himself for you see who 't is 't is I 't is I saith Christ Here is 1. Comfort to the drooping soul 2. Terrour to the rebellious I begin first with Comfort to the drooping soul and indeed 't is pity but these should first be comforted before the other be terrified 't is for these mourners sakes amongst others and those others that shall be brought to this condition that the world stands for if once the number of Gods Jewels shall be compleated God will then go to gathering up of his Jewels Jews and Gentiles together and they shall be mine saith the Lord in the day when I make up my Jewels To you then let me first speak you see who stands at the door and from whom those motions of Gods Spirit come whereby your hearts are at any time wrought upon whether terrifyingly in the work of conviction upon your souls for sin by the right preaching and application of the Law or comfortably by the sweet strivings and wooings of the Preparations to the Gospel whether at this or at other times from whom come all these things My Text tels you in effect that they come from Christ and is not Christ your friend think ye why are ye afraid O ye of little faith yea perhaps I may as yet say O ye of no faith In the 14th of St. Matthewes Gospel we finde that Jesus had constrained his Disciples to get into a Ship and to goe on the other side of the sea there mentioned whilest he sent the multitude away the Disciples no doubt hoped that Christ would not be long after them nor was he for we finde that when the Ship was tossed with waves in the midst of the sea for the wind was contrary about the fourth watch of the night Iesus went to them walking on the sea The Disciples seeing this were troubled they thought they had seen a spirit and they cried out for feare but Christ quickly comforts them Be not afraid saith he be of good checre 't is I. How fitly is this applicable to your soules ye sonnes and daughters of affliction Jesus Christ hath constrained you to get into a Ship a Ship of soul-affliction let that be supposed to be the Ship in this Ship ye are tossed and tumbled with waves for the windes are contrary and ye think poor soules ye shall never come to your haven stay stay a little my sweet daughters of Hierusalem doe not droope too much loose not your Anchor hold so easily looke about you a little and perhaps you will discern Christ walking in this sea of your troubles Perhaps not knowing him when ye see him nor being well acquainted with him ye will mistake him and be troubled and think 't is a spirit that will destroy you and that he is your enemy 't was thus with the Disciples why may it not be so with you But see ver 27. Jesus straightway spake unto them saying be of good checre it is I be not afraid If ye can hear Christ saying it is I it is I be of good chear be not afraid will your afflictions trouble you then Waire then upon the Lord patiently you know not how soone Christ will shew himselfe to you I can assure you 't is now towards the fourth watch of the night and 't is not long till the morning waite comfortably under your storme your afflictions cannot last long the day-starre will arise and if Jesus Christ give you the morning-starre will it not be worth all your afflictions all your sorrowes all your tossing in these waters all the troubles you have undergone in your fears Be of good chear 't is I 't is I. Would you have more when you hear him and see him catch him in your armes and cry out with old Simeon The Lord now lets his Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen his salvation or as Philip which spake to Nathanael I have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth the Sonne of Joseph Ioh. 3.45 I have done with you at this time I come next to the rebellious and forgive me if professing my selfe a true Minister of Jesus Christ I come to you like Christ with clouds with the clouds of Gods indignation with clouds of darknesse and trouble upon your souls for your sinnes in suffering Christ to knock so oft to call so long to cry so loud so that it may be truly said of him as Christs mother and brethren and sisters said touching themselves in seeking Christ he hath sought you sorrowing and you have beene the cause of it for ye have many a time suffered him to strive knock call cry cry aloud and yet ye have given him no entrance he is out of doors still the door is locked still nay ye have set strong barres of opposition to keep him out nay to keep him out purposely You think perhaps you have not but I can make it apparent ye have nay and God willing I shall make it appear in a spirituall enquiry after some soule transactions before I have ended all my endeavours upon this Text. And what will ye say then touching your wickednesse must ye not will ye not say then 't is of the Lords mercy we are not consumed how ye should say lesse I know not But to prepare you herein for this Sermon will be but the shell the outside the kernell is to come be pleased to remember from that which I have already spoken that when ye sinne against the motions of Gods Spirit which I am confident hath been long strugling with you that in so doing ye sinne likewise against Christ against that Christ that it may be hath washed us from our transgressions by his own bloud and we not know it This consideration of sinning against Christ was a tender thing once with the Apostle St Paul 1 Cor. 8.12 where reproving the Corinthians for offending the consciences of the Brethren in eating things offered to Idols a thing too usuall in a spirituall sense in these daies he reproves them and terrifies them in so doing by fastening this upon them that they sinned against Christ But when ye sinne so against the Brethren and wound their weak Consciences ye sinne against Christ as much as to say and what will ye do that will ye do so indeed What we Christians sinne against Christ that hath made us so that hath washed us from our sinnes by his own bloud what we doe it Tell it not in Gath. Let others doe it if they will doe ye doe it if ye will but I tell you plainely I Paul will never doe it God willing wherefore if meat make my brother to offend I will eat no flesh whilest the world standeth lest I make my brother to offend His words by plaine and ready arguing with halfe an eye you may see to come to thus much that rather then I will sinne against Christ which I must doe if I make my brother to
CHRIST KNOCKING AT THE DOORE OR The Substance of a SERMON Intended to be Preached in PAULS upon the Sabbath Day which fell upon the Fifteenth Day of April last But not Preached by reason of a suddain Obstruction of that Liberty which was promised him being indeed unworthy to be the Servant of Jesus Christ in any such ministration for ever Published by the Authour PHILIP TANNY commonly TANDY London Printed by A.M. and are to be sold by Giles Calvert at the Black Spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls and Simon Miller at the Signe of the Starre 1655. To his Highnesse OLIVER Lord Protector of the Common-wealth of England Scotland and Ireland May it please your Highness IT is now almost nine years since I appeared in a Pulpit except once only at London-stone where I thank God through his blessing I did not wholy lose my labour I did endeavour before that to have preached at Pauls upon a Sabbath day in the afternoon in Dr Burgess his substitutes room but he being surprised on a sudden with some strange relations touching me wherein it may please God at length to vindicate me to the shame of all my enemies for I account my professed friends by reason of their injurious actions towards me little lesse on a sudden when I came with intention to goe into the Pulpit to deliver the substance of what is herewith printed with some enlargements as my affections should have dictated I was to the wonder I think of many I am sure of divers who came to hear me with honest affections I doubt not denied the liberty which was very civily promised me May it please your Highness I thank God I can say truly and my heart and conscience bears me witnesse to my own integrity in saying so that I can be content to become a spectacle to God Angels and men since he hath been pleased most strangely and unexpectedly to finde out a way to shew compassion to such a sinner as I am of which I was so hopelesse for a long time together though I must confesse at the beginning of my despair I received the greatest support by your Highnesse speaking to me that ever I had from any man living that I must needs say that for almost if not full out nine years together I never clearly hoped for the reconciled face of a loving God againe For this reason I say once again I can be content through the goodness of God to become a spectacle to God Angels and men for Jesus Christs sake who I trust hath had mercy on my soul and hath pardoned my transgressions there having been never such a sinner in the world as I have been Such a compassion being shewed to such a sinner the like I say again was never yet in the world it hath begotten in me a suitable and I hope I may say a Christianlike resolution to passe by such wrongs and injurious transactions used towards me as I may truly affirm that all circumstances considered there were yet never the like of them in the world done to any private man in a peaceable government God continue this government upon your Highness shoulders and make them strong for their service which is very great nay greater then you are aware of if I know any thing of God or of Jesus Christ aright The reason why I have troubled the Press with my affectionate meditations upon the action of Christ knocking at the doores of our hearts for the entertaining of his mercies is because 1. By this I shall revive in my memory the many transactions which Christ in his patience hath used toward my self and be humbled for my own disobedience and rebellion 2. That it might appear to all that I am no sower of sedition there being nothing more affectionately springing in my soul then my longing desire to see this poor Nation wherein I was born and have lived I thank God honestly towards man though sinfully towards God the larger half of my days in humane reason setled and established in truth righteousnes and peace I put truth first for if our intellectuals be not better principled touching many differences that are amongst us I am certain we cannot be stablished in righteousnesse and if we be not stablished in righteousnesse I am as sure and certaine that we cannot be stablished in any true and truly comfortable peace I am not without hope notwithstanding all difficulties yet to see such a peace And indeed to speak truth one reason of my hope is that I see generally in all mens expectations so little hope of it For do not mens hearts say within themselves How can these things be shall a Nation be born in a day It may be it will for when the Lord returns the captivity of his people shall they not be like them that dreame Who knows what a day may bring forth We have long looked for a day generally heretofore but of late men have laboured in the very fire and yet expected no good but to live and not to be slaves Bear up yet a little longer O England it may be thy Saviour will yet pity thy longings thou seest no help 't is the more likely that help is nigh at hand me thinks I see a little which though appearing but like the palme of a hand may yet increase to a great cloud which shall overspread the heavens and bring forth rain to refresh the earth In this Expectation I do with much comfort of heart assure my Soul your Highnesse hath a great part to act a great Stage to act upon you know not how large Be pleased to look to your station in Jesus Christ strongly and suddenly if your feet shall be fixt upon that rock and your goings stablished in him this Nation will have reason to blesse God for you but if your Highness falter too much if you consult with flesh and bloud too long if your affections to Jesus Christ and his poor ones cool or grow indifferent or that you look too much upon principles of Policy which are an Aegyptian Reed and will deceive you and all the Princes in the world You may expect a sudden hand of Gods vengeance and displeasure that shall overturn your Counsels and bring them to foolishnes and God shall bring deliverance another way and restore comforts to his Mourners by another hand I beseech your Highness pardon my plain dealing I dare not but speak the things which in some little measure I see I have spoken herein words of sobernesse and honest affection to your Highness and to this Nation wherein I live God Almighty give you understanding in all things which concern the publike and your private peace I am Your Highness most truly affectionate and thankefully humble Servant PHILIP TANNY vulgò TANDY CHRIST KNOCKING AT THE DOORE REV. 3. Ver. 20th Behold I stand at the doore and knock IF we take this whole Booke of the Revelations and looke upon it in a more generall view it
offend I will not eat a bit of flesh as long as the world lasts Beloved we use to say when we are averse to a thing Before I will doe such a thing I will never eat bit of bread such a kinde of zeale and such a kinde of expression may you imagin St Pauls to have been in his resolution of not sinning against Christ and yet how many are there that make no bones of this but let them take heed that God make not their bones and their hearts into the bargain ake for it Sure I am the new converts in the second of the Acts were pricked to the very heart at this very consideration see the place Acts 2.37 You may observe St Peter ver 14. beginning to preach his first Sermon after the ascension his first work is to take off a mistake a misapprehension from the people touching themselves These men are not drunken as ye suppose At ver 22. his Sermon begins to pinch close for he speakes plainely Ye men of Israel heare these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you as ye your selves know Ver. 23. Him being delivered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slaine He followes this argument close all along heightning the sinne by the consideration of Gods exalting of Christ and in ver 36. he puts Gods goodnesse to Christ and their wickednesse against Christ both together and with this as with a great and irresistible hammer God pricks their hearts in Peters Ministry yea he breaks them all to pieces for see ver 37. Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe When they heard this that the same Jesus whom they had crucified was exalted by God to be Lord and Christ when they heard this and that they had thus sinned against their Lord their Christ their King this oh this pricked them to the quick this shivered them all to pieces this divided betwixt the joynts and marrow it broke downe all opposition Men and brethren what shall we doe such wretches such vile creatures as we are never were in the world What! is that Jesus that we have crucified is he our Christ our Lord have we thus wronged him thus dealt with him Woe umo us that we have sinned Thus you see how farre this consideration strikes terror here it did strike terror into their hearts may it not strike terrour into yours for know assuredly that that same Jesus the motions of whose spirit or of Gods Spirit you have stood out against I suppose you look upon it as all one for he and the Father are one is that very Jesus whom God hath exalted-heretofore yea and will exalt him again and he will make him actually both Lord and King in all the souls of his people and over all the world and this is he whom ye sinne against whom in a spirituall sense ye crucifie againe as it were even the Lord of glory nay let me go further with you and drive you up closer I must tell you that whilest ye rebell against the workings of the Spirit of God ye do at once sinne against Father Sonne and holy Ghost all at one stroake as I may say A time bath been and that in my dayes when a mans naming the sinne against the holy Ghost in the Pulpit would have made many a heart to tremble I am sure it made mine tremble when I was a boy and minded nothing but pastime and pleasure but though I tell you and I shall make it appear that in resisting the motions of Gods Spirit ye have sinned against Father Sonne and holy Ghost and that your actions especially in some have entrenched and bordered much upon the chanell of such actions as do leade directly to the grand sinne the unpardonable sinne even the sinne against the holy Ghost which you know Christ saith shall never be pardoned in this world nor in the world to come yet who trembles whose heart quakes nay do we not mock at fear and have not some sucked in such principles that doe utterly overturne all shaking all trembling either at the apprehension of their sinnes or of Gods judgements due to them for their sinne My friends for as yet I am no mans declared enemy in the world do not I tell you the truth Do not your hearts and consciences bear me witnesse and witnesse for me If so though you are so hardened that ye cannot cry out What shall we do Yet God hath so softned my heart towards you that I cannot but ask What ye will do Will ye go on I trust in God your hearts will not let you say We will go on and we will do what seemeth good in our own eyes and as for these words which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hear thee No will ye not Are ye resolved thus if you are I will break your resolutions if I can and rather then suffer you to runne on thus headlong into your destruction I will kindle a fire in your very bones I will vex your very souls and bring you with David to cry out as he Psa 6. My bones are vexed O Lord yea my soul is vexed but thou O Lord how long Consider then in the fear of God what I assert what I insist upon viz. That he that sinnes against the strivings of Gods good Spirit sinnes against Father Sonne and holy Ghost That he sins against the Father is evident 1. From those words which Christ useth Joh. 15.23 24. He that hateth me hateth my Father also If I had not done among them the works which none other man did they had not had sinne but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father also Would you have a clearer Text He that hates the Son hates the Father by the same argument He that sins against the Sonne sins against the Father and indeed he and the Father are one or else Union with Christ would not be enough to make Christs poor ones one with the Father but that this is sufficient you may most remarkably see from that heavenly piece of Scripture Joh. 14. from v. 7. to the middle of the 11. verse If saith Christ ye had known me ye should have known my Father also and from henceforth ye know him and have seen him The Disciples stumbled at this but Philip particularly saith to him Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us Christ seems to stumble at them as much as they at him for he speaks to Philip as in their stead Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me Philip He that hath seen me hath seen the Father and how saist thou then Shew us the Father Would ye