A Seasonable Discourse Wherein SINCERITY DELIGHT in the Service of GOD is earnestly pressed upon PROFESSORS of RELIGION Delivered on a Publick FAST at Cambridge in NEW-ENGLAND By the Reverend and Learned URIAN OAKES Late Pastor of the Church there and Praesident of HARVARD COLLEDGE Zech. 1. 5 6. Your Fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever But my Word and my Statutes which I Commanded my Servants the Prophets did they not take hold of your Fathers Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the Dead which dy in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their works do follow them CAMBRIDGE Printed by Samuel Green 1682. To the READER THere are especially two things whereby discourses are commended unto the acceptance of their Readers One is the Weight Excellency and seasonablenesse of the Subject The other's the known Worth Ability and Fame of the Author Upon both which accounts the ensuing Sermon may and I doubt not will find a ready reception amongst all that are godly and judicious into whose hands it shall come As for the subject matter of this Discourse it is that which highly concerns a Professing People and the Lords New-England People are eminently so most intensely to consider of The heart-searching God requireth that those that enter into Covenant with Him should be sincere in all their Callings upon His Name Josh 24. 14. Fear the Lord and serve Him in Sincerity and Truth He knows who have only a forme of godliness but are strangers unto the power of it whose services can never please Him Sapiens Nummularius est Deus Nummum fictum non recipiet Nor is there a more sure discovery of secret and deep hypocrisy in the hearts of Men then that of being weary of Gods service or thinking a little service too much for the great God When the Iew brought a lean sacrifice and then said What a wearinesse is it as if he were tyred with so great a burden he did serve the Lord and yet not serve Him at the same Time Mal. 1. 13. Nor is there any thing more offensive to the Lord Iesus then luke-warmnesse in profâ—ssion or having a Name to live and being dead as we see by the Epistle sent from Heaven unto the Churches of Asia and consequently unto all other Churches to the end of the World cautioning them to be watchfull against evils of that kind as they would not have the Lord deal by them as He hath done to Jerusalem or as He hath done to the Churches in Asia who because of hypocrisy and formality in Profession are rejected and their Raines become such as that Travellers cannot look upon them without horrour and amazement That there is still a blessed number of lively Christians in these Churches is through the grace of Christ very true the Lord increase them and make them a thousand times more then they are Neverthelesse that there is also a prevailing spirit of Apostacy among multitudes is no lesse certain Where is the love of our Espousals When our Fathers followed the Lord into this vast and then wast Wildernesse having no other interest but Religion and no other designe but Reformation before them Have not many of this generation left and lost that love to the pure and holy institutions of Christ which those of the former generation desired and delighted in Are not some weary of that Theocracy or Government which God hath established amongst in as to sacred and civill respects willing for a change in both This Wise Master-builder hath then accommodated the word by Him spoken upon a very publick occasion to the state of these Times and of this People And he hath thereby manifested himself to be of the same spirit with that faithfull and worthy Shephard who went before him in the work of the Ministry in that precious flock of Christ which is at Cambridge This Sermon seconding and confirming those of his eminent predecessors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chron. 12. 8. long ago both preached and Printed How happy has Cambridge been Indeed the Church at Ephesus enjoyed the Ministry of Paul and Timothy and Tychicus Blessed men of God but such a succession and eminent lights is seldom known in the same Church the un thankfulnesse and unprofitablenesse of men provoking the Lord to eclipse their Glory Concerning the Author His worth is well known and I wish it were more known in both Englands Doctor Preston chose to be a preacher in Cambridge in England Rather than in another place because he had then a special opportunity dâ—lare non tantum Lapides sed Architectes The Lord was mercisul to all these Churches in ordering the labours of this able Work-man to be in a place so sutable for his more then ordinary Capacity There have been several of the same Name heretofore renowned for their rare accomplishments in some particular faculty wherein they have excelled Iosephus Quercetanus was a learned and famous Physitian Joh. Drusius the Greek word for Oaks was a great Divine and eminent for his Critical Genius But an Age doth seldome produce one so many wayes excelling as this Author did If we consider him as a Divine as a Scholar as a Christian it is hard to say in which he did most excell I have often in my own thoughts compared him to Samuel among the Prophets of old inasmuch as he did truly fear God from his youth and was betimes improved in holy Ministrations and was at last called to be the head of the Sons of the Prophets in this New-English Israel as Samuel was President of the Colledge at Najoth And in many other particulars I might enlarge upon the parallel but that it is inconvenient to extend such instances beyond their proportion What shall I now say New-Englands Samuel is dead How doth Cambridge How doth the Colledge How doth New-England shake since this Oak whom Christ had made a Pillar in the Temple of his God is removed Heu tua Nobis Morte simul tecum solatia rapta It may without reflection upon any be truly said that He was one of the greatest Lights that ever shone in this part of the World or that is ever like to arise in this Horizon He is now become a Royal Diadem in the hand of the Lord being as one speaks concerning a great Worthy An ornament to Heaven it self This Sermon was not by the Reverend Author designed for publication Had himself Emitted it there would have been some Ornamental additions Quicquid tam docta condidit manus caelum est But it is here presented as sound written with his own hand among his Sermon notes And inasmuch as M r. Oakes preached it there needs no more to raise in the Reader a expectation that he shal meet with something worthy his perusal and beyond what others do ordinarily attain unto It is to be lamented that he did not live to finish his meditations on this
for a time You only have I known of all the families of the Earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Amos. 3. 2. He will not let them prosper in their sins as He suffers other men Now hypocrites in the Church cannot brook this discipline but are weary of Gods correction My son saith Solomon Pro. 3. 11. Dispise not the chastning of the Lord neither be weary of His correction The best of Gods People may be weary and saint under it for a time but when they come to themselves and see how righteous it is with God how profitable to themselves they recover themselves and say it is good for them to be afflicted because thereby they are reduced from their strayings into the way of obedience But other men are quite weary of such correction had rather be let alone in their neglect of Gods service then whipt into a better behaviour They love ease andimmunity from affliction more then holiness and obedience Again VI. Weariness of Gods government whereby He would hold them close to His service and obedience Weary they are 1. Of Gods inward government the government of conscience rightly informed from the Word of God and aided by at least a common work of the spirit inthe discharge of its office dictating their work and duty obliging them to the service of God impelling and putting them on to perform it accusing and condemning them for neglect of it or slightness and hypocrisie in it They are weary of this troublesome Conscience that will not let them be quiet in sin endeavour to bribe it corrupt it divert it stop its mouth rock it a sleep and cast off the government of it and get the mastery over their consciences Weary aâ—so 2. Of Gods outward government whereby they are overawed checked held in from exorbitancies and driven against their mind to the service of God Weary of family government long to be at liberety at their own dispose to live at their own hand that they may not be troubled with commands counsells corrections of pious Parents that would hold them to their duty and engage them to keep the way of the Lord. Weary of Church-discipline and government had rather live at a loose end then under such discipline cannot bear reproofs admonitions the rod of discipline would break the bands and cast away the cords of Christ. Weary of government in the Common wealth would be glad to be rid of pious Rulers that are a terrour to evil works and will not let them sin impanâ— cannot hear such Masters of restraint long for a change and think they cannot be worse than they are The bottome is They are weary of Gods service Again VII Weariness of spiritual Priviledges that are to be enjoyed in the way of Gods service They are weary of the pleasant things of Ierusalem the Word Worship Ordinances of God liberty to serve Him in the way of His appointments If they could have Baptism for their Children Lord's Supper for themselves enjoy these and those Priviledges without any labour of theirs without any injunction of service they could like it better But all these Priviledges are so charged with duty so clogged and encumbred with service they set at so great a rent of service and pay so dear as they think for their Priviledges that they are weary of them They have little sense or experience of the worth of Priviledges but feel the burden of service and are willing so they may be discharged of the one to part with the other Yea they are full of their mercies and nauseate their Priviledges as much as ever the Israthtes did the Manna Again VIII Weariness many times of their very profession of service and obedience to God A bare empty profession growes a burden to them especially when they have served their turn of it and it is grown out of fashion in the World They repent they are so far engaged as to have taken up a Profession and would desert and abandon it if it were not for shame and they knew how to secure an honourable retreat As they never had experienced the power of godliness so they grow at last to be weary even of the forme of godliness To maintain a Name to live and keep up a Profession of Religion requires more labour and pains then they are willing to bestow upon it But thus you see when a Person or People may be said to be weary of God The second Question should be Whence comes it to pass that a Person or People are weary of God and that this is the generall frame of the Church and People of God sometimes But this would require a very large discourse and I must leave it to some other opportunity USE 1. Of Examination Have we not then great reason to examine our selves narrowly and impartially whether we are not such a People as are weary of God We see the People of the Iews were deservedly charged with it Iacob and Israel were weary of God yea many Churches in New-Testament times on whom more of Light Grace Spirit was shed sorth have been most unworthily weary of the blessed God And what are we that we should plead any priviledge or think our selves secured from such a sinfull frame of spirit as this is I know we have a great opinion of our selves We are ready to think God hath hardly such another People in the World as His People in New-England Hence it will hardly sink into many mens hearts that God should leave New-England and give up His People and Interest here into the hands of Adversaries that are ready enough to stretch forth their hands upon our pleasant things We are prone to imagine the Churches and People of God here are too good to be destroyed or trod down by any foot of pride and violence But I wish there be not more of pride and fancy then of Faith in this opinion I confess the Lord Jesus Christ hath a very glorious interest among us but it is very little beholding to us that have weakened and disparaged it exceedingly by our great miscarriages I know also that there are a number of very choice People among us very dear to God for whom we fare the better at this day And I do indeed hope that God is very unwilling to break up house among us and remove from us Very loath to sell His People for nought when he is not like to increase His wealth by their price Psal. 44. 12. Yea that He feares to speak in His own language Deut. 32. 27. The wrath of the enemy least our adversaries should behave themselves strangely and say our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this I hope the Lord may be saying at this day as in Hosea 11. 8 9. How shall I give thee up Ob New-England My heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger Doubtless the Lord remembers the kindness
People to His service and conferred great priviledges upon them He doth not tire and grow weary first He is faithfull and constant and will never grow weary of them as long as they hold to His service and follow it hard with hearty love to it vigour alactity zeal constancy in it but when they grow sick of His service wanton and full of their priviledges then God hath reason to be weary of them Now doth not the Lord seem to be weary of us Do not His dispensations speak as much Doth He not carry Himself towards us as if His very soul was loosned and disjoynted from us As the phrase is Ier. 6. 8. Time hath been when the Lord Iesus the Head and King of His Church was held or bound in His galleries Cantic 7. 5. So taken with the Faith and Order the Piety Loyalty Obedience and service of His Church in this Wilderness that He was delighted in communion and converse with them loved to walk in the midst of these Golden Candlesticks so tyed to them by the bonds of love and delight that he knew not how to part with them or get loose from them He was never weary of their company and sellowship But is it thus with us at this day Is there that presence of Christ with his Ordinances that Power and Glory to be seen in the Sanctuary that Convincing Converting Humbling Sanctifying and Comforting presence of Christ among us that hath sometimes been Is He not far from the hearts of many Professors Doth not the spirit of Christ seldome visit the souls of men As if the Lord said It is enough blessed Spirit they are joyned to their covetousness sensuality these and those idols let them alone strive no more with them Do not many of Gods People live in doubts and darkness and discomfort and estrangement from God that they can hardly tell when they had a vision of God or meeting with Him in Prayer or other Ordinances How little of Gods work appears unto His Servants and of His glory unto their Children How few that believe the report of the Gospel And to whom the Arme of the Lord is revealed How few soundly converted Kindly broken and humbled and drawn home to Christ How little of God appears in the words and lives of men Is not much of our glory departed from us Doth not the glory of God seem to be removing gradually and yet sensibly from us Yea doth not the Lord threaten to break up house and be gone Is not the ax laid to the root Do not foundations shake Doth not the Lord hide Himself from us set darknesse in our paths leave us to our own counsells take part with adversaries and shine upon their counsells frown upon us and threaten us with a totall departure of His presence and glory from us Time was when the Lord watched over His vincyard of red wine watered it and kept it night and day least any should hurt it was a Founder and Protector of His Plantation and they that would have devoured us offended and evil came upon them Verily God hath been a good God unto New England our very enemies themselves being judges The growth and prosperity of this Plantation hath been the admiration of all the eye-sore and envy of adversaries But doth not God change His dispensation And may we not be sure it is not from any sickleness unfaithfulness inconstancy in God but occasioned by a sad change in us Were not many ready to say of our worthy Predecessors when they were laying our foundation as Sanballat said of the Iews when they were building the wall of Ierusalem Nehem. 4. 2. What do these feeble People But did it not quickly appear that the Lord was with them Did not the work here prosper even beyond the faith and expectation of His Servants that followed Him into this Land which God Had espyed out for them But doth not God seem to be about to break down what He hath built and pluck up that which he hath planted Are there not many sad tokens of His weariness of us And is not this a demonstration of our weariness of God May not the Lord say Hear O Heavens and give ear O earth I have nourished and brought up Children and they have been weary of their Father weary of the only best friend they have in the World We have little reason to be offended or wonder at Gods withdrawing hiding frowning threatning to be gone from us considering our weariness of Him The wonder is He hath waited and spared so long such an unworthy People Let us therefore search and try our hearts and wayes Be not deceived God will not be mocked with shewes and out-sides empty and lazy professions His eyes are upon the heart and if there be heart-weariness of God among us God will not endure it But how happy would it be for the Professors of New-England if now at last they would examine their hearts judge themselves for this unreasonable inexcuseable weariness of God recover themselves from under the prevailing power of this spirit and frame of weariness of Gods service and stirr up themselves and to take hold of God when He is ready to be gone from us and follow hard after Him in a course of hearty service and obedience Then would the Lord repent of what He is threatning to do unto us restore His wonted glorious presence Be to us a place of broad Rivers and Streams for necessary defence and plentifull supplies of all comforts Then would the Lord be a wall of fire round about us and the Glory in the midst of us Yea then should our eyes see our Jerusalem a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down not so much as one of the Stakes removed nor any one of the Cords thereof broken Isaiah 33. 20. FINIS ERRATA Page â— line 8. read freeness of his grace p. 4. l. 19. r. Isa. 58. p. 5. l. 4. r. goodly l. â—a r. Isa. 1. 11 l. 21. r. immorrallity p. 6. l. 5. r. hypocriticall l. 18. r. regarded p. â— l. 29. r. quarrell l. ult r. toward p. 8. l. 23. r. worshipers p. 12. l. 27. r. variety of version l. 36. r. prayerfull p. 14. l. 30. r. will 1. 31. r. Act. 13. p. 15. l. 22. r. â—ire some times l. 29. r. to p. 16. l. 5. r. the service l. 9. r. 29. l. 24. r. Gal. 6. 9. l. 33. r. 2 Cor. 9. 7. p. 17 l. 6. r. they l. 7. r. rejoyced p. 18. l. 2. r. purpose l. 18. r he neglects l. 22. r. issueth r. when â— 23. r. w. y. p. 19. l. 17. r. and. l. ult r. Cords p. 20. l. 30. r. thing p. 23. l. 3. r. at last p. 24. l. 32. r. freely l. 36. r. merveilous p. 26. l. 23. r for his Bernard See Mr Smith survey of the 7. Churc in Asia Mr. â—reek's lif p. 210.