THE Doctrine of the Cross OR THE DUTY OF Christian Suffering As it is Necessary and Subservient in order to the Obtaining Eternal Salvation Delivered in a SERMON on Matth. 13. 20 21. By RICHARD STAFFORD Ye are they which have continued with me in my Temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me Luk. 22. 18 19. Confirming the Souls of the Disciples and exhorting them to continue in the Faith and that we must through much Tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14. 22. Causa non Poena facit Martyrem Cyprian LONDON Printed in the Year 1697. ADVERTISEMENT THese are to give Notice That I have several other Practical Sermons or Discourses of mine own Composing which contain many Precious Truths lying by me in Manuscript Which if they who have the Plenty or Competency of this World would be ready to distribute and willing to contribute towards the outward Labour and Charge of the Printing and publishing of them it would be for the Glory of God and for the Edification and Benefit of his Church and people and consequently it would be a good Work in such persons who shall be helpful and any ways assistant herein for which same they would be Rewarded by God in the Life that is to come Charge them that are rich in this world that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6. 17 18 19. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain Good Works these things are good and profitable unto men Titus 3. 8. TO THE READER WHilst I was in the course of my Ministry as if I had spoken Prophetically or rather by way of anticipation on the Lords day foregoing I had Occasion to mention how that when Eldad and Medad did Prophesie in the camp Joshua the Son of Nun the servant of Moses one of his young Men answered and said my Lord Moses forbid them I did thereupon Remark in these very words Those who now a days get their living by the Trade of Preaching do think and talk after the like manner it is Pity such an one should be suffered the Justices of the Peace and civil Magistrates should forbid him which Temper and Disposition is coutrary unto that of Moses and of Paul in Numbers 11. 28 29. Phil. 1. 15 16 17 18. 19. and it seems to have been literally fulfilled in the same following week for as I have good Reasons to believe and understand that he was put in mind and Instigated so to do by some of the outward and wordly Priesthood for there is also a wordly Sanctuary Heb. 9. 1. and a wordly kind of Religion at this day Behold there came a sudden and Vnexpected order from the chief Man of the Parish to the owner of the House wherein I Preached forbidding my Preaching or Prophesying any more in that place But when I told my hearers thereof I said and promised that for my part I would fear no more nor be dismayed nor be lacking Jer. 23. 4. But if he had continued in forbidding which Blessed be God for changing his heart he did not I would have came to the House nevertheless at the time appointed and there have appeared in Person for a sign and witness Expecting whither only two or three would have came to enquire whither the Word of the Lord was Preached there or not And if any one besides would have lent a Room elsewhere or if any People would have stood by as Jesus sat on the Well Joh. 4. 6. and did there talk the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God with the woman of Samaria And as it shall be said in the day of Judgment that He taught in our streets Luk. 13. 26. which was either when the People would not admit him or Ministers into their Houses for Christ teaches by his Ministers at this day or perhaps they did choose to Teach in the streets on Purpose for the more Publick manner and Notification thereof that it might turn to them for a Testimony Luk. 21. 13. and for the sake of commonly a Greater concourse of People Or as Paul went to the Sea shore where Prayer used to be made and several resorted unto him and there he sat down and spoke unto the People Even so I had thought purposed and resolved within my self in some place or other or some way or other even in the most orderly manner as the necessity of such a case would have permitted to read out of my written Roll. Jer. 36. 6. from whence note that Reading of Sermons is both lawfull and acceptable with God and also to haue spoken without book such words as the Lord and his Spirit had put into my Mouth and furnished me withall And though what doth exceed common Apprehension or what is somewhat unusual is Esteemed by the mixt Multitude and Generality of People for Madness or Crasiness which would have con firmed the Reproach that hath been so common in the Mouths of many People and perhaps some of mine Adversaries would have been glad of my shewing such an occasion thereof yet this is to think and talk after the manner of Men for notwithstanding that Reproach yet what is exactly according to the method of God and the Scriptures of Truth in such a case I ought to have done it nevertheless and to have left the Issue and Event to God who would have rehearsed up the same and have rolled off that Rebuke from his Servant and Minister in the day when he writeth up the people It is a certain rule and always to be observed that when we are in the way of Duty we ought in no wise to leave that undone Out of fear of the Reproach of Men and in being afraid of their revilings Isa 51. 7. or for their several kind of sayings let them be what they will But the Proof and Tryal of this did not come so far for as Jacob said to Laban God hath seen mine Affliction and the labour of mine hands and Rebuked thee yester night Gen. 31. 42. so altho' he did send such an order perhaps in a fit of Passion the wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God yet probably upon second thoughts and consideration of the exceeding Peril and Danger of hindering the word of the Lord it being no less then shuting out of Heaven in as much as God will not suffer them to Reign with him in Glory who would not have him reign over them here on Earth by his word and those whom He ordains and appoints for the Preaching and Ministration thereof for indeed unless I was sent and ordained by God I could no more Preach nor yet make and compose Sermons then I can
to much more than Vanity with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak Psal 12. 2. in the Margent there for a double heart is an heart and an heart That is one heart in one sort of Company and another in another But what doth all this tend unto Or what will be the hurt and ill consequent of it It is so much Sin in the mean while and will be punishment hereafter according to what the Spirit of Truth saith The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaketh proud things Ver. 3. As it was said the more any one knows of God and the more like any one is unto God the less regard he hath to Man So this stands upon Reason for the Less must give way unto and be swallowed up by the Greater One that is afraid of the roaring and devouring of a Lion is not altogether so much afraid of the humming of a Stinging Bee And so one who is afraid to stand in the Mouth of and then to hear the Report of a Cannon loaden with Powder and deadly Bullet yet he is not altogether so much afraid of a Popgun Even so it is here should not his Excellency make us afraid Should not the infinitely exceeding Greatness of God over Man make us much more fear God than Man and so accordingly all they do as much fear him proportionably who know and apprehend him by Faith But say what thou wilt on this Subject here is one Objection against it still for it is evident that the Generality of People fear Man more than God because the Punishment of Man is present and sensible but the wrath of God is future and invisible Indeed the wrath of God in this Life is intelligible and a little sensible and perceivable but people do make a shift to harden and render themselves insensate against it Nevertheless consider the thing throughly take the wrath of God as it will be in the length severity and duration thereof and then it is as much more to be feared than the Wrath and Displeasure of Man whose Fury soon vanisheth into nothing and the utmost he can do is to kill the Body which is only to break the Husk or Shell but not to touch the Man himself as the vast Fabrick of the World doth exceed in Dimension the Bulk of one single Man When the Soul shall depart from the Body then the judgment written Psal 149. 9. to be executed the vials of wrath will be then poured out Then is it that the Souls of the Sinners and of the Guilty will have a more terrible and lasting apprehension of the dreadful Majesty and Presence of God in coming near to them in judgment Mal. 3. 5. and Punishment than the Israelites had of the appearance of his Angel on Mount Sinai or as the consternation and fear we are now in amidst the most dreadful Thunder and Lightining in an horrible Tempest or Earthquake For then the Soul will be Magor missabib Terrour round about all shivering and exceeding trembling and quaking when also the tormenting Passions shall be stretched out to the utmost and she will fear as much as is posible to fear What shall I say more Even this The more we fear God in this Life the less we shall slavishly fear him in that which is to come with that kind of fear which gendreth Bondage which only will be the Portion of the Sinners Wicked and Ungodly Vpon whom he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest This shall be the portion of their Cup. Psal 12 6. And we cannot fear God greatly in this Life as Obadiah did That is above and more than all things besides unless we know and apprehend him by Faith And this is the victory that overcometh the World even your faith 1 John 5. 4. This is the very Reason why some Elect People The Lord add unto them how few soever they be an hundred fold do fear God more than Man even their Faith for such believe that he is the Great Law-giver able to save and to destroy that as he doth good so he can punish That he can and also will where he hath threatned so inflict worse and more terrible and evil things than what Man now doth in his utmost rage and malice But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell Yea I say unto you fear him So I say again and testify the same over and over fear God more and fear Man less and then ye will not be of that kind of Hearers who when Affliction on Persecution ariseth for the Words sake immediately they are offended Which Temper and Disposition the Lord having shewed unto me by his Spirit that most People are of accordingly he hath directed and put the foregoing Words into my Mouth to fill and make up what is yet lacking and wanting in them even the inward qualifications of Boldness and Trust on God the Spirit of Knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Let therefore the Spirit of the Lord rest upon us and let himself give unto us the Spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding whereby we shall be enabled to trust on him the Spirit of Counsel and of might therein is included Courage and Boldness the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. Repent and do the first Works that none of those things afore-spoken of be found wanting in ye lest your Souls be not set in order before ye die and they go out of these Bodies as to which the time approacheth near and is just at hand As for my part rather than go out all my Days in a course of Perfunctory outward Worship or Worldly Prosperity I had rather be ranked among the number of those to whom Christ shall say at the last Day Ye are they which have continued with me in my Temptations and I appoint to you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed to me Luke 22. 28 29. And I would to God that your Minds have been worked into such a good and resolved frame by the things that have been spoken unto you out of the Book of the Lord that ye will also avouch your selves unto Christ who is the word so that he who doth it for the Words sake doth it for Christ's sake Lord I am ready to go with thee both into Prison and to Death Ver. 33. And then there is assured and well-grounded Hope if this firm constant mind be in you for Peter who said and boasted this his Faith did fail and himself did flag and deny when it came to an upshot and Trial that such Men and Women who are willing to continue with Christ in his Temptations it is said in the Plural Number for the manifold kind of them will inherit the Kingdom which he hath appointed It is better if the will of God be to suffer it so far to die in a Prison upon a Bed of Straw and from thence go to Heaven than to be cloathed in Purple and Fine Linnen and to fare sumptuously every day Luke 16. 19. or to die on a Damask Bed in a Palace and to go to Hell FINIS
Loins that they might the better speak forth in the Name of the Lord his Truths and Promises concerning it The belief whereof made themselves to be eminent Examples of Patience under it For there is no such Speaking or Preaching of any thing as experimental Speaking or Preaching when what we have seen with our Eyes we have looked upon our Hands have handled yea yet further what we have experienced and felt from within and in our selves we declare unto ye Behold we count them happy which endure Ye have heard of the Patience of Job James 5 11. who for this Cause also seems to have undergone all those Great Sufferings that he might the better hereby speak and declare true Words and right Words concerning those same Sufferings and of that Trust on the invisible God which is proved and exercised therein which he hath accordingly so done Let us hear some of his excellent Words My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Though I die I will not remove mine Integrity from me Though He viz. God slay me yet will I trust on him This again confirms the truth of what was afore spoken concerning what trust on God means And what shall we say more on this Subject Ye have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender Mercy By the Examples of David and Job both whose latter End was more than their Beginning Yea I will add yet furher that by the end of the Prophets who were kill'd 〈…〉 and sawn asunder as they spoke in the Name of the Lord. When we shall see which is yet to come at the very end and distribution of all things how graciously and bountifully God will deal with all those who have suffered or died for his Name Word or Truth when all the great Promises of Scripture shall be turned into Performances and all those things which he hath there spoken of shall be made good verified and fulfilled then it will be found true and returned That the Lord is very Pitiful and of tender Mercy And how little yea no Reason at all they had who heretofore believed not in God and trusted not on his Salvation but when Persecution or Tribulation did arise for the Word they were offended For hath God said and shall he not bring it to pass That whatever Trouble Hardship Inconvenience or Loss any one shall endure for his sake or for his word he will make it up unto them more than an hundred fold in the time of the Restitution of all things Yes most assuredly he shall and blessed are those that believe for there shall be a certain Performance of those things which are told us from the Lord. This will be so clearly seen at the Distribution and Restitution of all things that even the Souls of those very same People who heretofore were offended when Persecution or Tribulation did arise for the Word will wish and exceedingly desire that they had not been offended but that they had cleaved and stuck unto that same Word still and herein followed the Lamb whethersoever he goes although this same Lamb of God was at last brought to the Slaughter Isa 53. 7. For they might have Reasonably yea and gainfully rest in what is called the Foolish Doctrine of suffering according to the will of God 1 Pet. 4. 19. and have trusted on his stay support and invisible Protection therein and for those future good things which God 〈…〉 lie hath promised and reserved for such King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets I know that thou believest Acts 26. 27. So I now put you all to it that shall hear or read these Lines do you believe the Scriptures I know that some of ye do believe them And to such of ye who do believe them I have made known such things from out of the same Scriptures which shall be certainly fulfilled in their Season concerning the exceeding benefit and sweetness of suffering for God and his Word that some of ye may be in love with Suffering and ye could almost wish and desire to experience and be Partakers thereof your selves whilst you are in well-doing as hearing his Word certainly is or any way for the Word and Truths sake But as we are unwilling to trust the issue and main event of a Battel only to raw fresh and newly disciplined Souldiers there should be much teaching and exercise before they come to real Blows and Fighting although perhaps these may seem to shew more Heat and Forwardness more Earnestness and Courage than old Beaten Souldiers yet still there is not so much dependance to be had on the former sort as on the latter So notwithstanding what warm Affections or Willingness to take up and bear the Cross may arise in your Minds yet I freely declare that I should be loth to trust to your standing unto it if once Constables or Officers were coming to dismiss this Assembly For when once the Shepherd is smitten or begun to be smitten the Sheep will be soon scattered I have trodden the Wine-Press alone and of the People there was none with me Isa 63. 3. said the Captain of our Salvation For when once they begin to be broken and the Sparkles of Blood to fly then the People will be sure to keep far enough off According to the Rules and Directions of God's written Word and according to the Examples of the Primitive Christians whose Behaviour was when they were disturbed and interrupted in their Assembling of themselves together they did not for all that refrain or neglect the assembling of themselves together although they did not act by way of Violence or outward Noise or Confusion so ye ought to stand to it still Although after all that can be said to perswade ye unto it yet several Hearers at such a time of Trial are like the Children of Ephraim who being harnessed and carrying Bows turned themselves back in the day of Battel As God saith in Isaiah which is to be understood of Christ and his Ministers Behold I have made thee a Witness and a Leader unto the People So in a day of such kind of Battel or Trial the Ministers and Preachers of the Word are the Captains and Leaders who first stand in the Brunt for commonly the Persecution first begins with and is levelled against them My God who hath trained and exercised me on by little and little hath now at length taught and instructed me how to behave my self even by Preaching in Prison see 1 Pet. 3. 19. which I did not understand so well at first as I have done more lately But by my former Ignorance of this kind I have lost ground and I have not gained so much by Suffering as I might have done and by speaking out and proclaiming the very same Words in Prison for which I have been imprisoned Day after Day and Night after Night and by laying before them and