are two things to name no more that are hugely obliging in this very act with its qualification first it is a manly act to hold fast that which is good and it is a childish act to let it go I say it is a manly act it argues something of a great soul and of a great understanding and of a manly resolution to hold fast that which is good but it is childish to let it go and therefore see how the Apostle puts these together Ephes 4.13 14. saith he speaking there That God hath given some Prophets some Apostles and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for edifying of the work of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Now he comes in the 14 verse to add That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereas they lay in wait to deceive it is not for a man to be tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine for a child to be bought out of a Pearl with a bauble is no great matter but for a man what a shame is it why we should be men not children tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine now beloved you know the Scripture calls upon us in such Language as this Be couragious and quit your selves like men be not children that will dance after every pipe tossed to and fro and always unstable Secondly It is not only a manly act to hold fast that which is good and childish to let it go but it is a Christian act a proper Christian act a right Christian act it is that which doth distinguish a true Christian from a hypocrite and a counterfeit you know it is a character of a Godly man he is a praying man there went up two men into the Temple to pray the one was a hypocrite the other a Publican now what is there then in prayer that doth distinguish these two men why faith Job will the hypocrite pray always no not he I will warrant you that is well he held out in the profession of God and of his Worship and Service the Sains are always said to pray but as for the hypocrite will be pray always no not he for here the true children of God they will hold fast but Hypocrites and Formalists they will let go Now mark here the Apostle makes this distinction Heb. 10. ver last But we are not of them who draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of their souls that is of them that believe to the end for the end of our Faith is the salvation of our Souls now pray you mark by the way what you draw back to when you draw back you draw back to perdition they that go backward go to Hell How saith he We are not of them that draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of their souls that is of those that believe to the end and this is the difference he makes between them that are the People of God and them that are not that to the end holds fast the other lets go Thus I have given you an account of the Arguments that are couched in these words drawn from the Subject the Object and the Act with its qualifications I think I promised you a few helps with which I shall conclude take them in these three or four particulars First Would you hold fast I cannot but believe it to be all your desires well then if you would hold fast let me beseech this of you take heed of all and every sort of men that make Religion a Trade to get mony by which perhaps you will say are there any such in the world Oh I would there were not See that 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. where the Apostle acquaints you with such men saith he If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesom words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to godliness the wholesom Doctrine the healing Word what then in the 4. verse saith he he is proud knowing nothing but doating about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy strife railings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the Truth supposing that gain is Godliness or as most read it that godliness is a gain a meer trade to get mony by from which withdraw thy self If you be not baptized they will tell you you are not a Christian and baptized you shall not be unless you pay for it they will tell you cat flesh you must not at such and such times but if you will pay for it you may they will tell you you must not sin by no means but if you will pay for it you may and have a pardon for it when your have done such a one as they can give Oh I beseech you when ever any make use of Religion to get money by take heed of them faith the Apostle from those that make godliness a Trade to get money by withdraw thy self and know that godliness with contentment is great gain Doubtless godliness is the best Trade in the world if closely followed but the worst if worldlily followed but to take up a Profession of the Christian Religion meerly for pomp and state and to get gain Oh rueful Is Christian Religion made use of for such ends as this Oh! take heed therefore as ever you would stand fast in the Faith and hold fast the profession thereof take heed of all and every sort of men that makes use of Religion to get money by Secondly Take heed of the error of the wicked lest you fall from your own stedfastness this advice you have from the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore Beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest you also being led away by the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness the error of the wicked is like to make one as wicked as they pray what was this error of the wicked It was this there were a generation of wicked men that said It was in vain to serve God for say they Where is the promise of his coming Only Beloved it was as much as to say there was no reward for godliness nor no wages for ungodliness Oh! take heed of this error of the wicked it is a wicked error and none but wicked ones hold it to wit That it is in vain to serve God therefore keep this still in your hearts that Verily in keeping his Commandments there is great reward if there were no more but the very work it is great honour to us that we may be servants to such a God but Beloved
as the Word of Truth The Word was written after the Church but as it is the Word of God it 's before it This therefore will break the snare if you be set upon by the specious name of the Church look that the Church hath warrant from Scripture-Institution and then submit to Church-Institution A second Rule I observe men would set up to betray poor souls from the faith once delivered to them is Ancient Custom our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain When they would hold forth that which the Scripture is short in they will send us to such and such customs of so many hundred years standing It is to be bewailed that the date the standing of false Doctrines and false Worships is so ancient for though at first they were but Innovations yet to succeeding Generations they become old And 't is a very great truth That what is the most ancient is the most true and therefore there lies a great snare in this Therefore when Antiquity is pretended if you find not their hoary heads in the way of Righteousness there is little reason for you to reverence them or comply with them no more than there was reason so suddenly to be taken with the Gibeonites mouldy bread and clouted shoes When matters of Antiquity are pretended say as Ignatius Jesus Christus est mea Antiquitas Jesus Christ is my Antiquity so say Truth is my Antiquity for though an opinion hath been practised a thousand years yet men may have the Word of Truth in their hearts that is ancienter than all A third Rule that men would set up is The general course of the World or Place the generality of those where they live This was that the Popish Party did often mention to the witnesses of Jesus Christ What! will you be wiser than others Can't you do as others do must you be singular And this is a taking Rule for to make you conformable to those things possibly the Word of God will not warrant if you bring not this custom to the Word of God 'T is not what the most do but what we may do 't is not what the practice of all in general is but what ought to be the singular care and strict holiness of Christians in particular that the Word of God will allow Christians are not to be conformable to the present World Rom. 12.1 The Word will tell you It is no more safe to follow a multitude to do evil than it will be sweet to be in Hell with a great company The Word will let you know the secrets of the Lord are with a very few and those them that fear him as for the whole world it lies in wickedness The Word will tell you The wayes of Jesus Christ and the profession of Jesus Christ is commonly called a Sect it is every where spoken against and men hate it every where Therefore set up a Rule in your hearts in your houses in your meditations in your practise Rule 2. Be very well rooted and established in the faith that hath been delivered to you I observe one of the great reasons why Christians so easily let go the profession they have made is because they were never well built upon it nor established in it There are many Christians that through their own itching ears heaping up Teachers to themselves have never been rooted or established in the truth the Lord pitty them and keep them this day Many Christians that have attended to establishing means yet never seriously considered nor laid things to their heart but are like those the Apostle speaks of Heb. 5.12 that had need to learn the first Oracles of God How many among us profess with the highest but have little ground for their faith onely with the Jews the Traditions of the Elders the custom of the place Education and because such a party of men say so because no body denies it because Ministers commonly preached it but to have any solid and serious ground they are yet to seek 'T is not with the things of God as with other Arts as Logick Rhetorick Astronomy in these Arts the principal is presupposed to be proved no man goes about to prove there is Reason that there is Number that there are Heavenly Bodies because sense and experience shews it But 't is quite otherwise in the things of God for you are not onely to run away with the notion that there is a God that this God is one and that these are his Words and his Works but you are to know this by experience because the knowledge of these things comes by infusion by faith by a belief that God is For by faith we believe the Worlds were made by the Word of God Hebr. 11.3 It is that therefore I would press you to that you would labour for an established Spirit Do not onely hear the things of God but see them the first will but blinde you or at best leave you at great uncertainties the last will settle you What was the reason of the holy Apostles zeal when they were under the greatest threatnings of the High Priests and were forbid to speak in the name of Christ and to speak of Justification by faith and the Resurrection of Christ from the dead and forgiveness of sins by him things that are further remote from sense and reason the Apostle will tell you Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard Hence it is that poor silly women that in respect of their Imbecillity and Infirmity of Sex the terrours of the fire and faggot might have been such to have brought them to Apostacy yet they confounded the great Doctors and Rabbies when they were brought before them they were able to burn though they could not dispute they beheld things that were invisible It 's an excellent thing not to take up the Word upon notion upon opinion but to have an established heart through Grace I shall direct you in two words 1. Get the Lord by Prayer to teach you every truth what Jesus Christ teaches once is everlastingly taught no word is abiding but what the Lord Jesus teaches himself Look as it is with Satan when he comes to seduce men from the truth he will present such a fine notion without and commonly he darts in some dazling light within so that you never knew a Heretick take up a false opinion but it was with a marvellous deal of sweetness and comfort so when the Lord Christ teacheth by his Spirit he comes with that light that sweetness savour and relish of truth as will be impossible for you to let it go Hence when Christ would confute the Pharisees who had the witness of his Father in his work he saith Joh. 5.37 Ye have neither heard his â—oice at any time nor seen his shape It 's an excellent thing to see the shape and hear the voice of God 2. Be well rooted upon Christ or else you will never be established in any â—ruth of Christ
take up for to hide themselves as under a covert to beat down the Gospel-warrants and commands to suffer for the Faith delivered 1. The motion that a Christian hath of indifferencie of things that they are but toyes and trifles that they may be done or not done It is not my work to tell you what is indifferent or name any thing in particular As I remember in the Book of Martyrs the usual Argument was Why cannot you worship the Idol why cannot you bow down as well as others it is a small matter cannot you shew your outward reverence and keep your heart to your self Indeed if there were any thing that is indifferent a Christian hath a marvellous latitude in point of Doctrine in point of Worship I would caution you therefore The term of indifferent I suppose it is devised as a Pillar to rest the Conscience on which otherwise would startle and look with a broad face upon them Things that come under this notion had need well to be weighed and considered If they tell you plainly they came out of Rome and had the Plague of Popery upon them they came from Hell were hatched there and the curse of God is upon them no body will entertain them They must pretend they came from the Church from the Apostles descending from the Scriptures and hence they are entertained with the freedom and willingness as that most Christians take no notice but fall down under them and so the very power and life of Religion and holy practice is eaten out The Devil hath three wayes whereby he makes men seek after him First Commonly he doth cover holiness with other names Secondly He perswades that sins are but little Thirdly That they may repent hereafter The first is suitable to my purpose That vertue or grace is covered with other names therefore if a man be holy he is called precise if zealous he is said to be rash and if it be really a sin it shall come under the name of indifferency a toy a trifle and things of that nature therefore you had need be cautious for it is not so much what name the sin has what title it goes under as what it is really As to things of Doctrine and Worship I know there is no medium every man must give an account to the Lord what he does therefore I do not tell you what is indifferent and what not but search the Scripture take heed what you receive for indifferent The second thing Christians will say is I hope without danger I may comply with them considering I bear them as my burthens This is very like the young man in the Gospel he came to Christ and would have him come up to his terms and when Christ told him Yet he lacked one thning Goâ—â—ell all c. he went away sorrowful So many Christians they would follow Christ but they cannot because there is not such security in it but they will go away sorrowful Thou Hyvocrite Art thou willing to forsake all for Christ yet canst not leave life liberty and some of these small things Will you wound the name of Christ and pretend to be sorrowful for it I conclude â—hy pretence shall not excuse thee for so was Pilate loth to crucifie Christ and as a means and expedient he calls for water and washes his hands saying I am innocent from the blood of this just man But do you think God excused Pilate no more will he you Whatever is brought to you is either forbidden or commanded by God If forbidden by God why do you meddle with it If commanded of the Lord why are you burdened with it why do you it heartily for the Lord loves one that is chearful in his service Neither man nor God is pleased with such A third thing which satisfies many is That they may follow in some things the opinions of wise men holy men and good men That they may do as they do I shall say but these two words First Many men are reputed good wise and honest that are not so A man may be accounted an honest man that yet may be covetous he may be accounted a very good man yet be really corrupt in heart and in his lusts therefore 't is good to try men I dare not trust mine own heart unlesse God give strength of grace and assistance every moment lest I should betray the truth of Christ upon some advantage when the Devil would set abroach an evil opinion or practice it 's his comon way to tunn it up in some clean Vessel Men of civil honesty and goodness You read the old Prophet drew the young one in though expresly forbidden by God himself When you do not fear a young Christian it may be the example of an old Minister shall draw you therefore it 's good to mind who you follow Secondly Grant they are all good and reall they are men fearing God as there are some yet God will not let his people know all his mind There are some that would but cannot know all his mind and will the Lord is free and voluntary he reveales things necessary to salvation but for other things he withholds But what is your rule Call no man Master you are to follow no man further than he follows Christ And indeed for a man to follow the examples of others wherein they sin and do not know it it is just like the case of holy Noah who was a gracious man and knew not the strength of the Grape he was drunk with his own Vineyard But what 's the fruit of it his Son Cham saw his nakedness and discovered it If good and holy men taste of the intoxicated Wine that is too strong for them and know it not will you sip after them unless you will discover your nakedness and proclain it from Generation to Generation and make your selves Chams not sons of the Prophet Therefore I know not what warrant you have to follow such examples The fourth things is this Christians usually do no good by standing out Answ Whether we get good or do good or no we are to do our duty The Lord will honour you for suffering for the Truth 2 Thes 1.2 3 4 5. And by suffering you shall confirm the Saints and bear testimony you shall witness against all false Doctrines and false Worship before the whole world By your humility and Patience when you suffer not as evil-doers but as those that suffer for the Word of Righteousness the Word of Truth for holding fast the Lord Jesus and his Faith that is more precious than Heaven and Earth than any created thing this will make your name as a sweet savour to all Generations when those that Apostatize Persecute and oppose Jesus Christ their memories shall be left as a curse to the people of God Rich Treasure in Earthen Vessels A Sermon Preached Jan. 1. 1662. at the Funeral of that Reverend and faithful Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. James Nalton late Minister
keep him from being dismayed at all the trouble and calamities that he meeteth withall in the world Fear not saith Christ little flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom In this Observation there is two things supposed First It is supposed in this Doctrine that believers have an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven This I need not now stand to prove having spoken to it already in the handling of the former Observation God being their Father he hath provided an eternal inheritance of glory for them in his eternal Kingdom Secondly It is supposed in the Doctrine that believers are like to meet with opposition from the world they are diligent in the practise of godliness are driving a Trade for Heaven they shall be sure to meet with abundance of trouble and hindrance from the world and the Prince of the world this is a truth exceeding manifest both from Scripture and experience We shall be hated of all men for his names sake Mat. 10.22 And because Christ hath chosen his people out of the world therefore the world hated him Jo. 15.19 And experience makes this evidence in all ages of the world those that are godly walk with God they have been sure to have their portion of afflictions and tribulations from the hands and tongues of the malicious and ungodly world my design is to shew what little cause the Servants of God that have an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven to be afraid or dismayed at any of these hindrances and oppositions that they meet withal in their way to Heaven For the handling of this Doctrine and the fiting of it for our improvement by Application I shall speak to these three things First I shall shew you by some instances from the word of God how the Saints that have had an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven have been incouraged in the ways of God and have had their spirits born up in their lowest condition and in their greatest tryals and troubles here below Secondly I shall shew you that believers are dehorted from dispondency and being dismayed under their sufferings upon the consideration of their Heavenly interest Thirdly I shall give you some Reasons why believers that have a Title to the Heavenly Glory should be couragious and undaunted and not dismayed at all their eternal Trials and Tribulations that they meet withal from the world and so shall come to the Application First For the first of these I might give you many instances from the word of God of the courage and magnanimity of the heirs of Heaven in their Tryals as David how couragious was he in the Lord even in his lowest condition Psalm 46.1 2 3 4. God is our resuge and our strength a very present help in Trouble therefore saith he will we not fear though the earth be removed though the Mountains be cast into the midst of the Sea though the Waters thereof roar and be troubled though the Mountains shake with the swelling thereof Selah Psalm 118.6 The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me David he had put confidence in God and therefore was not afraid of man where the fear of God is and where the hope of glory is there the slavish fear of man will quickly vanish away this no doubt was that which made the three Children not to be afraid of the fiery Furnace nor Daniel of the Den of Lyons Dan. 3.16 and 6. We have a notable example to this purpose Hab. 3.17 18. Although the Fig-tree should not blossome nor fruit be in the Vine though the labour of the Olive should fail and the fields should yield no meat though the flocks should be out off from the fold and there should be no herd in the stall yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation The consideration of his heavenly interest and that God was the God of his salvation was that which not only kept the Prophet from being dismayed but also made him to rejoyce in the absence of all creature joys and comforts the want of these worldly things were not able to abate his heavenly joy which he had in the God of his salvation The consideration of their heavenly interest and their title to the everlasting glory was that which made the Apostles of Christ so couragious and comfortable under all their sufferings that they underwent for Christ This was that which made the Martyr Steven so fearless and undaunted when he was on the brink of death and when the stones flew about his ears when he could look up into Heaven the place of his Inheritance where he was going and take a view of that Heavenly glory Acts 7 55. A believer that can look up by an eye of faith upon Christ and Heaven and take a view of the unseen world the place of his eternal rest and felicity will be able in some measure to undergo with comfort the sharpest and bitterest persecutions that the malice of Men or Divels can expose him to This was that which made Paul and Sylas sing praises at midnight when they were shut up in prison and their feet in the stocks Acts 16.25 This was that which caused the believing Hebrews to take joyfully the spoiling of their goods even the consideration of their interest in the Kingdom of Heaven Heb. 10.34 For ye bad compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing that in Heaven you have a better and a more enduring substance Their knowledge of this their interest in the Heavenly riches made them willingly to part with the earthly riches for the sake of Christ Secondly The next thing to be spoken unto is this to shew that the people of God upon this consideration of their interest in the Kingdom of Glory have been dehorted from fear and dispondence and exhorted to courage and magnanimity in the ways of God Upon this consideration it is that Christ exhorts his little flock in the Text not to fear because that God would give them the Kingdom of Heaven How often are the Servants of God in Scripture dehorted from fear Isa 41.10 Fear not I am with thee be not dismaied I am thy God Vers 14. Fear not thou worm Jacob and ye men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Isa 50.7 8. Fear ye not the reproach of men be not dismayed at their revilings for the Moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall eat them like wool but my Righteousness shall be for ever and my Salvation from Generation to Generation And again Vers 12. Wâ—â— art thou that shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the Son of man that shall be made as grass and forgetteth the Lord thy Maker that stretched out the Heavens and laid the foundation of the Earth And our Saviour in the New Testament to the supporting of Believers
revealed O my dear friends think solemnly and seriously what answer you intend to give me before I leave you Christ will not always cry Come the Spirit will not always cry Come neither must I the time is at hand when you will say one to another We had a Preacher we had a Teacher we had a well-wisher and a lover of our souls amongst us but we did not improve and profit under him as we might and therefore God hath sent him away from us as he did Jonah to Nineveh when Jerusalem despised him O hear me then while you may and pray with me while you may and accept of the tender of Salvation from me while you may Yet a little while and you that have seen me shall see me no more and you that have heard me as Job saith shall say Where is he It 's but a little and those Seats shall have other Hearers and this Pulpit have another Preacher It 's but a little that you have to hear and I have to speak in this place and shall not my Dying words be Living words to you shall my Farewel-Sermon be a forgotten Sermon and the last request I am like to make to you be repulsed and slighted by you O my dear Neighbours and Friends of whom I travel till Christ be formed in you Awake and live seek the Lord before the Grave and Hell shut their mouths upon you and before the Servant of the Lord sent now to warn you take his last leave of you and see your faces no more I am wounded I am wounded to think this Sermon should be Concluded before all your Souls be Converted and to leave any of this Congregation walking on in Hell Road when I am gone Oh that I knew but what to do to get you to do that to day which must be done or you may be undone to morrow If it were to follow you home and there to beg your Conversion on my bare Knees as a Câ—ild begs his Fathers blessing If it were to go to my Closet 〈…〉 is done and there to wrestle with God as Jaâ—â—â— did 〈…〉 you my loving Parishioners till I get this anâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—ssed them and they shall be blessed Nay though I were sure to go to Prison as soon as I come forth of the Pulpit yet I should think all well bestowed could I but see you begin to turn this Sermon into practice And to follow peace and holiness without which you cannot see the Lord. Oh what a joyful hours work would I esteem this and how heartily would I bless your God and my God that prospered his Word in the mouth of his servant making it a Salvation Word to as many as our Ear-witnesses of it this day This is the first Argument I beseech you for my sake Little do you think what a joy it 's to your Minister to see his Children as St. John speaks walking in the truth And on the contrary what an affliction to see you walk in Error and Sin Little do you think what a comfort it 's to me to think of making this account to God at the Judgment day Here are the Children which thou gavest me and I have lost none And on the other hand what an aking it is to my heart to think of bespeaking God at that time on this manner Here are none of the Children O Lord none of the Souls that thou didst commit to my trust for I have lost them all But I hope better things of you though I thus speak II. Secondly I beseech you for your own sakes Who will have the worse of it if this advice be not followed you or I Alas though it may be matter of Grief to me yet not of Guilt God will reward me according to my labour not according to my success We are said the Apostle A sweet Savour of Christ in them that perish mark in them that perish as well as in them that be saved Though the Patient dye yet the Physitian must be paid So albeit the people dye in their sins yet Gods Ministers may comfortably conclude with the Prophet Isa 49.4 Though I have laboured in vain and spent my strength for nought yet surely my Judgment is with the Lord and my work namely the reward of my work with my God Ah my friends it 's you that will have the worst of it one day if this Sermon be not faithfully followed and obeyed Read at your leasure Ezek. 3.16 17 18 and see whether I speak truth or a lye It 's you that must have the reward of punishment It 's you that must stand or fall that must be the Subjects of the pleasures of Heaven or the Objects of all the pains in Hell and should not you then be as much concern'd for your selves as I am for you Now you enjoy your health and the sad Accents of a dying sinner are not heard in your habitations but will it be always thus Now each of you sit under his Vine with delight and there is no carrying into Captivity nor no crying in your streets but will such times last always Now you can hawk hunt swear and drink and then you think you are qualified like Gentlemen but will this last always Suppose thou hadst a Crown on thy Head how long wouldst thou wear it Suppose thou hadst a Scepter in thy Hand how long wouldst thou hold it They are sick at Rome and dye in Princes Courts as well as at the Spittle yea Kings themselves cannot keep their Crowns on their heads nor their heads on their shoulders but must stoop when death strikes and go as naked to their Beds of Dust as other men and in that day all their thoughts their projects and their pleasures perish with them only their guilt of their sins which were the Ladders by which they did climb up to the top of their pleasures the top of their honors and preferments will dog them into another world Hence said Abner to Joah 2 Sam. 2.26 Know'st thou not that these things will be bitterness in the end You will now have your sweet-meats and your sweet drinks your sweet pleasures and pastimes let the Minister say what he will but do not you know that this will be bitterness in the end In Hell all the Sugar will be melted off wherein the Pill of your sins and temptations is wrapt and then the note you 'l fing will be that of the Emperor O quantum ob quantillum O what an eternity of pain have I for an inch of pleasure or an Ell of sinful delight As the Malefactor said to his Neighbour dost thou envy me my Grapes that I have stolen Alas they I cost me dear I must dye for them Ah envy not at the pleasures of a poor sinner they 'l cost his soul dear one day what doth Dives his Wine-cellar advantage him now in Hell while he cries out for a Cup of cold water and cannot have it O Sirs you cannot now conceive
by the light of the Candle slighted thy Manna so long Oh now therefore to day give us to hear and know and believe and do the things that concern our everlasting peace Hear us for Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be glory now and for ever The Prayer of Mr. Caryl at Magnes Bridge foot OH our Father what a priviledge is this that we may draw near to thee all our springs are in thee the Creature is but a dry heap a barren wilderness 't is but a Cistern and a broken Cistern It hath no water of its own nor can it hold that which is poured into it Oh that our hearts were taken off and dis-engaged from all things on this side thy self that we could say with thy Servant Whom have we in heaven but thee and on earth there is none that we desire in comparison of thee Then though our flesh and hearts fail us yet God would be our portion for ever VVe pray thee manifest thy Grace to us at all time and especially at this time that we may come before God in this publick worship as we should Let us see thy goings out in thy Sanctury and let us be satisfied with the fatness of thy house and drink of those pleasures that are for evermore Lord we have given thee cause to withdraw from us for we have not laboured to be fruitful under means and therefore thou in judgement mightest make them hereafter to be fruitless unto us and because we have taken no pains to get good by them thou mightest justly say they shall do you no good VVe have heard much of thee but we know thee but little we acknowledge thou mightest judge us because we know so little and thou mightest punish us because we do so little of what we know according as that faithless Servant was punished which knew his Masters will â—nd did it not Oh where be those manifestations of God that we have had Have we had not the light of the knowledge of God shining to us in the face of Jesus Christ But we have not rejoyced in this light but have compassed our selves about with sparks of our own kindling and therefore it is just we should down in sorrow and yet thou lengthenest out thy patience to us and yet we have one opportunity more to come unto thee Oh we pray thee let us understand the things belonging to our peace before they be hid from our eyes let our souls be bound in the bundle of life with Christ Jesus We pray thee that that Spirit of thine may strengthen us that the Spirit may guide us and lead us into all truth leave us not to our own strength nor to our own councel but shew us the secrets of thy Word and Works Thou hast promised Thy secret shall be with them that fear thee and thou wilt shew them thy cevenant And as thou dost give us thy Sabbaths so give us to thrive by them and help us to grow as the Herb and sent forth our fruit as Lebanon Let thy Word come with power one every one of us that it may not be as the beating of the air but let it fit us for Duty that we may honor our God in the midst of these changes until we come to that place where there is no change and all for the sake of our dear Lord Jesus to whom with Thee and the blessed Spirit be Glory and Honour now and for ever Mr. Venning's Prayer at Olaves before Sermon OH Lord God thou art the Fountain of Life yea thou givest to all Life It is necessity draws us now unto thee and we acknowledge it is a very great favour that thou wilt admit us to come into thy presence Indeed the services we do are not worthy thy acceptance thou gettest nothing by them but the gain of godliness is to our selves But wo unto us what a loss and what a curse will â—t be to us to haâ—e a form of Godliness and yet be ungodly Oh Lord how should this indear thee and thy word and thy service that thou wouldst have us do good for our own sakes thou turnest our obedience into priviledges thou hast made the means of our happiness a part of it If there were no other glory but to glorifie thee oh what a glory would it be to be found doing thy will there is a sweetness to be found in it more than in the Honey or in the Honey comes It is a great happiness to be conformable to God to be loving to God to be like to God is the greatest happiness that we can be capable of if we were now in heaven we could not have other happiness but this in a greater degree O Lord how should our souls be drawn forth to acknowledge thee may we not cry out in admiration Lord what is man and among the sons of men what are we that thou art so mindful of us Thou mightest have displayed thy VVord to many thousands in the world and we left ignorant But blessed be thy Name thou art pleased to admit eâ—en us also thereunto Oh let it not be a small thing unto us seeing we may yet live to serve God Oh Lord in Christ it will be worth our while to live and in him 't will be worth our while to die Oh that we may mind the end of living and the end of dying that whether we live or die we may be the Lords Indeed it were not worth our while to live and spend so much time in the world if it were only to have pleasure and honour and gratifie our selves to eat and drink and to be merry this is not worth our while What would it be O Lord to die in our sin and be eased of the miseries of this world and be sent to the place of torment But seeing thou hast provided for our living and our dying well give us to improve these means and that we may live and dye well let not our affections though our bodies be upon the earth though we converse with flesh yet let not our conversation be after the flesh but let us be like them which have sent their hearts up to heaven and do but tarry here to finish their Masters business and then we shall go where our hearts are and where our dear Lord Jesus Christ is Indeed Lord we have cause to complain of our hearts how we minde this world as it never would have an end and the world to come as if it would never have any beginning as if we had no souls to mind or had no mind to look to our souls We live as if all those glorious Reports thou hast made were but as a tale that is told we have cause to be ashamed that we have the means and the names of Christians and have not lived answerable to the discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ Indeed we have cause to bear our shame yet how few of us know what
general parts of the Psalm intermixtly spoken unto throughout The one is for Direction The other for Encouragement The text appertains to the former part And the sum of the Directions may be reduced unto two Heads First That they take head of such inward Commotions and Perturbations of Spirit as through the remainder of Corruption they are subject unto and by the temptations of Satan and the provocations of wicked Men they will be put upon through this occasion More particularly he forewarnes them to take heed of Envy Vers 1 7. and of Aanger Vers 8. And what need there is at such a time to watch against the exorbitant workings of these Passions none that observe their own hearts can well be ignorant such being the unworthy insolent and provoking Carriage of the Wicked toward the poor people of God as is able as we may say to move a Saint Hence that of Psalm 73.23 But as for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well-nigh slipt for I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked Attend therefore to the Counsel of the Holy Ghost Fret not thy self because of evil-doers neither be thou envious at the workers of iniquity Fret not thy self because of him that prospereth in his way because the man that bringeth wicked devices to pass Cease from anger and forsake wrath Fret not thy self in any wise to do evill Secondly That they so carry themselves towards the Lord in keeping on in their way of following him as becomes those that firmly believe and steadfastly hope in him for his Salvation There are many particular directions to this purpose vers 3. Trust in the Lord and do good vers 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord ver 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord ver 7. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him ver 27. Depart from evil and do good and here in that text Wait on the Lord and keep his way These words contain Advice and Counsel for the People of God and it is considerable either with respect to the troubles and temptations of the people of God in general or with respect to that particular that is immediately touched on before the text ver 33. The wicked watcheth the righteous and seeketh to slay him Upon this something is spoken by way of encouragement to the Righteous ver 33. The Lord will not leave him in his hand nor condemn him when he is judged Though he may let him fall into the hands of the Wicked he will not leave him there though the Wicked may sit in Judgement on him and pass sentence against him yet the Lord will not condemn him yea when he is judged he is chastened of the Lord that he should not be condemned with the World Thus for the encourgement of the Righteous 2. There is something by way of direction in the words read VVait on the Lord and keep his Way From the words consider under this double reference we have this profitable point of Doctrine However it go with the truly Godly in this world more especially when the Wicked watch the Righteous to do them a mischief it is their best way to wait on the Lord and keep his way I shall not spend time to shew you who are truly Godly and who are Wicked It is said of the Godly man ver 31. the Law of God is in his heart Such then as from the Law of God in their hearts have respect to all his Commandments walking in all the Statutes and Ordinances of God blameless Luke 1.6 such are truly Godly And such as from the dominion of sin in them are evill Doers workers of Iniquity walking according to the Lusts of the flesh and of the mind according to the course of this world of the Prince of the Power of the Air c. they are wicked In the handling of this point according to my wonted method I shall speak first to what is supposed and then to what is expresly laid down Here are two things supposed in this point the one more General the other more Particular First In General 'T is supposed that the condition of the truly godly may be full of troubles afflictions and distresses in this world for when 't is said However it may go with the truly godly the meaning is how evilly how badly soever though they be never so much troubled afflicted and distressed wherein it is supposed that it may go very ill that the truly godly may be full of troubles sufferings and distresses this not only plainly held forth in Scripture in such texts as these Psa 34.19 John 16.33 Acts 14.22 but so sadly experienced in all ages that we need not spend time in the clearing of it Secondly More particularly It is supposed That is the manner and guise of the wicked to watch the Righteous to mischief them so verse 32. and verse 12. The wicked plotteth against the just or as the margent practiseth i. e. his wit and skill his labour and judgment is employed against him and vers 14. The wicked have drawn their sword and bent their how to cast down the poor and needy and to slay such as be of upright conversation so psal 64.2 the Psalmist prays Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity who whet their tongues like a sword and bend their bows to shoot their arrows even bitter words that they may shoot at secret in the perfect suddenly do they shoot at him and fear not so we read in that Isai 29.20.21 of those that watch for iniquity that make a man an offender for a word that lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate and that turn aside the just for a thing of naught Thus it hath been over since the beginning So wicked Cain watched righteous Abel to kill him Gen. 4.8 and Cain talked with Abel his brother and it came to pass that when they were in the field that Cain rose up against his brother Abel and slew him And thus have Cain's brood done all down along for he was of the wicked one 1 John 3.12 so hath Esdu watched righteous Jacob Gen. 27 41.42 comforting himself that he should shortly have a time to do him the mischief that he intended him so Saul watcheth righteous David 1 Sam. 19.11 Saul sent messengers to David house to watch him and stay him in the morning And so did others his wicked adversaries watch him as you have him complaining psal 38.12 They that seek after my life lay snares for me and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things and imagine deceit all the day long And Psal 140.5 The proud have laid a snare for me and cords they have spread a net by the way side they have set giâ—s for me So did Jeremiah's Familiars as he calls them Jer. 20.10 For I heard the defaming of many fear on every side Report say they and we
A Compleat COLLECTION OF Farewel Sermons Preached by Mr. Calamy Dr. Manton Mr. Caryl Mr. Case Mr. Jenkins Mr. Baxter Dr. Jacomb Dr. Bates Mr. Watson Mr. Lye Mr. Mead. Dr. Seaman Mr. Venning Mr. Brooks Mr. Collings Mr. Newcomen Mr. Beerman Mr. Cradacott Mr. Sclater Mr. Pledger Mr. Bull. Mr. Lamb. Mr. Wadsworth Mr. Cooper Mr. G. N. Mr. Gaspine Mr. Evank Mr. George Thorn TOGETHER With Mr. Ash his Funeral Sermon Mr. Nalton's Funeral Sermon Mr. Lye's Rehearsal at the conclusion of the last Morning Exercise at Alhallowes Lombard-street Mr. Calamy's Sermon Preached at Aldermanbury Decemb. 28th last And Mr. Watson's Sermon against Popery With their several Prayers Revised and Corrected from the many Faults of former Editions and now Collected into one entire Volume more perfect than any other extant containing 42 Sermons London Printed in the Year 1663. The CONTENTS MR. Calamy's Sermon on 2 Sam. 24.14 2 Dr. Manton on Heb. 12.1 3 Mr. Caryl on Rev. 3. v. 4. latter part 4 Mr. Case on Rev. 2.5 5 Mr. Jenkin's forenoon Sermon on Heb. 11.38 the former part of that Verse Mr. Jenkin's afternoon Sermon on Exod. 3.2 3 4 5. Verses 6 Mr. Baxter on Colos 2.6 7 7 Dr. Jacomb's forenoon Sermon on Joh. 8.28 Dr. Jacomb's afternoon Sermon on the same 8 Dr. Bate's forenoon Sermon on Heb. 13.20 21. Verses Dr. Bate's afternoon Sermon on the same 9 Mr. Watson's forenoon Sermon on John 13.34 Mr. Watson's afternoon Sermon on 2 Cor. 7.1 Mr. Watson's Sermon August 19. on Esay 3.10 11 10 Mr. Lyes first Sermon on Phil. 4.1 Mr. Lyes second Sermon on the same 11 Mr. Mead on 1 Cor. 1.3 12 Mr. Galamie's Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Ash on Esay 57.1 13 Dr. Seaman on Heb. 13.20 21. 14 Mr. Venning on Heb. 10.23 15 Mr. Newcomen on Rev. 3.3 16 Mr. Brook's Sermon 17 Mr. Collins on Jude ver 3 18 Dr. Horton's Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Nalton on 2 Cor. 4.7 19 Mr. Beerman 20 Mr. Lye at Conclusion of the Morning Exercise in Lombard-street on John 13.17 21 Mr. Cradacott on Phil. 4. latter part verse 9 22 Mr. Bull of Newington's forenoon Sermon on John 14.16 Mr. Bull 's afternoon Sermon on Acts 20.32 23 Mr. Pledger on Rev. 2.9 10 24 Mr. Lamb on John 14.23 25 Mr. Sclater on 1 John 5.1 26 Mr. Calamy's Sermon December 28. on 1 Sam. 4.13 27 Mr. Gaspine's two Sermons on Luke 12.32 28 Mr. Evank on Mat. 26.39 29 Mr. Cooper's two Sermons on Phil. 4.9 30 Mr. Wadsworth on Rev. 2.5 31 Mr. G. N. on Rom. 8.38 39 32 Mr. Watson against Popery 1 Cor. 10.14 PRAYERS of several of these Divines 33 Mr Thorn of Waymouth on Psal 37.34 MASTER Calamys Sermon Preached August 17. 1662. 2 Sam. 24.14 And David said unto Gad I am in a great strait let us fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man IN which words we have three Parts 1. Davids great perplexity distress I am in a great strait 2. Davids Resolution 1. Affirmative Let us fall into the hands of the Lord. 2. Negative Let me not fall into the hands of man 3. We have the Reasons of Davids choice for the Mercies of God are great The mercies of wicked men are cruel therefore let me not fall into the hands of men but the mercies of God are many and great therefore let us now fall into the hands of God 1. For the first that is Davids great distress wherein we must speak 1. To the distress it self Then 2. To the person thus perplexed I am in a great strait David a great man David a Godly man 1. In the perplexity it self we shall consider 1. The reality of this perplexity 2. The greatness of it 1. For the reality of it after David had sinned in numbring the people God sends the Prophet Gad to him and puts three things to his choice as you may read in vers 12. God was determined to make David smart for numbring the people but leaves it to Davids liberty whether he would have seven years famine or three moneths to flee before his enemies or three dayes pestilence This was a posing question and David had cause to be in a great strait for these objects are not amiable in their own nature they are objects to be avoided and declined in the first view of them they seem to be equally miserable therefore David had cause to say he was in a strait 2. This perplexity was not only real but exceeding great I am in a great strait and there were two things made this so great 1. The greatness of the punishments proposed Famine Sword and Plague these are the three Besomes with which God sweeps mankind from off the Earth these are Gods three Iron whips by which he chastiseth sinful man these are the three Arrows shot out of the Quiver of Gods wrath for the punishment of man they are as one calleth them Tonsurae humani generis In Rev. 6. you shall read of four Horses when the four first Seals were opened a white Horse a red Horse a black Horse and a pale Horse After Christ had ridden on the white Horse propagating the Gospel then follows the red Horse a type of War then the black Horse an Hieroglyphick of Famine then the pale Horse the emblem of Pestilence Now God was resolved to ride on one of these Horses and David must chuse upon which God should ride this is a great strait let me present Davids lifting up his eyes to Heaven and speaking to God thus O my God what is this message thou hast sent me thou offerest me three things I am in a strait I know which to resuse but which to chuse I know not Shall the Land of Canaan a Land flowing with milk and honey shall this Land endure seven years Famine and be turned into a Wilderness and dispeopled and shall I whose hands thou hast taught to fight and whose fingers to war shall I that have subdued all mine enemies shall I in my old age and all my Captains fly three months before our enemies and be driven to Caves and Rocks to hide our selves O thou my God who art my refuge shall I and my people be a prey to the Pestilence that walketh in darkness and destruction that walketh at noon day O my God I know not what to do I am in a great strait 2. The second reason why this strait was so great was because of the guilt of sin that lay on Davids spirit for David knew that this severe message was the fruit of the sin he committed in numbring the people But you will say Why was it a sin in David to number the people Moses had often numbred the people three times and it was not counted sin Josephus answereth the sin of David was because he did not require the half shekel which he was to have had from all that were numbered Exod. 30.12 13.
express so little to our Brother 'T is an Argument we know not of what spirit we are of as Christ told his Disciples Oh! how unlike to that God whom we profess to be our God He is long suffering patient full of goodness gentleness mercy c. we can bear nothing we can suffer nothing one from another 13. Our great murmuring against Reformation and Reformers God hath heard the voyce of our murmuring Exod. 2.6 As if there had been nothing that would have undone us but Reformation and truly God seems to speak such a word as that was Numb 7.5 in displeasure and anger I will make your murmuring to cease I will take away the cause of your murmuring I would have reformed you and you would not be reformed As Christ to Jerusalem I would but you would not Mat. 23. The time may come when we would and God will not when we shall cry Other Lords have had dominion over us c. Isa 26.13 but thou Lord set up thou thy Government rule thou over uâ—â— and God may say No 't is too late I would have healed you and you would not be healed 14. The great neglect of the care of our Families Truly 't is not the least sin that threatens the removal of our Candle-stick How generally have the duties of Religion been let fall in our families reading the word singing Psalms c. time was when one could not have come through the streets of London on an evening in the week-day but we might hear the praises of God singing of Psalms now 't is a stranger in the City even upon the Lords own day Oh! how have Governours of Families cast off the care of the souls that God hath committed to them How careless are they of the souls of their yoak-fellows that lye in their bosome of their Children the fruit of their loins Masters of their servants c. And in the mean time are ready to stand up and justifie themselves with the boldness of Cain to say to God Am I my brothers keeper Am I the keeper of my yoak-fellows Childrens servants souls Yes thou art the keeper c. God hath put them into thy trust and if they perish through thy fault they may die in their sins but their blood shall be required at thy hand God will say to thee as he did to Cain Thy Brothers blood cryeth in my ear 15. Our indifferences as to matter of faith and doctrine That we have not been more zealous for the Truth of Christ that great trust and depositum which hath been committed to us We have accounted it no matter of what opinion or judgment men be in these latter times 'T is an universal saying No matter what judgment men be of so they be Saints as if truth in the judgment did not go to the making up of a Saint as well as holiness in the Will and Affections As if Christ had not come into the World to bear witness of the truth which was his great design as if it were no matter if God have the heart so the devil be in the head as if no matter that be full of darkness so the heart be for God 16. The unsuitableness of our conversation to the Gospel of Christ 'T is the only thing the Apostles puts the Philippians in mind of and commits to their care Phil. 1.27 and truly in these unhappy dayes it hath been the only thing men have neglected and despised how little care that our conversations should honour the Gospel c. 17. Our living by sense and not by faith Surely my Brethren among all the sins in England that the people of God have cause to be humbled for there is not any whereby we have more provoked God than by that sin of our unbelief murmuring and infidelity have been our two great sins for which it is the wonder of Gods mercy that he hath not caused our carkasses to fall in the Wilderness he may take up that complaint of us that he did of Israel Num. 14.22 Because all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles which I diâ—â—â— Egypt and in the Wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkned to my voyce surely they shall not see the Land c. And this is the lamentation we may take up that truly to this very day we have not faith enough to carry us from one miracle to another from one deliverance to another from one salvation to another let one deliverance pass over our head and no sooner one Wave rises higher than another but we are ready to cry out with Peter Lord save me I perish and well were it if our fears did issue into tears and cryes after Christ we rather are ready to cry out as those in Ezek. 37.11 Our bones are dryed and our hope is lost we are out off for our parts We are a people that never knew how to honour God in any distress God hath brought us into never learnt to glorifie God by believing if we cannot see him we cannot believe him surely that which God hath done for us in such a succession of miracles it might well at least have been found for our faith during our so journing In our Pilgrimage we might have learned by all that we have seen to believe God we might have made experience to be the food of our faith and upon all the Providences of Divine Power Wisdom and Goodness we might have discoursed our selves into belief as David 1 Sam. 17.37 The Lord hath delivered me out of the paw of the Lyon and of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine So Paul He hath delivered and doth deliver we trust he will also deliver Oh my Brethren we dishonoun God and starve our faith by forgetting our experience while we proclaim by our own unbelief that we have a God that we dare not trust If we perish we may thank our selves for it surely if we miscarry that account may be given for it that we find Mat. 13 58. Because of our unhelief There is a rest of God before us if we do not enter in it is because of our unbelief 18. Went of sympathy with the bleeding gasping groaning dying Churches of Jesus Christ They have been in great afflictions round about have call'd to us pitty me Oh pitty me my friends for the hand of God is gone out against me We cannot look any way but we see cause of bitter mourning but we have not laid the blood of Germany Lituania Piedmount c. to heart therefore God may justly lay it to our charge Want of fellow-feeling with our Brethren in their afflictions it is a kind of persecution a kind of being accessary to their sufferings That we have not mourned wept bled with them that we have not lien in the dust smote on our thighs c. God may justly say to us as Ames 6.6 7. They shall go captive with the
in Gods account the Angel smote him and he became worms-meat There is a silent dignity in reproached piety and a silent ignominy in advanced iniquity As it was with Christ so it is with the servants of Christ when he was on earth no man had more ignominy poured upon him yet there was a secret glory attended him in all that befel him though born in a manger yet worshipped there sometimes he was driven to be hungry the fish brought him money sometimes a weary at that very time converts a woman sometimes laid hold on by his enemies at that very time his enemies fell down before him Look through the whole course of his life there was a secret glory under all ignominy Just thus it is with the servants of Christ they are in trouble disgrace but there is a secret glory dignity shines in them the Spirit of God of glory rests upon them If ye suffer for righteousness sake blessed are ye To be in high place and yet to be a Drunkard a Swearer a Whoremaster or Prophane this spoils all thy glory be thou never so high 4. Inference This is the way for a man to have a good name wouldst thou gain a good report living and dying Take heed of sin take heed of dishonouring God then God will have thee in everlasting remembrance 5. Inference Note here the certain happiness of those beholders that do see certain excellency in holiness though disgrac'd under valu'd if there be any thing in the world that is a sign of sincerity it is this to love holiness when disgrac'd abused and spit upon to cross the stream and thwart the multitude is a sign of the truth of grace and strength of grace this is a sign of true sight and strong sight To see beauty in a godly man in sufferings the Lord will certainly have an eye upon thee in times of trouble Here is comfort in thine infirmities Dost thou love holiness when compassed about with sufferings and persecution God will take notice of thy grace though compassed about with abundance of infirmities the Lord will take notice of a little of his in a great deal of ours Here 's comfort in sufferings if you regard his in their sufferings the Lord will remember you in your sufferings the Lord will remember what thou didst for such and such a servant of his own in trouble or distress God doth not cast away any in their lowness that have kept clofe to him in their highness and this will be comfort in inward trouble when thou canst find nothing from which to fetch comfort And this will be comfort in the last day though we can say nothing in that day by way of merit yet will it be comfort to be able sincerely to say that thou hast owned God and his people in the midst of sufferings Do ye think that Judge would not save that Malefactor that had saved the life of his wife If thou hast owned Christ when he was in his Rags do not fear but he will own thee when he comes in his Robes 6. Inference and last The people of God should learn not to be discouraged under any misery or affliction that can befal them in this world at this very time God hath a high esteem of you at this time you are his delight his Garden his Spouse The Saints of God are the wise men of the world they have chosen that which cannot be taken from them I profess Sirs the love of one Saint makes amends for all the hatred you undergo for sinners the very wicked themselves have a good opinion of you when you do not basely comply their Consciences cannot but have an high esteem of you when peradventure their tongues might speak against you If all this will not do remember your own consciences are more than a thousand witnesses for you will then comfort you no man is a miserable man for any thing in the world that is done to him or said of him No it is a good Conscience that will give the best acquittance for thee to have the whole number of Gods people to look upon thee as an unworthy wretch and as a vile person I look upon it as a greater ignominy and disgrace then to have all the disgraces of wicked men cast upon thee That man that hath a godly man to be afraid of him had need to he very much afraid of himself I shall conclude all with this one word There is great reason to look narrowly to your hearts and ways when they stand at a distance from you and are afraid to come near you Mr. Jenkin's Afternoon Sermon Exod. 3.2 3 4 5. And the Angel of the Lord appeard unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed And Moses said I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burnt And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said Moses Moses And he said Here am I. And he said Draw not night hither put off thy shooes from off thy feet for the place whereon thoustandest as holy ground LEt us take a short view of the foregoing Verses and that this may be the more useful and profitable to us we may take notice That as in the former chapter there is described Moses preservation to his future imployment so in this Chapter there is described his preparation and his sitting for that imployment i.e. by a Vision or rather 〈◊〉 suitable Apparition in which God discovered unto Moses his care of his people of whom Moses was to be a speedy deliverer You have here in the words read unto you the preparation afforded to Moses for the great work of being called to be Israels deliverer and in this preparation you may take notice of three principal parts 1. An Apparition that is here presented to the view of Moses a burning though not a consumed bush 2. Moses care to observe it I will turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burned And then 3. Gods Monitory Precept or Admonition which he afforded unto Moses when he was drawing near to see this wonder in which we have principally considered two parts 1. This Precept propounded 1. Negatively That he should not draw near 2. Affirmatively That he should put off his shooes from off his feet 2. You have considerable the Reason or Argument whereby God doth back this Precept or Admonition i.e. because the place whereon he stood was holy ground The time would fail me if I should go over all these parts we shall onely touch on the two former The Apparition which Moses saw and Moses's desire to observe it of the first I shall onely speak transitorily and insist on the latter more fully which I chiefly intend 1. For the Apparition or emblematical
of a place or any other thing 's holiness it is its belonging to God Gods peculiar relation to it and propriety in it declared as he shall please and therefore to be holy to be Gods are the words of the like importance or equivolence it s being Gods and his having a relation to it is the foundation and cause of its holiness And therefore if you look into Exod. 15.2 you shall there find God commands that they should sanctifie to him all the first-born it is mine there now is that which is the cause and reason and ground of its being sanctified or holy it is God himself God hath a propriety in it And therefore I desire you to look into Luk 2.23 it will open this notion to you there you shall see that this command is again repeated but yet in other words And therefore he saith As it is written in the Law of the Lord Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord that which is said in one place to be sanctified or separated is here said to be holy and therefore holy because separated to God Levit. 27.30 All the tythes of the Land is the Lords it is holy unto the Lord it is holy and therefore holy because it is the Lords So that here is the general answer This is the foundation ground and cause of its holiness Gods peculiar propriety in it it is the Lords 2. More particularly That the declared propriety that God hath in any place or his relation to a place or its belonging unto God that is the foundation of its holiness This belonging unto God or Gods propriety in it is declared two ways It s belonging unto God is declared 1. From his presence 2. From his precept 1. By his presence Now the presence of God that was the foundation of the holiness of a place was two-fold 1. Extraordinary 2. Ordinary 1. The extraordinary presence of God was by his miraculous apparitions and discovering himself by some miraculous token vision sign or manifestation of his presence as now here in this burning and not consuming Bush here was a miraculous token of Gods presence We shall find in the fifth of Joshua and the last verse God commands Joshua to put off his shooes Loose thy shooes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground And Joshua did so And therefore as I conceive hence it is the Mountain in which Christ was transfigured is called The holy Mountain 2 Pet. 1.18 And this voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount Why holy Not as if it were holy at that time when the Apostle writ that Epistle but it were manifest there was an extraordinary manifestation and sign of Gods presence and so long as this extraordinary manifestation of Gods presence continued it was called holy And this miraculous manifestation of the gloriousness of Christs God-head ceasing the holiness of the place ceased also And remember this place now of Gods extraordinary miraculous manifestation of himself in the Bush was holy for that time and no longer wherein he did manifest himself for otherwise in the time of the Law it were unholy to offer up sacrifice there 2. As the presence of God was extraordinary so it is ordinary which is two-fold 1. The presence of his standing residence in a place by some visible or external Symbole or else 2. The Presence of God is a spiritual Presence in the Religious services and performances of his people in the place of their Meetings and Assemblies Now concerning the first of these 1. The presence of God by the more visible and lasting tokens of his Presence which was chiefly afforded in the time of the Levitical Pedagogue So the Altar Temple Ark and Mercy-seat were symboles of Gods presence among that people by them God signified his presence he recorded his Name there by those visible tokens of his Presence and therefore the Ark was said to be Gods face and when the Ark was lifted up it was said Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered Hence they so much rejoyced when the Ark came into the city of David because it was the sign of Gods presence and mourned when it was taken away captive And God is said to deliver his glory into captivity that is the token of his glorious presence and as long as this continued God was looked upon as there present and thither the people went to pray and offer sacrifice And thus God more fixedly declared his durable relation to a place by these to 〈◊〉 and while these continued in a place he was looked upon to be there 2. Gods ordinary presence is considerable in the Religious service of his people and this I call the rather the more spiritual Presence of God that is that presence of God in the Ordinances which we have we hope this day and which Christ did promise Matth. 18.20 Where ever two or three are met together in my Name there am I present in the midst of them not in the midst of the place but of them when they do perform holy and institute Worship This spiritual presence of God is that that is afforded in the use of those Ordinances of Praying Hearing and Administration of Sacraments his Presence is there to accept of these and bless them and make them operative and to assist in these and to enable both Minister and people to go through their duty by his own power Nor can Gods Presence be ordinarily expected but in this his own way Now then 2. You must know that as the presence of God is the foundation of a places sanctity and as it is several so you must know Gods propriety in and relation to a place is declared by his Precept the precept of God is Gods propriety in a place as well as his Presence thus it belongs to him by command to make it holy he may do what he will and chuse out what places he will to be holy He to whom all things belong surely may have some places and things more proper to himself und peculiar so the Temple of old and the Tabernacle those Places of Levitical and Ceremonial Worship was separated and set apart by God by Divine institution Hence we have many commands 1. God commands that such a House and such a Tabernacle shall be built and this had been unlawful to do had it not been commanded 2. He directs the manner and the mode and that all things should exactly be done according to the pattern in the Mount And 3. God doth command it should be in such a place in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite and that place that himself had chosen 4. He commands that he will be served in these places peculiarly rather than in any other place he would not have these places changed for others Herein this place tipifi'd Christ one that is onely able to make our services acceptable Hence
their house for the crowd of the people that are going thither For shame let not this be told in Gath nor published in Askelon What! shall we stand up for the holiness of places and yet oppose the holiness of the Lords day which God hath enjoyned and instituted Oh! that the Magistrates of London Oh! that Englands King Oh! that Englands Parliament would do something for the Reformation of this to oppose wickedness and prophaneness which will otherwise bring upon us the judgments of Sodom and Gomorrah and make us guilty and worthy of a thousand punishments And labour by Prayer in your Families to overcome that flood of prophaneness which you cannot by your strength prevent And then for the Sacraments of Christ Baptism and the Lords Supper these are Ordinances of Gods appointment they are holy and therefore should not be given to those that are unholy and yet those who are so much for the holiness of places do not care who come to the Sacrament if they have but a Nose on their Face they shall come and partake of the Ordinances let them be what they will this is to prefer mans Institution before Gods Institution And then for the Lords Message and Word that is a holy thing and therefore love his Messengers the Messengers of God delivering his message with fear and reverence you are to hear them with the same fear reverence and resolution to be holy as if Christ were present And for the Word of God it is not enough for you to have a choice Sentence written upon the Walls of your Churches but let Gods Law be written in your hearts and consciences and practised in your lives that all the world may see you live as men dedicated to the true God in all the duties of his wayes and obedience Many of these things might have been enlarged What I have give you with the right hand I pray you Christians do not take with the left for if you do you will make your selves guilty of a double sin First Because you do not obey the truth you hear And secondly For putting a wrong construction upon it But I have better hopes of you my beloved hearers and hope that the Lord will be better unto your souls than his Ministers than his Word or any thing else can be God bless you and his Ordinances and discover his mind and will at this time to you Mr. Baxter's Sermon Coloss 2.6 7. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Rooted and built in him and established in the faith as ye have been taught abunding therein with thanksgiving OMitting the division and in part the opening of the words the Observations is That those that have received Christ Jesus the Lord must accordingly bee rooted built up in him and established in the Faith and walk in him as they have been taught and abound therein with thanksgiving This receiving of Christ signifies to believe in him It is not only to receive his Doctrine or Benefits but to receive his person to receive him as related to us for the uses and end for which he came into the World and for which he offers himself to souls by the Preaching of the Gospel Sinners have lost and undone themselves Christ comes to be the Physitian of Souls hee will not save the unwilling and Despisers of his Grace while they continue in their unwillingness He will save them by the way of covenant while he consents and tenders them his Grace he will have them consent to the terms of his Covenant The consent of the heart exprest by our covenanting with him is this receiving of Jesus Christ He is willing to be our Physitian and when we take him to be so we receive him He is willing to save us from the guilt and power of sin willing to be our Lord Head Intercessor with God Justifier and all unto us and if we consent to this and take him as offered this is receiving Christ with whom his benefits are also received the remission of sins in-dwelling renewing comforting spirit title to everlasting life c. In receiving Christ all this is received Receiving of Christ contains these two things or these two things are essentially contained to make up the nature of saving Faith that is to believe the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ to bee true and to consent that the goodness that is therein revealed and proposed shall be ours To believe what Christ is and what he hath done so far to believe it as here we are resolved to venture our souls though there may be some weakness through our Faiths imperfection and believing the Gospel to be the certain Word of God Then next to entertain the Christ that is offered in this Gospel to be ours with all the benefits that accompany and to all the blessed ends to which he is revealed Thus the Water of Life is freely tendered to all that are athirst and there is no more required but come and drink Then there is two things implyed that are the immediate products of saving Faith and inseparable from it that is trusting on him as the Redeemer and obeying him as a Lord. To rest upon him as a Redeemer Romans 15.12 And here as far as the soul feels entertainment and encouragement by Christ overcoming his doubts that Christ will reject him c. so far he hath quietness of soul in Christ and will trust his soul upon Christ And then the obeying of him in order to our full recovery as a Patient must obey his Physitian in using his Remedies and Means he prescribes for killing our sins restoring our souls to Gods love and being with him to eternity The nature of Faith is to receive Christ the sincerity of it lies in the suitableness of the act to the object that we receive him as he is Now in Christ there is something essential to this act that he be a Saviour and our Saviour c. and there is something makes unto the well-being and fuller attaining of the end The first are the objects of Faith it self as 't is of absolute necessity to Salvation The second sort are the objects of Faith as it is strong and makes to the well being of a Christian All that is essential to Christ as a Saviour and Redeemer is to be believed by him that will approve himself a true Believer And thus to receive Christ as the eternal Son of God made man the Redeemer of the World ruling us upon the right of Redemption justifying us before God bringing us to God and interceding for us And thus Christ must be received according to his Offices and as those uses for which he is given to the soul do import and imply For the Application of this Point First Let us begin with those that our business at present doth not mainly lye on Must men walk in Christ as they have received him What shall we say to those that have not
studying diligence unwearied labour and patience through that time that is necessary to attain it Set your selves to the reading of the Scripture and other good Books study good truths think not to attain mastery in a day And if ever such a conceit come in your minds that you are strong confirmed Christians do not easily entertain it there must be time industry and diligence ordinarily suspect the conceit you may have of strength and confirmation you must grow by degrees Gods method is to begin like a grain of mustard-seed we are not born men labour in the proper means with patience infused gifts are given according to the manner of acquitting them God gives as if our acquisition did attain it never think of having this without patience labour and diligence 2. Grow up in the Church of God and under his Officers and Ordinance and among his people Do not transplant your selves from the Garden and Vineyard of the Lord if you will thrive no prospering in the Commons where weeds will choak c. Keep within the Church of God in the communion of his People among his Servants under the guidance of his Ministers for that is the duty of Ministers to bring up train up and help the weak ones till they grow to be strong they are to be Gods Nurses and helpers of the weak in the House of God do not think to prosper by breaking over the hedge under pretence of any right of holiness whatsoever following any party that would draw you to separation 3. Make it amongst others the principal study of your lives to study the love of God in the Redeemer the nature of the New Covenant and the infinite goodness revealed in the face of a Mediatour how it was his design to attract the hearts of men to the love of God by revealing his infinite love in the Redeemer unto which end Christ came for even to represent Gods goodness in sinners hearts of their being reconciled to him and ravishing them with his love Study the glory and ravishing love of God and unspeakable goodness in a Redeemer 4. Live not by sense or upon worldly hopes nor in the exercise of it See that you live a mortifi'd life take heed of glutting your selves with creatures or letting your hearts out to any creature or letting any creature be too dear to you live not too much on any sensible thing or upon any worldly hopes or expectations Shut your eyes to the world let not your desires run out to the world and live as much as you can upon the world to come 5. Let holy self-suspicion always make you fearful of temptation and keep you out of the Devils way Would you keep your standing grow better and strong in grace let not the pride of your hearts or confidence of your strength make you meet among any unlawful communion see any enticing spectacle or thrust your selves upon temptation you are never safe if you thrust your selves upon temptation think with your self my weaknese is great I must not gaze upon this enticing object lest my heart take fire I am not so strong as to be able to stand against such c. 6. When you cannot attain to that heat of internal affection you would be sure you walk uprightly with God sin not wilfully keep your garments clean set his Law before your eyes Sin not wilfully for a world be but found in the way of duty and God will bless you and meet you in that way be as exact in obedience as if you had that frame of soul you desire 7. In a special manner keep all your bodily senses and desires in subjection mortifie the flesh keep under your carnal desires in a due subjection to the spirit let none of your sences take the reins out of your hands keep a dominion over your sences Lastly all your life long be longing to die Let the work of your life be to learn to die Consider what necessity to the safety and comfort of death to consider frequently what assaults will be made upon dying men that you may every day fortifie against it to consider what graces and duties will be most needful and useful then that you may be most conversing with and exercising those graces and duties He that hath well learnt to dye is no weak Christian The strength of your Grace lies in the exercise of these things faithfully practise them and you will stand when others fall you will have comfort when others cast away their comfort you will dye in peace when others dye in horrour Dr. Jacomb's Forenoon Sermon John 8.29 And he that sent me is with me the Father hat not left me alone for I do alwaies those things that please him THese are the words of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are spoken by himself and they are spoken of himself though yet in a sober and modest sence they are applicable to all his Members that which Christ here affirms is that the presence of God was always with him and this is first propounded He that sent me is with me and then it is amplified and the Father hath not left me alone and then thirdly the reason of this is annexed for I always do those things that please him I shall speak but very little of the words as they do refer to Christ he tells us where his Father was with him he did not leave him alone in all the troubles and difficulties that he met withal in the finishing the great work of mans Redemption still God was with him It is true there was a time when Christ was without the sensible manifestation of his Fathers presence when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Why but yet even then in truth and in reality his Father did not leave him for though he had not the evidences of his Fathers presence yet he had the influences of his Fathers presence It would take up much time to shew you how in all particulars the Father was present with Christ I will onely speak this one word and instance in this one thing Gods assisting presence was always with him both in his active and also in his passive obedience and indeed he had that work to do and those miseries to suffer that if God had left him if he had not been mightily assisted by the Divine Nature Christ as meer man could neither have done nor have suffered what he did but the Father was with him and to support him Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold You shall find that Christ did act faith upon this in Isai 50.7 The Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded vers 9. The Lord will help me So to the same effect is Psal 16.9 And you shall find this made good to him in Scripture in his greatest necessities Take a double instance In the first place after he bad been engaged in the combat with Satan you read in Mat. 4.
the greatest mercy in the world to rob such persons of their peace and to discover to them their danger they are onely capable of true peace by the knowledge of that which is false Therefore bring your selves to this tryal whether or no doth that peace which now you please your selves in cause in you an eternal hatred of sin doth it set you at a distance from your most beloved lusts then it is that peace that springs from God The greatest part of the world are in an estate of War with God though they do not feel the effects of that war True indeed God doth not always draw the sword either of Famine Pestilence or War against a Nation and yet they may be acting in a most hostile way against God So for a person God may not blast thy estate or send diseases upon thy person or raise a tumult in thy conscience and make a conspiracy of thy thoughts and passions against thy peace thou mayst be quiet within and yet have war with God because as in the world there may be a Truce when there is no peace the War may still continue though there is a Truce between two Princes or rather there is not a Truce between God and the sinner but as a Town that is besieged for many days may not feel the Battery of their Enemy because he is undermining them to blow them up at once so God doth not many times make his battery against sinners but he is under mining them and the fall at the last will be dreadful if there be not a composition Vse 2. By way of exhortation let me press you all to follow peace it is a duty which the Gospel injoyns with the greatest force of words and expressions The Apostle when he is to seal up his affection to them he doth it with that prayer 2 Thess 3.16 Now the God of peace himself give you peace always by all means What strange expressions First he gives you hear the Title of the God of peace and then he saith Himself the God of peace himself There 's a great deal of force in that word peace is so excellent a blessing and there is such an abhorrency in our corrupt nature to it that it is only the Lord himself that is able to effect it As if the Apostle had said the Lord must bow the heavens he must come down himself to create peace among you and to express the greater vehemency of his desire he saith Give you peace always by all means So another Scripture pursue peace follow peace with all men a word that imports our pursuit after it though it runs from us This is the strain and tenour of the Gospel and this becomes you as Christians When Christ came to purchase our peace he came as a Lamb an innocent and meek Creature Behold the Lamb of God When the holy Spirit descended to seal the priviledge of peace to us he descended in the form of a Dove a Gaul-less creature in whom there is no rancor nor bitterness What a strong engagement should this be upon all of us to pursue and promote peace And for your encouragement consider 1. That in the times of the Gospel all the promises do as it were empty themselves into this blessing the blessing of peace Thus Isai 11.6 you shall find there a gracious promise respecting the times of the Gospel The Wolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall seed their young ones shall lie down together and the Lyon shall eat straw like the Ox. That which I observe from thence is this that God here promises to cause an universal peace and unity under the Gospel though it be as difficult as to perswade the most disagreeing natures to a peaceable co-habition For here the Scripture instances in those creatures between which there is the most natural and therefore the most fierce animosities The Lord will reconcile men though their differences be never so great What is too hard for the God of Peace to effect Is not God of infinite power of infinite love then it should quicken us to pursue peace 1. By prayer to him because he is able to effect it certainly that God that was able to bring Order into the World when it was a meer lump and mass of confusion is able to bring peace and to unite our spirits And it is observable the greater our differences and divisions are the more will the power of this God appear in reconciling them 'T is said in the Psalms that Gods throne is in darkness that is his ways of Providence are very difficult for us to trace and find out and therefore when our divisions are at the highest he is able by one word to allay the storm This should encourage us in Prayer This is the course of God to glorifie himself by putting a stop to the greatest troubles when nearest to us and to work out one contrary by another To give you some instances that so we may encourage our Faith and quicken our Prayer to God for this blessing consider how still God hath made difficulties the way for enjoyment For instance the promise that Sarah should be the Mother of a child but he made way for that by her dead Womb for all that numerous Progeny which like the Stars of the Skie descended from her That he first maimed Jacob and then gave him the blessing He brought Joseph from the Prison to a Princely Palace First David was harassed with troubles and then his head was deckt with the Imperial Crown So if you look into the Kingdom of Christ who would have thought that a few Fishermen-men should have advanced the Empire of Christ in the World Had you lived to have seen those despicable beginnings when a few unlearned men were the Heraulds and Preachers of Christ how would this have caused you to fail and sink in your spirits and yet the Gospel hath been Preached in all parts of the World and that by a few Fisher-men The Providences of God are like those plated Pictures if you look one way upon them there is the appearance of a Serpent if you look on the other side there is the appearance of an Angel So here many times God is pleased to suffer exasperations to go very high that so his power may appear more eminent in the composure of them He it is that enables the faith of his people to draw Water out of the Rock when the Fountain is dry that makes meat to come out of the Eater as in Sampson's Riddle that is able to bring a peaceable harmony out of devouring differences and therefore it should quicken our prayers to him 2. To make us more serious in our endeavours after peace Consider what a dishonour it is to the Gospel that those that
us 1 Cor. 1.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned It may they will tell you a natural man may love God with his heart really as so and savingly whereas the Apostle tells you Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject unto the Law of God neither indeed can be Remember it in all those doctrines wherein we agree with those whom we call Pelagians and Arminians so far we agree with the Jesuits and the worst of Papists 3. As you would avoid Hell avoid all those doctrines that would lift up self-righteousness and debase the righteousness of Christ I fear I shall never be in that capacity that I would to stand you in stead in this particular I confess I am against forty things in Popery but my soul is here engaged if that doctrine be a truth I never expect salvation by God either I must be saved by Christ alone or else I must never be saved by Christ at all though Christ will never save me without sanctification yet Christ never intended my sanctification should merit his salvation be as holy as you can as if there were no Gospel to save yet when you are as holy as you can you must believe in Christ as if there were no Law at all to condemn you Come and tell me of the merit of Saints c. I will believe that truth when I believe the Whore of Babylon to be Christs Spouse see Phil. 3.9 2 Cor. 5.21 8. Why should you stand you must be praying Christians I confess when most of my strings are broken there is yet one holds there is a Spirit of Prayer remember Atheist among the Saints of God I can pray yet and I had rather stand against the Canons of the wicked than against the prayers of the righteous Oh! pray that you enter not into temptation or if we enter into temptation Lord let not the temptation enter into us pray if possible let this cup pass from me but if not let it not poyson me but let me be bettered by it and in due time deliver me from it I believe it would be a great temptation to you if it should be said to you you shall trade with no man any more c. you have enjoyed these and these comforts bid them adieu for ever you shall have no more to do with them this would be a temptation Temptations and Tryals are great and certainly where they are so prayer should be strong There is no relief to be expected on earth all our relief is to be expected from God and that 's to be obtained by prayer Pray that God would be pleased above all things in the world to make you sincere would you be stedfast in your profession you must be sincere in your practice To him that hath shall be given that is a comfort to him that hath but truth of grace to him shall be given growth of grace Would you be steaddy Christians then make it your great work to attend the Ordinances that God hath prescribed to make you steady Christians you were told of this many years ago concerning attending the Ordinances of God Quest Pray what are those Answ 1. There are secret Ordinances it may be thou canst not be so much in the Pulpit as thou wouldst Oh! be more in thy Closet it may be thou shalt not have so many opportunities to hear so many Lectures be more conscientious in thy meditations in secret it may be thou shalt not have that freedom with God in publick be more earnest with God in private 2. Mind your families more than ever you have your Children and Servants call aloud upon you How many grave faces do I see at this time that can tell me Sir I remember some twenty or thirty years ago you could not pass the streets but here was one Family repeating the Word of God another singing the praises of God another praying to God another conferring concerning the things of God at that time we had not so much foolish absurd excursion into streets and â—ields as now O! for the Lords sake begin to take them up now let the Amorite Perisite and Jebusite do what they will but oh for you and your children and your servants do you serve the Lord up again with those godly Exercises when we cannot hear a Sermon then read a Sermon if we cannot hear a Sermon well Preached our Godly Parents would engage us to read a Sermon well Pen'd if nothing new let the word repeated and meditated call to mind what you have heard Oh! reduce your selves to your Christian frame let the debauched Atheists know that they have something among you to be feared that 's your prayers let them know that though you have not those opportunities you have had yet you will improve those you have And you Masters of this Parish for Gods sake keep in your Servants on this day more than ever you are to be accountable for their souls and they will give you a thousand thanks when they come to age especially at the day of judgement Oh! then blessed be God I had such a Master blessed be God I had such a Mistriss blessed be God I had such Parents Quest But then for publick Ordinances what would you have us do Answ 1. Where evere Christ doth find a tongue to speak I am bound to find an ear to hear and an heart to believe I would not be mistaken I bless the Lord I am not turned out of my Ministry for being a Scismatick I know Schism is a sin nor know I any of my Brethren that are so do not mistake us therefore do not go and tell the Jesuits we are Schismaticks for we are none But this I would advise I speak as though I were dying do whatsoever lies in your yower to hear such whom you think to be godly beg of God be earnest with him that he would give Pastors after his own heart and whom God hath sent not such as may daub with untempered mortar and not such as may prophecy lies in the Name of the Lord not such as may be clouds without water but such as may be guides of the blind burning and shining Lights faithsul Stewards What shall you do what did you twenty or thirty years ago what did the good old Puritans do they were not Schismaticks But as much as lies in you possible hear them whom in your conscience God doth hear Oh! then expect the Word of God should come to your hearts when you have ground to believe it comes from your Pastors heart I must confess I intend to do the same when put into the same condition with you I acknowledge I am bound in Conscience to hear the Word of God but I must take care whom I hear hear those by whom God speaks I hope God will grant several such
love to God and as Gods love to us is the sum of all Mercy so our love to God is the summe of all Duty Grace is the new birth of the Soul whereby it takes up another nature a new nature a spiritual God-like nature as Christ was born and thereby took on him the nature of man and was made flesh so man is born by grace and thereby takes upon him the nature of God and is made Spirit and here you have at once the great mystery of Grace in the lowest debasement of a Saviour and the highest advancement of a Sinner for the Lord Christ could not be more debased than to be born it was nothing so great an abasement for Christ to dye as for him to be born for being once made man it is no wonder for to die but being the great God it is a wonder that ever he should be made man Lo here is the debasement of Christ yet if he had been born to a Crown to Honour it had been something but he was born to shame to sorrow and death but man by grace is born to a Crown to a Kingdom he hath a title to all the glory and blessedness of heaven from the first moment of his new birth So it is in the Text Grace be unto you and Peace Peace in Scripture is a very comprehensive term it carries in it all happiness It was the common greeting of the Jews Peace be unto you Thus David by his Proxy salutes Nabal peace be to thee and thy house and the Apostle here alludes to this form of salutation that he might mix new Testament mercy to old Testament manners he first stiles Grace before peace as Jacob did with his Venison he made it a savory meat such as Isaac loved Peace is the glory of Heaven in the bosom of God and brought into the world in the arms of Angels the first peace you read of in the Gospel was peace by the Administration of Angels Luke 2.3 4. And suddenly there was with the Angels a multitude of the heavenly Host praising saying glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men And when our Lord Christ first sent out his Disciples this was the Doctrine that he bid them preach Mat. 10.12 13. When you come into a house salute it and if it be worthy let grace and peace come upon it Mark here by the way our Lord Jesus Christ is no enemy to good manners he would not have Christians to be Clowns which is the use of some among us who would have their Religion quarrel with good manners no but In whatsoever city or town you enter salute it and let grace peace come upon it that is wish peace to them saying the peace of God be upon this place upon the head and hearts of all in it So that peace is both a Gospel-salutation when Ministers and people meet and it 's a Gospel-valediction when the Minister and the People parts So did the Apostle and so do I now Grace be with you and Peace I observe in Mat. 10.13 14. our Lord bids his Disciples when they enter into a house If the house be worthy to let their peace come upon it but if they be not worthy let grace peace return unto you Instead of leaving peace with them to shake off the dust of their feet against them that is to shew that God will shake them off as dust and tread them under feet as fuel My Brethren your diligent attendance on the Word at this place hath comfortably prevented that part of my charge to shake off the dust of my feet for how beautiful have the feet of a poor worm been unto you being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Christ And therefore seeing our Lord Jesus Christ said If they be worthy of their peace abide with them on this account I wish to you grace and peace from God our father and from our Lord Jesus Christ But what is that peace It s the beauty of Vnion the harmony of the Creation the pleasure of Life the feast of a good Conscience 't is that which makes life sweet and death easie Peace sweetens all our possessions and all our afflictions without this the fulness of the world is a burden with this poverty and emptiness is a pleasant Companion without this our bread is gravelled with sourness and our water mingled with bitterness with this green Herbs become a feast and our water is turned into wine peace it is the most beautiful creature in the world And therefore it is beloved of all courted of all many seek her but few there be that enjoy her they do not go the right way to find her for In the ways of Righteousness is peace Peace is the seminary of all blessings temporal as Grace is of all blessings spiritual in grace you have implyed all Holiness in peace all happiness in grace all inward in peace all outward blessings grace and peace are the Alpha and Omega of all blessings as God iâ— of all beings no bleâ—â—ing comes before grace and no blessing lasts longer Then see in this phrase of speech the Apostle wishes upon them as I do upon you all the blessings both of time and eternity and yet he wished not more to them than God promised to give them 1 Tim. 4 8. For godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come grace be unto you and peace c. not one without the other though a man may have peace without grace as in a time of dissertion or temptation and a man may have peace without grace as in a secure and unregenerate Condition grace without peace is often found in a troubled conscience and peace without grace is often found in a seared conscience as grace without peace is very uncomfortable so peace without grace is very unprofitable like Rachel beautiful but barren therefore the Apostles desires ye should have both Grace and Peace we say the Sun and Sali are the most useful creatures in the world the one for shining the other for seasoning My Brethren grace and peace are the Christians Sun Salt grace is the light of their souls and peace is the savour of their comforts grace shines through all their faulties and Peace seasons all their mercies The blessings of God are become as twins as Christ said of the Spouse Cant. 4.2 She is like a flock of sheep that are even shorn which come up from the washing whereof every one bear twins and none is barren among them grace and peace here are knit together by the spirit of God in a sacred knot not to be untied as Castor and Pollux when seen together portend happiness to the Marriner so when Grace and Peace are found in a soul together they portend the highest security and blessing to the Believer they are said in Scripture to be bound together where God gives the one he never denies the other
the censures of a crooked generation A Christians zeal should be like winter fire that burns the hottest when the air is coolest or like the Lilly that looketh beautiful though among thorns so should a child of God though among sinners Fifthly In all conditions choose suffering rather than sinning If ever you would have peace choose suffering rather than sinning he that values peace with God or peace with conscience he must make this his choice Daniel rather chose to be cast to Lions than to lose the peace of his conscience the three Children chose rather to burn in the Furnace than to bow to the Image One said He would rather go to Hell free from sin than to live in Heaven with guilt on his Conscience My brethren let me a little enlarge because sufferings may overtake us for Persecution is the genius of the Gospel therefore let me leave for short Rules with you concerning sufferings See that your Cause be good your Call be clear your Spirit meek and your End right Sufferings cannot bring our peace without either of them but with them all our sufferings shall be peace First Let your Cause be good It s not the Bloud but the Cause that makes a Martyr it is not for every cause a Christian should engage to suffer every cause will no more bear suffering than every little stream will bear a ship nor will Christ let go sweetness to every suffering 1 Pet. 4.15 Let none of you suffer as a Murderer or as a Thief or as an Evil-doer or as a Busie-body in other mens matters To suffer thus is neither Christian-like nor comfortable some suffer rather as Malefactors than as Christs Martyrs Secondly Let your Call be clear It 's not amiss to have a good cause without a Call some may suffer for the cause of God and yet sin in suffering for want of a Call Christ calls not all to suffer to some it is given to others it is not if thy Call be clear thy Peace will be sweet though thy sufferings be never so great But you will say how shall I know when I am called to suffer Answ 1. When Truth suffers by our silence then are we called to suffer 2. When our lives will be the denial of Christ then are we called to deny our lives for Christ 3. When sin and suffering surrounds us that we cannot get out but we must either run through sin or suffering then I may safely conclude That Christ calleth me to suffer and in this cause we may expect the peace and sweetness of his presence Thirdly The third direction for suffering is this Our spirit must be meek so was Christ he went as a Lamb to the slaughter It is possible a man may be right in his cause and yet sinful in his carriage and if so no wonder if Christ be not sweet to us To be fierce and raging and reviling in suffering it is not becoming humanity and therefore much less like Christianity A Christian should be like Christ Act. 5.41 And they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name .. It becomes those that are found in the spirit to give blessing for cursing the more of Christs spirit is in our sufferings the more comfort and joy we shall receive from our sufferings Fourthly See that your End in suffering be right If it be self or singularity or schism then Christ cannot be sweet to thee Some have died that their Ends may live Socrates died in the defence of the Truth and to prove that there is but one God but whether he died for Honour Applause or for Gods sake I think it is not hard to determine But let thy Cause be good thy Call clear thy Spirit meek and thy End right and then you shall have peace in all your sufferings that is the fifth thing Choose sufferings rather than sinning Sixthly If you would have peace be much in studying the Scriptures for as God is the God of Peace and Christ the Prince of Peace so the Gospel is the Gospel of Peace which God hath given to thee to lead thee in the ways of peace Great peace have they that love thy Laws Seventhly Take heed of Apostacy either in Doctrine or Principles Though a Believer is freed from Apostacy in the state of grace yet he is not freed from Apostacy in the degrees of grace He may fall sinfully though he cannot fall finally Demas fell by one St. Peter by the other Pray with David Psal 17.5 Hold up my goings in thy paths that c. Eighthly Make the Word of God your rule in all things be sure you have a Scripture warrant for all your practises but especially keep close to Scripture in matters of Gods worship There are endless discourses about the Mode of Gods worship I have no disputing time It is good in difficult cases always to take the surest side for instance if I follow the traditions of man for the worship of God I may but if I keep close to the directions of God in the Scripture I am sure I cannot sin for this is the sure word of Prophecy to which you do well to take heed therefore in such a doubltful case Gods will is that we take the surest side go to the Law and to the Testimony labour to be fruitful and grounded Christians Ninthly Keep up the power of Godliness do not let Religion down into a lifeless formality The righteous shall flourish like a Palm-tree He shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God Psal 92.12 13. My Brethren it is as much a duty in them that have grace to improve it as for them that have no grace to get it If you sit under the daily means the daily waterings of God and do not grow do you think this will be peace in the latter end surely no my Brethren your fruitfulness under the Gospel is of very great concernment It 's unfruitfulness that makes God lay his Vineyard waste It 's fruitfulness that procures the forwarding of your account in the day of grace Tenthly Observe that excellent rule of the Apostle Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there any praise think on these things And now my Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of God that is infinitely able to make you wise to salvation with this Benediction which I shall make my Valediction Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Mr. Calamy's Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Ash Isaiah 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are
which the Apostle uses by way of insinuation for Audience are contained in the words of the 20. verse wherein we have a very large description of the Person prayed unto The God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus c. He describes him under such notes and marks as serve much for enlargment and enforcement in the matter of prayer But here a Question may arise Seeing Grace is the thing the Apostle principally desires and 't is usual with holy men both under the Old and New Testament to chuse out such Attributes as sure most with their particular occasions and are most agreeable to those requests they have why he doth not apply himself to God as the God of all grace but rather the God of Peace Therein first the Apostle seems to make use of that same liberty which belongs to holy men As there is in the General a Liberty left to Gods People from God himself Paul in this place makes use of that liberty he had as to the manner of prayer using such a description of God as seemed good to him at present But secondly if he be the God of Peace it follows he is the God of Grace If God hath glorified himself so far among the Hebrews as to reconcile them to himself by the blood of Christ then there is no question God will proceed further and having provided for those things which appertain to their Justification no question but he will for those things that are necessary to their Sanctification Therefore the Apostle argues plainly from Justification to Sanctification He that justifies his people through the Blood of Christ Sanctifie you by the spirit of Christ make you perfect to do his will working in you that which is wel-pleasing in his sight c. So desires we should be Sanctified on the consideration of our Justification having provided for Justification by the blood of Christ followes Sanctification by the spirit of Christ 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly c. that God who is ally'd to you the God of peace and hath provided for you Peace I desire he would further provide Sanctification for Sanctification is nothing else but the effect of that grace which is procured for Believers through the blood of Christ There is no access to God for Sanctification of our Natures until we prevail with him for the Justification of our persons and he first shews himself to be a God of peace by way of Justification before a God of Grace and Sanctification But to proceed First for the description of the person wherein take notice of him 1. By one of his Attributes 2. By one of his special works whereby he hath manifested that Attribute 1. The Attribute of God is implyed under those words that he is called the God of peace The Gracious God that provides for reconciliation between himself and sinners that finds out ways and means to win those who are by nature Children of wrath to be the Children of God There is no peace but God is Author of whether natural peace or civil peace or political peace he is pleased to provide for them but there is a transcendent kind of peace which doth with a peculiarity belong to Gods people i.e. Spiritual peace between God and sinners and that inward peace that we enjoy if our conscience hath been troubled with terrour of sin Wrath c. Peace belongs so to God as none of the Creatures can have any Glory of it Psal 4.7 The peace is Gods peace none can effect it or devise it but God and with respect to this he is more especially called the God of peace because he hath found out a way to make reconciliation between God and his sinful perishing Creatures 2 Cor. 5.19 Ephes 2.14 c. Col. 1.13 2. There is a special Work of God attributed to him that the Apostle takes into consideration i.e. That he brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that Great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant wherein we have many words and every word its weight and we shall scarce be able to weigh every one so as to take the full sense and emphasis of them In the words there is 1. Something implyed 2. Something expressed 1. Something implyed namely That the Lord Jesus Christ was sometimes in the state of death and that being in the state of death it was not any ordinary power way or means could ransom him He was in the state and condition of the dead he was for a while under the power and dominion of Death his body for the space of three dayes lay in the Grave and in that sense he was under the dominion of death as all dead men are The Great Shepherd of the sheep could not have his own life in some sense no interest he had in God by vertue of Sonship or any of his Offices could save him from death though the Son of God and Head of the Church and Christ looked upon it so far from being below him as he thought it necessary for him and it was his glory Jâ— 10.11 12. I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep but he that is an Hireling and not the Shepherd whose own the sheep are not seeth the Wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth c. Hirelings they have no spirit or principle in them that they should lay down their lives for the sheep but he so much respected his Fathers glory and good of his flock finding there was no way to bring them to salvation as he denyed himself in all other respects for their good so in this respect lays down his life for them And herein the Church of God seems to have a deadly kind of wound to be at a deadly loss Zach. 13.7 I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered But herein lies the wonderful goodness and wisdom of God he is pleased to improve as the life so the death of Christ for the good of his Church Luk. 24.16 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things it was very expedient that seeing the sheep could not otherwise be saved but by the Shepherds dying that the Shepherd should lay down his life for the sheep and seeing no other way to make reconciliation to God it was very expedient Christ should die Therefore 't is to be taken notice of that it doth not mis-become the Head therefore not the members of the body They must be content to lay down their lives for the Flock for so did the great Shepherd 2. Something expressed Where take notice First of the person spoken of Secondly of that which is given us to be taken notice of in particular 1. The Person to be taken notice of is our Lord Jesus Christ That which we have considerable is First The Title that belongs to him in his Church in this regard called The Great Shepherd of
Christ was your Laws and Customs above or below my Word Must your Law be ruled by my Word or my Word by your Dâ—ctrine Did not all Christians hold out this that the Word of Christ was above all authority in the matters of Christ Shall the Members of the Body become greater than the Head Therefore you could not be ignorant in this case your own professing me to be so great in all my Natures and Offices but when you come to practice then you will deny me Shall we be able to answer this We must consider of this that if we would please God it must be through Christ and then we must carry our sâ—lves as directed by Christ Jesus in his Word and nothing can take us off that principle no pretence whatsoever for Christian Religion is such a thing in the nature and substance of it as Jesus Christ is the Author of Therefore if Christ be the Author all that belongs to Christian Religion as to its substance we should account nothing of moment in Religion but only that which we can ascribe to Christ as the Author of it The care of the Church is in the hand of Christ whatsoever providences are let in on the Church to exercise or try the Church all must be born patiently but every Member must worship him God hath made Jesus Christ a Shepherd c. In what he finds fault we must not justifie what he commands we must approve what he calls to be done we must practise what is not his we must not own as his Much may be drawn from this both for instruction and consolation that Christ is the great Shepherd though he die in his Members he shall rise in his Members I may say though he die in his Ministers he shall rise in his Ministers Isa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor cut of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever This is a part of the Covenant that the Word and Spirit of Christ shall be continued among the Members throughout all Ages God will provide his children shall not live without a Spirit neither without his Word God hath engaged himself for both for the one as well as the other that there shall be a super-addition and perpetuating of them and herein we must depend upon the faithfulness of the great Shepherd of the sheep Mr. Venning's Farewel-Sermon Heb. 10. Verse 23. Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised THat Christians are greatly concerned not only to believe and to make Profession of their belief but to hold fast their faith and the Profession of it is that which I have already proved unto you the several Obligations that lie upon Christians hereunto have been in one or two Sermons handling among you the great Obligation here annexed is for he is faithful that hath promised From whence and from other places of Scripture I have deduced several Arguments and propounded them unto you the last of which was this None can promise us better than God can none can threaten us worse than God can and therefore it concerns us to hold fast If any man can do more for you or against you than God can leave God and cleave to that person but seeing that is impossible let it be as impossible for you to leave God Can any body promise you better than Heaven and that God hath promised to them that do believe Can any threaten you with worse than Hell and that God hath threatned to them that do not believe I shall now proceed to touch the remaining Arguments that are behind and give you a few helps with which I shall conclude this discourse at this time I pray God I may not say Preaching too There are several Arguments to be drawn First From the Subject concerned Vs Secondly From the Object the Profession of our Faith And Thirdly From the Act with the Qualifications Hold fast without wavering First From the subject concerned Vs Let us hold fast whatever others do if they let go Faith and God and Heaven and Souls and All yet let us hold fast Whatever the Apostle speaks of or to Believers there is a very great Emphasis in the word we or us as in the first of Tim. 6.8 saith he Having Food and Raiment let us be content Indeed he might have said let every man be content but the Emphasis lies in the us if no body else will be content yet let us for a Christian lies under more Obligations to all manner of vertue than any other man doth If Nature will not be content with little yet let Grace Let us be content So here let us hold fast our Profession It may be others will let it go I but let us hold it fast let us among whom let us upon whom let us in whom such mighty things have been done by God let us hold fast or else it will be an intolerable upbraid and condemnation to us That it will be both see but two Texts of Scripture the first is in Mat. 11.20 21. Then began he that is Christ to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Wo unto thee Chorazin wo unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in Sackcloath and Ashes but I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of Judgment than for you And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down unto Hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained until this day But I say unto thee that it shall be more tollerable for the land of Sodom at the day of judgment than for thee Pray do but mark what an upbraid their is and what ground because mightier works had been done among these than among others Now it seems to be a little excusable that they where these mighty works had not been done did not repent and therefore their punishment shall be more tollerable but it will be more inexcusable for them among whom less mighty works have been done If they do not comply with the design of God their condition will be far more intollerable They that have been lifted up to Heaven as it were that have as it were seen Christ crucified before there eyes for them to Apostatize and turn away from Châ—ist of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy Certainly thâ—se very persons that have great and mighty works done among them upon them too great Convictions and strong Resolutions and yet they shall Apostatize Oh! how will God upbraid
Be stedfast and unmoveable knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Mal. 3.13 there is the like instance Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet ye say what have we spoken so much against thee this God is always quarrelling with us and laying things to our charge what have we said in the 14 verse Ye said it is in vain to serve God and what prosit is it that we have kept his Ordinances we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts and now we call the proud happy yea they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered well now what follows They they that feared the Lord spake often one to another as if they had said let not these things take any thing off the edge of our affections or quench any flame of our love did God take any notice of this now that he had any such friends in the world yes saith he God hearkned and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name and they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him there is a time coming the day will declare whether it be serving God or the Devil well then beloved as ever you would hold fast the profession of your Faith take heed of the error of the wicked never think it vain to serve God though you may lose bâ— it for if ye lose for him ye shall never lose by him Thirdly Would you hold fast the Profession of your Faith then lay up the word of Faith in a good and honest heart Luke 8.15 It is said there of the good ground they are they which have heard the Word kept it or hold it fast where do they lay it up now in a good and honest heart so that you must pull out his heart before that you can pull out the Word and will any man suffer his heart to be torn from him you never hold it fast till you lay it up in a good and honest heart if it be only in the hands as a Bible in your hands or in the head it will be gone but if it be in your hearts you will never let it go therefore observe saith he Having heard it they keep it and hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience they had a great deal of sufferings to bring with patience for if they were not under suffering what need were there of patience Well beloved consider a little further as to this the Connection between the verse preceding the Text and the Text saith he Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled with a pure conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the profession of our faith the purity of the heart is the best preservative of the Faith 1 Tim. 3.9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience a good and honest heart will never part with the mysteries of faith Lastly Would you hold fast the profession of your Faith then look much to and often consider Jesus Christ the Author and finisher of your Faith David had got the faculty of walking with God and how was it saith he I will keep thy loving kindness before mine eyes that I may walk with thee Oh! if we do but keep the loving kindness of God in Jesus Christ before our eyes we shall certainly keep the faith Saith the Apostle having a high Priest over the House of God let us draw near and let us hold fast a high Priest that is Jesus Christ our great high Priest Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren he partakers of the heavenly calling consider the Apostle and high Priest of our Profession Christ Jesus Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that ye have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our Profession Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despised the Shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God! Oh! let us be thinking of and looking to this Jesus You will say what shall we think of him Oh! think of this condescension in the world of that vouchsafement which as was never the like of his how he humbled himself and suffered being God for man Think how he became poor that was rich that we that were poor might become rich think how he became a curse think how he became sin for us think what a good Confession he made before Pontius Pilate even to death and was obedient to the death Think how he conquered death by dying and how he rose again by his Almighty power and ascended into Heaven and ever lives to make intercession for those that come to the Father through him Think how he lived here on earth in a sad condition and joyed in it so that it might be for our good and shall we leave such a Christ as this Oh! can you look upon Christ and leave the Profession of your Faith It cannot be keep Christ before your eyes make him your pattern and you will not you cannot do amiss He that saith he abides in him ought to walk as he walked he walked in obedience all his days and was obedient to the death So must we we must walk in all obedience all our days though we dye for being obedient You see now how many Arguments there are for our holding fast the Profession of our Faith There are many now that might be added but the time is past therefore I shall shut up all in the words of Jude from the 20 ver of this Epistle to the end But you Beloved building up your selves on your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life and of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God and Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and for ever Amen Mr. Matthew Newcomen His Farewel-Sermon Preached at Dedham in Essex Aug. 20.1662 Rev. 3. Verse 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received heard and held fast and repent I Began this Scripture the last Lords day in this Congregation I told you then there were three Doctrines obvious in the Text the first was Doct. 1. That it is the Duty of Christians to remember those Truths that they have heard and received Doct. 2.
any failings in me or any failings in my Ministerial duty that you would please to pass it by and to help me in prayer to God for the forgiveness of them These are my Requests of you and that which I have to say to you by way of Advice is much the same with what I said to this particular Congregation the last Lords day Take it in these particulars 1. I would advise you and entreat you that we may all of us lay to heart this present dispensation of God towards us and the Nation in this respect that we may be sensible of it I remember when I was young and my famous Predecessor Mr. Rogers was taken off from his Ministry in this kind though but for a few weeks these parts were wonderfully sensible of that providence and laid it to heart and were much in Humiliation and in Prayer and I think I may say they received an answer again within some weeks Now Brethren though he was worth some hundreds of us yet now it is not the laying by of one man but of multitudes fifty in one place and threescore in another and fourscore in another and this not by a single Bishop but by an Act of Parliament which makes the wound the wider and the more uncapable of cure and shall not we be sensible of this shall so many precious vessels be laid by as vessels of no pleasure and none take it to heart Shall so many burning lights be quenched together so may Wells of the Water of Life be stopt up together and this not be laid to heart I beseech you consider and be sensible 2. In the deepest and saddest sence you have of this providence of God watch over your own spirits that you lay the blame of it no where so much as upon your selves Some blame the times and charge it on their iniquities others are apt to blame us Ministers and charge it on our niceness and singularity Might my advice take place with this people I would desire that every one of us might lay the blame no where so much as on our selves for certainly we have procured these things to our selves I find our Predecessors the Martyrs when by a Law Religion was changed in the Nation and Idolatry set up they lay the blame not on the Law-makers but on themselves and their own hearts One of them saith All this is come upon us because we did not love the Gospel we were Gospellers in lip but not in life Much more doth it become us whose sufferings are far less to blame our selves more than we blame any others 3. My third Advice is this and I beseech you take it in love for it is out of love that it is given you if you should perceive at this time a difference in opinion and practice among us that are the Ministers of the Gospel in this Nation standing and sticking at things that others can digest and do and others doing things that some of their Brethren cannot come up unto Be not offended thus it hath always been from the beginning it is no new thing Thus it was in King Edwards dayes If there be any of God's servants that are Learned and Holy and Faithful that do now for the enjoyment of their Ministry yield a conformity to all that is enjoyned I doubt not but many of them are grieved that they cannot have the exercise of their Ministry without this and we who cannot come up to this are grieved that we cannot come up to it the one and the other have grief enough add not your censures to this grief that is already upon them It hath been all along a merciful providence of God that when some of his servants could not satisfie their consciences and come up to the things that have been imposed upon them without injuring their Consciences yet others have had a greater freedom given them that they could yield and if not so What would have become of the people of God Therefore in those things acknowledge there may be some providence of God for good to you in it 4. My fourth advice I shall deliver to you wholly in the words of that holy man and Martyr of God Master Bradford in his Letter to the City of London saith he Let us heartily bewail our sins and repent of our evils let us amend the evil of our lives let us every one be diligent in prayer and attend with reverence on the reading and hearing of Gods Holy word let us reprove the works of darkness let us fly from Idolatry and which is the particular I would indeed commend unto you Obey the Magistrate and them that are set over us in the Lord in all things that are not against the Word and when they command any thing contrary to the Word let us answer It is meet to obey God rather than man However saith he resist not the Magistrate nor seek to avenge your selves but commit your case to God be patient and submit to all that are in Authority over you but resist not rise not against Authority but wait on God till he pleaseth to cause the Light to rise and shine again upon you This is my fourth advice 5. Now it pleaseth God that Hearing opportunities at least some of them are taken from some of us from many of us for a time My Advice and Counsel is that the less now you hear the more you will read read the Word of God much the more and take all helps for the right understanding of what you read The Book of Annotations is a great help to enlighten you to understand the Scripture and next to the reading of the Scriptures what spare hours you have I would advise you to bestow your time in reading of the Book of Martyrs a Book that hath formerly been more prized than of late in England Especially read that part of it which contains the History of Queen Maries dayes they will inform you of the great controversies that are between us and the Papists and they will inform you what you shall answer the reading how cheerfully they went to Prison and to the Stake will imbolden you against the fears of sufferings and death and the reading of their Letters will be a great means to edifie and build you up This reading of the Scriptures and other good Books is my fifth advice to you 6. My fixth Advice to you is That seeing God hath taken away your Week-dayes opportunities of hearing the Word here and in other places you would be careful that the world may not devour Gods Portion I mean that portion of time which some of you have bestowed in hearing these Lectures It was a good speech of a gracious Woman now with God when Mr. Rogers was silenced Well said she by the grace of God the World shall never have those hours that I was wont to spend in hearing heretofore her meaning was she would spend them in her Closet in holy duties It was an
excellent resolution and worthy of our imitation and if I might after twenty six years labour here in the Ministry now at my parting obtain thus much of you that you having been pleased to be constant hearers here would lay a Law on your selves that so much time as you formerly spent in coming hither sitting here and returning home that you will spend that time at home either in praying and reading and meditating in your Closets or else in praying in and with your Families and instructing of them If I might but obtain this of you at my parting I shall believe that the Devil and his Kingdom would be losers by this our parting if you would spend this time weekly in holy Exercises reading and praying for your selves and for the Nation and for your Families which you were wont to spend in coming to these Lectures and in attending here and returning home and that is my sixth Advice to you and therefore let me intreat this of you 7. And my seventh Advice and Counsel is this that seeing it pleaseth God to take away from you so many of your publick Instructers that you would every one of you that are headâ— of Families be so much the more instructing and teaching your Families Be so much the more in this by how much the less is done in publick Read the Word in your Families and catechise your Families and see that they may understand them You have many helps for this as Mr. Perkins Mr. Ball and the Assemblies Catechise 8. And the last advice I have to give you is this that you would still continue your reverence of and love to and care for the observing of the Lords Holy Sabbath It is that my Brethren wherein God hath been honoured in this Town and in these Parts I think as much as in most places in the World and I pray do so still And when you have not publick Ordinances and publick helps for the sanctifying of the Lords day at home in your own Congregations if you have the Word and Ordinances in any comfortable manner abroad Travel for it I say travel for it and when you have them not at home nor abroad be so much the more earnest and fervent and aboundant in your family and secret Duties in the sanctification of the Lords day I have some fears lest if time should come to pass that the Magistrates should connive at the prophaning of the Lords day giving way to Sports and Recreations on it and Preachers should cry down the strict observation of the Lords day and the like I am afraid we have many youth that in these parts notwithstanding all the instructions that have been given them would be ready to dance after these Pipes and run into the profaning of the Lords day Therefore you that are Governours of Families remember the charge that God hath given you more expresly concerning this than in any other thing that I know of Thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter nor thy Man-servant nor thy Maid-servant nor thy Cattel nor thy stranger that is within thy gates shalt thou suffer to violate the day of the Lord Therefore know your Authority and do your duty and put on the Holy Resolution of Jâ—shua Whatsoever others do I and my house will serve the Lord so say you Whatsoever others do I and mine will sanctifie the Lords day and keep it holy So do and the blessing of God shall be on you all the week long And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Mr. Brooks His Farewel-Sermon ALL that I shall do shall be to answer two or three Queries and then I shall leave a few Legacies with you that may speak when I am not advantaged to speak to you The first Query is this What should be the reason that men make such opposition against the Gospel against the plain powerful conscientious preaching of it This is not the principal thing that I intend and therefore I shall only touch upon the reason of it 1. Mens hatred and opposition ariseth against the Gospel because it doth discover their hidden works of darkness Joh. 3. They hate the Light lest their deeds should be removed the Gospel brings their deeds of darkness to light and this stirs up a spirit of hatred and opposition against the Gospel 2. Ground is this Because sinners under the Gospel cannot sin at so cheap a rate as otherwise they might do The Drunkard cannot be drunk at so cheap a rate nor can the opposer and persecutor oppose and persecute at so cheap a rate as they might do where the Gospel doth not shine in power and glory 3. Because the Gospel puts persons upon very hard service upon very difficult work pulling out a right eye cutting off a right hand offering up an Isaac throwing over board a Jonas parting with Bosom Lusts and darling sins Herod heard John Baptist gladly till he came to touch his Herodias and then off goes his head As they say John 6. This is a hard saying and who can abide it and from that time they walked no more with him this is a hard Gospel indeed and at this their blood riseth 4. Because of the differing and distinguishing work that the Gospel makes among the Sons of men it softens one and hardens another that sits next to him enlightens one and strikes the other blind it wins on one and enrageth another The same Sun hath different effects on the Objects on which it shines The Gospel puts a difference between the precious and the vile and this the vile cannot bear It was never good dayes say they since such and such must be Saints and none else we have as good hearts as any and this enrageth them Lastly It is from Satan Satan knows that the very tendency of the Gospel is to shake his Kingdom about his ears Satan and Antichrist know that their Kingdom must down by the power and light of the Gospel and therefore Satan and men of an Antichristian spirit do all they can to oppose and shew their hatred against the everlasting Gospel and this makes them to be in such a rage against the Gospel Quer. 2. When the Gospel goes from a People what goes I shall give but a touch here 1. When the Gospel goes Peace Plenty and Trading goes 2 Chron. 15.3 5. and 6. compared Now for a long season Israel had been without the true God and without a teaching-Priest Why They had Priests but they were Jeroboam's Priests as you may see chap. 13. verse 9. Have you not cast out the Priests of the Lord the sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made you Priests after the manner of the Nations of other Lands so that whosoever comes to consecrate himself with a young Bullock and seven Rams the same may be a Priest of them that are no gods A
If you miss the Lord Jesus by the Grace of Faith you will never hâ—ld fast the Doctrine of Faith you are built upon the Doctrine of the Apostles not their Persons upon which the Lord Jesus is the Corner-stone he that does not know Jesus Christ himself will certainly lose his Faith What 's the reason the stony ground in time of Persecution fell away why they had not root they were not planted upon the Lord Jesus Rule 3. Thirdly those truths that God hath taught you and those wayes of Worship God hath committed to you love them as your lives love them above your lives for no man will ever contend to hold them if he do not love them Things of low price and esteem are presently let go he that loves the Word above his life will let life go rather than the Word If you receive not the Word out of love every Imposter and false Prophet every fear and terrour of men will rob you of it Hide the Word in thy heart saith Solomon Love the truth dearly It was a great speech of Calvin Never did any one Apostatize from the truth of Jesus Christ but it was because he did not love the truth And I add this That never did any Apostatize from the wayes and truth of Jesus Christ but it was because they did not receive them in love or else they have lost their love for there 's a decay of affection as well as having no affection if you love them what will you not suffer for them but more of that by and by Rule 4. Fourthly Guard all the truths of God and those wayes of God that have been taught you guard them strongly especially truths that are most material and fundamental for leading truths are like Captains of Armies if they be routed the whole rout follows them There is great opposition that will be made against your faith The whole power of darkness of Antichrist of his seducing spirits likely and probably enouâ—h will overspread the whole face of Christianity once more for she must sit as a Lady before she be desolate and forsaken for ever The Apostle bids you beware of Dogs beware of the Concision beware of Evil workers guard your selves against them guard the truths you have learned by Argument by Scripture by Reason that you may have wherewithal to confute them by the word of truth mightily out of the Scripture as the Apostle did Three things you are to guard against 1. Your own deceitfulness especially in a rash and sudden forsaking of those wayes that have been taught and the profession you have taken up for Christians would never be so mad to Apostatize were they but seriously deliberate about the weight of them Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you would not obey the truth c. and 1.6 I warvelled what ailed you that you soon turned away to another Gospel One would have thought they might have spoken with Paul first and sent to him and reasoned the case with him There 's a marvellous bewitching in false Doctrines to take men presently who are not watchful over themselves It is in disputations and practising truth as it is in contentions if you make a Judgment before you hear both parties speak you judge unrighteously if you forsake the wayes and truth of Jesus Christ before you can hear what can be said for them you do unrighteously 2. Guard them against the lusts of your own hearts The great work of a Chrisâ—ian is contention it is not so much against Antichrist those that are without him as that which is within him If all Heretical Doâ—trines and wayes were rooted out of the World not onely the being but the memory the heart is bad enough in one day to set them all oâ— foot again therefore guard the truth Men of corrupt minds will presently grow â—eprobate as to the Faith 1 Tim. 3 6. Such Doctrines and Worships as shall suit with our lusts as shall suit with exalting Self and laving Christ low as shall suit with an easie way to Heaven when the Scripture saith Straight is the Gate as shall suit with self-preservation So I might secure my Estate my Liberty I would suspect such Doctrines as these before I take them up for the wayes of Christ Guard the truth against false Teachers such as shall come among you in Sheeps cloathing yet are Wolves in heart men that creep in at unawares among you to subvert souls I will not here describe them you know them well enough by their fruits onely this let me tell you in opposition to those though you cannot come at the publick Ministrâ— or those God hath set over you yet make Conscience for to take fences to take defences from them as you may by their Counsel Prayer Help and Assistance for to guard you against false Teachers When the Church of Christ is in the Wilderness you will find this is that the Holy Ghost advises them to Cant. 1.8 You are to guard your selves by communion one with another as to go forth by the foot-steps of the Flock so also you are to go and feed your Kids by the Shepherds tents for though 't is not the work that God calls for to pin your faith upon their sleeves yet 't is your duty to enquire of the Lord by them for he is the Messenger of the Lord to you Rule 5. Arm your selves with Resolutions to suffer for the faith of the Gospel and for the wayes of Jesus Christ As you should love the truth above your lives so labour to be made willing to part with Life Estate Liberty any thing for to keep the wayes of Jesus Christ It is not the honour of the Gospel of Christ to hear Christians to break out into murmurings passions discontents contentions that are carnal and sinful your work is humbly meekly and patiently to lie under the hand of God and under the hand of man too that becomes Christians Suffering is that that will restore the glory of Religion that will keep the truth delivered to you that will honour the Cause of Christ best of all follow the example of blessed Paul his his expression is worthy of consideration 2 Tim. 2.9 he gives a charge of keeping and propagating one of the most glorious truths that Jesus Christ was risen from the dead yet a thing that is farthest off from sense and reason wherein I suffer trouble Mark Paul does not say wherein I make trouble no but wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer unto bonds but the Word of God is not bound If this blessed and glorious Apostle would have had the faith of God bound and have contented himself with sinful silence and not propagated the Gospel Paul might have been free but Paul would not have the Word of God bound therefore Paul would suffer for it Shall we go higher a great deal than this You have the glorious commendation of the Lord Jesus Christ upon this account that
condition of the Apostles themselves they were Earthen Vessels they had such weaknesses men subject to the like passions as we Vse 2. Secondly As for the people this may improve in all the notions and considerations of an Earthen Vessel First In regard of the meanness you must not esteem the Gospel according to the Vessel according to the disparagement of the Vessel a Vessel of dishonour in respect of its matter may be a Vessel of honour in regard of the Gold that is in it those members of the body that are weak and in themselves less honorable we afford a great deal of honor upon them in deeking and cloathing them So the Ministers work and employment and the Doctrines they bring are excellent and of great use when all is done we have that we serve for according to the imployment we are put to we are honorable though outwardly mean Wicked and base men are called Filii Terrae they are Sons of the Earth Job 30.8 Children of Fools yea Children of base men they are viler than the Earth i.e. Men of no account as one saith the Earth groans under such ungracious persons but gracious persons are Vessels of honor as it was said of the Giants of old so it may be said of these They are men of Renown and so we shall esteem of them Worldly men look at the outside and so esteem of them so was Christ dealt with Is not this the Carpenters son So those Teachers in Corinth endeavoured to render Saint Paul his presence weak and his speech contemptible 2 Cor. 10.11 that so they might make his Ministry contemptible also But this glorious Treasure is in Earthen Vessels You know saith Paul Gal. 4.13 that through infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel unto you at first This was their commendation v. 14. But my temptation which was in my flesh you despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Jesus Christ All his weaknesses and whatever was matter of discouragement they did not despise but honorably entertained him even as Christ himself So it was the commendation of the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2.13 That they received not the word as the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God looking to the mighty God to make it effectual so should all others do upon this consideration 2. Seeing Ministers are Earthen Vessels in regard of moral infirmities which adhere to them in respect of their corruptions and weaknesses judge of them as men but esteem of what is righteous in them though they have great advantages against sin yet notwithstanding they are not totally exempted and free from sin as they are Ministers so they are men 3. In regard that Ministers are Earthen Vessels in respect of their frailty Seeing then they are so frail and transitory therefore accordingly you should make use of them deal kindly and affectionately with them in that they are quickly broken What is sooner broken than a Glass or an Earthen Vessel Ministers are quickly taken away and therefore you should be tender of them while you have them Where are all the Fathers Do the Prophets live for ever The Word of the Lord indeed indureth for ever but the Preacher of it doth not the Gospel is eternal but the Dispenser is mortal the Calling is lasting but the Minister is transitory and therefore you should carry your selves with all tenderness and respect to them take heed of grieving their spirits seeing they are so soon broken Endeavour also to improve by them and to get as much good as you can by them It is a great argument to work while it is day because the night comes when no man can work whilst God affords means and opportunities make use of them we are but Passengers therefore this is a great ground for you to get all the good you can by Ministers seeing they are frail Lastly By way of Improvement Take notice of the wayes of God as different from mans God puts excellent Treasure into Earthen Vessels we keep treasure in Strong Holds in the strongest Repositories Gods wayes are not as our wayes he goes another way than we do he makes use of the poorest meanest and most frail Creatures sometimes he layes aside many times men of greater abilities parts and quality and makes use of weaker to do this great work Chrysostome makes an Expostulation If it be excellent Treasure why in Earthen Vessels therefore it is a Vessel of Earth because an excellent Treasure Thus Gods wayes are unsearchable this is the Improvement Now besides this interpretation given of it there is another that will not be impertinent Some understand by Earthen Vessels the Expressions Words and Phrases of the Ministry through which the Doctrines and Truths of the Gospel are conveyed this is agreeable to what went before Some false Teachers in Corinth pleased themselves with eloquent and enticing words of worldly Wisdom and so endeavoured to render Pauls preaching despicable in regard of the plainness of it Therefore saith the Apostle we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels i. e. familiar conveyances that so we may easily understand it Thus I have explained this Earthen Vessel and so have done with the first considerable part viz. the Dispensation it self This Treasure we have in Earthen Vessels I come now to the second viz. II. The account of this Dispensation That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us Which words may be considered two wayes First Either Absolutely as lying in themselves Or Secondly Connexively to the words before going 1. Take them absolutely as they lie in themselves and two things are exhibited 1. The excellency of the Gospel and Ministry it self called Power 2. The Author and Original of it laid down two ways positively of God and negatively not of us 1. The excellency of the Gospel and Ministry thereof called Power There is a great deal of power and efficacy in the Gospel 't is in its nature powerful and efficacious so the Ministry of it Rom. 1.16 I am not ashâ—med of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one thâ—t believeth See 1 Cor. 2.4 Paul's preaching was in the dimonstration oâ— the Spirit and of â—ower c. 'T is called the Arm of Gods Power the Sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 'T is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit c. Heb. 4.12 and many other places We may conceive it to be so according to the various effects and consequences of it viz. as to 1. Conviction 2. Conversion 3. Consolation 1. 'T is powerful in regard of Conviction 't is a word of Conviction and one part of the work of the Ministry is by the Spirits co-operation to convince the World of sin to open mens eyes to shew them the vileness of their ways to discover such courses to be sinful the
in wait of the Jews and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you but having shewed you and taught you publickly and from house to house testifying to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ and now behold I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide me but none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God and now behold I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of Heaven shall see my face no more Wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood for know this that after my departure grievous Wolves shall enter not sparing the flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you and to give you an inheritance among all those that are sanctified I have coveted no mans silver or gold or apparel Yea your selves know these hands have ministred to my necessities and to those that were with me I have shewed you all things how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak remembring the word of our Lord Jesus how he said It is more blessed to give than to receive And when be had thus spoken he kneeled down and prayed with them all and they all wept sore and fell upon Pauls neek and kissed him sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake that tâ—â—â—â—hould see his face no more and they accompanied him unto the Ship BEloved I have read unto you the words of a departing Minister to his Hearers The case being my own I thought I could not pitch upon a more fit place to take my Farewel withal I shall not stand to open all these words only speak a word or two at parting as Paul did to the Ephesians and I shall only hold forth something to you by way of Analysis of it and thereby you may judge of the Analogy of it In this parting speech of Pauls you have two parts 1. Pauls carriage to them 2. Their carriage to him First Pauls behaviour towards them that was very pious as you may read from verse 17. to verse 37. Secondly The peoples behaviour towards their departing Minister which you have in the two last Verses Wherein is observable 1. Their Love 2. Their Sorrow First their Love expressed by kissing him and accompanying him unto the Ship Secondly Their Sorrow expressed by their weeping they could not part with such a Minister with dry eyes but saith the Text They all wept sorely sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake that they should see his face no more They wept and they all wept and they wept sorely a sore weeping when this Minister and this People parted From whence note this That there is occasion and matter of great sorrow when people lose a godly Minister Paul was not the first Minister that ever parted 〈◊〉 People nor the Ephesians the first People that ever lamented at th◠〈◊〉 of a faithful Minister See how the people lamented Samuel 1 Sam. 25.1 And Samuel died and all Israel were gathered together and lamented Samuel O that brave that powerful preaching Samuel is gone How did Elisha lament Elias catching hold of his garments and cried out My Father my Father the Chariots of Israel and the Horsemen thereof Christ himself when he saw the children of Israel scattered abroad upon the Mountains as Sheep without a Shepherd how did his bowels yern towards them But to name no more take St. Stephen Acts 8.2 when Stephen was departed dead and gone devout men carried Stephen to his grave and made great lamentations over him they could but lament to think that that noble couragious and heart-daunting Minister should never preach more before them When Christ was put to death how did his followers lament him Is it not a lamentable sight to behold a poor weather-beaten rotten Ship without mast or tackling in a tempest Good Lord what will become of the Ship and Mariners Is it not a sad sight to see a flock of Sheep invironed with a band of Wolves and no Shepherd to protect them Thus it is with the people when their Minister is gone Ministers themselves have wept and lamented when they have thought of departing from their own people and that for these two causes First Because they knew they would corrupt themselves Secondly Because they knew they would suffer others to corrupt them First Because they knew they would corrupt themselves Moses he knew this Deut. 13.29 he is there leaving the world and the people thereof Call unto me the Elders of your Tribes that I may speak a word in their audience and call Heaven and Earth to record against them for I am sure that upon my departure you will utterly be corrupted and turned from the way that I have commanded you for behold I being yet alive with you this day you are rebellious against God how much more then after my death I assure you it is cause of lamentation to think on this Thus it was with Joash while Jehojardah that good Minister lived with him and instructed him in the way that he should walk he kept to the worship of God but after Jehojadah died he turned Idolater and persecuted the sons of Jehojadah 2 Chron. 24.21 Secondly They knew that after their departure they would suffer others to corrupt them This was that that made Paul use these words to the Ephesians v. 29. For I know that after my departure gâ—â—â—â—â—s Wolves shall enter not sparing the flock And therefore well may you â—â—â—urn when a faithful Minister is taken from you I shall say no more only a word or two to Pauls speech wherein you have First Paul speaking to God for them Secondly Paul Speaking from God to them First He spake to them from God and then prayed to God for them I shall divide his speech to them from God into these two parts First He spake something by way of Vindication of himself Secondly He spake something by way of Exhortation to them First You may observe in Paul's Farewel-speech something by way of vindication
to look after a better Would any man be content to dye a Drunkard I ask you that are Drunkards I do believe you will answer no why then do you live in Drunkenness How know you that God will spare you when you are drunk until you are sober again We may read of many that have dyed in their drunken fits God doth not always send his Herauld to warn thee before he sends his Serjeant to arrest thee How knowest thou but Death may strike thee on a sudden What will then become of thy Soul Oh Beloved I beseech you live not in that you are unwilling to dye in Balaam was not such a Wretch but he could cry our Good Lord let me dye the death of the righteous Thirdly Lay up for suffering times there are few of you I believe are so bad husbands but will lay up for a rainy day I mean against a time of sickness comes wherein you will be unable to work are you thus careful to maintain your bodies and will you be careless of your souls O be careful to provide for stormy weather you have winter garments for your bodies to preserve them from cold oh let patience be your winter garment to preserve keep your selves warm in afflictions I know that he that will live godlily in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and that through tribulations and sufferings we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven shall I not then provide for them But you may say What doth persecution attend all the godly A man may escape them as well as suffer them Put case afflictions should not come thou wilt be never the worse for being provided for them for he that is fit to dye is fit to live that man that is fit to suffer afflictions is fit to live without them It was Paul's Exhortation to the Ephesians 6.10 Finaly my Brethren put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand the wiles of the Devil And it is wisdom in a man to provide for a misery before it comes There is mention made of a Nation the Spartans I think that useth to chuse their King as we do our Lord Mayor every year whilst they are in their annual Government they lived in all abundance of state have all the fulness their hearts can wish but when their year is over all their pomp glory is over too they banisht into some obscure remote place for ever where they spent the remainder of their lives in great want and misery One King knowing this being called to rule over this Nation made such use of his time wherein he reigned as King that by his provident living he heaped up so much treasure and sent it before him to the place where he knew he should be sent as maintained him all his life time Thus it is God hath appointed to every one a time to live in and that bur a short time too and in that time he hath appointed afflictions to attend us if we will live godlily in Christ Jesus it is not wisdom in us then to provide for them Take heed then to avoid sufferings you do not commit sin to commit sin to avoid suffering is as if a man should run our of the mouth of a barking Dog into the mouth of a devouring Lyon What is the wrath of man to the wrath of God Man can but destroy the body and no more but God can destroy both body and soul into Hell fire to all eternity Fourthly My fourth word of Counsel and Direction is this Be serious in serious things when you come to perform serious things do them seriously I do not know that ever I saw a man fall asleep while he was telling of Money for if he should how could he tell whether it were right or no Yet alas too too many sleep when they should be taking Truth not only by natural sleep but also by spiritual sleep they are so careless in receiving the Word they hear and so lazy withal that rather then they will try the Word they hear they will take all for truth the Minister tells them Beloved I believe you will scarce put so much confidence in a man as to receive a summ of Money without teâ—ling it because he saith it is right and yet will you receive all that your Minister tells you is truth for truth without trying it You must not be sluggish in your working for God but put forth your selves to the uttermost You must make the Kingdom of Heaven suffer violence and take it by force But then Fifthly The fifth Direction which I shall give you is about hearing the Word how you must behave your selves when you hear I take it for granted you will hear I hope you will for brown bread is better than none and a little is better than none at all yet I intreat you take these two words of Direction First Try the Word you hear by the Truth Secondly Try your selves by the Word First Try the Word you hear by the Truth if it be not consonate to that believe it not let who will preach it Paul exhorteth the Galathians so to do Chap. 1.8 9 But though we 〈◊〉 an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed How Paul accursed sure you speak too high what if an Angel must he be accursed sure you will call in your words again Nay instead thereof he repeats them over again As we said before â—o I say again If any one preach any other Gospel than that which you have received let him be accursed If any man pretend a Revelation from Heaven and cannot bring Scripture for what he saith do not believe one syllable Take the noble Beraeans for your Example they would not believe Pauls Doctrine until they had searched to see whether it were so or no. But then as you are to try the Word you hear by the Truth so try your selves by the Word You hear as a Truth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Now try your selves by this Truth and see whether or no you walk after the Flesh or after the Spirit I have likewise two Directions about the preaching of the Word First Do not you receive the Word for the persons sake that brings it I am apt to think that many of you will receive a Truth of one mans bringing which you would not receive of anothers and thus ye receive the Word of God with respect of persons which you ought not But first receive the Word for its own sake and secondly receive the Person for the Words sake 1 Thess 5.12 13. We beseech you Brethren to know them which aâ—e over you to admonish you and labour among you in the Lord and to esteem of them very highly in love for their works sake Sixthly My Direction in the
sixth place shall be concerning the Times we live in and I shall tell you how you ought to behave your selves in two particulars First Blame thy self most that the Times are so bad there is a general complaint about the sadness of the Times but no particular every one puts the cause away from him and instead of accusing themselves are alwayes accusing others Ahab he said to Elisha thou art he that troubled Israel Elisha said unto Ahab Thou art be that troubled Israel Adam said to God The woman which thou gavest me did give to me and I did eat the Woman she said the Seâ—pent beguiled heâ— Thus do we put it off from our selves to others No man saith with Jonas Eâ—â— my fake is this come upon you I am the cause of all this no man saith what have I done Would you have the Times mend Oh then every soul of you condemn your selves and amend your wayes the Times would not be so bad if we were not so bad would you have the effect cease then seek to remove the cause But then Secondly Pray not so much for better Times as for better Hearts for had you never-so-good Times and not good Hearts your blessings would be cursings good Times without good Hearts will but fatten you the sooner to the slaughter Seventhly If you cannot do the good you would then do the good you can many people are so sullen that because they cannot do all they would do they will do none at all I beseech you be not of this temper what though you cannot serve God in publick will you not therefore serve in private why may you not do as S. Austin was bid to do â—olle loge take up and read This will be a reading and praying time with you and now you cannot hear as formerly you have done Oh pray more and read more and the less you have in publick the more you may have in private you may read and pray we are not forbidden that yet let us then make use of them Eighthly My intreaty is unto you all That you would be careful and circumspect in your conversation Ephes 5.15 16. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the dayes are evil Walk as becometh the Professors of the Gospel and labour to be blameless towards God and Man Oh what notice will there be taken when any Professor doth but slip aside and do any thing amiss it is the joy of wicked mens hearts to see it and how diligently do they watch for it and often wish it We have a Proverb That one man may better steal a Horse than another look on I am sure a wicked man may better commit seven sins than a Professor one For it is the failings the bad lives of Professors that makes Religion ill spoken of and hinders many a weak soul from closing with it Sure think they their Religion cannot be good their Conversations are so bad Let us therefore be wary and careful in all our actions Ninthly Mourn and lament for the sin you cannot hinder It was said of Lâ—t 2 Peti 2.8 That his righteous soul was vexed with the wicked Conversations of the Sodomites Oh that we were but so good as we should be then sure it would grieve us more than it doth to see the wicked and abominable lives of those among whom we live Though thou dost not blaspheme God thy self â—et it is thy God that is blasphemed and shall not that trouble thee How canst thou but reprove them whoever they be When a sick man seeth his Wife Children Friends and Physitian lamenting his condition sure it will make him think his condition is worse than he thought it or very bad at least or else why do they take on so if there was no cause of fear Thus it may be thy reproof may work upon a wicked man If when thou hearest him blaspheme God thou lamentest his condition and puts him in mind of his sad estate it may make him lay that to heart then which he never did before Tenthly The last thing that I have to beseech of you is That you would love one another I have not at all sought to proselyte you to my way but whatever you see in whoever it be that is of God Oh love it be he of what profession he will he is a godly man O then love him you cannot love God if you do not love his people Let brotherly love continue 1 Joh. 1.20 If any man saith he loveth God and hateth his Brother he is a lyar and the truth is not in him For if he loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen We believe saith John in the next Chapter That Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he that loveth the begetter must also love him that is begotten You would be loath to do otherwise in civil business Will you refuse commerce with a man because he is contrary to you in opinion because he is not a Freeman of our City Be not then so far from loving one another as to bear hatred one to another Thus you have heard what I had to say unto you by way of Caution and Counsel O that they may make such impressions on your hearts that they may be your continual practice in your lives and conversations I shall now close with the words of St. Paul 2 Cor. 13.11 Finally Brethren farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you And the Lord grant that both ye and I when we come to the Judgment-Seat of God render up our account with joy and receive an immortal Crown with Christ in Heaven until which Day I beseech Almighty God to keep you and preserve you in his fear Amen Mr. Lye 's Sermon Preached at the Conclusion of the Morning Exercise in Lombard-street Joh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if you do them IN these words two things observable First A Supposition which is double 1. If you know these things 2. If â—e do these things There be many that do but do not know do not understand there be many that know but do not do do not practise But our Saviours saying to his Disciples is If you know first and then If you do Knowing without doing is unprofitable Doing without knowing is impossible Secondly a Position If you so know it to do then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blessed happy are ye First For the Supposition which is double First If you know This word Knowledge in Scripture contains two things 1. It intimates an act of the mind or understanding if you know 2. It imports an act of the memory or retentive faculty of the soul if you so know as to remember From both these significations you have these two observations 1. Our first great care should be this With all seriousness
no be more afraid of disinheritance look on sufferings with Scripture-spectacles Labour for integrity and uprightness of heart that preserves when falling Be watchful over thy thoughts and wayes Be a resolved Christian if thou be not thou wilt turn an Apostatizing Christian You must set your faces as thorns resolution is absolutely necessary not only under but before a day of suffering Be resolved for God and be resolved against sin and that for fear lest in a day of suffering thou shouldst halt and founder and so lose the things which thou hast wrought which brings me to The Tenth Sermon 2 John 8. Look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full Reward IN these words you have a Warning-piece discharged to an Elect Lady a serious Item to an Elect Lady and her Religious Family to look well to themselves that they lost not the things they had wrought And this is grounded on a double reason 1. From the damage of such as begin well and hold not out They lose the things they have wrought That were sad that so much should be done and all should be lost at last 2. From the advantage and benefit if we do go on then we shall receive a full reward The Observation was It much cancerns all those that have begun well that are looked upon by Ministers and those that are Godly as if they were truly godly that have entertained the Truth and the profession of the Truth to look well to it how they stand to continue to go on to hold out in their holy Profession and Conversation Look to your self you Elect Lady you her Religious Family look to your selves that you lose not the things you have wrought There 's all the reason in the world it should be so the Election of Believers engages us it should be so we are chosen that we should be so If we do not look well to our selves we may chance to lose all we have wrought It too too often falls out that after a hot fit of Profession there comes a cold fit of Apostasie this cold fit of Apostasie caused by a sharp wind of Persecution or by a melting thawing Sun of Prosperity either by our natural inconstancy and mutability within we love new changes we love to be changeable or else the subtilty of Seducers from without Again there hath been are and will come trying seasons were you never so sincere Think not all the work overdone as soon as converted As soon as come out of Egypt there 's a Wilderness and Red Sea to pass through Midianitish women Giants c. to contest with Therefore no wonder he writes Look to your self Then 1. Here see Election shuts not out the use of means You are an Elect Lady yet look to your self 2. You scandalous Papists the Doctrine of Perseverance we preach is no Mother of Sloth and Security Though you shall be saved yet look to your selves you shall not perish yet keep in the Ship 3. Orthodoxness of Faith and soundness of Profession is not enough to make a good Christian Elect Lady you make profession you are sanctified but you must look to your self 4. It is not enough to have a well-ordered Family Oh Lady Look to your self as well as to your Family 6. The business of Religion is not the work of one day As long as you have life look to your self 2. For Exhortation Look to your selves take heed of Apostasie Take heed of that which occasions cold fits after a cold fit comes a dead fit as after a hot fit usuall comes a cold fit Apostasie is the Quartan Ague of the Soul if it be not death it is exâ—reme dangerous 3. By way of Direction Would you look to your selves Look up to God beg to be strengthened with all might in the inner man that he who hath begun a good work would be pleased to finish it To that end Lord give strength while in begging and begging hearts for continuance of that strengthening Ordinance amongst us that it may be never said as it was said of those precious Israelites the Word of the Lord was precious in those dayes there was no open Vision Which leads me to The Eleventh Sermon 1 Sam. 3.1 The word of the Lord was precious in those dayes there was no open vision THe Word of the Lord was precious in those dayes Was it not alwayes precious Yes but there is a two-fold preciousness 1. Of worth and excellency 2. Of want and scarcity The Word of the Lord hath not been so precious to the Israelites in regard of its worth and excellency therefore God made it precious to them in regard of its want and scarcity There was no open vision Hence observe 1. There hath been there may be such a day overtake a Church and People of God wherein the Word of God may be precious that is may be scarce rare and hard to come by 2. 'T is most just with God to teach them how to prize the word by the want of it that know not how to prize the word of God by the worth of it the Use was for Direction what to be done to prevent this judgment of a scarcity and famine of the Word of God 1. Learn to prize the word by the worth of it 2. Improve the word as to the fruit of it 3. Adorn the word in your lives and conversations 4. Be earnest with God in publick and private for the blessed continuance of that word Learn to prize the word by the worth of it We do prize the word c. Do you prize the word in the truth Then 1. What hath meant that horrible wicked general contempt of the word of God and Ministers of that word through the Land though blessed be God they have not taken the vilest of the People and made them Priests yet the best of Ministers have been esteemed as the worst and â—ilest of People 2. What means the want of the word read repeated looked into 3. What means the general disobedience to the word 4. Why are you so ready to sell the truth farr more ready than to buy it 5. What means that easie forsaking of the blessed truths of the Gospel that a Popish Jesuite cannot come and vent one of his wicked Opinions but presently let it be vomited it must be sucked up by one or other 6. What means theâ— having of the faith of Christ in so much respect of persons as hath been here amongst us Judge your selves then for what is past and for the future learn to prize the word according to its worth consider what an admirable excellent thing this word of God is and that is and that may be known 1. By the Metaphors unto which it is resembled in Scripture which speak either its profit pleasure usefulness or necessity Thy word is a light to my feet what more precious than light without which the world were but one great
Dungeon c. 'T is compared to Bread Manna Food Water Precious Stones Rain c. Nay 't is more necessary As they formerly we can better be without the Sun than without Chrysostom Love for God makes us sensibly to say we can as well be without fire or water as without the word of God As it is the more excellent because compared to those things what they are naturally it is spiritually so it is spiritual Bread spiritual Water spiritual Pearl c. 2. By its precious Properties Operations There is a Scripture to me tastes like honey in my mouth Ps 19.7 8 9. Where the word is discovered by its properties and operations The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart The Commandements of the Lord are pure enlightning the eyes The fear of the Lord is clean enduring for ever The Judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether What are these the Metaphors to which the Word is compared Are these the Properties and Operations of the Word No wonder then Job sets such a high valuation upon them as he doth in our Twelfth Sermon Job 23.12 I have esteemed the Word of his mouth more than my necessary food IN these words you have the matter and the measure of Job's valuation 1. The matter of Job's valuation i.e. the words all the words of his mouth precepts as well as promises threatnings and directions as well as promises and priviledges 2. The measure of his valuation as his food as his necessary food nay more than his necessary food Hence this truth was raised The Ordinances of God are exceeding precious to all truly Religious Persons All the Ordinances of God and amongst them his word which is not the least part of his worship This appears 1. From their desires after the Ordinances My Soul panteth longeth after c. 2. From their hearty content and satisfaction in them 3. From their bitter Lamentation under the want of them 4. From their diligent endeavours to enjoy them Religious Persons really understand their worth and want of them They know the Ordinances of God to be the food the spiritual fodder of the Soul the walks of God where God is pleased to take his turn the Instruments of Divine Glory the Legacy of Christians their Christian Armour and Accoutrements to contest with Sin Satan the World and as Stars that lead to Bethlehem no wonder the Ordinances are so precious in the esteem of all truly Religious Then 1. Know your priviledge yet you enjoy Ordinances 2. Lament the sad condition of those poor titular Christians on the one hand that have Ordinances but enjoy them not they know not the worth of them And true Christians on the other hand from whom the Ordinances are gone and whether ever they will return they know not 3. This reproves those to whom they are not precious But how shall I know the Ordinances are precious to me Answer If thou carriest thy self towards them as towards what thou lookest on as precious tell me 1. Art thou greedy of all opportunities of enjoying 2. Heartily troubled when hindred of enjoying them 3. Hast thou a dear respect to those that help thee to the enjoyment of them 2. By way of Conviction to those mad men that tell us of being above i.e. without Ordinances What was it ever heard of any of Gods Saints in Scripture that ever they said they were above Ordinances 3. For Instruction to Christians It will be seasonable to consider what you ought to do if God should deprive you of your Ordinances He did not say it is probable but such a thing is possible Therefore make provision lay in provision before-hand Provision of Knowledge of Grace of Comfort of Light against a day of darkness And if it should come here is Counsel given to us and Consolations laid before us 1. Counsel given us if ever it should be 1. Lament bewail mourn over the Lords absence weep till you can weep no longer 2. Seek after pursue them Let them go where they will be sure thou follow the Ordinances 3. Be more frequent and serious in the use of private Ordinances 4. Frequently reflect back on thy former enjoyments Oh the House the Tabernacle of God c. And reflect 1. To excite your thankfulness to God that ever you did enjoy them 2. To suck strength from the Ordinances To chew the cud and get strength of them 3. For Humiliation for finning away and provoking God to take them away 2. For Consolation that the People of God may not utterly fail then 1. Know in such a condition That though your condition be exceeding bad yet better than many thousands they never had Ordinances 2. God is able in such a case to support without Ordinances When he calls into the Wilderness he can carry along without Circumcision 3. Remember those that have had them but not now What is become of Sion Of the Church of c. 4. Your Salvation may be carried on without Ordinances 5. There is a time coming when you shall have no need of Ordinances In the mean time if you cannot get up to the Ark of God Take heed of bowing to the Calves at Dan and Bethel If you cannot serve the God of Israel Take heed you serve not the gods of the Amorites What you will do I know not to be sure Joshua would not Chuse you saith he this day whom you will serve whether the Gods which your Fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell But as for me and my House we will serve the Lord. Which brings me to The Thirteenth Sermon Josh 24.15 As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. IN the words two things 1. An indefatigable Exhortation Take your own choice follow your own discretion If you will go and bow down to a dumb Idol to a captive God c. 2. An admirable Dehortation We are at a pitch we are resolved and if there be any attractive in me or my Family you have it in this I and my Houshold we will serve the Lord. The Observations were 1. Pious Governours of Families are very zealous that their Families as well as themselves shall serve the Lord. Never hope of thriving in godliness till you bring your Families right for God to be of the same Religion with your selves 2. A true sincere Christian is resolved to chuse and follow God what ever else the World chuse and follow 1. Sincere Christians have much more satisfaction in the judgment and practice of God his Word Saints than in the judgment and practice of the World He knows their judgment to be depraved their choice and practice corrupt their end and conclusion worst of all Therefore no wonder he makes a better choice 2. They have the best testimony in
first the Kingdom of God c. Two questions were propounded and answered 1. What is it earnestly to enquire after and seriously to pursue the Kingdom of God and his righteousness In this question three things included the Object the Act the Order 1. The Object The Kingdom of God the Kingdom of Heaven and its Righteousness The Kingdom of Heaven that is the Kingdom of Grace and the Kingdom of Glory the Kingdom of Grace as the means to the Kingdom of Glory The righteousness of this Kingdom that is Sanctification sincere holiness in heart and life which is the beginning or the way to and a sign or pledge of our interest in the Kingdom of Glory 2. The Act Seek i.e. Bestir your utmost thoughts about your utmost time care diligence upon these things 3. Seek i.e. Set your choicest affections upon these things 3. Seek i.e. Strive and labour go forth in utmost endeavours for obtaining of these things 3. The Order Seek first Seek it first in respect of time begin with God Remember thy Creature in the dayes of thy Youth Seek it first with the greatest care accuratest diligence industry with the greatest seriousness The Kingdom of God is the most necessary thing indeed that one thing necessary It is the most excellent thing eternal all other things are temporal get this and you get all you get above the terrors of the World The best way to have the things of the World sanctified is this Seek first the Kingdom of God c. 2. How is this a remedy against distracting cares and fears Answ 1. It is a remedy by diversion 2. Present things seem little compared with eternal things Vse 1. This reproves those that observe not our Saviours direction 1. Those that are drowned in earthly things give them Onions and Garlick take the Kingdom of Heaven and Righteousness thereof who will Let me have my part in Paris what care I for Paradise 2. Others that are for the Kingdom of God but not for the Righteousness of that Kingdom they are for the end but they do not care for the way they would have fruit but they will not climb the Tree 3. Others that could wish they had a portion in it but in a slight and perfunctory way If Heaven could be obtained with a few prayers this they 'd do but further they will not goe 2. Is this such an excellent way to cure our carnal fears and cares What advantage hath a Child of God above all other men in the world both in this life and that to come In this life under a watchful providence not a hair of his head shall perish but chiefly the priviledges of an everlasting Kingdom he hath a Bird in the bush and in hand too choice enjoyments in the hand and in hope much more but much more above and this hope of his shall not make him ashamed The vision of his appointed comforts is for an appointed time and it will come will come said I Faith looks our and sees it coming already let but Faith look to Heaven and he sees his Judge coming Which brings me to The Eighteenth Sermon Rev. 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me THe Observation from the words was this The Lord Jesus will certainly and speedily come to Judgment when he shall give reward equal to every man These two questions were answered In what sense Christ comes quickly Answ In Gods account with whom a thousand years are but as one day In our account Faith sees him coming though Sense cannot Faith makes future things present it is the Prespective of the Soul Believers receive part of their reward at death and that is quickly 2. Why doth Christ defer his coming at all Answ 1. To stop the mouths of the wicked they will not have one word to reply they had time and space to repent 2. Out of his dear love he bears to his Elect There is many of his Elect not yet born and though born not new-born Now these must be born and new-born and brought all in and when that time is come then He will come Vse 1. Will Christ come quickly and with a reward then certainly remember this Athiest 'T is no vain thing to serve our Lord Jesus What profit is it if we serve him c. What profit Infinite profit there is a reward coming 2. By way of Exhortation Will Christ come Oh then 1. Prepare for his coming Labour to be prepared by his spiritual coming in thy heart that is the way to be prepared for his last coming get thy understanding enlightened in the saying knowledge of Christ thy will subdued and brought into subjection unto Christ thy affections renewed spiritualized thy conversation such as becomes the Gospel of Christ 2. You that have made all things ready for his coming look out after his coming The Table is spread the Trencher laid the Dinner ready the Guest not come Oh! when will He come I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ come Lord Jesus come quickly every Saint will eccho to Come quickly to every Believer it shall be a most welcome coming he shall come with a reward of absolution and pardon of all sin of vindication and clearing up of all names Believer's bodies shall not only have a Resurrection but their good names It shall be a reward of Coronation all their Crowns of Thorns shall be turned into Crowns of Glory 3. Is Christ coming Will he come This should bear up Believer's hearts in and under the sufferings they fear or feel Christ comes quickly therefore fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer This gives us advance into The Nineteenth Sermon Rev. 2.10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison that you may be tryed and you shall have tribulation ten dayes Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life WHence observe 1. The people of God must suffer Through tribulation through many tribulations they must enter into the Kingdome of God from a Cross into Heaven Think it not strange no not of the fiery trial thou shalt suffer 2. Whatever sufferings the people of God either are or may be in they have no just cause ground or reason of fear i.e. of disponding distrusting distracting fear The Arguments of this point are in the Text. 1. The Consideration of who it is that brings the people of God into suffering it is God God is the Disposer but who is the great Executioner the Devil whom God hates more than thou canst The Devil shall cast c. 2. It is the Devil in a chain the Devil hath two sorts of chains 1. A chain of darkness in which he is kept to the day of Judgment 2. A chain of providence he is restrained in that c. 3. The Quality of the suffering should keep them from fearing He shall cast some of you into Prison not into Hell
powerful Ministry argues and speaks a very sinful and wretched frame of heart Nothing is so excellent but some will be displeased at it and with it as Eccles 11.7 Even the Light it self we know is offensive to sore eyes And thus the burning and shining Light of a godly and faithful Ministry is offensive and terrible to some but who are they Sore diseased souls the Lord knows The Ark of God which was the monument of his presence whom did it smite with Emrods but the Philistims What then is the Ale-house more easie to thee than thy Pew is to thee in this place than a Conscience Soul-searching Sermon What art thou offended at a powerful faithful Ministry Oh fearful Plague-tokens 2. To do all that men can do to put out the Light this is worse It is the most horrid hellish Plot that can be designed or named and of this I am sure the Church of Rome cannot plead Not Guilty which like the Scribes and Pharisees take away from the people the Key of Knowledge and shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men How terribly doth our blessed Lord thunder-strike those stupid Pharisees for this Mat. 23.13 And as did the Pharisees so did the Papists For 1. Heretofore they made it a moral sin to read Gods Word 2. Afterwards they clogged the liberty they granted with such cautions and restrictions as that very few escaped of those that were within the reach of the Inquisition 3. Those cloggs contented not but now it is thought fit utterly to deny liberty and can there be a more horrible hellish Plot assigned than this to take from people their knowledge of salvation And thus the Church of Rome whether they have Church-snuffers or not to be sure they have Church-extinguishers and various means to put out the Light Oh fearful is this as in Joh. 3.19 20. That is the reason men hate the light because their deeds are evil Again If good Ministers be the light of the world then hence may we draw this Conclusion That it concerns people very nearly to believe in the light and to walk in the light and to work while the light lasteth as our blessed Savior exhorteth in Joh. 12.35 36. read that God sets up his Ministers as Lights as Candles on the Candlesticks of his Church to awaken men and to light men unto eternal life And ought not people to pray hard and to work hard while the light lasteth God removes many times the Candle and Candlestick and makes the Sun to go down at Noon-day as Amos 8.9 so darkens the Earth at clear day Good Ministers they are called the light of the world and they are called 3. Stars as in Rev. 3.1 And who are meant by the seven Stars Rev. 1. ult they are the Angels that is the Ministers of the seven Churches Now the Stars are said to affect those inferiour bodies 1. By their influence And thus godly and faithful Ministers by the influence of their lips they feed many with the bread of life 2. By their regular motives of their lives they confirm many 3. By the light of both they confirm many One while their employment is to instruct poor souls and so they are like stars shining in a dark winter-night Another while they are to converse in their courses Judg. 5.20 Now to enjoy and live under the Ministry of such Stars and yet to walk in darkness and to have fellowship with the works of darkness to remain unconvineed unconverted unhumbled unmortified unfruitful this is woful this is a very lamentable state 4. They are called the Lords Messengers and Embassadours Mal. 2.7 and the Ministers of the Gospel for indeed the Ministers of the New Testament they are no where called Priests they are called Embassadors for Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 Godly faithful Ministers are the Lords Messengers and Embassadours in matters concerning the soul the precious immortal never-dying soul of man not in the matters of this life but for the soul Now this is no mean imployment to treat with God for the Soul 5. They are called the Lords Husband-men Gods Church is his Husbandry 1 Cor. 3.9 and Ministers are Gods Husbandmen naturally we are like a barren Wilderness Now the Lord sends his Husbandmen to those barren Wildernesses to make a fruitful Paradise Now for Gods Husbandmen to plow sow and harrow and yet no fruit no crop Isa 5.6 When Gods Vineyard brought forth no fruit I will take away all their rainy clouds saith God you shall have clouds but you shall have clouds without rain you shall have Ministers still but such as shall never do your souls any good Well you see the Titles given to them in Scripture they are called the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World and Scars and the Lords Messengers and Embassadors and Husbandmen all which doth import a very great obligation lying on a people who live under such a Ministry and who live under and practice every commanded duty 2. Inference Secondly Dangerous and fearful is the state of those who have enjoyed and lived under and have not been wrought upon by such a Ministry And this will appear if we consider 1. How fearful a sentence the Lord Jesus Christ hath given to those that live under but despise and profit not by the Ministry of his faithful Servants Mat. 10.14 15. And do not think that Christ said this touching the Ministry of the Apostles onely certainly the Lord Christ would have it to be understood of the Ministry of all his faithful Servants whom he sendeth to teach his people Joh. 13.20 whomsoever he sends and so He that despiseth whom ever I send despiseth me Then is the Message of the Lords faithful Messengers received aright when people do not only hear it but receive it and bring forth fruit as our blessed Lord speaks of good hearers Mark 4.20 Those are they that hear and receive the fruits sown in good ground And thus our blessed Lord expounds himself Mat. 11.24 he telleth us there that they of Capernaum shall be in a worse case than they of Sodom and Gomorrah and why because they repented not at Christs Sermons and Miracles they were not to be seen in their lives notwithstanding Christs Ministry notwithstanding Christs preaching and his miraâ—â—â—s among them they did not amend their hearts and ways O how feaâ—â—â—l a sentence hath our Lord Jesus Christ denounced against such 2. If a People be not wrought upon by such a Ministry what hope can such a People have that any thing should do their souls any good For is not the Ministry of Gods faithful Servants the power of God to salvation and the ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 That is that Ministry whereby the spirit of grace and holiness is infused into the hearts of the Fathers chosen ones in Christ Jesus The Poeâ—s speak of excellent Musicians who by the power of their Musick made stones to leap into a wall A godly faithful
Ministry hath done more it hath taken the stone out of mans heart and hath given them new hearts it hath made all the Commandements of God easie to maâ—p a poor soul because it loves its Father its Redeemer and Comfoâ—ter There is a kind of obedience in a godly faithful Minister and if this will not do nothing will as in Luke 16.31 3. Is not the cause of the non-proficiency of such a people under such a Ministry in themselves Oh men do hinder the fruit of the Word in their own souls the powerful operation and working of the Word on their own souls The Lord prophesies that sentence on the Jews Mat. 13.14 â—e lays all the blame on themselves and assigns their own sins as the reason and cause of it as in Verse 13. And thus our blessed Savior expounds the Parable of the Sower shewing how many that hear the Word are never the better for it and he layeth the blame on themselves as in Luke 8.14 What then hast thou not profited under the Ministry of the Lords faithful Servant Oh lay the blame on thy self 4. Consider Hath not the Lord himself a hand in the proficiency or non-proficiency under such a Mâ—nistry Surely the Lord hath a chief hand in making the Ministry of his Servants fruitful or not fruitful to them that enjoy it Now to enjoy and not to enjoy is it not a fearful sign that you are not of God as John 8.47 Is it not a sign that thou are not of Gods elect at least of Regeneration But you will say Did not the Jews hear Gods Word Yes they did with their bodily ears but they heard it not with saith submission and fruitfulness and therefore our blessed Savior tells them they were not of God that is they were at least in an unregenerate if not in a reprobate condition And so Joh. 10.26 Ye are those Goats saith Christ that must stand at my left hand in that great day and then Unbelievers shall reflect on themselves not on Christs Ministry by the mouths of his Servants But if any should say What then will you say that all of us are Reprobates that are not wrought on by your Ministry I say not so for that seed which hath been sowen on you may â—o your souls good hereafter though it hath done them little or no gooâ— as yet But secondly that I may boldly say That if any of you dye in your present state unconverted unregenerate you will carry with you to your grave as fearful marks of reprobation as we can finde any in the whole Book of God John Baptist compares the Ministry oâ— the Gospel to a Fan in Mat. 3.12 When the Lord Jesus maketh use of the Ministry of his faithful Servants among the people when he maketh use of those Fans it will appear who among them are Wheat and shall be gathered into the Lords Garner and who among them are Chaff and shall be cast into fire And now whether the present state that you have lived under and are not yet wrought upon by a faithful Ministry be not very dangerous judge ye And so much may suffice for the Doctrinal part If so be then That a Ministers soundness in Doctrine and holiness of sife and conversation doth lay a great Obligation on a people conscienciously and duly to practice every commanded duty Then first of all the first Use we shall make of this Doctrine shall be by way of Tryal and Examination and that in two particulars First Whether you in this Parish in this place you here before the Lord 1. Branch of the Vse of Tryal do make conscience of the due practice of every commanded duty Secondly Whether the Ministry you have enjoyed and lived undeâ— doth not lay a great Obligation on you so to do For the first of these Whether you here before the Lord do make conscience of the due practice of every commanded duty in obedience to Almighty God you may try your selves by these three excellent Ingredients First Vniversality Canst thou in the witness of thy conscience say that through grace thou dost every as well as any part of the Lords revealed Will so far as thou knowest it 2. Vniformity Dost thou do all without prejudice or partiality 3. Vbiquity Art thou the same at home as abroad in thy Closet as well as in the Congregation and dost thou mind inward and secret as well as open and outward holiness What saith Conscience to this As first Have commanded Duties a Throne in your own Souls and Conscience Secondly Have they a Throne in thy Family First Have commanded Duties a Throne in your own souls and consciences Are your hearts fully possest with the power of those divine and heavenly Truths which you have often heard which hath been again and again inculcated upon you as it was upon the Thessalonians 1 Thes 1.5 their carnal principles were confuted their passions moderated their Iusts mortified their self-ends confounded are yours so Have commanded Duties a Throne in your souls and consciences Oh that all your consciences could give a satisfying answer to this Query Secondly Have commanded Duties a Throne in your Families Do you make conscience of Family-duties Are your houses Bethels that is houses of God house◠〈◊〉 Prayer Are your habitations of holiness and righteousness Do you make conscience of relative as well as of personal duties Oh that all your consciences could give a satisfying answer to this Query 2. Branch of the Vse of Tryal But now the second Branch of this Use of Tryal and Examination is this Whether the Ministry you have enjoyed and lived under doth not lay a very great Obligation on you to put in execution every commanded Duty as Rom. 10.6 7 8. that is the Word of Faith we preach read that place And may not we take up that with some variation and say You have heard of the disease the misery and remedy When the great God shall arraign thee at the great and fearful Day and shall say thus Thou rebellious Wretch why didst thou not forsake thy evil ways thy drunkenness thy tipling thy covetousness thy snuffling at Purity thy inveterate heart and spirit against my holy ways and Ministers why didst thou not forsake thy evil ways wilt thou be able to say Lord I lived under 1. A soul-betraying non-resident Minister one that made it his business to fleece indeed not to feed the flock Or 2. under a soul-poysoning Innovator Or 3. under a soul-pining dry Nurse Or 4. under a soulguiding Guide Or 5. under a soul-unsetling Temporizer Or 6. under a soul-destroying Discountenancer 1. Canst thou say that thou livest under a soul-betraying non-resident Minister one that made it his business to fleece and not to feed the flock one that looked after the wooll and fat of the flock the fleece but never minded the flock but non-residency hath been hitherto decryed as that as breeds a Minister idle and erroneous or licentious but wilt thou
others may call it let them call it what they will Then hearken to my words as the words of a dying man yet not dead but alive and perhaps shall not die but live and declare the Word of the Lord and hold forth the Word of the Lord to you many a time in this place when-ever it pleaseth God to set open a door for me If it be so That the Ministers foundness in Doctrine and holiness of life and conversation do lay great obligation on a people duly and conscienciously to practice every commanded duty Then from this Doctrine I would suggest and leave with you several words and hints of counsel And on that the Lord God of Heaven would effectually engage and set them home on every one of our hearts My first Counsel is this That when the Lord taketh away such Ministers whose Doctrine is sound and their lives exemplary holy you would then be duly apprehensive and deeply sensible both of the inflicting cause and also of the meritorious deserving cause thereof 1. For the inflicting cause and that is the Lord himself Isa 3.1 2 Who is it that taketh away from the people the natural staff and the civil staff the spiritual staff saith the Prophet The Lord the Lord of Hosts Whoever it be that is the Instrument it is certain it is the Lord himself that is the principal efficient cause of this judgment on a people and this will appear if we consider 1. The Lord hath threatned this judgment on a rebellious people Amos 8.11 12. I saith the Lord will bring this judgment on them A most dreadful spiritual judgment Gods Word is the spiritual food of our spiritual lives and therefore as the granting of it is a blessing indeed so the with-holding of it is a judgment This ireful dreadful judgment of the Lord we see threatens yea that is not all the Lord hath not oly threatned it but 2. Inflicted it as the Lord takes away his faithful Messengers and Embassadors 1. Sometimes by death out of the world out of the Land of the living And thus the Lord took away the Prophet Enoch Gen. 5.24 And 2. Sometimes by removal Thus the Lord took away the Prophet Jonas from Israel and sent him to Niniveb as Jona 1.2 And thus Paul and Barnabas went away from the Jews and turned to the Gentiles as Acts 13.4 3. Sometimes by deprivation A time there was when the good Priests and Levites were forced to flee their own places and possessions 2 Chron. 11.13 14. 4. Sometimes by suspension Thus a time there was when it was said to the Seors see not and to the Prophets prophesie not Isa 30.9 10. Thus a time there was when people would have Pastors but would not endure faithful Jeremiah and a time there was that there was a Law made Look ye speak no more in the name of Jesus Act 4.11 And a time there was when Paul and Timotheus and Silvanus were forbid to preach to the Gentiles 1 Thess 2.15.16 Thus we see the Lord himself hath inflicted this dreadful Judgment on a people and the Lord hath divers wayes and methods and means to inflict it 3. Consider The Church and people of the Lord hath been very sensible of the Lords hand in this judgment as we may see in Psal 74.1 and 9. verses compared Why what is the matter as if they have said God was wont heretofore to give us signs and tokens he would even work miracles for us the Lord would send us some Prophets to converse with and instruct us we had those that could tell us how long our troubles should last but now we see no sign the Lord leaveth us as it were to the wide world and how sensible was the Lords Church in this judgment as ver 1. of that Psalm This is the first endeavour We are to be duely sensible and deeply apprehensive of the afflicting cause of such a judgment and that is the Lord himself 2. Of the meritorious Cause and that is sin Say not we it is long of such and such but it is long of our selves we may thank our selves for this and we appeal to your selves whether this judgment may not be charged 1. From the general inflexibleness and untractableness of people under the Ministry of the Word For this very cause the Lord plagued and poured his vengeance upon the ten Tribes as in 2 Kings 17. from v. 13. to 19. The Lord testified against Isreal by all the Prophets and by all the Sters saying Turn you from your evil wayes notwithstanding they will not hear And for this very cause did the Lord afterwards plague all Judah as Jer. 20.17 18 19. And for this very reason did the Lord Jesus Christ remove Paul from Jerusalem because the people were a stiff-necked people and they would not receive Pauls testimony concerning Jesus as Acts 22 18. Paul had a great desire to stay at Jerusalem as appeared by his reasoning with the Lord as ver 9 20. But what saith the Lord Christ ver 21. Now can England can London plead not guilty of this hainous provocation a general inflexibleness untractableness under a Conscience-ransacking a Conscience-searching Ministry What shall the Lord do with such a people under such a Minister Is it not just with God to let them alone that are prophane and superstitious Let there be like People like Priests Let the blind lead the blind and let the wicked rebellious Minister lead a wicked loose people that both may perish together everlastingly 2. The unfruitfulness formality lâ—ke-warmness declining of Gods own people and for this the Lord threatens the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2.4 5. I have saith Christ somewhat against thee thou hast left thy first love though not absolutely for nature yet eminent for measure And can England can London plead not guilty of this sad provocation Now indeed we cannot but observe and approve of your flocking to the Lords Ordinances as Doves to the holes of a Window but did you do so some Months agone Oh your voluntary and fearful distractions avocations diversions from the Worship and Service of God! And is it not just with the Lord to take away that abundance and choice of Spiritual helps a people had when they approved not of them yea when they undervalued and despised and abused them Oh the Lord God help us all to affect our souls and lay our selves low before his All-seeing Majesty for our provoking him to do this and endeavour to be duly apprehensive and deeply sensible of the inflicting cause and meritorious cause thereof 2. Take heed of a prophane delight in loose lewd wicked dissolute Ministers And here we will premise two or three things 1. Too many people are too ready to cavil at many Ministers without a cause The life of our blessed Lord and Saviour was it not traduced Did not some say he was a friend to Publicans and Sinners We see Christ was cavilled at and quarrelled with by some And thus
the holy Apostles their lives were traduced they went through evil report as well as good report 2 Cor. 10.2 And thus Athanasius who was traduced for an Adulterer by the Arians and so Luther and Calvin are represented and reported by the Papists as if they had been the vilest Creatures in the World The wicked man cavils at and finds spots at least doth what he can to find spots in the Sun and some who are not so wicked do look for an Evangelical perfection in Ministers and all theirs their Wives and their Children and their Servants and their Company How ready are people grosly and uncharitably to censure a Minister for any yea the least they discern in him or his and is this their Vertue nay is it not their Vice and Corruption 2. It is no breach of the Churches peace no argument of a contentious and unquiet spirit in a Minister to speak vilely of vile Ministers and enemies of the Churches peace Why who are they John Baptist tells us he calls them Vipers a generation of Vipers why were they not Preachers Mat. 3.7 And will you say that John Baptist was a man of a contentious Spirit of an unquiet Spirit And who were they whom our blessed Saviour calls a Generation of Vipers Mat. 12.34 38 39. And who were they whom our Saviour calls a Generation of Vipers and an evil and Adulterous Generation were they not Preachers and it is very observable both John Baptist and our Saviour did call those Preachers thus even in the hearing of them who were their ordinary hearers and do but observe what strange terms of disgrace St. Peter gives them 2 Peter 2.12 to certain Preachers in his time verse 14. what strange terms doth the Apostle give to those Teachers whose pernicious wayes many would follow as in verse 2. of that Chapter But did not the Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses's Chair and did they not preach some good Doctrine insomuch that Jesus Christ bids the people hear them and observe what they said though not what they did as Mat. 23.1 2 3. Therefore may some say It seemeth strange that Christ should thus disgrace the Scribes and Pharisees was not this the way to make their Ministry contemptible First It is very clear and undeniable that there was a Generation of pitiful sorry Teachers as in Mat. 9.36 Why did not the people enjoy the Teaching of the Scribes and Pharisees yes they did but the Scribes and Pharisees were Idol-Shepherds they knew how to feed their Flock and therefore Christ lookt on the people as Sheep scattered abroad for all the Scribes and Pharisees They did not understand that there was heart-murder or heart-adultery until our blessed Saviour instructed them The Scribes and Pharisees they did but strike at the bough only but our Saviour Preached with authority and not as the Scribes did And withal I answer 2. That beyond all peradventure our blessed Saviour saw that although the Scribes and Pharisees did teach some truths yet by their Life and Doctrine they did more mischief than good and therefore the more credit they had among the people the more mischief they were like to do And therefore from hence our blessed Lord and Saviour calls them a Generation of Vipers But I hope you will not count it an argument of the breach of the Churches peace to speak vilely of a vile Ministry It was no more than John Baptist did and than our Saviour did Thirdly No mans sin deserves so sharply to be reproved as the sins of Ministers because his sins of all others are the chief sins committed in a Land at the Sanctuary of prophaneness too too often begins Therefore when Gods people met in their publick Fasts they made solemn Confession of those sins of the first Magnitude by which they had most provoked the Lord they do make Confession chiefly of the sins of their Magistrates and Ministers Neh. 9.33 34. The Jews there bewailed the sins of their Magistrates and Ministers as the particular cause of their plagues Oh the sins of Teachers are the Teachers of sin and therefore no mans sin deserves to be so sharply reproved as the scandalous sins of Min isters Now if you love your souls take heed and beware of a prophane delight in lewd loose dissolute Ministers We sind the Lord complaining of the wickedness of the Prophets and of the Priests and People as Jer. 5 ult the people did take a prophane delight in false Prophets and in polluted Priests and so likewise in the Prophet Micah chap. 2. v. 11. the people although they did oppose the Prophet Micah and other true Prophets yet they did approve of and delight in false Prophets such as were of their own leaven their own way and mould such as would flatter them and promise them wine and strong drink and are there not many such people in the world that had rather hear such a Minister than such as preach close-walking with God and of getting to Heaven under pain of damnation Will you cry up and will you prophanely delight in a Ministry that shall preach peace peace to all prophane rebellious people in short such a one that will poison you in Doctrine or in his example Fourthly Take heed and beware of a sinful Idolizing of godly faithful Ministers the Apostle decries this with much zeal ardency and servency of Spirit what is Paul's planting and what is Apollo's watering 1 Cor. 3.5 6. As excellent gifts parts and graces as these men had yet they look higher so it is your duty to look above mens parts and above mens gifts and graces Paul and Apollo cannot give increase Paul indeed may plant but there is no rooting indeed in these plants but by christ And read v. 7. It is God and he only that can give encrease As Elisha's Servant could carry his Masters staff and lay it on the dead child but the child could not be raised to life until Elisha came himself thus godly faithful Ministers can but lay Gods Message before you but unless the Lord set it to the heart never a dead Soul can be raised from the death of sin to the life of grace and holiness Remember godly and faithful Ministers although they have the Lords Sword yet they have not the Lord Christs arm and alas what can the Lord Christs Sword do without his Arm. Fifthly Take heed of being leavened with prejudice against the Ministry of the Word because of the misdemeanours or miscarriage of the Minister Surely the efficacy of the Word and Sacrament doth not depend on the quality of the Minister It is the Word of the Lord that converts not the person of the Dispenser or Speaker A seed that is fown in a good soyl may yea will grow and thrive although perhaps the Sower had a very dirty hand 2 Cor. 3.2 3. The Apostle tells the Corinthians that they are saith he The Epittle of Christs Ministry by us the hand is Christs Ministers are but
the Pen. Hence it was that the Ministry of the Scribes and Pharisees was not to be rejected but to be esteemed so long as they sailed not in the substance thereof and hence the Apostle rejoyceth that Christ was preached of the false Apostles Phil. 1.15 16 17 18. though out of envy take heed therefore and beware of a total separation from disserting of and forsaking Church-assemblies and yet I conceive it is a very rare thing for unconverted Ministers to convert some For what saith the Lord by the Prophet Zephaniah Zeph. 3.1 2 3 4. Ob saith the Lord to Jerusalem that hath such Prophets and such Priests woe to such a City to such a Country to such a Parish And what saith Christ himself in Mat. 15.14 Let them alone oft-times it falls out so that it made Archbishop Abbot speak in a Lecture of his and profess that his heart did even bleed within him to think of the precious Souls of many people who had such Ministers that if they had not been in the Ministry they would not have been fit Hogherds for Swine And yet we must remember not to tye the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments to the goodness or badness of a Ministers person Sixthly Take heed and beware of being leavened with prejudice against all Ministers because of the Vileness and monster-like unbeseeming Carriage of some Ministers It hath been granted over and over that some Ministers evil licentious Carriage and Conversations are notorious the Lord knows too many Ministers have Esau's hands with Jacob's voyce what then must this redound to the general disgrace of all Ministers because some Professors of the Law live lawless must therefore all be censured and cuodemned for the lawless Livers because Judas was a Devil and a Son of Perdition will you therefore say that all the Disciples of Christ were naught Perhaps you do know some Sir Johns some blind Seers some blind Watchmen who know nor Heavens way some blind Droans or secondly some that carry themselves insolently as Jer. 20.1 2. Pasher did or thirdly some that are too too like that evil servant in the Gospel as Luk. 12.45 or perhaps you know Fourthly Some apostarizing Demas's who embrace this present world and revolt from their principles and profession as 2 Tim. 4.10 Or perhaps you know filthy some aspiring and climbing Diotrephes as 3 John 9. perhaps you know some such as these I have instanced what then is there any Profession as it were but it haâ—h a certain seum whâ— then in the face of some who thorow grace are free from these miscarriages take heed and beware of being leavened with prejudice against all Ministers because of the vileness and miscarriage of some Seventhly Be earnest with the Lord for a godly faithful Ministry whose labour and pains among the people the Lord useth to bless The Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest Patron of all Livings as a reverend man now in Heaven once said He can present whom he will to a parish and he can restore whom he will to their people as Acts 12.5 6 7. as he did Peter out of Prison by the peoples prayers and thus when Paul was in prison at Rome observe how he writes to Philemon in v. 22. of his Epistle and thus when the Author of the Hebrews was restrained from preaching observe what an Exhortation he useth Heb. 13.12.18 Oh pray therefore pray for godly faithful Ministers their pains their labours the Lord useth to bless among a people as Mal. 26. we read that the Lord blessed the labours of Levi so that he was an instrument in the Lords hands to turn wicked men from their iniquities and v. 5. so it was said of Barnabas that by his Ministry much people were added to the Lord Acts 11.24 And if we would have godly faithful Ministers as we must pray for them so we must first repent us of our sins Jer. 3.14 15. repent we must for our sins and particularly our contempt of the Ordinances and worship of God Secondly We must prize the Gospel more than we have done the Gospel loves to come and stay where it is welcome Of all the 7 Churches of Asia the Church of Philadelphia was the best that Church used the word best and that Church enjoyed the word longest Be earnest with the Lord for godly faithful Ministers whose pains and labours among the people the Lord useth to bless and prosper 7. Be earnest with the Lord that the refining work of a National-Reformation a City a Country a Family-Reformation a Personal-Reformation may begin at the refining and purging of Ministers None will deny but that there is a great need of a Reformation there is none of you but will confess that the Seed of Leaven had need sometimes to be winnowed out from amongst us as 2 Chron. 29.48 Hezekiah began at the Priests and Levites Hezekiah began his reformation at them and thus at our first reformation the Protestants did then affirm that there could never be any good reformation unless they begun at the Court of Rome and it is very observable that when the Prophet speaks of the Lord Christs coming as a refining fire and as Fullars soap this also is prophesied of refining the Sons of Levi Mal. 2.2 when he shall purifie the Sons of Levi when he shall purge them as Gold and Silver as it was in Judah in the reign of that good King Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29.34 The Priests were too few there and as it was in Judah then whether it be not so in England now I affirm not but leave you to judge But a Ministers soundness in Dectrine and holiness of Life and Conversation should lay a great obligation on a people duly conscienciously to practice every command to duty And this may suffice for the second Doctrine Come we now to the third Doctrine deducable to be handled from this Text and that is That in the due practise of commanded duties Gods People may may warrantably and confidently expect much of the gracious presence of the God of peace even in the worst of times These things think on saith the Apostle v. 8. These things do saith the Apostle in the Text and what then The God of Peace shall be with you In the due practice of commanded duries Gods people may confidently expect much of the gracious presence of the God of peace in the worst of times then take counsel from this Doctrine that you may have the gracious presence of the God of peace with you and if this Pulpit were my death-bed I should give such counsel as this following to you First Crown the Prince of Peace the Lord Jesus Christ in your hearts and lives I say Crown the Prince of Peace the Lord Jesus Christ in your hearts and lives receive him as your Lord and King set a Crown on his head here in your hearts and lives and he will crown you with peace in this life and set a crown of Glory a crown
ground while others fall away stand fast in the Faith Be not ashamed to own Christ before all the world reckon upon the reproaches of Christ and count them greater riches than the Treasures in Egypt Do not place Religion in a few shadows when the substance is neglected do not think that God will be put off with the skin without the substance and by your holy Conversation labour to put to silence the foolishness and ignorance of wicked men that men may have nothing to accuse you but in the matters of Jesus Christ that you may cut off occasion from them that seek occasion Let no reproach make you lay aside holiness and say If this be to be vile I will be viler still And love all those that have been instrumental for your spiritual comfort Forget not to contribute to the necessity of the poor Saints think that God hath given you your Estates for such a time as this for this is acceptable to God Bless them that curse you pray for them that despitefully use you so shall you heap coals of sire upon their heads when you are reviled revile not again Do your duty to your Superiors to those that God hath set over you and so carry your selves as it was in the case of Daniel that they may find nothing against you save in the matter of your God In all things let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ That I may rejoyce in the day of the Lord Jesus that we have not run in vain and laboured in vain And labour to keep up that Christian love which in this place hath been more eminent than any where I know I would preach St. John's Doctrine Little children love one another And that my expression may be pathetical I shall speak it in the words of the Apostle in Phil. 2.1 2. If there be therefore any Consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind I now have but a word more speaking of yours and mine own comfort under this sad Dispensation 1. It is a Minister's comfort that when he is taken from his People he can yet Commend them to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build them up and to give them an inheritance among them that are sanctified And truly my dearly beloved in the Lord this is my great work now when I am a dying to you as to my publick Preaching My beloved I am very sensible that it is a very sad and solemn thing for a Minister to be rent from a People that he loves as his own Soul that he hath laboured among for to bid adieu to those solemn meetings wherein I have preached to you wherein we have mingled our sighes and our tears before the Lord wherein we have rejoyced and sat down before the Lord at his Table Now to think that I must Minister with you and for you no more in these Ordinances methinks it is a heart-breaking consideration to think that I am now dving in this congregation to think that I now dying whilst I am preaching but this is my comfort under these sad thoughts that I can Commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace to one that is able to keep you and to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are senctified Like a dying Father I can commend you to the care of such a Friend infinitely able to supply all that I could not do for you It is the comfort of a dying Father when he sees his children weeping round about him that he can commend them to a Faithful Friend willing to do that for them that he desired to do and a thousand â—imes more I would hope that I have some children that I have begotten to Christ by my Ministry towards whom my bowels yearn but hiâ— is mâ— comfort that I can put them into the Arms of their and my heavenlâ— Father of their and my blessed Redeemer to be keâ—thâ— the powâ—r of God There are many poor souls that are yet in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity and if the Lord had seen good I would sain have seen of the travel of my soul in their salvation but I can commend them to God who knows them who belong to his Eleâ—ion he can either restore or can do it by another hand and you that are in any measure grown in Grace I will be willing to be helpful to your joy and instrumental to your comfort But I commend you to God who is alle to give all grace to you and to keep you sied fast It will be some alleviation of sorrow though I must leave you and dye to you as to my publick Ministry that I hope I may a while go up and down and converse with you to be among you The Lord grant this favour that I may behold your stedfastness 2. This may be your comfort as well as mine this may be the comfort of all those poor Congregations that are like to be made Widows by the Metaphorical death of their Guides and Pastors but I leave you into the hands of all Grace and of all Comfort This is a black day upon Israel when so many faithful Ministers are slain at one blow this is a day of gloominess and darkness in many Congregations for so many Ministers to be beheaded in one day What hath England committed Is it not some high Treason If we look to the cause of it why so many Ministers are as dead in one day as so many Children without a Father And if we look upon this cause what hath caused God thus to deal with us we must complain Oh! our unfruitfulness Our fearful unthankfulness under the mercies of God This will be the Emphasis and sting of our grief and this should be the matter of our grief And then if we consider the sad Prognostick what it doth seem to foretel It is a sign that when God lays aside so many faithful Ministers of some scourge or calamity that is coming upon us But you that can lament this Judgment you that can lament the sad deprivations of these powerful Ordinances Remember that though your Minister be dead God can raise you up others in their stead and where the way of instruments are wanting He can do it without them and those that are begot in Christ shall be preserved and those yet unbrought in who belong to the Election of Grace shall in Gods due time have the effectual work of the Spirit wrought upon their Souls For he is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among them that are sanctified And though I take this solemn leave of you as to this publick Exercise yet if the Lord shall open the door and take of those bands of Death that the
Law hath laid upon my Ministry in regard of Conscience who cannot Conform for which our publick Ministry is suspended I shall chearfully and willingly return to you in this place But now though your dying Minister in respect of the Exercise to his publick Ministry is leaving of you yet I commit you into a safe hand I commend you to God and to his Grace Amen Mr. Pledger's Farewel Sermon Revel 2.9 10. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation ten daies be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life IN the former Verse you have the Superscription and Description of this Epistle the Superscription by the mouth and hand of John to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna that is the Ministry of the Gospel or the Colledge of Presbyters As the whole Tribe of Levi in Malachy is called the Angel of the Lord so here the whole Tribe and Office of the Ministry is called the Angel Angel is not a term that signifies a single Person but a name of Office Then for the Description These things saith the first and the Last which was dead and is alive He is described by his Eternity by his suffering and by his reviving I shall not speak of this nor of the Verses following the Text. I shall speak of the Inscription or Narration of the Epistle in these two Verses wherein you have 1. A Commendation 2. An Admonition a piece of Heavenly Counsel 1. You have a Commendation I know thy works c. I like well the pains that thou takest in my service for my Servants sake I know how thou hast suffered I take all well I consider all the reproaches that are vomited our against thee 2. Then you have the Counsel 2. Fear none of these things 2. The Arguments to set it on 1. 'T is the Devil that shall trouble you he is the prime Agent he that never took a good Cause Thou hast certainly God for thee if thou hast the Devil against thee 2. This Devil shall be checked and restrained 1. As to the number of them he shall deal withal The Devil shall cast some of you into Prison He aims at all but he shall come short of many 2. In respect of the kind of the Affliction Cast some into Prison He aims at our Souls to disturb the peace of them to cast us into Hell but it shall be but into Prison 3. For the design of this Affliction Not for destruction but to try us It shall not be as Wood in the fire to be consumed but as Gold in the sire to be tried 4. For the term of duration it shall not be for ever But for ten dayes for a time a set time for a short time perhaps thou shalt lose thy life but Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee a crown of life Before I finish I shall endeavour to shew the whole light of this Text in these six or seven Propositions Pro. 1. First Jesus Christ takes notice of all the works and trouble and losses that we endure for him There cannot be a godly word spoken but the Lord hears it takes notice of it not a day of humiliation not a tear not a prayer not a sigh not a cup of cold water but the Lord sets it down Item At such a time thou didst lose such a thing hazard such a concernment Now this knowledge lies in two things 1. It implies an Approbation 2. A Recompence I know what thou doest what thou sufferest so as to approve it and so as to recompence it Now then if God takes notice of what we do and suffer for his Name then either we must say He hath not good enough or not time enough to bestow that good upon us or not faithfulness enough to perform his promise before we can be moved from his service Pro. 2. Secondly I observe Believers in their poor condition when they have lost all they are rich I know thy poverty but thou art rich The only wise man is the only rich man so saith the Philosopher but the Believer is the rich man so saith the wisdom of God in the Text. And the riches of a Believer lies in five things 1. In his interest he hath a God for his portion Faith doth unite and implant into the Lord Jesus Christ so that we are become spiritually rich to the utmost degree of happiness saith David The lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place I have a goodly heritage All that rich love of God which is stronger than death it self a rich Covenant of Grace shines in the Promises as so many Pearls he will not with hold any thing that is good nor suffer any thing that is evil to fall upon us that shall not turn to good How rich are they that are rich in God! 2. Believers must needs be rich in their relations Our Communion is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ They are married to Christ and have an Interest in him they must certainly contract very honourable Allies the Brother of Jesus Christ a Member of Christ she that marries a Prince or King is a Queen What title of Honour shall we give to her that is espoused to Jesus Christ 3. The Believer is honourable in his possessions To name but two possession of Grace possession of Peace Grace and Peace there is your riches so the Lord salutes you in his Word the least dram of Grace is more than all the World And this is the character of one that hungers and thirsts after Christ And then for comforts which are grounded upon grace and the work of grace for the spring of grace is a spring of joy In the world you shall have trouble but in me peace And in the midst of my troubled thoughts saith David thy comforts delight my Soul 4. A Believer is rich in regard of his expectation that Reversion that blessed hope that is reserved for him A Believer his character is to long and look for the appearance of Christ The Believer is rich in the everlasting Kingdom of glory 5. A Believer is rich in the things of this life he can live above these things he can be content without them contentations is your riches you shall want nothing that is good Why then have we not enough And if we have enough Why do we nor see our riches Because God doth not shake down the Acorns from the Tree of common providence which he does to the herds of the World but feeds us with Childrens bread shall we therefore repine Let us see our riches even in the things of this life He that believes on Christ is
The promise of the Spirit which shall supply his absence such a Spirit as shall reach them comfort them and be in stead of All to them give them such Joy Courage and Peace as the World can neither give nor take away ver 27. Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you c. Thirdly In the 23. ver in the Text We will come and make our abode with him while you keep my words which is the great promise here If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him The words of the Text are an Answer to the Question of Judas not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Jesus Christ gives the Answer If a man love me he will keep my words c. To him the Promise is made That the Father will love him They love him that keep his words and to these he hath said He will manifest his love to them and make his abode with them In which word there are three parts considerable First A Supposition If a man love me c. Secondly A position which is the effect of that love He will keep my words Thirdly A promise which is two-fold First Of the Father's love My Father will love him Secondly The Co-habitation of the Father and Son with such a Person We will come unto him and make â—ur abode with him The Observations that I intend to insist upon are two First That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ Secondly That God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words First Of the first of these That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ If any love me he will keep my words he will do my will walk in my ways treasure up my truths and counsels This Doctrine requires three things to be spoken to in their order 1. That Jesus Christ must be truly loved 2. What it is to keep his Words 3. Why it is both the duty and property of them that love him to keep his words First That Jesus Christ must be truly loved there is such an indispensible necessity for this that the Apostle says 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha let him be accursed But because every one pretends highly to love Jesus Christ and but few that love him indeed I shall shew two things more briefly 1. Who is he that truly loves him 2. Why we should all truly love him First Who is he that truly loves Christ First He truly loves Jesus Christ who upon the discovery and tender of Jesus Christ in the Gospel as King Priest and Prophet can willingly deny all for him as the Merchant Mat. 13.45 46. sold all that he had for the goodly Pearl And so Paul Phil. 3.8 accounts all dung his parts his righteousness by the Law his greatest excellencies he loves Christ in deed and not in shew only who can leave the world his dearest lusts his best righteousness for Christ This is a true conjugal love Psal 45.10 Hearken O daughter and confider and encline thine ear forget also thine own people c. When Christ sees that we have such love to him that we will part with all for him then he sees a beauty in us that delights him Secondly He truly loves Jesus Christ who having received him will rather lose all than part with him again who accounts Jesus Christ better than his best things as he sayes in Mat. 10.37 He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me c. therefore sayes the Spouse Cant. 8.6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart as a seal upon thine arm let me be so united to thee that I may never be sever'd from thee It is a very hard lesson and an irksome duty for the best of men to part with friends liberty peace life all these or either of these sweet mercies but to part with Christ nothing can perswade or enforce the soul that truly loves him that 's a thought more cruel than the Grave witness the holy Martyrs a whole cloud of witnesses that notable and eminent Galeacius Marquess of Vico c. Thirdly He that truly loves Jesus Christ takes abundance of delight in communion with him No pleasure like the kisses of his mouth No sweetness like that of his bosome all his ways are peace and his paths pleasantness Christ makes every condition comfortable there is no comfort of life but in that little enjoyment of Christ that the soul hath in his life 't is communion with Christ converse with him that is all my comfort and pleasure in the world O how doth the Spouse take care that he be not disturbed in Cant. 2. â— I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and the Hinds of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my Love till he please The words are an allusion to one that would not have her Friend disturbed and speaks to her companions and charges them by all that is dear and pleasant to them not to break the rest of her best Beloved and shews the wonderful delight the soul takes in communion with Jesus Christ and the special care that it alwayes hath that no tentation break in nor corruption break out to interrupt that sweet communion or occasion Christs departure who will not for any profit commit any sin or cause Jesus to depart from him Fourthly He that truly loves Jesus Christ having lost the sight of him is never satisfied till he come to the re-enjoyment of him is alwayes at a loss and is never quiet till he enter into acquaintance and communion with him as in that of Joseph and Mary they having lost their Son went seeking till they found him So Cant. 3.1 2 3 c. By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and go about the City in the streets and in the broad ways c. I said to the Watchmen Saw ye him whom my soul loveth c. By all which is expressed the sedulous care and industry of a living soul seeking after Christ First By night in her bed Jesus Christ hath her best thoughts in her closet and private duties of Prayer serious Meditations spiritual Ejaculations and secret self-Examinations in all these the soul enquires As one that loves the world by night his meditation is of the world so the man of pleasures and honours is pursuing his lusts in the night season the wicked man is contriving mischief upon his bed so the soul that loves Christ his are still at work after Christ Secondly I will rise now and go about the
may not forget but keep in our memories the words of Christ First consider That all the promises and counsels which Jesus Christ hath made known to us are not only for the present but for the future use Isa 22.23 Hearken and hear for the time to come We should hear as if we were to hear no more The Cordial which hath sometime revived us must not be lain aside lest for want of it another time we faint quite away The reason why they were ready to faint under afflictions Heb. 12.5 was because they had forgotten the Exhortation which speaketh to them as to Sons For this cause Jesus Christ often bids his Disciples remember the word he had spoken to them and knowing their frailty promises his Spirit Joh. 14.26 and that says he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall bring to his remembrance Secondly consider Not to remember the words of Christ is a sad sign of our dis-esteem of Jesus Christ We usually remember Precepts Counsels and Sayings according to the authority which the person hath with us from whence they come It is a very great dishonour to Jesus Christ when he shall cast his words behind our backs Did we honour Jesus Christ as our King Lord and Law-giver we should be more careful to remember what he hath spoken to us We often blame our Heads as if the fault lay only there that we do not remember the words of Christ when indeed the fault lies most in the Hearts that we have not more and esteem of Christ there Thirdly The time will come when we shall dearly repent every Truth forgotten that we did not endeavour to seal instruction upon our Hearts First When God shall with-hold instruction from us because we have refused it the time may come when as Amâ—s 8.12 Men shall run to and fro and seek the Word of the Lord and shall not find it and then we shall see the worth of the Word that now we prize not Secondly When God shall call us to account for all Sermons and Instructions we have received as he will certainly do though we forget yet he will remember and he will ask how we have kept and improved the Word he hath spoken to us To help us in keeping or remembring the words of Christ First Let our hearts be affected with the worth and excellency of the Word that it is more precious than Gold or Silver and then we shall keep it as choyce Treasure That which a man prizeth he will keep in safe custody and have often in his eyes as David sayes of the Word Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day long If a man account the Word as his Treasure he will not forget it as Jerem. 2.32 Can a Maid forget her Ornaments or a Bride her Attires This they forget not Yet because we account the Word as excellent and necessary as these therefore it follows Yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number Secondly Apply every word of Christ to your own Soul though men will not keep what is anothers yet usually they keep what is their own while men carve away the Word to others as if it concern'd not them it is no marvel if they keep it not but if we accounted every word as spoken to us and our portion we should hear and keep it Men remember the news which concerns themselves We should hear Christ speaking as Job 5.27 Hear thou this know it for thy good Thirdly Meditate often upon what you have received as Mary pondered the sayings which she heard in her heart The way to keep any thing safe is to have a constant eye upon it Meditation is the Souls serious retiring into it self to take a view of all that of God that is laid up within it self Fourthly Hasten to do all that you have heard and learned Psal 119.16 It is said by David I made haste and prolonged not the time to keep his Commandements A man will not easily forget his Trade for if we daily obey commands and believe promises we cannot easily forget the commands and promises given to us which last direction leads me to the second Exhortation Secondly It may exhort us to keep the words of Christ with an Evangelical and Practical keeping Keep the Word as a man keeps his Rule or the Souldier keeps his Weapon let not the Word depart from thee and do not thou depart from it by forsaking the appointments and commands of Christ First Consider That if we do not keep the words of Christ by obeying and a suitable walking we do but in vain pretend love to Jesus Christ as they that had no more of Christ but to call him Lord Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven c. So not every one that sayes he loves me but he that doth my Word he is my friend Secondly Consider What a sin it is to pretend love to Christ and not so truly to love Him as to keep his Words 't is Hypocrisie they be Christs false friends an open enemy is less dangerous than they Ezek. 33.31 They hear my words but they will not do them their heart goes after convetousness They be false to themselves and delude their own souls with a bare profession and hearing Jam. 1.22 Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving your own souls Thirdly Consider What judgment they incurr and who can tell how great it is 'T is called a beating with many stripes when the least stripe from that hand can break the loyns Luke 12.47 He that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stâ—ipes Fourthly Consider This is the clearest evidence of our interest in Christ of his love to us That we keep his Commandements By this we know that we love him as our Christ when we do not only love him as a Jesus a Saviour but obey him as a Lord and follow his Law When God shall write his Law in our hearts is not this an evidence that Christ is ours Fifthly Great and many are the encouragements which he hath promised to them that keep his words There be many blessings in the Word but they only have the blessings for theirs who keep his Word James 1.15 Whoso looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the Word this man shall be blessed in his deed he shall ask what ye will and have it Job 15.7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you ask what you will and it shall be done unto you That we may do the words of Christ First Let it be the aim and intention of our Souls when we come to hear to turn hearing into doing Say as Paul did Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do and Cornelius Acts 10.33 Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things
things Deus meus omnid My God and all things When Jesus Christ came to Zacheus he tells him This day is salvation come to thine House that is both temporal and spiritual preservations and deliverances Salvation doth consist in the total absence of all evil and in the presence and possession of all good Secondly God and Christ have left with us the promises of the Covenant to live upon till we come to the inheritance of the purchased Possession These be like the Widows Cruse that never fails this like the Manna will not be with-held while we be in the Wilderness till we come into Canaan to feed on the fruits of that Land Heb. 13.5 That is a sure Promise in which we may by faith see present supplies I will never leave thee nor forsake thee and in Phil. 4.19 We may possess in that Promise whatever we want My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ Thirdly God hath given us his Son and Jesus Christ hath given us himself as an ensuring pledge of all mercies contained in the promises Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but gave him for us how shall be not with him freely give us all things He that hath not spared his Son will not withhold any mercies He that hath given us the best of blessings will not with-hold smaller mercies He doth always tell his people as in 2 Cor. 12.9 My grace is sufficient for you Thirdly The abode of God and Christ with Believers is their Heaven upon Earth All our happiness is in the abode of God and Christ with us First Consider it is a wonderful mercy of the great God that by his common Providence he is with the works of his hands which is mans safety and David admires at this Psal 8.4 Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Secondly Consider it is a mercy of the greatest worth and to be for ever admired that God and Christ do not only visit us by common Providence and Inspection as his creatures but make their abode with us as with children and friends O this is our glory God doth not come with a short life for a day for a few dayes but makes an everlasting abode The Church complained when she thought God was departed because he had been with them and made so short a stay Jer. 14.8 Way shouldest thou be as a stranger in the Land and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night c. But when she remembred the Covenant of eternal abode she comforts her self 8 in 9 Verse Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us To be ever with the Lord is all we can hope for and it is mans contemplative happiness to converse in his thoughts with that glory First Consider Jesus Christ hath promised this as our great glory and full reward I will take you to my self they shall behold my glory 1 Joh. 3.3 We shall be like him we shall see him as he is Secondly This abode with God and Christ is the highest Option and aim of all the people of God This was Paul pressing in Phil 〈◊〉 That he might attain to the Resurrection of the dead i.e. the state of them that are risen and with God and Christ Therefore resolves after a long debate with himself Phil. 1.2.1 To be with Christ is best of all And David in Psal 73 at the latter and professes He had none in Heaven but God and there was none upon Earth that he desired in comparison of him Use First of Lamentation and laments three sorts of persons First Let us lament such as be without God and Christ in the world all ignorant and ungodly persons yea this is the sad case of all the Sons of Adam ever since he sinned and lost communion with his God They be brought forth in the world with their backs upon God and with God's face against them What was Cain's grief How was his heart hurried into a world of inconceiveable distempers and distracting thoughts when he must be turn'd out of Gods presence from the enjoyment of God in his Ordinances Gen. 4.14 Behold thou hast driven me out this day says poor Cain from the face of the earth but this is as nothing and from thy face shall I be hid and now where is my comfort and safety It shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me Such persons be as Lambs in a large place Hos 4.16 without a keeper in their most plentiful state What hope have such to escape Hell and Destruction Consider these particulars First Consider it is a very sad case when God and Christ withdraw or depart but for a moment 't is a sad and intolerable moment as we see in the complaint of Christ when God withdrew himself from him My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and in the example of David Asaph and Heman in Psal 77. and 88. and the whole Church laments in Jer. 14.8 Secondly Consider if God and Christ do never come to make their abode with us here we are never like to make our abode with them hereafter and then it were better we had never been born Psal 73.27 They that are far from the shall perish And this is Hell to be separated from God and Christ 2 Thes 1.8 9. They i. e. the wicked shall he punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power It is Heaven wherever God is in his special abode and that is Hell where he is not present in his mercy and grace Second Vse of Lamentation Let us lament over a worse sort of men and they be such as in Job 21.14 That say to God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways that refuse the Word of Christ and be weary of God and his Ordinances and so reject God as if one house could not hold them both as in Isa 30.10 11. Who say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not c. Cause the Holy one to cease from before us They that stop the mouths of them that speak the Word of Christ or turn away their ears from hearkening to that which is spoken say in effect Let God be gone let Christ depart from us First Consider what an ill frame of spirit it is for men to refuse the presence of God Was there ever wickedness like this that the great God should be as an unbidden guest with his own creatures and have no better entertainment than Christ with the Gaderens who besought him to depart out of their Coast yea which is far worse rejected as Christ was by the possessed in the Gospel Matth. 8.29 What have we to do with thee Art thou come to torment us before the time Secondly Consider it will be a very terrible day when God and Christ
Let God have all your thoughts let him be your meditation this is the way to have the best company when you be alone David would meditate of him day and night and professed the meditation of him should be sweet to him Here consider two particulars First Consider that no place state or condition can hinder the soul of this way of secret communion with God and Christ this priviledge could not be denied to a benighted Jacob to an imprisoned Jeremy to an exil'd John in Patmos by this says Jerome Solitudo fit Paradisus a man may turn a Wilderness into a Paradise and therefore we read in Cant. 11.12 how the Spouse invites Christ to go with her as Isaac did into the Fields to meditate Come let 's go into the Fields and lodge in the Villages Secondly Consider in these secret silent visits of the Soul God and Christ do take abundance of delight our Night-thoughts our Field-thoughts our Closet-thoughts are very welcome to them yea when we can do no more but think of God our very thoughts shall be an accepted service Cant. 2.13 He loveth the Fig-tree that putteth forth her green Figges The ripe fruit is in the bud so holy endeavours in pure breathings and desires God accepts when our Infirmity or the Iniquity of the Times may be such that we can doe no more Seventhly If we will have God and Christ to make their constant abode with us then let us walk humbly with God He that beholds the proud afar off will be nigh to them that humble their Souls under his mighty hand Isa 57.15 Thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit God hath two Heavens in which he dwells First His Glory dwells in the high and holy place in Heaven above Secondly His Grace dwells in the humble and lowly spirit Here will I dwell says God Eighthly If you would have the constant abode of God and Christ with you be sure to look to your Hearts that you walk in your uprightness be true to the Word of God be true to your profession There is not in the world a more lively representation and image of God than the heart of the upright therefore God loves so much when he hath drawn his likeness upon them to walk with them therefore David resolves Psal 101.2 I will walk in the midst of my house with a perfect heart O when wilt thou come unto me This was the comfort of the Apostle that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation in the world God will be with such and such shall be with God Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man behold the upright the end of that man is peace And thus God appointed Abraham to walk that he might be with him a God in Covenant Gen. 17. Walk before me be thou perfect and gives him this incouragement I am God all-sufficient God's all-sufficiency being sufficient to keep the soul upright being rightly improved There be two things which usually biass the soul away from God and makes it warp from its holy principles First the Frowns Secondly the Flatteries of the world Against both which there is a sufficient remedy in the All-sufficient God First That which often perverts the soul from the truth is the fear of troubles and wants If I keep my integrity says the soul I shall be undone I shall lose my estate embroyl my self in many troubles perhaps a Prison Exile or Death comes next But what force is there in this tentation if we hear on the other hand God saying If thou wilt be upright fear no troubles no wants I am a God All-sufficient as in Job 22.25 to the end of the Chapter The Almighty shall be thy defence then fear not force Thou shalt have plenty of silver thou shalt gather gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the Brooks Then fear no wants Secondly There is another thing in the world that hath a very great influence upon the spirit of a man to pervert him and turn him from his integrity and that is the hopes of preferment and greatness of the world But this is but a poor bait if we look upon the All-sufficiency of God Doth the world promise thee Riches God will out-bid the world and give Eternal riches Will the world give Pleasures God will give better with him is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore Will the world give Gold God will give Diamonds Will the world give all its glory God will give thee the glory of a better world rather than that shall be a snare unto thee Ninthly Pray much pray continually God will be in the hearts and houses of his praying people when he hath a curse in store for Prayerless Families in Jer. 10.15 And especially pray for these two things First That God will abide with you and the Kingdom in his Gospel and pure Ordinances that you may dwell in Bethel and not in Bethaven a house of vanity and grief Pray that God would not remove his Candlestick from you not utterly extinguish the light of the Kingdom Secondly Pray and I shall pray with you that God will give you a faithful Pastour after his own heart not according to your hearts that he may teach you by his Doctrine and his Life too a faithful Teacher to go in and out before you to shew you the Word of the Lord one that may be among you as it was said of Athanasius that he was Magnes Adamas 1. Magnes As a Load-stone to draw your souls with a gentle hand and melting heart from your sins Heaven-ward 2. Adamas as an Adamant of an invincible courage and zeal against all sin and prophaneness one that will not spare sin that he may save your souls Pray that God would give you a Star a Star out of his right hand not a churlish Orion that brings a cold barren and cloudy Winter but a benevolent and friendly Pleiades that there may be many Sons brought in to God and your souls may finde a continual spring and that you may be as Trees of his own planting And may flourish in the Courts of the House of our God And may bring forth fruit in old age Tenthly and lastly If you would have the constant abode of God and Christ with you conform conform universally and fully to the Gospel of Christ consent and assent unfeignedly to all the Truths and Doctrines thereof that you may walk worthy of God and all that grace which hath been revealed to you for Christ hath said If a man keep his Word the Father will love him and both Father and Son will come and make their abode with him Wherefore I shall conclude this Exhortation with that of the Apostle Phil. 1.2 7. Only let your conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you
alimur ex quibus generamur is a true Maxim We are nourished of those of whom we are begotten Fathers when their children ask bread will not give them stones nor when they ask fish will they give them scorpions Mat. 7.9 He that provides not these things for his children is worse than an Infidel 1 Tim. 4.8 and hath God commanded this from Parents towards their children and will not God much more provide for his children that are truly regenerate and born again and that have his Image by faith engraven on their souls he would do it much more abundantly Mat. 7.11 If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to those that ask him This then is one great priviledge that believers are made partakers of by vertue of this relation having God for their heavenly Father God will certainly provide good things for them both for their being and well-being here and hereafter and they may come to God as a Father with holy boldness of faith for all things that they shall stand in need of God takes care for those that are strangers and enemies to him and makes his rain to fall upon the unjust as well as upon the just Mat. 5.4 5 He giveth them rain from heaven silling their hearts with food and gladness Acts 14.7 And will he not much rather feed his own children he giveth food to all flesh Psal 136.25 And will he not much rather take care for his own children that are engrafted into him by faith that do love and serve him if God's bounty be largely extended to those that are strangers and enemies to him even to those that go on in sin and wickedness as many times it is then certainly he will kill the farted Calf for his own children as the Father of the prodigal did for his returning Son Nay in this the great God exceedeth earthly Parents as far as Heaven is above the earth for natural Parents they give good things to their children when they ask them but God the Father of Spirits will do much more abundantly for his children aboye what they are able to ask or think the Petitions of God's children may be large their desires and thoughts larger than heir Petitions for we are not always able to express outwardly what inwardly we desire but God will do more abundantly for his people beyond all these Let us look into the Word of God and we shall there see what noble provision he hath made for his people what food yea angels food he hath provided for them what a feast of fat things I mean of spiritual dainties and delicates he hath dressed for them for their bread they shall have the bread of life he that eateth thereof shall never hunger John 6.48 they shall have their fill of that hidden Manna laid up in the Sanctuary We read of Benjamins Messe Gen 4.3 last That it was five times as much as any of his Brethren but the children of God their food that they shall have from their heavenly Father shall be a thousand times better and more satisfactory than that which shall be given to the men of the World they shall have their measures heaped up pressed down and running over Psal 34.10 The young Lyons shall lack and suffer hunger but the children of God those that cry unto God their Father shall want no good thing but especially spiritual good things they shall be sure to have their fill of these and shall be satisfied with them even as with marrow and fatness and for their drink they shall have the heavenly Nectar the water of Life the bloud of Jesus Christ the which whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more John 4.14 they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house he will make them drink of the River of his pleasures for with God is the fountain of life in his light they shall see light Psal 38.8 9. there is a River the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God Psal 46.4 and his Children shall drink of this River of Water of life clear as chrystal proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb Rev. 22.1 it is for these especially that God hath provided the spiritual milk of the Word that they may grow thereby they shall suck sweetness out of the promises those rich breasts of consolation and for their apparel the Children of God may say as the Prophet Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with a robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with Jewels What shall I say they shall be cloathed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ a garment without spot or blemish white as snow even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of those Thus you have the first ground of consolation to Believers upon the account of having God for their Father he will certainly provide for them those things that shall be necessary both in this life and in the life to come Secondly Is God a Father to Believers then another ground of consolation is this That he will defend them from their enemies How mightily doth it provoke natural Parents to see their Children abused How quickly will their eye affect their heart and stir them up to come in and rescue them So will the Lord do for those that are his children by Adoption and Regeneration he will defend them he will be a wall of fire round about them so that all their enemies both spiritual and temporal shall not be able to do them any real hurt the Devil and all his wiles and temptations the World and all its tempting allurements yea all the policy and malice of Earth and Hell shall not be able to work their ruine the Lord is on their their side and they have more for them than they have against them Upon this consideration it was that David tells us in his Book of Psalms Though I walk saith he in the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear none ill for thou O Lord art my Rock and my Fortress and my salvation eke for ever Would we not account him unworthy the name of a Father that would suffer his Children to be beaten and abused and destroyed before his face and not act in their defence and will God suffer his dear Children so to be No certainly He that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 and God accounts what is done to them as if it were done to himself in person In as much as ye did it unto those little ones ye did it unto me Will Christ say one day as he tells us Mat. 25.40 and in as much as ye did it not unto the least of these my brethren ye did
so many thousands of godly Ministers which by their doctrine and lives have been as Lights in the world shall be extinguished and silenced believe it Sirs there is no good groping out our way to Heaven in the dark when as we know not whether our next step will be in Heaven or Hell in eternal joy or misery A Sick man is never the nearer health because his Physician is not suffered to speak to him of the danger of his Disease and carnal and ungodly men are never the nearer their salvation because their faithful Ministers are not suffered to preach to them of the evil and danger of their sins which are the hinderers of it I shall commend to your consideration that one Scripture which I would have you be often reading and thinking on as it is recorded 1 Pet. 4.17 18. The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God and if it begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of Christ and if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear If God begin with his faithful Ministers to chastise and afflict them Oh what then will become of the wicked and ungodly world if the godly drink fust of this Cup it is because the wicked shall drink the dregs of it A second sort of persons which I shall speak to are such who are halting between two that are like Agrippa almost perswaded to be Christians that have some convictions upon their consciences of the excellency of the ways of God but yet their interest leads them another way they are unwilling to expose themselves to any troubles or tribulations by going against the stream of the world they are afraid that if they should be diligent in the duties of Religion and should walk holily and closely with God that then they should be reproached and scorned or persecuted by the World and therefore they will go on a little way but no farther than that they may retreat back again with ease and safety as to their carnal and worldly interests to such whosoever you are I must tell you First that you must go beyond the common sort of the World unless you will intend to come short of Heaven you must not take the example of the multitude to be a sufficient warrant for you to walk by the broad way though it be to your corrupt natures the most pleasant way yet it is not the safest but the most dangerous way and the narrow way of holiness and godliness will be found at last to be the way leading to life though there be but few that finde it Mat 7.13 15. they that are afraid of making too much ado for Heaven they are like to have nothing at all to do with Heaven it is a Christians duty and should be his care not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of their minde that they may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God Rom. 12.2 Secondly you must not stick at afflictions and crosses in the World if you intend to go to Heaven Christs cross is the first that must be learnt by Christs Disciples Luke 14.27 you must account upon it before hand that if you will live godly in Christ Jesus you must suffer persecution 1 Tim. 3.5 You must not be afraid of the reproaches of the ungodly nor flinch at oppositions and tribulations if you intend to be everlastingly happy the fearful are in the forefront of them that march to Hell Rev. 21.8 but the fearful and unbelieving and abominable c. shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death The fearful you set down in the front in that black List there mentioned But the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force Thirdly The end will pay for all the Kingdom of Heaven will make you amends for all the tribulations that you meet with in your way to Heaven Lastly I shall speak a word to those that fear the Lord and are diligent in the practise of godliness that are very much grieved that their faithful Teachers would be removed into corners my advice that I have to give you besides what I have spoken before is the same with Pauls to the Philippians Chap 4.1 My brethren dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved Consider your Heavenly interest and let that bear you up under all your worldly troubles and persecutions let not the terrour nor threats of men nor devils make you stir a part from the Doctrine which is according to godliness though you may be scorned and afflicted by men yet the day will come when you will be publickly owned and honoured by the Lord of glory and when Christ which is your life shall appear then shall you appear with him in glory be not affrighted at the sufferings of your Ministers though they should be far greater than now they are nor discouraged at the backsliding of hypocritical professors who having formerly made fair pretences to religion and reformation yet are turned with the dog to their old vomit again and by their so doing do declare that it is their carnal interests only that they look unto and therefore they will be for religion and reformation so long as that may be promoted thereby and no longer but labour to imitate the heroick courage of Joshua who resolved that he and his House would serve the Lord though all Israel should forsake him and backslide from him Stand fast I beseech you in the faith quit your selves like men be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand let not the enmity nor opposition of the ungodly make you to forsake the duties of Religion and the ways of holiness think not the better of that way or of those persons meerly because they prosper in the world nor the worse of those meerly because they are persecuted and afflicted What were those that were tortured not accepting deliverance that had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment that were stoned that were sawen asunder that were tempted that were slain by the sword they that wandered about in sheeps-skins and goats-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Heb. 22.35 36 37. They were such of whom the world was not worthy vers 38. True holiness and the fear of God are never the less lovely in Gods account because it is rejected scorned and condemned by the wicked world and sin and prophaneness is never a whit the more pleasing unto Christ because it is in fashion and practised by the greatest or most of men Finally my brethren commit your selves and your way unto the Lord and wait patiently for him
he will command deliverance for you in his own time Snatch not after deliverance by any preposterous and unlawful courses before God holdeth it out to you lest you provoke him to detain it the longer from you To conclude all I shall take leave of you in the words of the Holy Ghost recorded Acts 20.32 Heb. 13.20 21. And now brethren I shall commend you to God to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified And the God of peace which brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever A Farewel Sermon Preached at Great Ayton in the County of Yorkshire by George Evanke Chaplain to the Right Worshipful Sir George Norwood Baronet at Cleaveland in Yorkshire Matth. 26.39 Nevertheless not my will but thy will be done THe Subject of this Chapter is a sad Story and Tragical Relation of a dying Jesus In the beginning of this Gospel you may see him coming into the World in a Shower Matth. 2.13 And now in the end of it you finde him going out in a Storm Mat. 27.22 Alas that so good a Ghest should find so bad a welcome and that the Lord of Life should so soon be put to death When the Angels those Heavenly Choristers first sang that Christmas Carol of a Saviour that was born into the World Luke 2.10 11 12 13 14. one would have thought the World should have fallen a dancing after such Evangelical Musick and that all hearts should have like the Babe in Elizabeths womb leapt for joy at the news of a new born Prince But it was quite contrary for instead of joyning in that Heavenly Quire in gratulating the happy arrival of this young King into their Country they take the Alarum of his Birth as if an Enemy had landed in their Coasts And hereupon Herod presently heads an Army goes out against him and makes the poor Prince to fly the Country Mat. 2.13 14. But though the meanest of his Birth Extraction and Descent may give them distast at first yet when he begins to display his Divinity among them by working such amazing Miracles as none could work and Preaching such moving Sermons as none could ever Preach Oh then they will recant their Error and own their Saviour and the joyful shout of a King will be heard amongst them as it is expressed in Numb 23.21 Truly one would think that it would have been thus but Oh no! the Rocky hearts of these Marble wretches would not yield nor melt nor thaw nor take impression but still they continue in their unbelief and hardness of heart disowning the Lord that bought them and consulting his death who was contriving to bring them to life All the displeasure he would have done them was to take their sins from them Mat. 11.28 And all the pleasure they meant to shew him was to take his Life from him Mat 26.59 All the hurt that ever Christ did them was to pray for them Father forgive them forgive them And all the good they ever did him was to cry Crucifie him Crucifie him And Crucifie him they did before they could sit down Whose Death and Crucifixion is described and represented to your view 1. By the Antecedents or things before 2. By the Consequents or things following after The Antecedents were 1. The several Preparitories to it Chap. 2. The judicial progress about it Chap. seqr The Prerogatives were 1. The Jews conspiring ver 3 4 5. 2. Judas his Covenancing to affect it 14 15 16. 3. Christs own preparing and fitting himself for it that he might without relucting submit to it and without the least Symptome of disponding encounter and go thorow with it And this is the Argument of the latter part of this Chapter at large and of my Text in short Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me yet not my will but thy will be done Which words I may call The pious Souls sequestring it self for dying or Our Saviours Preparatory to his Passion Wherein you have two Observables 1. Here 's an humble Petition presented Let this Cup pass 2. Here 's an hearty Resignation promised Not my will but thine be done I. First An humble Petition Let this Cup pass from me Our Saviour was at this time very apprehensive of Death The sorrows of the Grave â—haâ—l â—â—â—â—â—ssed him about and the pains of Hell had taken hold upon him 〈◊〉 â—â—w in this dark condition and Spiritual Damp that his Soul lay 〈…〉 â—e gets himself out into the Garden alone and there he fits weepâ—â—â— â—â—â—â—â—â—ah under the Juniper-tree and like dying Hezekiah he lays 〈…〉 and spâ—â—ads his Condition before the Lord imploring him Samaritan-like to shew him some pity in this his Extremity Father saith he Let this cup pass from me Now in that Christ betakes himself to God for help in this hour of heaviness you may learn hence It 's better to intrust and interest God for our help and comfort than man For man yea the best of men are but men and when they have done the best for us it may be they can do no good to us When the man in the Kings had made his misery known to his Neighbours and cryed to them Help Help you know what an answer he got How can we help except the Lord help When Job had told over the sad story of his great losses to his three friends expecting some redress to so unparalleld grievances you know how long they sate by him without giving him one word of Counsel or administring the least word of Comfort which forced him into that passionate Resolve Miserable Comforters are ye all When Judas lay under the Convulsions and Corrodings of a grumbling Conscience and ran to the Priests for Absolution A look thee to that was all the comfort he could get from them Ah! that mans condition is most to be pitied who runs to none but man for pity When all is done God is our surest stay He is usually the last but always the best Refuge Therefore when we have read over the sad Lecture of our Losses and poured out our wants and wrongs into the bosom of our safest and firmest friends then is this Apostrophe this Turn the sweetest Turn the Soul can take when it can Turn to God as you see Christ doth here say Father if it be possible let this cup this cross pass from me II. Secondly Here 's an hearty resignation in these words Nevertheless not my will but thine be done And if he had said 't is true it 's Ease which this Nature this Humane Nature of mine would have but if thou Lord art otherwise resolv'd to continue me in pain I
takes from you it 's less then you owe him and how little soever he leaves you it 's more than he owes you therefore in stead of murmuring that your condition is so ill bless God that it is no worse saying with Ezra Ez. 9.13 Thou O Lord hast punisht us less than our Iniquities have deserved Mr. COOPER'S FAREWELL-SERMON PHIL. 4.9 Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of Peace shall be with you THE Amannensis or Pen-man of this Epistle was Paul the Apostle who being Prisoner at Rome takes occasion from the benevolence of the Philippians sent unto him by Epaphroditus for the supply of his wants there to confirm them by this Epistle in the Faith notwithstanding his bonds to encourage them in godliness and walking worthy of the Gospel but especially in stedfastness unity and lowliness of mind to warn them against certain perverse Zealots of the Law who mingled Works with Faith in point of Justification and in a word to quicken them to the practice of all Christian duties My Text salls under the last of these heads wherein our blessed Apostle being about to Epilogize and drawing towards a conclusion endeavours to Epitomize his whole Epistle and to give them in a few words the sum of all his Apostolick Advice which was That they should live up to their knowledge practising with all saithfulness the things they had both learned and heard and received from the Lord by him Those things saith he which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you In which words you may observe these two things 1. A Precept holding forth the duty and employment of a Christian Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do 2. A Promise holding forth the priviledge and encouragement of a Christian And the God of Peace shall be with you First For the Precept it holds forth the duty an employment of a Christian and that is to live up to his knowledge to transcribe the Law of God into his life and to practice with all diligence what ever he hath learned and heard and received from the Lord whether by precept or example Secondly For the Promise it holds forth the priviledge and encouragement of a Christian and that is that doing what he knows and exercising himself in the practise of what he hath both heard and learned and received from the Lord he is sure to have God's presence with him not only in regard of his Essence for so he is every where and with every man present neither can he be otherwise but also in regard of his grace and savour Doct. Those that walk in obedience with God he will always be graciously present with them The God of Peace will vouchsafe his gracious presence to all those who have heard received and learned whether by Precept or Example the Truth as it is in Jesus are careful to do accordingly Such as yield obedience to God's holy Will endeavouring to practice what they have heard and to live up to the Truths they have learned shall never be forsaken but God will always afford them his gracious presence If any man practice what he knows provided that he know the Truth as it is in Jesus if any man walk in obedience with God endeavouring to express what he hath heard and learned and received from him by the holiness of his life and conversation the Lord will be graciously present with that man as a Pilot to guide him as a Rock to sustain him and as a Fountain of living water to minister all fulness to him In the prosecution of this Doctrine having shewed you how the Lord will be present with them that walk in obedience with him I shall give you the Reasons evincing it and so come to the practical improvement of the whole by way of Use and Application First Therefore by way of Explication The Lord will be graciously present with those that walk in obedience with him these eight wayes 1. By way of gracious Acceptation Never did any man yet study to approve himself to God in a way of dutiful obedience but the Lord also was present with him in a way of gracious acceptance A wicked man not studying obedience to God finds no acceptance with him in ought that he doth the sighs of a wicked man are unsavoury his solemn Sacrifice is as dung and his prayers are abominable God will not come near him for his breath is infectious But for those that live up to their knowledge God highly favours them and takes all that they do in good part Not a good word falls from their lips but is recorded Mal. 3.16 Not a tear drops from their eyes but 't is taken up and bottled Psal 56.8 Their weak prayers sound like melody their broken sighs smell like Incense Gen. 8.21 and their very stammerings seem Rhetorical Cant. 2.14 When all the glistering shews of hypocrites evaporate and come to nothing yet they that study to walk in obedience with God are crowned with acceptation We oftentimes come to God with broken pravers but if we be such as make it our care to practice what we have heard and learned and received God spell can out our meaning and will take our weak performances as a most grateful present 2 Cor. 8.12 2. By way of Direction The Pilot by his presence in the Ship and by his Skill and Activity turns the Rudder of the Ships and guides the course thereof steering a right course towards the desired Haven So God as a spiritual Pilot is present in the Ship of every obedient Soul guiding it by his Counsel and enabling it by the direction and guidance of his own holy spirit to steer a right course to the Haven of Eternal Rest By nature we understand not the things of the Spirit of God neither indeed can we because they are spiritually discerned but saith Christ if any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God John 7.17 Knowledge is the Pilot to guide us in our obedience if Zeal be not according to knowledge it 's will-worship and there is no better way to become knowing than by doing and practising what we have already learned The disobedient and ungodly are in darkness until now neither can they discern as they ought what concerns their everlasting peace but the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him endeavouring to do what they know and he will teach them the way that they should choose Psal 25 12 14. Oh then how great is this priviledge that God will resolve our doubts acquaint us what is his Will and give his Spirit to lead us into all necessary Truths when we make it our care to answer our knowledge with suitable practise He that doth not what he knows shall not shortly know what to do
Without God's gracious presence we can profit by nothing without this health is not profitable nor riches profitable nor Ordinances profitable the choicest means of Grace without God's presâ—nce are but as breasts without milk as bottles without water nay they are not onely a dead letter but the savour of death without Godâ—s presence they will damn us many go loaded to Hell with Ordinances But c. 2. Consider Such is the presence of God with those that walk in obedience with him that it transforms them into his own likeness making them holy as he is holy As the Sun will change the colour of those that are much in it so a man cannot be near to God but this will make him in purity and holiness like God And do you not desire to have such a beauty put upon you and thus to be adorned with the Robes of Righteousness Why do but strive to walk in obedience with God and he also will be graciously present with you making you of Bryars and Thorns Lillies and Roses of Lyons Lambs of deformed he will make you comely and of filthy he will make you clean adorning your souls with the Jewels of Holiness Col. 1.13 Without the presence of an holy God you can never be holy and without holiness you can never see the Lord with comfort Heb. 12.14 'T is onely Grace that leads to glory For no holiness here no happiness hereafter 3 Consider Such is the presence of God with those that walk in obedience with him that it can quiet their souls turning every storm that arises into a blessed calm When the heart is full of doubts and distresses accused by the Law pursued by the Adversary and condemned by it self then doth God by his gracious presence still the raging of the sea give quiet to conscience and lay the storm Nothing but the breast will quiet the child so nothing but the breasts of God's gracious presence can quiet a distressed soul Rom 5.1 Would you therefore be at peace and have quiet in your own consciences would you have a sweet calm and a sabbath of rest from all your spiritual agonies Walk then in obedience with God endeavouring to practise what you know that he by his presence may work your desire 4. Consider Such is the presence of God with all that obey him according to what they have heard and learned and received that nothing can intercept it nor withhold it from them If they go up to Heaven in prosperity God is there making all their enjoyments conduce to their everlasting advantage if they be forced to make their bed in hell and lie down in sorrow God also is there turning their sorrow into joy if they be glad to take the wings of the morning and to fly for their lives into the uttermost parts of the earth God is also there bringing them back at length out of Egypt the Land of their Captivity into Canaan Oh then if any thing can make you obedient let the hope of God's gracious presence prevail with you to be so your Honors your Riches your Friends and all your creature comforts may be easily withheld these are but as the shining of the Sun which every discontented cloud may intercept But if you walk in obedience with God there is nothing can intercept his presence nor hinder you from having communion with him Are you banished from your own habitations and forced to sojourn as strangers in a strange Land There will the Lord be with you as with Jacob at Padan-Aram Gen. 28.15 Are you shut up in close prison and lie under restraint that your Friendâ— may not visit you There will God also be present with you as with Paul and Silas compassing you about with songs of deliverance Act. 16.25 Are you in a word as men appointed unto death cast into an hot fiery Furnace There likewise will the Lord be present with you as with Shadrach Meshech and Ahednegâ— not suffering the flames to kindle upon you Dan. 3.27 5. Consider Such is the presence of God with those that obey him according to what they have heard and learned and received that it makes them rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1. Pet. 1.8 Many traduce Religion as a thing that makes men melancholick but his estate is of all mens most joyful who walking in obedience with God doth enjoy his presence for where can the soul find those comforts which do fill it with gladness and crown it with delight but in God His presence is a Christians musick and Festival the Nectar and Ambrosia whereon he delights to feed You may sooner taste honey than tell how sweet it is so you may taste what joy and gladness God's presence puts into the soul but can never express it Would you then have your souls overflowing with gladness Would you have them rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Then walk in obedience with God and his presence will do it 6. Consider Such is the presence of God with all that obey him according to what they have heard and learned and received that it sweetens every Cross and makes them not onely rejoice but to rejoice in tribulation Rom. 5.3 Amaritudines mundi dulces reddit The Wine of God's presence can sweeten the bitter Waters of Marah Let sickness come let reproach come let persecution come yea let death it self come yet the sense of God's gracious presence takes away the sting out of all these Such is the power of God's gracious presence that it takes away the bitterness of afflictions from all that walk in obedience with him gives them honey out of the beily of Lyons meat out of the Eater and sweet out of sowr If then you desire to see light in darkness to have your Prison turned into a Paradise and the flames of Martyrdom into a bed of Spices See then that you walk in obedience with God according to what you have heard and learned and received Prosperity without God's presence is full of trouble but trouble with the presence of God is full of comfort 7. Consider Such is the presence of God with those that obey him according to what they have heard and learned and received that it doth not onely rejoice their souls but gives them full satisfaction The Sun satisfieth the eye with light the Fountain satisfieth the thirsty with water so God satisfieth by his gracious presence all that walk in obedience with him Outward comforts do sooner cloy than chear and sooner weary than fill they can no more satisfie the heart than a Triangle can fill a Circle But when once God comes and vouchsafes his gracious presence now the soul is at rest now it 's come to its centre and with Jacob it can say I have enough For with whom God is graciously present to all them he is an all-sufficient portion 8. Consider The presence of God with all those that obey him in what they have heard and learned and received
of you but when we come again unto you I will have you to be of another manner of temper then now you are Well if all that I have said will not prevail with you I am sorry that nothing would prevail with you but the flames of Hell Oh then you will say Oh that we had but hearkened to the voice of God's Messengers that are sent to us Oh that we had our rousing Ministers to awaken us I have one of Advice to you that are the people of God whose hearts God hath humbled and I shall have done First I advise you that God hath humbled for sin now to look to your selves God will not now lead you you must learn now to go alone If you would keep tender hearts then be afraid of sin as well of the least sins as of the greatest Be afraid of a vain thought and if thou takest heed of a vain thought thou wilt be afraid of telling a lye and if thou takest heed of telling a lye thou wilt be afraid of swearing an Oath Secondly If thou wilt keep tenderness of heart then lye under the best Ministry you can get that there is a difference between some mens Preaching and others is plain by the effectual working of their Preaching upon the hearts of their hearers First Take heed of a blind ignorant Minister If the blind lead the blind they will both fall into the ditch If one that understands not what sin is nor feels not the guilt of sin Preaches Repentance it is ten hundred to one if ever God doth work upon your hearts by his Preaching Secondly Take heed of fly shun avoid an idle drunken Minister If you would ask me what we shall do in such a case I Answer Keep such a one out of your Parish if you can if you cannot then I advise you to take heed how you hear him First Because all such Ministers are no Ministers at all No what and are ordained No because they are not sent from God And let me tell you that men have no power to Ordain such to Preach the Gospal as are not sent by God I do verily believe that God never sent any Minister for to Preach the Doctrine of Salvation but such as God hath endowed with gifts and abilities to speak and if there be any Ministers that have not those qualifications that are fit for a Bishop to have then they are none of Gods Ministers although they are made Ministers by man 1 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. This is a true saying If a man desire the Office of a Bishop he desireth a good work A Bishop then must be blameless the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no striker not greedy of filthy lucre but patient not a brawler not covetous own that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity For if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the Church of God Not a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil Here is all these excellent qualifications that a Minister of the Gospel ought to be endowed with Secondly I say that those Ministers that are not endowed with these qualifications but are ignorant drunken Ministers it is generally observed that people grow more wicked and that their hearts grow harder while they live under such a Ministry Object But how if we are forced to hear such and we can do no others wise if we will not hear them our purses must pay for it Answer To this I answer I wish that every place had an eminent Minister that you might gather up Manna at your own dores But if your Minister be wicked and prophane he is no Minister of Christ and in such a case you must rather hazard your purses than you souls But the Doctrin that he preaches it is good 'T is true it is so if it do not come out of a stinking vessel The water that is drawn out of a sweet Well if it be put into a stinking cask it will smell of the cask But I would not have you to be quarrelsome A Third advice that I shall give you is this Be sure that you ply the company of those that are of a tender heart It is a true saying Birds of a feather will flock together Take heed of being in the company of such as will swear and of living with such as scoff at religion It 's true a tender holy heart may live among wicked company as Lot did in Sodom but let me tell thee there 's danger they 'l tempt thee to be like them Lastly My advice is this Be sure that the Bible be much in your hand you that can read and beg of God to give you an understanding heart When God bids you to be holy think of Heaven Let the Bible be much in your hands and let God see you much in your Closets Mr. G. N. his Farewel-Sermon Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. IF divine Providence shall make this the season of our separation it is good for us to part with each other in the meditation and consideration of that from which those that are Gods shall never be divided that is the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Apostle is very confident of it I am perswaded We shall conclude the Chapter with our present Imployment and therefore shall not stand long discoursing on every particular but first briefly open them unto you and after improve them First We meet with the. Apostles Confidence a strong perswasion from whence we may learn Confidence belongeth unto a Christian yea it is the priviledge of the Gospel Col. 2.2 That their hearts may be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assuring of understanding c. This is what you may daily stand in need of therefore be perswaded to press toward it The Apostle calls to give all diligence to make your calling and Election sure Great diligence it is you give to assure the title of your earthly possession is it not of far greater concernment to assure your Calling and Election unto an everlasting enjoyment of divine Love And that you may do this remember to live 1. Lest unto this present World 2. More in heaven For then will you be more acquainted with the concernments and counsels thereof Do but draw up your hearts out of the cares pleasures and delights of this present world which choak the Word and
Martyrs 7. And lastly the Remish religion is a self-contradicting religion One of their Canons saith a man in some cases may take the Sacrament at the hand of an Heretick another Canon saith he may not A learned and judicious Writer observes above an hundred Contradictions in their Religion Therefore again I press the words of my Text Wherefore my beloved nay let me say my dearly beloved flee from Idolaâ—ry To shut up all let me exhort you to these two or three things First Hold fast the Doctrine of the true Orthodex Protestant Religion the very filings of this gold is precious Keep all the Articles of the Christian Faith if you let one fundamental article of your Faith go you hazard your Salvation When Samson pulled down but on Pillar immediately the whole Fabrick tumbled so if you destroy one Pillar if you let go one Fundamental of Truth you endanger all Secondly Hold forth the profession of the Protestant Religion I say do not only hold fast the Doctrine of the Protestant Religion but hold forth the Profession of the Protestant Religion Be not ashamed to wear Christs Colours Christians remember this one thing those Persons that are ashamed of Christ are a very shame unto Christ The Religion I exhort you to flee from is a novelty that which I press you to stand to is a verity it is consonant to Scripture it is built on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and hath been sealed to by the blood of many Saints and Martyrs Thirdly and lastly do not only hold fast and hold forth but also adorn the Protestant Religion this is holy Pauls Exhortation to Titus Tit. 2.10 Adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour Adorn Religion with a holy Conversation There is nothing hardens Papists so much as the loosness of Protestants Therefore adorn your holy Religion with a holy Conversation Do as Christ did tread in his steps make your Saviour your Pattern Let me assure you I can hardly think they do truly beleeve in Christ that do not really conform unto Christ The Primitive Christians Sanctity did much-what propogate Christianity And this is that beseech you carry home with you Hold fast and hold forth the Protestant Religion and adorn it with a Holy and Bible-Conversation and when you do not hear me Preaching to you yet let me beseech you hear this good Word speaking in you Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry Consider what hath been said and the Lord make it advantagious to all your Souls The Prayers of several of these Divines Mr. Calamy's Prayer at Aldermanbury OH most Holy thou ever blessed Lord God thou fillest Heaven and Earth with thy Presence We pray thee fill all our hearts with the Presence of thy Grace and let it appear that thou art in the midst of us with that powerfull assistance of thy Spirit that we may receive a token of thy love from thee at this time It is a singular favour that the doores of thy Sanctuary are open to us and that yet we may meet together in thy Name we pray the continue it to us and sanctifie it to us that every Sabbath may add to our stature in Jesus Christ We confess we have forfeited all our mercies wee have heard much of God and Christ and Heaven with our ears but there is little of God Christ and Heaven in our hearts We confess many of us by hearing Sermons are grown Sermon-proof VVe know how to scoff and mock at Sermons but we know not how to live Sermons It is a miracle of free grace thou hast not taken the Gospel from us ere this time but thou art a merciful God and though we cannot please thee yet Mercy pleaseth thee and we have no argument to bring along with us to beg thy favours but thy Mercy in Jesus Christ We pray thee that thou wilt glorifie thy Soveraignty in being gracious to us and pardon our many and great transgressions Thou makest use of the malice of men for thy Glory Thou killest Goliah with his own Sword O help us to put our trust in thee thou that canst kill and cure by killing Blesse these Nations of England Scotland and Ireland and find out yet a way to save us Pour down thy blessings upon the head and heart of our Sovereign Charles by thy Grace King of Great Britiain thou hast done great things for him let him do Great things for thee Bless him in his Royal Consort in his Royal Relations in his Council Bless the Magistrates and Ministers of this Realm Lord forgive us for we live as if we had been delivered to work wickedness we cannot sin at so cheap a rate as others do we pray thee humble us under our great and grievous sins give us repentance unto Salvation and a lively Faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ Quicken our graces forgive our sins make alive our Souls let us be such as thou wouldst have us to be make us Christians not only by an outward Profession but an inward Conversation that we may live in Heaven while we are on Earth and come to Heaven when we shall leave the Earth To that purpose bless thy Word unto us at this time and give us all grace to make conscience of what we hear and how we hear and all for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be all Glory and Honour Amen Mr. Nalton's Prayer at Foster-lane ETernal most Mighty and most glorious Lord God thou art God alone and besides thee there is no Saviour or helper our strength stands in thy Name who hast made both Heaven and Earth of our selves we are able to do nothing that is pleasing in thy sight we can pollute thy Name but we cannot honour thy Name we can run away from thee but we cannot run unto thee unless thou dost powerfully draw us by the holy spirit We can grieve thy spirit but we cannot grieve for grieving of thy spirit Oh let thy strength be manifested in our weakness look upon us with the favour thou bearest to thy children Enter not into judgment with thy servants for we cannot answer thee one of a thousand not one thought of a thousand thoughts not one word of a thousand words most of our actions have been reproveable and the best of our services have been unprofitable our omissions commissions and presumptions have been multiplyed intolerably Oh! how often have we take 〈◊〉 Name in vain while we have been confessing our sins how often haâ—â— we run from confessing our sins to the committing of sins and from committing sins to the confessing sin again as if we had but mocked thy sacred Majesty Though we know thy Favour is better than life we have parted with it upon easie terms Oh the pride and stubbornnesse that is in our hearts All the mercies thou hast bestowed upon us have not melted us into tears for our unkindnesse and all those blows that have fallen upon our backs have
and by our lively trust through the Covenant of Grace on our part let there be such a unity between Christ and us that all the powers of Hell may not be able to separate us from thee speak peace to our hearts still our consciences say I have received a sacrifice for you I shall befriend you I will be just and faithful to forgive your sins my Law is sully fulfilled by another though broken by you my Justice is fully satisfied by another though provoked by you my wrath is ceased by the means of another though incensed by you Oh Lord what a cordial would this be canst not thou amongst this great multitude of people espy some that through the Spirit of thy Son would worship thee in thine own way speak peace to every such soul Is there any soul before thee O Lord to whom thou hast given the grace of desire O lord give them grace according to their desire and thou which didst regard us when we were running from thee do not reject us now we are drawing near thee And thou which bidst us believe by the command of thy Word help us to believe by the operation of thy Spirit draw us that we may be able to follow thee thy loving kindness is better than life Some do say Who will shew us any good But Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and thou wilt glad our hearts more than in the time when Corn or wine or Oil increaseth Let it be fair above head when it is dirty below let us see one contrary in another let us confute an eye of sense with an eye of faith and when we come to see nothing here that can gratifie our senses let us have something to quiet our souls We would fain be at war with sin that we may be at peace with thee though we cannot return as much as we have received yet help us to return as much as we can give us repentance unto life epentance from dead works a mourning fat greater for the remembrance of sin than we have pleasure in the committing of sin those secret distempers in our souls that no eye sees but thine let us cry out Wretched men that we are who should deliver us from this body of sin And as the fear of condemnation doth decrease so set the fear of transgression increase And because O Lord thou hast not made us to bleed with thy greatness O Lord make us to blush with thy goodness let us as truely desire that Heaven would enter into us into a way of holiness here as we desire to enter into Heaven in the way of happiness hereafter Let us see that our kindness to sin is cruelty to our Saviour let net that live quietly one minuite with us that would not let Christ live let us see there is nothing small by which the great God is offended and an immortal soul is damned We are to be in the world but for a while to take a turn or two and be gone Oh that we might make it the business of our life to get into Christ though it be the scorn of men and burdensome to nature yet this is that which will bring us peace at last Let us be what we profess our selves to be let us love Christ and evangelically keep his commandements let us live by faith let us keep thy Commandements let us be above the world in the world above the love of life and above the fear of death let not the smiles of the world allure us nor the frowns thereof affright us from thee but in all these things let us be more than conquerers through Jesus Christ Let us love him much whom we cannot love too much Help us to be above the power of Hell let us ever say My soul it is good for me to draw nigh to God Let us be willing rather to be faved with a few than go to Hell in a crowd let us live as if Eternity were long and life but short let us thrive in holiness and be brought neerer to thy self by every dispensation let us in this our day know the things that concern our peace before they be hid from our eyes and know the time of our visitation and though God suffer long he will strike at last O Lord bow the heavens and come down among us at this time and be with the unworthiest of thy servants and give unto him a door of utterance and to thin great people a door of entrance and let them be all taught of God and let them truly find that the great God is teaching to the heart when that a weak worm is speaking to the ear let all the work be done by theo and let all he praise redound unto thee and let him that is with us be greater than he that is in the world behold us in the Son of thy love smell aswee savor of rest on these our poor prayers speak peace to our consciences rebuke the tempter tread him under our feet shortly raise us up to newness of life let us remember when that which is perfect is rome that which is imperfect shall be done away Hear us and help us through our dear Redeemer let us live for him here and with him hereafter and all for his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory to whom with thee and thy Sprit be Glory and Honour now an for ever Amen Mr. Cradocott's Prayer at St. Sepulchres MOst glorious and most gracious Lord God who art God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hast put thine own Name and stamp upon this Day wilt thou be pleased to appear now and prepare and dispose our unprepared and indisposed souls for holy Observation of this thine holy day Will the Lord vouchsafe us the incomes of his spirit and influences of his Grace whereby we may be inabled to offer up spiritual Sacrifice which may be acceptable to Jesus Christ Lord thou requirest praying hearts but thou hast not commanded us to use Prayer-books and if thou wilt give us the Spirit of Prayer we shall not need them Lord give us praying hearts at this time let us find by experience that the Sabbath is a day of Souls opportunity that thine Ordinances are full of marrow that thou hast not said unto thy Children the seed of Jacob seek my face in vain VVe acknowledge we are unworthy to lift up our eyes to heaven we have cause enough to cry out God be merciful to us sinners undeserving ill-deserving men and women we acknowledge our natures are blots of all wickednesses we are by nature enemies to thy Majesty heirs of death children of darkness slaves to sin captives to lust dead to sins and trespasses how are our understandings darkned and our hearts-hardened what are our hearts but a store house of malicious thoughts a brothel house of adultery a palace of pride we are by nature
wholly flesh totally opposite to the holy Laws of thy Majesty and were it not for thy renuing and restraining grace we should break forth into as vile abominations as the vilest of men our lives have been a continuall piece of rebellion against God who did make us and doth feed and cloath us all thy paths have been paths of mercy to us but we have requited thee evil for thy good and hatted for thy love Oh foolish men and women that we have been I we acknowledge our Gospel-sins are of a deep dye Thou hast not been a VVildernss or Land of darkness to us we have been exalted to heaven in the means of salvation but Oh! how short do we come of knowledge to the time and means we have enjoyed and our obedience comes short of our knowledge we have not walked up to that light which thou hast given us We desire to lay our selves low before thee Oh do thou open our eyes and present us to our selves show us the vilenss of our lives Blessed be thy Name that thou hast laid help upon one that is mighty to save all that come to thy Majesty by him and thou hast promised all that beleeve on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Oh help us to receive him in all his Offices in our hearts help us to give him the keys of our hearts and help us to live and die to him that died for us and let our souls be united to thee by him that his death may be ours and his life ours and his intercession ours Oh let our unity to Christ be demonstrated to us by our communion with and conformity to him in grace and holiness And we pray thee dearest Lord pardon our sins in the Court of heaven and in the Court of our own consciences besprinkle our conscienees in the blood of Christ and say to all before thee at this time that desire to fear thee more and serve thee better Sons and Daughters be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you And do not only justifie us but sanctifie us purge our consciences from dead works inform our understanding conform our wills to thy holy VVill let our hearts and lives be comformed to the Image of thy Son that beholding thereof we may be changed from glory to glory and let us have more knowledge of thy will that we may do thy will und suffer thy will with more patience and be filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are to the glory of God Let us not be empty Vines that bring forth fruit to themselves but let us bring forth fruit to God whereby thou maiest be glorified Oh plant that great grace of Self-denial in our souls and let us take the Cross of Jesus Christ and follow him wheresoever he goes Remember all thine extend thy favour to those thou hast cast on beds of sickness and let there be a saving change wrought in them before that change by death shall come and they that are drawing nigh their time of Travel let the arms of the All-sufficient God be under them and be better to them than their Faith or our prayers and look graciously upon poor children entitle them to an inheritance that fadeth not away make them a blessing in themselves and a blessing to their Parents And those that deâ—re the conversion of Relations that walk in waies of perdition do not let them find peace in any way against thy Majesty and let them know that sin will be bitter in the latter eud Look upon us that are before thee at this time before we go hence and shall be here no more make thy face to shine upon us let our coming together be for the better and not for the worse to any of us let thy poor Servant be able to deliver thy Message plainly and powerfull and give thy People hearing ears and obedient hearts and let us rejoyce that we did wait upo thee in thy Worship this day and all For Christ his sake in whose Name and Words we call upon thee Our Father ' which art in Heaven c. Doctor Manton's Prayer at Covent-garden O Lord God all that we can do is nothing of our selves we can do nothing Oh let us have the gracious Assistance of thy Spirit as this time let thy love constrain us say unto us Thou art our Salvation Do not say that we shall fill up the measure of our Iniquities and there shall be no hope for us O Lord we are ashamed that we have waited so long in thine Ordinannances and have got no more profit to our toor pouls but we have given up our hearts to the pleasures and vanities of this world that are but for a season even those that thou hast drawn out after thee do not walk worthy of thee anseerable to that blessed hope of future Happiness in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Jesus Christ is to many of us become a stumbling-blook and a reck of offence while our hearts are caried out after the wirld with such strong affections Oh! when shall we carry our selves so as those that profess themselves to be secke's of a better life We come into thy presence now for strength do thou manifest thy self to us thou hast promised to pour out thy Spirit upon all Flesh Oh let it be unto us according to thy promise O Lord our hearts naturally are averse to thee so that of our selves we shall never be able to do any thing that may be wel-plensing to thee but do thou regulate us by thy blessed Spirit that we may observe thy statutes and do them and that thy Commands may not be grievous to us that it may not be burdensom for us to do the work of God O Lord when shall our hearts be made sound in thy statutes we wait upon thee in the use of thine Ordinances that we may have a new supply from thee that at length we may come to see that thou art at work with us to save our soules O help us to be followers of them who with faith and patience do follow thee to do nothing unbecomming our holy Call suffer us not to swerve from thy Commandments but let us have a constant and earnest desire after thee Let the choicest of thy Mercies come down on our Sovereign Charles King of England Scotland France and Ireland let His heart be guided by thee let him always set the before his eyes that under the shadow of his Goverment we may have Peace in all Godliness and honesty Bless him in his Relations in his Councils Teach our Senators wisdom Be with all thy Faithfull Magistrates and Ministers let them be a terrour to evil doers and an encouragement to them that do well Be with us in the way of thy worship we are here met together to hear and handle thy holy Word Oh do thou command it to light upon all our hearts let it come in the evidence and demonstratian
of thy Spirit and all for Christ his sake for whom we bless thee to him with thee and thy holy Spirit be Praise and Glory for evermore Dr. Anesley 's Prayer at Giles-Cripplegate HOly and great God of Heaven and Earth suâ—h his the condescention of thy Grace that thou art pleased to manifest thy special presence to thy poor creatures though thou hatest sin with a perfect hatred yet thou lovest sinners with an infinite Love though thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity yet thou art pleased to manifest thy Love to sinners that approach to thy service O Lord when shall we admire enough thy Grace and Love how thou art pleased to communicate thy self to a poor man Dear Father raise and fix our hearts help us to mind the business that we come about and to deal very faithfully with our own souls in the matters of eternal moment Oh that we could pray so that our prayers through grace might be returned upon us with a blessing O that we could wait upon thee to hear thy Word as the Oracles of God let us hear what Christ will discover to us for our spiritual benefit Lord grant that our souls may know what it is to be in the Spirit in the Lords day Dear Father thou canst deal with such hearts as ours for the curing of them we pray thee do it we must needs acknowledg hadst not thou laid help upon one that is mighty that is able to save to the uttermost we must have perished to all eternity for we do not know any upon the earth more vile then our selves The very agravations of our sins to render us monstrously abominable the means of grace we have afforded us the stirrings of thy spirit in us the patience and goodness of God towards us makes it a wonder that our hearts do remain so blockish But dear Lord we do find by experience that our immortal souls are much debased all the faculties of our souls are out of tune our understandings are so dark our conceptions of God are so low our consciences are so benum'd that the stirrings of them are scarce discerned or perceived our affections are spent upon the creature that we cannot gather them up again our wills are perverse our memories are apt to retain the dross and let out all that is good we pray thee for Christs sake make an experiment upon our souls what thou canst do what sinners Christ can save what corruptions the spirit of God can subdue in our souls teach all our hearts do not stand behind the wall and look through the latice do so much as may leave us without excuse but good Lord put thy hand in at the hole of the door and let thy fingers drop honey upon the handle of the Lock And oh set open these everlasting Doors that the King of glory may enter in Subdue us intirely to thy self do not ask our wills whether we be willing or no but make us willing do not ask us what we would have but give us what thou knowst is good for us Dear Lord we pray thee deliver us from sin according to thy hatred of it and pour out thy grace upon us according to thy love of grace that our souls may be refreshed that we may find thy thoughts are above ours as high as heaven is above the earth Dear Father it is thy promise that those that wait upon thee shall renew their strengths we have no might the Devil bastles us our own hearts are treacherous to us The world intices us to sin against God oh deliver us from all these enemies especially from the plagues of our own hearts that we may perfect holiness in the fear of God give us spiritual blessings whatsoever thou givest us or whatsoever thou deniest us thou knowest thou art rather willing to give us spiritual blessings than any other mercies and we want spiritual mercies most Oh oh give us spiritual Mercies that we may say This is the way of God in his Sanctuary Where grace is not wrought work it where it is begun increase it Dear father convince those that are not yet convinced Make thy word a quickning word an ingrafted word to the saving of our souls help us to hear as for our lives as those that long after God Hear Prayers for the King bless him in his Royal Relations and grant under him we may live a quiet life in all godliness and honesty Bless the Magistrates and help them to remember that causes one day must be heard over again Help thy Ministers to keep close to thee in ways that are well pleasing Be with us at this time Lord assist the meanest of thy servants let our souls now find that thou dost magnifie thy word above all thy Name do us good receive us quicken us that we may live in heaven upon earth that we may know what it is to be filled with the fulness of God and know the heighth breadth depth and length of thy love that passeth knowledg Communicate thy self to us as thou usest to do to thy people let us feel thy presence let us not think of any thing but the business we are about let us with singleness of heart set our selves to mind thâ— concernment of our immortal souls and all we beg for Christ his sake who hath taught us thus to pray Our Father c. Dr. Bates his Prayer at Dunstans in the West O Lord thou art a most holy high God the Glorious Angels when they stand before thee cover their faces yet they dâ—d never violate thy Laws and if they how much more need have we to do it We are sinful dust and ashes our solemn Services are sin We desire to approach thy presence and to have an eye to thy glory in all our services and addresses We beseech thee give us a serious and a deep sense of our own hearts and vile affections that we may cast our selves down at thy feet with all humility We have infinite reason to be abased in our selves our God help us We came into the world with sin and as soon as we did breath in the air we infected it there is an infection and pollution in all our faculties what coldness is there in our affections and what unbelief in our faith and our wills do stand apopsite against thy holy nature VVe confess we have had ten thousand experiences of those corruptions that are within us for our while lives are full of provocations against God How many vain thoughts and how many rebellious actions Blessed Father we confess we are out of measure sinful we have sinned against the clearest convictions of thy word and the tender compassions of thy Gospel against the most severe promises we have made of our service to God against the checks of our own Consciences we confess the sins of the Heathens who live without God in the world are small in comparison of ours and we fear therefore a greater degree
wâ—th us all thine remember thy people from one end of the world to the other Thy people are very low this is a time of Jacobs troubles the Bush is burning every day Oh thou the Hope of Israel the Saviour therof shew thy self in mercy to these Nations We bless thee for all thy mercies that thy judgements do not seize upon us every day that thou dost not sweep us away that thou dost not rain Fire Brimstone on England as thou didst on Sodom our sins cry aloud to heaven for vengeance God is greatly provoked every day it is a miracle of patience that thou hast not destroyed us God can pardon the sins of the Nation at once but we are not fit for pardon we do not humble our selves O Lord humble us give repentance to England from the highest to the lowest that we may return unto thee We desire to bless thee that our Eemies have not had their wills over us they said they would pursue and overtake and satisfie their lusts but God did blow upon them and they did sink in the mighty Water and thou hast yet preserved thy Church we pray thee do not leave us nor remove thy Gospel whatsoever thou dost Pour down elle choicest of thy bâ—essings upon our Sovereign Charles by thy Grace of England Scotland France and Ireland Bless him with the Blessing of Heaven and Earth make him a blessing to all of us Bless him in all his Relations the Lords of the privy Councel Look on them that have desired an interest in our prayers known to thee are all of them know their souls in this time of adversity make their beds in their siekness Give Faith to them that complain of unbelief give the Spirit of Prayer to those that complain they cannot pray be a Councellor to those that wan councel in their affaires either by Sea or Land let thy blessig go with them whereever they go Spare the lives of Children if it be thy will Prepare us for thy good and holy Word let it be a savour of lise unto life and let it come with power unto us Oh let us hear it as thy Word not as the word of a poor man but as the Word of God and all for the Lord Christ his sake for whom we bless thee to whom with thee and the Spirit of Grace be given Glory and Honour for evermore Mr. Waltons Prayer in Walbrook O Lord God all our springs are in thee it is good for us to draw nigh to thee through Jesus Christ thou art all fulness thou art the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and in him our Father thou art our light thou givest us these blessed opportunities of enjoying communian with thy self God blessed for ever These mercies are forfeited mercies we have abused the blessings of thy House we have grieved thy blessed Spirit therefore it is just with thee to deprive us of these comforts and to make us know the worth of these mercies by the want of them Lord we desire to judge our selves that we may not be condemned with the world Righteous art thou O Lord and just in all thy judgements we confess we are unworthy to have any converse with so holy a God we are polluted dust and ashes not worthy to tread thy Courts and it is of thy mercy that we are not consumed how often have we pluckt fruit from the forbidden tree we have sinned presumptuously against the clearest Light and the dearest love alwaies have we sinned thy footsteps have dropt fatness thou hast shewen mercy to us but the better thou hast been to us the worse we have been to thee thou hast loaded us with thy mercies and we have wearied thee with our sins when we look into our selves Oh the poyson of our natures whatever the Leper did touch was unclean Thus do we by our spiritual Leprosie infect our holy things our prayers had need have pardon and our tears had need have the blood of sprinkling to wash them how vain are our vows how sensual are our affections we confess we are untuned and unstrung for every holy Action we are never out of tune to sin but alwaies out of tune to pray we give the world our male affections and our strong desires we should use this world as if we used it not and alwies we pray as if we prayed not and serve thee as if we served thee not there is not that reverence nor that devotion nor that activeness of faith that there should be Lord if thou wouldst say that thou wouldst pardon all our sins to this time only judge us for this prayer wo unto us what breathings of unbelief and hypocrisie is there now when we approach unto thee we pray thee pardon us for Christs sake Who can tell how oft he doth offend we can as well reckon the drops of the Ocean as number our sins we have filled the number of the Nations sins but we have not filled thy bottle with our tears This is that that doth exceedingly aggravate our sins that we cannot mourn for sin we can grieve for our losses but we cannot mourn for our unkindnesses we have crucified the Lord of life sin hath not only defiled us but hardned us nothing can melt us but the love of Christ nothing can soften us but the blood of Christ O with-hold not thy mercies from us O help us to eat the Passeover with bitter herbs let us look on Christ weep over him let us look on a broken Christ with broken hearts and on a bleeding Christ with bleeding hearts let us mourn for our dis-ingenuity that we should grieve that God that is always doing us good Oh! humble us for our unkindnesse and for Christs sake blot out our transgressions they are more than we can number not more than God can pardon Though we have lost the duty of children thou hast not lost the goodness of a Father Let us be held forth as patterns of mercy so shall we trumpet forth thy praise to all Eternity Whatever afflictions thou layest upon our bodies let not our sins be unpardoned let not sin and affliction be together upon us let their be peace in Heaven and peace in the Court of Conscience We have found this part of thy Word true In the world we shall have troubles let us find the other part true in Jesus Christ we shall have peace Oh let peace and holiness go together make us new Creatures that we may be glorious Creatures Without Faith Christ will not profit us when we can call nothing in the world ours let us call Christ ours Lord draw thine Image every day more lively upon us a more lively hope and a more inflamed love to Christ let us have a spirit of courage and resolution keep us from the fallacies of our own hearts keep us from the defilements of the times make us pure in heart that we may see God that we may have Gospel spirits humble spirits
meek spirits as Christ did take our flesh let us partake of his Spirit Why dost thou imbitter the brest of the Creature to us but that we should finde the sweetness of the Promises There is as much in the Promises as ever let us live upon God let us cast anchor in Heaven and we shall never sink Shower down thy blessings even the choicest of them upon the head and heart of our dread Sovereign Charles by thy appointment of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith let him see wherein his cheifest interest lies let him count those his best subjects that are Christ's subjects Bless him â—n hâ—s Royal Consort in his Royal Relations the Lords of his Privy Council let them be a terror to eviâ— doers and incouragers of those that do well Bless all thy Ordinances to us make them to be fulness of life to every one before thee we are come this day to partake of them Oh pour in Wine and oyl into our souls let us be a watered garden let this blessed Sacrament be a poyson to our lust and nourishment for our Grace Hear us be our God follow us with mercy crown us with acceptance and all for Christ his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce to Christ with thee and thy holy Spirit be Glory Honour and Praise now and for ever Amen Mr. Lye 's Prayer at Allhallows Lumber-street O Lord our great God thou canst do all things for thou dost dispose and govern all the wayes and works and words of thy Creature to thâ—ne own praise We thy poor Creatures the workmanship of thy hands the price and purchase of thy Sons blood do desire this morning to fall down and humble our selves at the Throne of thy Grace we desire to lift up an eye of Faith to thee that thou mayest dart an eye of Love to us since thou hast commanded us to come unto thee Oh bless us now we come Let it not be in vain for any of us from the high'st to the low'st from the richest to the poorest that we have sought thy Face this morning Blessed Father pour down a spirit of Prayer a Spirit of preaching a Spirit of Rejoycing a spirit of Practising in the midst of us let us not only be enabled to know what to do but to do what we know Thou that distd cure the eyes of the blind with clay and spittle Oh heel that natural dimness that is in the best of us Thy Rod in the hand of Moses brought water out of the Rock Oh do thou strike upon those rocky hearts that our adamantine hearts being softned may gush out into Rivers of tears Oh drown our sins in the Red sea of our saviours blood help us to smite upon our thigh and to ask our selves what we have been and what we have done and humble us under the omission of any commanded duty and the comission of any for bidden sin sins of thoughts wordes and dieds sins against the Law against the Gospel of youth manhood and old-age sins before under and since conversion sins against prayers vows promises covenants and oaths Oh Lord if thou didst prefer thy Bill against us we could not stand if we were weighed in the balance of the Sanctury we should be found too light but holy Father remember not against us our former sins but rather have mercy upon us according to thy loving kindness cross and blot out our iniquities blot them out so fully and wholly that it may be to us as to Judath in the promise that the sins of Judath should be sought for and not found O bathe our souls in that Fountain that was set open for Judah and Jerusalem though our sins have been as Scarlet let them be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson let them be like Wool We have read that a flood of sin brought down a deluge of water that they covered the tops of the mountains Oh let thy deluge of mercy cover the tops of the mountains of our sins It is the glory of a God to pardon great sins We desire to turn unto thee with our whole hearts do thou subdue our iniquities let us be not only cleansed but let us have the efficacy of the spirit of Christ to wash us from the guilt of sin because we boast we are not under the Law but under Grace Be gracious to our Soveraign Lord Charles King of England Scotland France and Ireland It is thy promise that Kings shall be Nursing Fathers to thy children grant that under the shadow of his Majesty thy people may be protected that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Oh let thy people possess the Land from Dan to Beersheba Oh give us Scripture-Magistrates and Gospel-Ministers as long as the Sun and Moon endures Let thy VVord be sanctified to us let it not be only as water to get out our spots but as a Refiners fire to purge our dross and take away our tin And holy Father where thou hast begun a good work do thou go on and bring it to perfection let not the light that is in us be like the glimmering light of the evening but as the light of the morning that shineth more and more to the day Let our best wine be kept to the last let the end of our lives be the end of sinning Thou hast cast our lot in the midst of temptations of all sorts thou hast brought many of us through the red Sea but we are in the wilderness with Zeba and Zalmunna and those that dwell at Tyre the children of Ammon Moab and mount Seir and all the forces that Hell can make against us Oh put upon uâ— all the whole Armour of God Now in these days of Errour gird us with the Girdle of Truth Oh now in these days of falsity give us a helmet of Hope Now the Devil darts at us give us the Sheiâ—d of Faith Oh give us the Sword of the Spirit of the word of God that it may enable us to confute the gain-saying of foolish men Oh help us to pray with all manner of prayer constantly fervently faithfully feelingly that we stand and not fall and that not in our strength but in Gods To this end be with us upon this thine own day our Manna falls every day and it is doubled upon the Lords day Oh let us be as thy servant John in the Spirit upon thine own day let God by his Spirit come into our spirits understandings consciences wills memories and affections that all our conversations without and affections within may be obedient to thy Word Enable thy Servant to deliver thy Word faithfully God forbid thy Servant should stand upon so sandy a foundation as the Wisdome of Man one iota of thy Word hath more wisdome in it then all men and Angels have Good Father give thy people a hearing ear it is too much they have played
it is to be ashamed to sigh over our sins and groan over our iniquities I how few out of tenderness do mouru for sin but as if it were indifferent to us whether we have our sins purdoned or the grace that we beg to be granted and if we do beg to be pardoned where are the souls that desire to be purged If thou shouldst let us have our wills Oh then we should think thou wert a good God whereas it is thy great Love that thou dost deny us our wills we poor wretche we are up and down as the things of this world do come into us and go from us if God give us great things then we think our selves in Paradise and if God take from us then we fall out with God himself Oh! how ill do we take it at thy hands if thou dost not give us what we would or take from us what we would The doctrine of self-denial is a meer riddle to us we would fain spend the strength of our youth in following the lust of the eye and gratifie our sensual affections and when we come to die it may be we would have a Lord have mercy upon us in our mouths and think it strange if God should not give us what we ask O Lord convince us now that we may be willing to be crucified to the world and to die to sin Lord we may flatter with our selves but our hearts do but abuse us while we think there is such contentment in the enjoying of this world what is this when we come to die Alas if we were not besotted content is sooner gained by self-denial than by pleasing our selves Can we think we shall be at ease till we come to God Is it like to be well with us while our wayes are contrary to the wayes of God are not thy waies the waies of peace Oh! how can we be at rest when our waies are contrary to thine Oh! un-lust us we had better part from our idols here that that they should part us from God hereafter Lord if there were no other hell this is damnation to be a sinne for this is the nature of sin to separate us from God Oh help us to account the reproaches of Christ better than the honors of the Cross of Christ better than the Crown of the world O shew us the sinfulness of sin and the emptiness of the world that we may take thy Counsel and mind thy Glory and be ruled by thy Will Oh how happy would it be with us if our souls were brought into such a frame We are Lord as yet great strangers to the life of God Oh! let us know what it is to live with thee and to thee and with thee that we may say For us to live in Christ and to die is gain and that we may say Whom have we in Heaven but thee O Lord We depend upon thee let thy goodness be seen do not put us off with the means of grace but give us grace it self And seeing thou art pleased to make use of such a poor thing as the preaching of the Gospel is and seeing this is the means to bring our souls to eternal life Oh let it be so to us that we may repent from sin and believe in the righteousness of the Gospel Oh Lord thou knowest all our frailties and all our necessities find out them that are dead in sins and quicken them find out the hard hearts and soften them find out the proud hearts and humble them find out the formalists and bring them to the power of godliness and pour in wine and oyl into the wounds of the wounded in spirit and let the administration of the Gospel be in the demonstration of the Spirit that as the truth is delivered to us we may be delivered to the truth that while we touch the hem of thy garment Vertue may come out from thee Thou hast said that mercy pleaseth thee we are sure it will pleasure us Oh let us not loose our time but do thou teach us to profit and supply our wants for the sake of our dear Lord to whom with Thee and thy Spirit be given more Glory from now unto eternity Nr. G. N. his Prayer TO thee O Lord Jesus we commend our selves To thee who judgeth rightly thy poor Servant resigneth and commiteth this Congregation The Lord pardon unto me wherein I have been wanting unto them The Lord pardon unto them wherein they have been wanting in the hearing of thy Word that we may not part with sin in our hearts Unto thee who judgest uprightly I commend them The Bishop of Souls take care of them Preserve them from the love of the World teach them to wait on thee and to receive from thee whatevor any one or Family may stand in need of Provide them a Pastor according unto thine own will only in the mean time give us that Anointing shall lead us out of our own wells and waies that we may walk in the waies of Christ Jesus The Lord Jesus say now amongst them I am your Shepheard you shall not want Say to them as thou didst to thy Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled you beleeve in the Father beleeve also in me So far as we are able we put thy Name upon them we name the Name of the Lord Jesus over them The Lord Jesus bless them teach them to follow Holiness Peace and a Heavenly Conversation The Lord make them usefull to each other The Lord Jesus be a blessing to them and me and all ours The God of Peace and Consolation fill them with blessings according as thou seest every one stand in need of To thee O Lord we commend then do thou receive them that under thy counsel they may be preserved blameless until the day Jesus where we may all meet crowned with Glory Amen FINIS Mr. GEORGE THORNE of Weymouth HIS FAREWEL-SERMON PSAL. 37.34 Wait on the Lord and keep his Way NOt knowing whether ever I shal speak to you more from this place being willing to leave a word in season I shall recommend to you what in answer to prayer I have recived of the Lord for the directing me in my course in this gloomy dark day being well assured that as many of us as work by this rule and fall by this compass how ever we may be scatered by the tewpestuous storms we meet with here in the Sea of this World shall shortly arrive at and meet in our desired Port the Haven of Eternal Rest and Happiness What therefore the Lord hath said to me and that with a strong hand that say I unto you in the Name of the Lord Wait on the Lord and keep his VVay The scope of this Psalm is to direct the People of God and to encourage them to keep on in the course of Godliness at such times as when the Wicked prosper flourish and grow great and the godly are afflicted trouble persecuted and oppressed And there are two
VVhat it is to keep his way First To wait on the Lord is taken more largely or more strictly 1. More largely And so it is the same with serving the Lord attending and following the Lord and takes in the whole duty of the Saints waiting on the Lord as a Soldier on his Captain or as a servant on his Master Psal 123.2 Behold as the eyes of the Servants look to the hands of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistress so our eyes wait on the Lord our God So in that Hos 12 6. Turn thou to thy God and keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy God continually 2. More strictly And so it intends a patient expecting the Lords Salvation 'T is the continual exercise of Faith and Hope It is Faith and Hope eekt out so here Vers 7. Rest on the Lord wait patiently So Psal 130. when he cries out of the depths as he says v. 1. then v 5 I want for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his words do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning I say more then they that watch for the morning We have both these together in that Lam 3.25 26. The Lord is good to them that wait for Him to the the soul that seeketh Him There it is taken as largely as seeking after God but it followes It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord there it is taken for the continued exercise of hope for a patiâ—nâ— expectation of the Lords Salvation Secondly What it is to keep the Way of the Lord here mind The way of the Lord may be understood of that way wherein he walketh towards his People which is aptly stiled the way of his Providence or in that way wherein he requires his People to walk towards him and is properly stiled the VVay of his Precepts 1. â—vere is the way of Gods Providence in which he walketh towards us of which that Psal 18.30 speaketh As for God his VVay is perfect So Psal 25.10 All the Paths and VVaies of the Lord are Mercy and Truth unto such as keep his Covenant and Testimonies Now if it be thus taken here Then to keep his VVay is diligently to attend his Hand and to observe his Carriage and ordering in all that befals his People more especially in all that trouble that comes on them For whatever trouble comes upon the People of God and whoever be the instruments of inflicting the Lord hath his way in it Mit. 6.9 ordering it as to the kind as to the measure as to the season as to the continuance and as to the ends and fruits Now to observe the Lord's Hand and to attend his VVay in ordering his Providences and our troubles this is to keep his VVay So Isa 26.8 In the way of thy Jugements we have waited for thee as if he had said VVe have waited on the Lord and kept his VVay 2. There is the way of God's Presepts in which he commandeth his People to walk And thus is this phrase most commonly taken So 2 Kings 21.21 where it is said of Amon He forsook the Lord God of his Fathers and walked not in the VVay of the Lord i. e. not in the VVay of his Commandments Thus David spake of the way of his Precepts in Psal 119 27. Make me understand the Way of thy Prâ—â—pts And if it be taken thus then to keep the VVay of the Lord is to walk in his Statutes and to observe his Commandments to do them So Gen. 18.19 the Lord testifies of Abraham I know him thet he will command his Children and his houshold after him annd they shall keep the VVay of the Lord to do Justice and Judgement So in Job 23.11 13. My feet have held his steps his VVay have I kept and not declined neither have I gone back from the Commadments of his lips So to walk in his VVays and to keep his Commandments are the same Deut. 26.17 and Psal 119 1 2. So that the sum of all is However it be with the truly Godly more especially when the wicked do wateh them to do them a mischeif their best way is to attend on the Lord to follow him to walk on in the ways of his Commandements so eying the hand of the Lord in all that befals them as that they patiently expect and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord. Thus for Explication I now come to the Demonstration which shall be dispacht by clearing That it is the honestest the wisest the safest the most comfortable and most honourable Way First This is the most innocent just and honest Way yea truly this is the only good honest and right Way I am to shew what is the best for a Godly man to whom no way is good but what is just and honest There are indeed other ways which a man may take when he is in trouble through the wickeds watching him to do him a mischief whereby to escape the mischief intended him but they are not just and honest I shall instance in these 1. By sinfully complying with the wicked in their ungodly ways thereby to abate the edge of their wrath This was the way Peter took when in the High Priests Hall he not only denyes his Master but backs his denial with an Oath yea being among a cursing crew that should seem would not believe him else he falls a cursing and swearing that he knew not the man Mat. 26.74 2. By sinful shifting or shuffling through Lyes or deceitfull Equivocations to avoid the mischief intended This was the way that Abraham took to escape the mischief that he thought at one time the Men of Gerar might do him Gen. 20. and that the Egyptians might do to him at another time for his wives sake wherein though Abraham did not tell a down-right untruth as he excuseth the matter to Aebimelech yet he did sinfully shufflâ— in making use of a deceitful Equivocation for his safety 3. By angerly and revengfully rendering Evil for Evil thereby thiâ—king to pay the wicked in their own Coyn and to avenge a mans own quarrel This was the course that David was about to take against Naâ—al had he not been prevented by Abigals wisdom 1 Sam 25.33 4. By basely deserting the Place that the Lord hath put a man in and requires him to abide in This was that which Shemaiah would have pâ—t Nehemiah upon but he refused to hearken to him in Nehem. 6.10 11. not but that a man forsake his place not only of habitation but also of publick station and employment in some cases when that the Lord calls him off but this is of no base deserting Base deserting is when out of cowardliness and base fear a man withdrawes himself from his place in which and at that time when the Lord requires him to abide that he may provide for his own safety This
and leap in the flames Notable is that expression of the Apostle 2 Cor. 3 4 I am filled with comfort I am exceeding joyfull in all our tribulations in following the Lord. He tells us in the next verse that his flesh had no rest that he was troubled on every side and yet exceeding joyfull yea he tells us in another place 2 Cor. 1.5 that as his afflictions did abound for Christ so his consolations did abound by him 4. This is the way to arrive speedily where the wicked shall trouble you no more where there shall be no more sorrow nor weeping but where you shall have respect rest and peace fulness of joy and comfort for evermore That of the Lord Jesus to his Disciples Luke 22.28 29. is plain for this Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations and I appoint you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed unto me with John 10 27.28 My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand As Caleb and Joshua waited on the Lord and kept his way following him fully and so entred Canaan and had a peaceable and comfortable possession there Josh 14.14 so they that wait on the Lord and keep his way shall have abundant entrance into that heavenly Canaan 2 Pet. 1.11 where there is fulness of joy and fulness for evermore Psal 16.11 and thus it appears to be the most comfortable way to conclude this we say all is well that ends well Now Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Thus then we have cleared that however it go with the people of God here in this world more especially when the wicked watch them to do them a mischeif 't is their best way to wait on the Lord and keep his way for that is the honestest the wisest the safest way and the most honourable and most comfortable way And though I doubt not but enough hath been spoken to perswade and prevail with those that have an understanding to discern and a heart to perceive what hath been set before them yet I question not but carnal reason hath many things to object and such as may prevail with carnal hearts to disbelive all that hath been spoken so far at least as to prefer the wayes of carnal wisdom before this way of the Lord But I rest satisfied with that answer of our Saviour Mat. 13.11 It is given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven but unto them it is not given Thus you have the Doctrinal part of the point I proceed to the application and we shall make use of this 1. To admonish and forewarn all the followers of Christ that have own'd engag'd and walk'd in the way of the Lord to take heed that they be not stumbled moved and turned out of the way of the Lord. The Aposte in Heb. 12.13 adviseth them to make straight paths for their feet lest that which is lame should be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed There is some lameness remaining with the best with some more with some less but with all some it lies therefore in all to take heed lest they be turned out of the way Hence that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.12 Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lost he fall and let him that thinketh he is stablished and settled in the way of the Lord take heed lest he be offended and turned out of the way Oh that a holy Jealousie in this thing may possess and fill all your hearts More particularly I would forewarn you to take heed lest you be offended through some things and by some persons in this day of temptation 1. Take heed lest you be offended at the Cross Our Saviour in the Parable of the Sower Mat. 13. tells us of some who though they hear and receive the Word for a season with joy yet when tribulation or persecution ariseth for the Word by and by they are offended How is this fulfilled in our days how many are there who while the way of the Lord was the way of Preferment did profess and walk in it who now that it is opposed every where spoken against do decline and forsake it Be you admonished to take heed lest the stumbling-block of others sufferings especially of faithful Ministers do turn you out of the way The Apostle laboureth much in removing this stumbling-block as you may see 2 Cor. 1. Phil. 1.1 Thes 3.3 Therefore I do the more earnestly forewarn you of this and take heed lest what sufferings come on you for the Gospels sake do turn you out of the way you are no Disciples for Christ unless you take up your Cross and follow him Luke 14.27 Take heed lest you be offended by the falls and apostacies of hypocritical Professors this is that Satan and his instruments will lay before you to turn you out of the way of the Lord our Saviour doth therefore forewarn of this Mat. 24. so likewise his Apostles 1 Tim. 4.1 2 Pet. 2.1 2. and 1 John 2.19 3. Take heed that you be not stumbled by the scorn contempt and reproach that is cast on the way of the Lord and those that walk in it This is that Satan his instruments will lay before you that the way of the Lord and his followers are every where under reproach and contempt for as they said to Paul so hath the false Church said to those that teach the way of the Lord truly Act. 28.22 For as concerning this Sect we know that every where it is spoken against the Original is Heresie the way of the Lord is commonly thus branded in the world and they that walk in it are counted a company of Sectaries and Hereticks But this should not stumble us no more then it did Paul who there v. 23. boldly teacheth this way and Acts 24 14. freely professeth it But this I confess to thee that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my fathers 4. Take heed you be not offended at the Prosperity of the wicked especially when he bringeth wicked devices to pass This was that had almost turn'd the Psalmist out of the way Psal 73.2 3. As for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt for I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked To see those that despise hate and persecute the way of the Lord and those that walk in it to prosper and flourish while those that love it own it and walk in it are in an afflicted and suffering condition this not onely overturns formal Professors but many a time puts sincere Believers to a stand Hence that advice in Psal 37.7 Fret not thy self because of him who prospereth because of the man who bringeth wicked divices to
pass and as vers 8. Fret not thy self in any wise to do evil 2. Take heed of such persons as by whom if you be not the more watchful you may be so offended as to be turned out of the way More particularly 1. Take heed of your selves This is that our Saviour calls for in that Mat. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself Our greatest danger is from our selves while we have within a deceiver and a traytor who is still conspiring to turn us out of the way Take heed therefore of your own selves consult not with flesh and blood Gal. 1.10 2. Beware of Satan This is that which the Apostle suggests 2 Cor. 3. I fear by any means lest as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ And out of the like fear concerning you I beseech you beware of Satan and the rather for that as the Apostle saith vers 14. Satan is transformed into an Angel of light 2. Beware of false Teachers This is the advice of our Saviour in Mat. 7.15 Beware of false Prophets which comes to you in sheeps cloathing c. And though I cannot say I know with the Apostle in Acts 20.29 yet I am greatly afraid that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock and that of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciple after them 4. Beware of worldly Friends such as will counsel you to spare your selves such as savour not the things of God but those that be of men This our Saviour calls for in that of Luke 14.26 Answer them as Christ answered Peter Mat 16.22 23. The proper use of this Point with respect to the people of God is to exhort and perswade them to wait on the Lord and keep his way however it be whoever they are that watch and plot against them however they may prosper in bringing wicked devices to pasâ— however they may prevail in oppressing the poor Saints yet this is the Exhortation that I have received from the Lord for you Wait on the Lord and keep his Way There are two branches of the Exhortation I shall speak to both of them distinctly And because the latter of them is the main and the former a help thereto in bad times I shall invert the order of the Text and speak to what is here the latter in the first place and the other as time will give leave 1. However it go Saints though the wicked watch to do you a mischief yet keep you the Way of the Lord diligently observing the way of his Commandements the way of your duty to walk therein For as much as it hath been the design of mâ— preaching all along to expound the Way of God to you and to instruct you in the way of the Lord And I am now directing my speech to the Saints of God who know own and profess the way of the Lord I shall not spend much time while I have so little left in recounting to you what I have taught you concerning the way of the Lord onely in general that way of truth and righteousness the way of faith and holiness which I have taught you from the word is intended You know the way of Gospel-Doctrine Gospel-Fellowship Gospel-worship Gospel-Discipline and Gospel-Conversation which I have preached and you have received And here beloved I call God to witness in whose Name I have preached to you that I have preached the way of the Lord sincerely and faithfully as I have received of the Lord by the teaching of his Spirit through the Word I therefore beseech and entreat you out of that hearty love I bear to you and that affectionate care I have for you that as you tender the Glory of God your own Peace here and eternal Happiness hereafter and the spiritual and eternal good of others that you will remember how you have heard and received and keep the way of the Lord. In the prosecuting of this I shall speak to these two things First Open this duty in a few particulars Secondly Give you some directions to help you herein For the first of these take it in these particulars 1. Be exhorted to keep the way of the Lord in your memories So Rev. 3 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast I am speaking to those that have received the knowledge of the way of the Lord that they retain what they have learned and that they maintain an actual remembrance of it and the rather take heed to this every one of you with the greater diligence for that you are like to be deprived of the help of your Remembrancers viz. the faithful Ministers of Christ 1 Tim. 4.6 you have had their help a lâ—ng while in putting you from Sabbath to Sabbath in remembrance but this is taking from you as the Apostle in another case Heb. 2.1 Therefore ye ought to give the more earnest heed to the things ye have heard lest at any time ye should let them slip 2. Keep the Way of the Lord in your judgments and Consciences I am speaking to those whose judgments are enlightned and Consciences renewed to approve of the VVay of the Lord As therefore the Apostle unto them 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye be led amay with the error of the wicked and fall from your own stedfastness So say I seeing ye know the VVay of the Lord and approve of it beware lest being led away with the error of the wicked and your own judgements being thereby corruped and your Consciences defiled you fall from your own stedfastness and I the rather press this for that as the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 11.3 I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 3. Keep the Way of the Lord in your Profession I am speaking unto those who as Rom. 10.10 with the heart believe unto Righteousness and with the month make confession unto Salvation And you have the Exhortation in the words of the Apostle Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the Faith without wavering Be not ashamed of your profession as our Saviour speaks Mar 8.38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my Words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with his holy Angels with Mat. 10.32 33. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven 4. Keep the Way of the Lord in your hearts and affections loving rejoycing and delighting in the Way of the Lord
The keeping of it in your memories judgements and profession will be but in vain unless you keep it in your hearts Lay up and hide the Word of God in your hearts let the desire and delight of your soul be in the Way of the Lord with the Psal 119.111 Thy Testimonies have I taken for mine heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart 'T is the Caracter of the Godly man Psal 1.1 2. He delighteth in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night 5. Keep the VVay of the Lord in your lives and conversation walking therein conscientiously observing the Commandments of God to do accordingly I am speaking to those who have chosen the way of the Lord to walk in and they may read what the Lord saith in that Deut. 5.32 You shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath commanded you you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left you shall walk in all the Wayes that the Lord your God hath commanded you and to as many as walk according to this rule peace shall be upon them and upon the Israel of God Having this opened this Duty take these few Directions among the many that might be given 1 Let the Spirit of Christ be your guide and principle I am speaking unto such as have the Spirit of Christ Now if you consult that Ezek 36.27 You shall find that the Lord promiseth his people that he will put his Spirit within them and to what promise viz. both to encline enable and guide them to walk in his Statutes and to observe his Commandmenâ—s to do them There is no entring into the way of the Lord but by the Spirit Joh. 3 3. we all naturally being gon astray wander from the way of the Lord and it is the spirit only that can and doth reduce men into this way and the best being but lame and having not only a principle of halting in but declining from it there is no walking in this Way but by the assistance and guidance of the Spirit Let therefore the Spirit of God be your guide it is comprised that he shall lead you into all truth John 16.13 Let the spirit be your principle walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 then you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh but shall keep the way of the Lord. 2. Make the Word of God your rule I have heretofore from that John 6 39. and 1 Tim. 3.15 and several other places cleared to you that it is given of God for this end to be the rule both for Faith and Practice Keep therefore unto this and by no meanes depart from this if you would keep the Way of the Lord. Here you have the Lord revealing his Way and that clearly and plainly so that the most simple that apply themselves to it may understand it the Scriptures are a perfect and a constant rule Therefore as in that Isa 8.26 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them There are some that make the Light within their rule and that in opposition to the Word but the Light in such is Darkness for if they speak not according to this Word if it be but diverse from though not directly opposite unto it then there is no light in them Indeed the Light within that is Concience enlightned is a rule but it is Regula Regulata a Ruled Rule There is Regula Regulans and Regula Regulata A Ruling Rule and a Ruled Rule The former is a Rule to the latter by which it is to be tryed and approved The Word of God is a Ruling Rule and Conscience is a Ruled Rule which is to be obeyed as far as it speaks according to the Word and no further If therefore you would keep the Way of the Lord do not despise Conscience do not neglect the Light within but make it not thy Rule make the Word of God thy Rule admit not of any thing that is belonging to the Way of the Lord that is not grounded upon or not warranted by his Word If you would keep the Way of the Lord hold fast to what is written stick to the Word That saying of Austin is famous Sive de Christo sive de Ecclesia sive de quacunque alia re non dico si nos sed si Angelus sed coelo vobis annunciaverit praeterquam quod in Scripturis accipistes Anathema sit Not to say If we but if an Angel from heaven shall preach any thing of Christ or of the Church or of any other thing besides what ye have received in the Scripture let him be accursed Like to that Gal. 1.8 9. The Word is the heavenly Compass whereby we may be directed to steer our course aright to the Haven of happiness Keep you to the Word while one says this is the way and another that Try all things by the Rule of the Word and make that your Rule to walk by Hence when Paul was taking his leave of the Church at Ephesus in that Acts 20. in his Farewel-Sermon that after his departure they might keep the way of the Lord you may read what he commends to them verse 32. And your brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those that are sanctified He commends the Word of God to them So Beloved now that I may no more speak to you from this place for the teaching of you the right and the good way I recommend to you the Word of the Lord which will be a light to your feet and a Lanthorn to your paths to guide you in the Way of the Lord till you attain the end of your Faith the Salvation of your souls What knowledge I have of the way of the Lord what I have taught you of the way of the Lord I have been taught by the Spirit of the Lord through the Word and though you want the great help of a plain powerful and faithful Ministry for the future yet let not those that are sincere in desiring to walk in the way of the Lord be discouraged by those who would make them believe that the Word is hard to be understood for that as it is more from malignity in us than difficulty in the Scriptures that the most do not understand them so they are easie to be understood by them that sincerely endeavour it being not onely most plain and clear in teaching the way of the Lord but also appointed to enlighten the eyes and make wise the simple Psal 19 7 8. Yea the entrance of it giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple Psal 119.130 And how weak and simple soever any of the Saints may be in worldly matters and in the Worlds account yet of them all is that spoken 1 John 2.27 But the anointing which ye have received of him
abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye even as it hath been taught you ye shall abide in him Though they corrupt and pervert this Text that make use of it to the disannulling of all Ministerial teaching for if John had meant so to what purpose did he write this Epistle yet when God depriveth us of this help this Scripture affords support and comfort to the Saints that by the Spirit in them they shall be enabled to understand what he teacheth in the Word so as to abide in the Lord and in his Way as they have been taught Having then the Spirit for your principle and guide let the Word be your Rule and you shall keep the Way of the Lord according to that promise Isaiah 35.8 The wayfaring-men though fools shall not erre therein 3. Let the example of Christ be your pattern that you may keep the Way of the Lord set this Copy alwayes before you He always kept the Way of the Lord as he came down from Heaven to do the Will of his Father John 6.38 so he did alwayes those things that did please him John 8.29 He never departed in the least from the Way of the Lord He knew nâ— sin neither was guile found in his mouth If then you would keep the Way of the Lord learn of him follow him walk even as he walked Indeed in the things that are proper to Christ as God or as Mediator therein he is not to be imitated by us but in the things that he did or suffered as man he left us an example or pattern that we should follow his steps 2 Pet. 2.21 Hence that Exhortation of his Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meâ—k and lowly in heart That then you may be directed as well as encouraged to keep the Way of the Lord look to Jesus and walk as you have him for an example Indeed the Apostle exhorts to walk as you have him for an example Phil. 3.17 But knowing that he could give you but an imperfect Copy he exhorts in that 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ It may be of good use to us to minde the examples of the Apostles and faithful Ministers of the Gospel that have walkt on in the Way of the Lord before us But forasmuch as there in none of them even Peter himself but went awry more or less therefore make the example of Christ your pattern Time will not permit to prosecute this at large I shall only offer some few particulars from the example of Christ to you such as may be most seasonable to further you in keeping the Way of the Lord. 1. It was the work and business of the Lord Jesus Christ to do the Will of his Father to do what pleased him As he came down from Heaven to do his Father's Will as you before heard from John 6.68 so he made it his work and business To this purpose is that Luke 2.49 How is it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business with that John 4.34 Jesus saith unto them My meat is to do the Will of him that sent me and to finish his work If then you will keep the Way of the Lord herein be ye followers of Christ let it be your work and business to do the Will of the Lord and to walk in all well-pleasing before him Let the Exhortation be in the words of the Apostle 1 Thes 4.1 Furthermore then we beseech you Brethren and exhort you That as you have received of us how you ought to walk and please God so ye would abound more and more 1. It was the practice of the Lord Jesus Christ to look on all the sufferings that came upon him as coming from the hand of his Father in accomplishment of his Word and therefore quietly to submit to them To this purpose is it that he tells Pilate in John 19.11 Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above He looks beyond Pilate to him that was above So John 18.11 The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it He overlooks the instruments and looks on his sufferings as a Cup put into his hand by his Father And as he observed the hand of his Father in the sufferings that came upon him so he takes notice that they are in accomplishment of Scripture Mat. 26.53 54. Thinkest thou that I could not now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more than twelve Legions of Angels but how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be and he takes notice that the Scripture had foretold that thus it must be and that he must suffer and enter into glory as he clears iâ— in that of Luke 24.25 26. Therefore though he prayed if it be possible as Matthew hath it and if thou be willing let this Cup pass from me as Luke hath it yet he quietly submits to his Father's Will with a Not my will but thine be done And as Mat. 26.42 If this Cup may not pass away except I drink it let thy will be done Thus you see how by looking to the Fathers hand he willingly submits to what sufferings came upon him That you may keep the Way of the Lord in the midst of all the sufferings you are like to meet with herein following the Lord Jesus Christ eying the hand of your gracious Father in all the sufferings that come upon you of what nature soever and by whomsoever inflicted and what ever may be the ends of those by whom you suffer yet that they are all ordered by him in accomplishment of his Word Do ye not believe this I know that ye do believe it by Faith therefore improve it for the quieting of your hearts in all your sufferings This is that the Apostle presseth the Saints unto in the 12th of the Hebrews where he taketh for granted that all kind of sufferings more especially such as come upon us by the contradiction of sinners are fatherly corrections from the Lord and so in accomplishment of the Word of God according unto that Psal 89.30 31. and therefore humbly to be submitted to so Heb. 12.9 10. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live for they verily for a few days chastened as after their pleasure but he for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Seeing therefore whatsoever befalls you in the way of the Lord is by your Father's ordering in accomplishment of his Word for your profit that ye may be partakers of his Holiness submit your selves to him eye your Fathers hand and end and be quiet 3. It was the practice of Jesus Christ in his state
ye also may come to joyn with the Apostle in saying I am perswaded nothing shal separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Secondly The Apostle is perswaded neither Death nor Life can do this Deaâ—h in its self hath in it by reason of its terrors and torments a great tendency to separate those from Christ which have not real firm hold of him but those that have seen everlasting love and thereby have had love bâ—gotten in them unto Christ that love also being everlasting have something that will cause them never to depart from him Death is Christs servant he did abolish it and carry it Captive in his Resurrection and then as it were renew unto it its Commission to bring his Beloved out of the world unto him Therefore with what terrors soever Death cometh it is granted to him by the Commission of the Prince of Life and this is only to shew that neither its terrors not torments can overcome the love and life of Christ Jesus in the soul but they remain still everlasting Neither can Life separate us Although a love unto Life and a fear of Death are of like power to separate from Christ It doth sometime happen that we see persons out-live thâ—ir goodness and how much better had it been for such to have died sooner But the Apostle is confident neither Life nor Death could separate him from Christ This ye shou'd expect the tryal of every Christian whether there is any thing he feareth more then God or loveth more then Christ yea even his own life And it is only Faith that makes this union with the love of Christ that neither life nor death can separate from him Did we understand the smal value of this outward life we should not adventure our everlasting health for it Thirdly Neither Angels nor Principalities nor Powers These are Powers on which are built sereral gradations of Angelical eternal Dominions and in each Dominion are multitudes of Angels divers of which rebelled against God and these only he here mentioneth for the other would not endeavour to make any separation from Christ neither are these able though Angels in the highest gradation of evil spirits because stronger is he who comes to save us than he who attempts to destroy us Yea Christ's derivative power is greater than the power of evill 1 John 2.14 I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one Fourthly Nor things present These were the Opposition envy and malice of the Jewe they called the wayes of the Christians Heresie and resolved to extirpate them under a sense that thereby they did God good service 2. Opposition from the Gentiles who lived in common prophaneness and so contrary to the Christian Profession 3. That which the Apost a mentioneth with more regret the Divisions among the Christians them selves some glorying to be of Cephas some of Apollo and false Brethren also watching to betray them yet the Apostle saith while in the view of all these round about him did perswade him all these could not separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus tour Lord. Fifthly Nor things to come And this not only in reference unto the time of the Apostles life on earth but after also so that the Apostle wroke not only for his own faith but of those also which were to be true Christians hereafter and he saw there was to come a time of Apostacy wherein men would give out Doctrine of Devils and Wolves which should not spare the Flock but here was Faith which all these things could not separate from this love in Christ Many times things to come are greater terrors then things present because fear consults what they would be and that is apt to multiply things in the imagination and render them also greater than indeed they are how many soever therefore of these may come upon us let us see that they have not power to work this separation in the Apostles example Sixthly Neither height nor depth Heights have in them a great power to separate from Christ high Gifts Saint Paul himself saith There was a Thorn given me in the flest least I should be exalted above measure God would not have sent that remedy had he not been in danger And therefore Paul would not have his Bishop a Novice 1 Tim. 3.6 One newly planted in the faith lest when he is listed up in his Office he he lifted up in pride also and fall into the Devils condemnation being cast down for lifting up himsel too high To fall by pride is a dangerous snare to separate from Christ Jesus These God beholds afar off but giveth more grace to the humble It is a great grace to have exaltations in temporals or spirituals which leads us into no danger Nor depths this is that the Pselmist tels us Psal 44.9 c. But thou hast cast us off and put us to shame and goest not forth with our Armies Thou makest us to turn back from the Enemy they which hate us spoil for themselves Thou hast given us like Sheep appointed for meat and hast scattered us among the Heathen Thou sellest thy people for nought and doth not increase thy wealth by their Price Thou makest us a reproach among our Neighbours a scorn and derision to them which are round about us Thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen a shaking of the head among the People My confusion is daily before me and the shame of my face hath covered me For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth by reason the enemy and avenger All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant The deep distress could not separate them from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Seventhly Nor any other Creature Let it be what it will so it be but creature and not God it cannot separate from the love of the Creator Exalt Creator in your hearts and creature will be but little in your eyes Eightly Shall not be able There are many enemies want nor will but they shall not be able So it was with the enemies of Gods King in the Psalms Psal 21.11 For they intended evil against thee they imagined an evil device which they were not able to perform Ninthly To separate us To make us without the love of God in Christ Jesus they may drive us and turn us into it but not beyond it there the malice of Man and the Devil leaving those that are truly Christs And this because it is 1. The Love of God 2. In Christ Jesus It must be somthing able to turn the Divine affections which nothing can do nor alter the love of God in Christ Jesus because it is not built on our worthiness or stability but on Christ And none can cause the Father not to love his son And if ye