he lookt at God in the thing come see how zealous I am for
pleasing in his eyes though it may be people doe not feele this same feare as long as they are well and lusty but let but conscience be awakened or let death seize upon them then a feare will appeare O how afraid are they to goe before God But let a man have such a living conscience as this this gives a man boldnesse The righteous are as bold as a Lyon Prov. 18. 1. thy conscience is an admirable thing without this all a mans boldnesse is nothing Thou maist hold up thy head very high and out face all the world for a time as bold as can be tush thou art well thought of among all thy neighbours but what sayes thy conscience if that cannot say thou art a gracious man I tell thee thou canst have no boldnesse But now if thou hast this same living conscience now thou maist be as bold as a Lyon though the world doe accuse thee yet what sayes thy conscience if that excuse thee thou maist shew thy face where thousands shall be confounded when Austin was accused by Secundinus to have come from the Maniehees for feare of losse and for hope of preferment he comforted himselfe with his conscience I esteeme not sayes he what Secundinus thinkes of me so long as my conscience approves me before God so also Paul when the false Apostles accused him O sayes he it is a very small thing with me that I should be judged of you 1 Cor. 4. 3. Thus ye see for good what is the livingnesse of conscience towards good This is the second thing Thirdly now about Poth both sinne and goodnesse when is the conscience alive about both namely when it does instruct a man and not onely so but it guides a man to shun the one and to imbrace the other This is a living conscience indeed when it is a mans privy counsell from day to day This is a Divine Counsell it s like a little privy Counseller in a Childe of Gods bosome that the Lord in mercy hath placed there to direct him as David sayes I will blesse the Lord for giving me Counsell my reines instruct me in the night seasons Psal 16. 7. By his reines he meaneth his conscience now that did instruct him not onely in the day time but also in the night if he were tempted to sinne his conscience instructed him nay I must not yeeld to that if he found himselfe backward to any good duty nay still his conscience advised him nay I must be forward to that I confesse a dead conscience may give admirable counsell and Instruction to the wicked I their conscience proves it unto them But it does not do its duty for it does not make them to doe theirs Thus ye see what a living conscience is when it so does its duty that it makes us to doe ours But it may be humbled conscience is paedagogus animae it is the soules Schoole Master as Origen cals it now a Schoole-Master may doe his duty though he doe not make his Scholler doe his for if he be diligent in teaching and doing of his office the Scholer may be a dunce for all him the best Schoole-Master may have a block head and a dunce in his Schoole I answer the reason is not alike First a Schoole-master teacheth another But conscience is a Schoole-Master not to another but to a mans selfe and therefore if the conscience doe its duty indeed it must needs make the man to doe his because his conscience is a Schoole-Master to himselfe Secondly againe a Schoole-Master is not alwayes by his Scholer sometimes his back is turned but conscience is ever by a man and therefore if it did alwayes doe its duty it might make the man to doe his Againe Thirdly a Schoole-Master it may be his Scholer is duller then himselfe and then though himselfe be never so learned yet he cannot put his learning into his Scholer But it is not so here here the Scholer and the Schoole-Master is all one one is no more dull then another for looke how dull the one so dull the other look how active the one is so active is the other because conscience and the man is all one it is very true the conscience by accusation is eagerer then the man for God may take a dead conscience and sur it exceedingly and he does so ordinarily in men but these stirrings of conscience are none of consciences stirring but Gods my spirit shall not alwayes strive with man Gen. 6. 3. they are his strivings with men But the consciences own quick enings and the mans are all one you will say how shall I know whether the quickening that is in my conscience be my consciences or onely the Lords stirring in my conscience I answer First when thou art glad that thy conscience is so busie with thee it is very welcome unto thee then the Lord hath made thy conscience alive then God does not onely strive in thy conscience but thy conscience it selfe is alive as we see there in David I will blesse the Lord for giving me counsell my reines doe instruct me Psal 16. 7. when his conscience did instruct him he was glad of it he blest the Lord for it his conscience was alive But now in a wicked heart the more his conscience accuses and condemnes and checks the more buisie it is with him the more unwelcome it is and therefore he labours to still it may be he will stop it with some thing may be some little reformation for the time may be with Prayer or some yeeldings thereunto nay there be some labour to drown it out right they will goe to the Ale-house or to Cards or among their boone companions and so shake of those dumps therefore my Brethren if ye would have a signe that your conscience is alive be glad at its dictates give them all their deare intertainement ye can Blesse the Lord for them and make very much of such they are the sweet motions of Gods holy spirit quench them not doe not stop the mouth of them by halfe payments let them have their full sway Secondly when thou callest upon thy conscience to be buisie when thou usest to stirre up conscience every day wind it up as a man does his Clock that it may be in continuall motion So the Prophet did Why art thou so heavy O my soule why art thou so disquieted within me hope thou in God Psal 42. 11. marke he took his conscience and stir'd up himselfe with it a wicked man does not thus his conscience comes before it is sent for it is like an unbidden guest And therefore if thou wouldst know whether thy conscience be alive doe but consider whether this be thy course if thou doest daily awaken thy conscience if thou doest set it a worke this is a signe of life in it as Paul did here in doe I exercise my selfe that I may have a good conscience voyd of offence Act. 24. 16. He laboured
for his conscience he called it up every day he was active about it so that the stirrings that are in wicked men they are none of theirs but Gods meerly to pull them out of the bottomlesse pit if it might be in the meane time his conscience is as dead as himselfe Thus ye see what the life of the conscience is First there is a relative life of conscience the conscience is alive when the man is alive Secondly the conscience is alive when it makes duty so that it makes the man do his duty too when it does not onely check for evill and accuse for evill and condemne for evill and prompt a man that he should take heed of evill but it make a man doe his duty in all these so also when it does not onely urge a man to that which is good and excuse him and approve him but in all these it makes him doe his duty too so likewise when it counsels it does not onely counsell and dictate what is to be done and what not but it so does all these particulars that it makes the man to doe his duty in sincerity from day to day This is alive conscience Now that this is the live conscience I prove it unto you by five Arguments 1. Because conscience was made not onely to doe all these acts but to make a man to doe his so that when conscience does its own acts never so much that 's nothing to the life of conscience does thy conscience check thee and smite thee does it whisper never so much in thee this is no Argument it 's alive except it make thee to be obedient unto God Conscience was given man for this purpose and therefore then onely is it alive when it is for this purpose in thy Bosome when David would get up out of his temptations you may see how he got up by conscience I communed with my owne heart and my spirit sayes he made diligent search Psal 77. 6. that is he communed with his conscience what he knew about God and so got himselfe up this is thy consciences office to tell thee what thou hast heard out of the word and that is not all but to lead thee guide thee as the helme does the Ship It is given thee to be thy keeper as he sayes J was upright before him and I kept my selfe from my iniquity Psal 18. 23. that is this is my iniquity this is the sinne that I am most inclined to I must keepe my selfe from that Thus his conscience was his keeper under God Secondly another argument is because this is the way whereby godly people doe their duties their conscience makes them doe their duty it makes them beleeve it makes them feare God it makes them eschew evill and doe good from day to day Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Psal 103. 2. when the Prophet would doe this duty he made his conscience presse it soundly upon him to doe it so when he would waite upon God he set his owne soule and conscience upon him to make him to doe it waite on the Lord be of good courage he will strengthen thy heart waite I say upon the Lord Psal 27. 14. Thirdly another argument is this is the description of those that have a live conscience they are such as make themselves doe their duties continually as the Apostle sayes He that hath this hope in him purisieth himselfe even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3. 3. that is he is a man that makes himselfe doe his duty his owne soule and conscience sayes thus unto him Christ is a pure Christ and I must be like him as ever I hope that he will bring me into his kingdom and this makes him doe his duty he purisieth himselfe even as he is pure I could quote abundance of places to prove this Fourthly another argument is when God speakes to any that are alive from the dead to doe their duties towards him he bids them make themselves to doe their duties on this manner so Saint Paul sayes Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the sight of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. that is goe and aske your owne soule and conscience what have I not these and these promises why then I must labour to be cleansed from all manner of sinne I must perfect holinesse in the feare of God now sayes he let us make our selves doe our duties thus Nay fifthly when God speakes to them which are yet dead and would turne them home unto him he bids them doe thus in regard of the meanes turne your selves and live you Ezek. 18. 32. that is Let your owne soules and consciences consider this is the way to live ye cannot be saved without turning as ever I would live for ever I must be turned from all my sinfull courses make your selves doe your duties in this manner that is use all the meanes that the Lord hath given you to use make your selves goe about it not as though any man hath free will to turne himselfe But he speakes of the use of all meanes that he puts into your hands make your selves to use them nay no soule can ever look to be saved except he doe not onely let his conscience check him and tell him thus and thus his duty is but also let his conscience make him doe his duty too so that this must needs be the life of the conscience when it does not onely doe its owne duty to check and to whisper but also it makes a man to doe his The use of this is first then we see here how few have live consciences for people have consciences that doe onely tell them they should be more carefull they should give over such and such sins they should beleeve and they should be zealous and they should be more setled but O how few have consciences that make them doe their duties Numb 15. 40. that ye may remember and doe all my commandements and be holy unto your God REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead WE are come to speake of this necessary point when is a man quickened up towards God and all his holy wayes We have shewed you three things concerning this already First what the life of the minde is Secondly what the life of the heart is Thirdly what the life of the conscience is Now there remaines two more the one is the life of the memory the other is the life of the affections Fourthly then what is the life of the memory for the memory too may be dead and the memory may be alive First the memory may be dead when a man may be remembers if ye aske him a thing he can tell it aske him of a Sermon he can tell the Text and the points and the particulars that were delivered in the Sermon but here 's all it 's a dead memory he never remembers it to
is all our preaching and dressing up of our Sermons like the riging of the sayles that 's nothing except the wind blow The Spirit of Christ is the winde except hee blow upon you we are nothing the tampering on the Organs is nothing but when the breath comes then there is musique So we may keep adoe to turne your hearts but till God breath into you there is nothing done True the preaching of the Gospel is a very powerfull thing I when Christs arme goes along with it it is the sword of the Spirit but if the Spirits arme be not with it we may brandish it here every week and doe little as Scanderbagge said One hearing what mighty feats Scanderbagges sword had done sent for it and when he saw it he made nothing of it Is this the Sword that hath done such great exploits what 's this Sword more than other swords O sayes Scanderbagge I sent thee my sword but not my arme that did handle it So my Brethren the word which wee preach is but Christs sword God sends you his sword many times when he keeps his arme to himself and so nothing is done So then we are nothing and therefore all successe is of Christ First our wills are nothing to doe it we may will to doe you good but Converts cannot bee made by our wills as the Evangelist sayes Joh. 1. 13. Secondly our paines and labours are nothing we may labour and take paines but look Esa 49. 4. Thirdly our gifts are nothing who had better gifts than Christ had as hee was man and yet that would not doe it Joh. 12. 38. Fourthly our Prayers are nothing they may doe something sometimes but except God be pleased to give successe they are nothing Jeremiah prayed Jer. 14. 7 8 9. yet the Lord told him that should not doe it ver 11. Secondly the Conversion of Soules is a supernaturall work we that are Ministers preach to make men new creatures to turn Leopards into Kids as if we should preach to make Blackamores white the dead alive which is a work for God alone to doe and therefore the successe must needs be from him Alas what are we able to doe as the Apostle sayes You are Gods wormanship in Christ Jesus created to good works Ephes 2. 10. we are his instruments that 's true indeed but yee are his workmanship you are the Epistle of Christ administred by us Writen not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God 2 Cor. 3. 3. The Epistle of Christ but ministred indeed by Christ his is the hand wee are but the pen when we bid you repent and beleeve and be holy and godly and heavenly minded men deny your selves be dead to the world and alive to God come out of Satans power come into Christs Kingdom it is like Ezekiels bidding of the dead bones to gather flesh and stand up living men All the successe must needs be of God And therefore what does this teach us The Use of it is First That we that are the Ministers of God can but make tryall whether we can convert our people or no as the Apostle speaks proving if at any time God will give them repentance 2 Tim. 2. 25. so it is in some of your Bibles so we must make proofe we must try come into the Pulpit every week and try sharpen our nailes as sharp as we can and strike them as farre in as we can and so try often try as the wiseman speaks in another case In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening let not thy hand rest for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that or both Eccle. 11. 6. So Jeremiah did hee would try first hee went to the poorer sort to see whether they would hearken unto him when he had no successe there then thought he I will try the great men I will get mee to the great men Jer. 5. 5. we should make assayes we doe not know may be God will give us good successe we must make assayes as it is said of Paul and Silas That they assayed to goe into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not Act. 16. 7. O thought they here bee a great many soules in this Countrey we will try whether there be any for Christ yea or no. Indeed they found that they had no successe in their attempt But they made an assay though Secondly This teacheth us to wait though we have not successe presently yet we should wait all successe is from Christ and therefore it is fit we should wait for it and therefore a Minister is commanded to be patient The servant of the Lord must be gentle to all men apt to teach patient 2 Tim. 2. 24. q. d. he hath not the successe in his own hands to have it when he will no though he doe no good yet nor yet hee must be patient He is not apt to teach poore people else except he be patient as he is not fit to teach a dull Schollar that is over-hasty And therefore my Brethren though we have lost all our labour hitherto on the most of you yet now again we speak to you come will ye yet go to heaven come are ye yet in the minde to hearken and obey wee come to you once more will ye yet c. as Jeremiah sayes Woe unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not bee made clean when shall it once be Jer. 13. 27. Beloved wee are dull Schollars in Religion and people are hard to take their learning in this kinde and therefore if we would be apt to teach wee must be patient what though we see no good yet this must not make us out of heart or to grudge our paines we must bee patient still wee are to think may be the next time I preach God will give me good successe Isaiah and Paul gave not over though they had cause to complain Thirdly This may serve to condemn all the world whether the Gospel comes and specially us hereabouts that doe not let Ministers have any good successe you will say how doe I make this use of it If all the Ministers successe be from Christ then one would think this were an excuse unto people I answer no the meaning of the Doctrine is this that the people are so contrary to the Word such enemies to the wayes of Jesus Christ that a Minister can look for no successe except the Lord turn their hearts This is the meaning of the point Does this excuse any what does your enmity against Christ and all goodnesse afford you any excuse nay this aggravates your sin Now this is the meaning of it As Saint Paul when he spake how little successe he and all the rest of his fellow-Apostles had hee layes the blame upon the people All the day long I have stretched out my hands against a disobedient and a gainsaying people Rom. 10. 21. So the Prophet Isaiah from whom these words are taken complaines of the unfruitfulnesse
of his Ministery as being the peoples fault and therefore he complaines of them unto God Lord who hath beleeved our report Esay 53. 1. The conscience of man knows this to bee true for hee knows hee sinnes willingly and hee knows hee would not doe otherwise hee daily feeleth Gods Spirit haling him to good and telling him he ought to live thus and thus and yet he is loath and will not he inclines the other way and rather would do as he does then as he knows God would have him what is this but contempt and indeed this is the great sin of this Land the contempt of the Gospel people count it not a precious but a tedious thing Never merry world sayes some since we had so much Preaching as if the Sun shone too bright like the Israelites who stumbled at the plenty of Manna Nay they are akin to the Devils who asked Christ if hee were come to torment them they account the Gospel a torment because it crosseth their lusts and lets in so much light These can spend dayes and nights in vanity but an houre at a Sermon is tedious if they had any delight in the Word they would not care though their Minister stood somewhat long Though Zachary stayed long in the Temple yet the people waited for him till hee came out Luk. 1. 21. they marvelled indeed he stayed so long but the Spirit of God notes that they waited for him But our people sit upon thornes at a Sermon but they can lye soaking at an ale-bench as though they sate upon soft cushions The Onions of Egipt have a better taste with them than the Quailes of the Wildernesse They had rather live at the Hogs-trough than in their Fathers house With the Gadarens they parfer their Pigges before our Saviour Christ O say they we cannot live by Sermons Sermons are too holy and strait for them Bid them take up Christs yoake they care not for it except it were wider The Ministery hath no successe at all with them unto any purpose What a thing is this Brethren Whence is it that wee regard the Gospel no more The sooth is people know not their damned estate neither will they beleeve it though we tell them nay they care not whether they hear it or no. But if they knew the goodnesse of it they would run from East to West for it if drunkards and worldlings and such rabble knew their fearfull estate the Minister should be as welcome to them as bread to the hungry or a pardon to a Theif So that yee see this condemneth them deeply that the Word hath no successe with Thus yee see the Ministers of Christ have all successe from Christ if any one soule come in at their teaching it is an evident signe it is of Jesus Christ for otherwise people hold off some hold off altogether others yeeld a little way but will not yeeld full out if a man yeeld to us indeed it is meerly by Jesus Christ Now I will shew you that as a Minister hath all his good successe of his labours from Jesus Christ So if he be a true Minister of Christ Christ uses to give him good successe When Christ put Peter into the Ministery He told him from hence forth thou shalt catch men Luk. 5. 10. That is as I have made thee a Minister So thou shalt have good successe They shall have some good successe as we see in the sence though three parts fell into hard ground yet some fell into good ground Mar. 4. 8. Nay though Christs Ministers come into the most Desperate places that can be as we read in the Acts of the Apostles notwithstanding the places they went to were deepely rooted in Idolatry and full of persecuting Jewes and they were ready to be stoned to death the people were so madde against their Doctrine yet they never Preached any where but they had good successe with some When Paul came to Thessalonica the text notes some of them beleeved and joyned in Company with him Act. 17. 4. When he came to Athens though some mocked and some hung in suspence like Neuters that were neither fish nor flesh howbeit certaine men clave unto Paul and beleeved Act. 17. 34. So when he came to Rome Though some stood out yet some were perswaded Act. 28. 24. Yea when Philip came to Samaria though it was a Towne that was bewitcht full of sorcery and witchcraft and they had even given their soules to the Devill A Minister could hardly come into a worse Towne yet the people gave heed to those things that he spake Act. 8. 6. Nay the context shewes he had marveilous good successe the Lord maketh that precious account of the Ministers of the Gospell that he never bestowes it upon any place where he hath not some elect other blessings God bestows more promiscuously Reprobates have as great plenty as others All things come a like to all But this blessing he gives to no place where he hath not some to save Either some in the Towne or some there abouts The use of this is first Here we are to enquire then what may be the reason that Christs Ministers have so little successe now adayes First Some Ministers have the lesse successe by raysing up of others that have greater As Calvin after Luther Luther had admirable successe for a time and then when Calvin came he did increase and Luther did decrease So John observed of himselfe he had admirable successe for a time but when Christ came John had the lesse He must increase but I must decrease Joh. 3. 30. Againe it may be peoples unthankfulnesse for the Ministry of the Word When people have had the Word along time and yet they will not obey it may be God sayes to them as he did to the Fig-tree Never fruit grow on thee more while the world standeth Then God sends Esay to make the heart of the people fat Then Jeremiahs errands most an end to plucke up and to pull downe Then John is to say He that is filthy let him be filthy still Then Hosea cryes Ephraim is joyned unto Idols let him alone Thirdly Some Ministers may be have the lesse successe for their owne fault in not speading of the net when their preaching is little better then reading True it may be a man may be converted by reading as Luther sayes he was And John Husse by reading Wiclefes bookes Austen sayes he was converted by reading the 13. of the Romans and the 14. vers There is a Blessing that may be looked for by reading Blessed is he that readeth Rev. 1. 3. But this is very rare There may a fish or two hang on the net being let downe on a heape but that is a chance No no it is not the net lapped up together that bringeth in the draught but hayled out at length and spread all abroad this closeth in the fish So it is the spreading of the Word the stretching of it out upon