our duty which is a sin we cannot follow the dictate of Conscience here but we sin Nor can we go against Conscience though erring but we sin too And therefore wo unto them that call evil good and good evill that put darkness for light and light for darkness But this is one cause of halting in Religion Corruption of the mind and judgement When a man cannot well discern his way no wonder if he be oft turning aside 2. From an evil heart The corruptions of the heart are like a strong byass drawing the soul off from God Here 1. Unbelief An evil heart of unbelief is one cause of halting Heb. 3.12 Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God q. d. Would you not depart from the living God O then take heed of unbelief the cause of souls departing from him As it is by Faith that men come to God Heb. 11.6 so it is by unbelief that they depart from God In Heb. 10.39 They that draw back and they that believe are opposed to one another Pray mark what it was that kept the Disciples close to Christ when others fell off from him We believe and are sure say they that thou art the Christ Lord to whom should we go Thou hast the words of eternal life John 6.68 69. If we are halting in our course it would argue us full of unbelief That we do not believe the Word of God Do we believe God's promises and yet turn aside for the vain proffers of a deluding world Do we credit Divine threatnings when yet these are not of so much force to deter us from sin as the frowns and threats of men to drive us into sin Did men fully believe there is so much evil and danger in every sin as the Word of God declares there is they would immediately see cause to be more afraid of the least sin than of the greatest sufferings in the world Did men really believe what the Lord has said of such as obey him sincerely and follow him fully they must necessarily conclude thence that integrity is the best policy and Godliness the greatest gain But when men chuse either to decline a way of duty or to comply with a way of sin for fear of sufferings or in hopes of some worldly advantage this bewrayes abundance of unbelief Thus men really call in question the truth of what God hath spoken and interpretatively give him the lye And is not that a wicked heart that dares give God the lye Again Halting argues we believe not God that he is such a God as indeed he is So holy that he hates all sin so just that he will not acquit the wicked A gracious God rich in mercy to reward his faithful servants Infinite in Power to protect those that fear and put their trust in him but to destroy all those that forsake and rebel against him A God every-where present omniscient that eyes and observes us in all places companies employments Who would forsake or turn aside from the living God that believes him to be such a God But unbelief is the root of disobedience as in the Greek the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both This is the cause of inconstancy the root of Apostacy How is it possible that any other than bad fruit should spring from such a bitter and poysonous root 2. Hypocrisie is another cause of halting As Constancy is the daughter of sincerity so unstaidness is the natural off-spring and product of Hypocrisie Psal 78.37 Their heart was not right with him then it follows neither were they stedfast in his Covenant As on the other hand the upright in heart are opposed to such as turn aside into crooked wayes Psal 125.45 Hypocrisie makes men zealous about needless ceremonies but careless of the substance of Religion The Scribes and Pharisees who are therefore called hypocrites Matt. 15.7 were earnest for the observation of their traditions while they regarded not to go cross to known express commands of God They were not afraid in sundry cases to set aside God's command to hold up mens traditions Matth. 15.2 3. Mar. 7.8 Hypocrisie wil put men upon some duties while there is an allowed neglect of others and those more weighty Mat. 23.23 Hypocrisie will take men off from some sins while other sins are still retained As Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel but departed not from the sins of Jeroboam 2 King 10.28 31. It wil teach men to avoid open gross scandalous sins while they have no care to get cleansed from secret sins from inward heart-corruptions Matth. 23.25 c. Hypocrisie will allow men to condemn will put them upon speaking against the sins of former times while it teacheth compliance with the sins of the present times Hypocrisie will suffer men to live in those sins which they condemn in others Matt. 23.29 c. And what is all this but shameful halting Hypocrisie will teach men to make a fair shew sometimes to act a part in Religion for the compassing of some carnal end which being once obtained the Play is done and they are found other men than they appeared and personated before Hypocrisie is a paint that wil not endure the fire Let fiery tryals come and these soon marre its beauty lay open its deformity Hypocrisie is but the putting of the sheep-skin on a Wolf or Swine which if once it be shorn you would not expect it should grow again The last estate of the Hypocrite ordinarily is worse than the first Matth. 12.45 3. Base sinful self-love and inordinate love of the world Carnal self is a great hinderance and pull back to us in a Christian course Therefore Christ calls upon every one that would follow him to deny himself Matth. 16.24 Our base hearts will seem to comply with a Divine Command at one time but out of self-respect and dispence with the same command at another time out of self-respect Some that were constant in the performance of Family-duties seemingly strict in the observation of Sabbaths c. while these things have been in fashion can readily lay all religious duties aside when they become a matter of reproach Some that seem to stear their course Heaven-wards while they meet with prosperous gales who can soon tack about when the winds are contrary How should they do other than halt in Religion who have more respect to their Credit and Reputation in the world than to God's Honour See John 12.42 43. How can ye believe sayes our Saviour who receive honor one of another John 5.44 As the Apostle James Whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God â—am 4.4 Many love their carnal ease more than their work more than God's service These are only for the easie part of Religion and so halt in Religion Many have more love to their Estates their earthly possessions And these will be only for the cheap part of Religion
the Prophet said to Elisha 2 Kings 2.3 Knowest thou not that the Lord will take thy Master from thy head to day So know you not that your beloved Minister is a going As they said to David Psal 42.10 Where is now thy God So to you Where is now your Minister whom you almost made a God of This will be a sword in your bones such Reproaches added to your loss will be ready to break the heart of those who prize their faithful Ministers as they ought to do to whom they are as Chrysostome to his People equally necessary as the Sun in the Firmament But it is your part to arm your selves with Courage and Patience and to observe that double Rule of Solomon Prov. 26.4 5. Answer not a Fool that is do not render Reproach for Reproach or Railing for Railing nor yet be put besides your Patience or Constancy which is his design Yet answer him according to his folly that is chide and rebuke him let him know that there is no such cause of rejoycing in the loss of a faithful Ministry that he shall one day know the worth of that Mercy which now he dis-esteems and undervalues 3. Though it must be acknowledged one of God's sadest Dispensations to take away a faithful Ministry to send a Famine of the Word yet this must not discourage us so as to make us desist from Holiness bless God that you ever had such a Mercy and got good by it bewaile sin that hath deprived you of it but take heed you do not upon this account turn aside as Joash when good Jehojadah was dead and as the Israelites when Moses was gone rather call to mind what we have spoken for your Confirmation give diligence when we are gone to have the things in remembrance which you have heard from us and as an encouraging Word with which I shall conclude assure your selves that even this sad Providence is within the compass of those things in the Promise which shall work for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 The loss of a Faithful Minister may be sanctified to effect that good in and for you which the Enjoyment hath not You mistake if you think we have done Preaching no we are only called to preach to you out of the Pulpit of the Cross and I hope it may be said of us as of Abel Heb. 11.4 though we are dead we yet speak And why may it not be hoped that our Preaching out of that Pulpit may be more effectal than out of this That 's a comfortable Word to those that can apply it 1 Cor. 3.22 Whether Paul all are yours i.e. they are ordained for your benefit all God's disposals of us whatever you may think are for your advantage and through Grace I shall in confidence thereof say with the Apostle Phil. 2.17 If I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your Faith I joy and rejoyce with you all May but my Sufferings attain their end which is your Consolation and Salvation I shall through Grace bless God in making use of me to that purpose In the mean while that is a staying Word to my soul Luke 13.33 It cannot be that a Prophet perish out of Jerusalem that is be taken away before he hath done his work I know God is not tyed to one way he can make our silence speak louder and more effectually than all our Sermons have done To conclude then let me resume my request to you all Let none of you stumble or take offence at our Sufferings Let me humbly use the Words of our blessed Saviour Mat. 11.16 Blessed is he that is not offended in us Let not our Enemies rejoyce or censure us let not our Friends sorrow as without hope but let all wait and observe the issue and I doubt not but God in his own time will manifest to the world that his intentions even in this thing were good towards his faithful Ministers and waiting People that this shall be as a Refiners Fire and Fullers Soap to purifie the Sons of Levi that this shall be the fruit even the taking away of Jacobs sin Isa 27.9 and that the Lord will not forsake his People nor cast away his Inheritance but Judgement shall return unto Righteousness and all the Upright in heart shall follow after it Psal 94.14 15. As for the third Doctrine That a gracious soul fears and prayes against the evil Influence that his Sufferings might have upon others I shall as God enables put it in practice on your behalf and shall take up the Psalmists Words Let not them that wait on thee be ashamed for my sake O Lord God of Hosts Let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake O God of Israel SERMON XII John 16.33 These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace in the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good chear I have overcome the world IN the begining of this chapter the Lord Christ telleth his Disciples what they shall suffer in the world that when sufferings came according to his prediction they miâ—ht not be offended at but rather confirmed in the Faith of the Gospel and telleth them the reason why they shall undergo these sufferings from the world from verse 1. to verse 5. 2. He acquainteth them with his departure out of the world and that they should want his company and counsel verse 5.6 3. Yet Christ telleth them it is for their advantage that he goeth away implying he should do them more good in Heaven than on Earth especially in sending the Comforter verse 7. And here he sheweth the Spirits Office as to the world from verse 7. to verse 12. Secondly to them from verse 12. to vers 16. and and in the 16th verse he bringeth his discourse to a conclusion 4. We have the Disciples enquiring after the meaning of this discourse of Christs from verse 17. to verse 20. To which he answereth in declaring the sorrow they shall have after his departure and that it shall end in joy yea such joy as they shall not be deprived of verse 20. to verse 23. I will see you again and your hearts shall rejoyce This coming again was by the Comforter and when he came they should have joy because a full return of Prayer ver 23. to verse 28. 5. Upon this discourse the Disciples profess their understanding of Christ's meaning verse 29 30. 6. You have Christ's discourse upon this foretelling their leaving of him at his passion and their sufferings in the world and the peace they should have in him from ver 31. to the end In the Text observe 1. Christ's Assertion That in the world they should have tribulation 2. His Exhortation To be of good chear 3. The Motive to this Christ telleth them he hath overcome the world Doct. 1. That Christ told his Disciples in the world they should have Tribulation Explicat 1. What is ment by Tribulation 2. What is meant
his People a love to above Private Worship He loves it Psal 87.2 He loves the dwellings of Jacob but especially the Gates of Zion He will meet his People in secret but he hath made a more peculiar Promise to meet them in their Meetings Mat. 18.20 Exod. 29.42 Private Duties want not a blessing but Publick Worship is honoured by God to be the main Conveiance of Blessings Publick Ordinances are the great Veins wherein the Blood of Christ runs Psal 128.5 Psal 133.3 The Mount of Zion is the Mount of blessing The Gleanings of Ordinances are better than the Vintage of other Helps There he commanded the Blessing 1. There is Conviction 1 Cor. 14.23 24. 2. There is Conversion Rom. 10.14 Private Means want not their Encouragements but God sets the most seals to his Publick Worship Hearing is not the only way but it is the most ordinary way of Faith God's chief Doles are at Wisdoms Gates Psal 87.5 Of Zion it shall be said This and that man was born I may say new born there These are as it were the troughs as once Jacob did wherein God layes the Rod of his Strength and transforms hearts 3. There is Consolation The Ordinances are the breasts of Consolation Isa 66.11 There in the Banqueting-House God stayes his with Flagons and comforts them with Apples as in Cant. 2.4 5. There God puts the teat into the mouth and stills the Whimperings of his Children The Comforts that are given in Assemblies are most satisfactory as things done in open Court are most Authentick Hannah 1 Sam. 1.18 went away and her countenance was no more sad 4. There God carries on his work begun God feeds his People where he breeds them gives them Strength where he gave them Life Psal 84.7 Growth where he gave them truth of Grace Psal 92.13 To talk of over-thriving Ordinances is a mistake 'T is decay not thrift 't is death not growth We must be and may learn in Christ's School till we be sent to the University of Heaven Secondly And as God loves it and hath set his Broad-Seal to it so God hath wrought in his People a Love to it God's People cannot live without Secret Corners nor comfortably without Publick Meetings if they be cooped up at any time they are as a Child in the wombe strugling to get forth Hezekiah was more loth to leave Worship than to leave the world He mentions his Isa 38.11 loss of Converses with Men but not so emphatical as the other as you may observe I shall not see the Lord even the Lord He redoubles the word Lord to express his ardent Affections to God's Service and to intimate his desire of life that he might go to Church again Reade ver 22. of that Chapter Now can we part with such a Dorcas for good deeds and such a Jonathan for pleasantness without sorrow Can we suffer such a Right-hand to be cut off such a Right-eye to be plucked out without grief Shall such a Darling-Blessing dye unlamented Thirdly As Publick Worship is in the Heart of God and in the hearts of his People so Publick Worship is that which all need be their personal Abilities be their private Helps what they will 1. All need it Publick Worship is a publick Good and so a publick general Loss our persons our families will feel it it will be soon every where in a little time The Publick Worship is like Husbandry of which it is said The profit of the Earth is for all The King himself is served by the field Eccles 10.9 'T is well noted That the Ministry of the Word or rather the Ministers of the Word are set forth by common Blessings such as are Light and Salt and Harvest-men Bread so that the removal of such away is a common Mischief it is as if no Sun no Tillage no Labourers to reap down our Fields It is like the bellies want in the Apologue no member can do its office The Minister himself will want this Mercy The Light is profitable to him that carrieth it as well as to others They may in saving their Hearers save themselves 1 Tim. 4.16 But Oh how will all sorts of People want it Solemn Assemblies are the great Banks against Sin the main Quickners to Duty Ministers are both God's and mans Remembrancers Isa 62.6 2 Pet. 1.12 13. The want of them turns our Palaces into Hell for Darkness and Prophaness as Egypt was when it wanted Light Solemn Assemblies are the Directors of all sorts to their duties How soon shall we find this want in our Children and in our Servants nay in our selves We that have had so much a do to get or keep any life or sence what shall we do when we want those Rubbings Chasings Joggs Wheels Quicknings that we have had in the publick Ordinances Read and apply to this present purpose that speech which your dying dead Ministers may use to you Deut. 31.27 Mutatis mutandis For I know thy Rebellion and thy Stiff-neck Behold whilst I am yet alive with you this day ye have been rebellious against the Lord and how much more after my death Nay Furthermore I say it is that which all need be their personal Abilities never so great and be their private helps never so many It is a choice observation of a Man of God Hildersham on John 4. now with God a Man mighty in the Scriptures concerning David that though he was a Man of Excellent Gifts a Prophet a Pen-man of Scripture You have his Character and Portraiture in 2 Sam. 23.1 2. A man of incomparable Abilities vast Experiences singular Integrity A man after God's own heart and yet this man was a lover of the Habitation of God's House Psal 268. Nay besides these his own treasures he had wâ— h him sometimes if not alwayes an extraordinary 〈…〉 to be his Chaplain even God 1 Sam. 22.5 〈…〉 had likewise Abiathar a Priest to enquire of 〈…〉 hâ—m 1 Sam. 23.9 Yet he longs after the Orâ—â—â—â—nces bewails the want of Publick Worship and speaks as if he wanted God in many Psalms as if he had nothing of God comparatively to what he enjoyed there Oh who like David Great men that have much within themselves yet cannot quite keep off the Markets Verily the best stored heart or house will not live fully without these spiritual Markets All private helps may say to the publick Ordinances as Gideon to the men of Ephraim Judg. 8.2 What have I done in comparison of you Lay all this together strike â—â—eâ—e conâ—iderations on the heart as Moses did the Roâ—â— with his Rod and conclude the heart is a Rock indeed if it yeeld no water after these strokes Oh if any thing should open springs of sorrow in the heart iâ— should be the stopping up of such Wells But I stay too long upon things I proceed to the second Particular that sheweth how considerable the Loss of Solemn Assemblies are and that is Secondly In wanting the Solemn
flourishing in the Courts of God under that plenty of Heavenly Manna that hath been rained down upon me and those soul-fatting Ordinances I have partaken of Thus improve your remembrance how you have received and heard When you find your hearts to grow dead and cold O then say Was it wont to be thus Where are those high estimations those lively affections those holy resolutions that seriousness of spirit those powerfull Impressions and gracious Effects of the Word and Sacraments that I have found in and under them Oh let this consideration excite you to this Duty in the Text and make this use of former Gospel-enjoyments and the good you found in them to shame and humble you that you have made no better improvement of them 3. A third Benefit of remembring how you have received and heard is That through the blessing of God upon it it will be a means and help to keep from sin in practice It will be a special Preservative against the Infection of the sins of the dayes and times into which you may be cast As you desire to be preserved from sin make conscience of this duty and it will be a means to recover you again when you have fallen into sin Psal 119.9 11. Hiding the Word of God in his heart was a means to keep David from sinning against God Attending to the Word of God is prescribed by him as a means to cleanse the wayes even of a young-man This will keep you from being superstitious profane and loose when others are so but if once you forget what and how you have received you will soon swim down the stream with others and quickly be over-run with sin Peter first forgot the word of warning Christ had given him and then he soon forgot himself and his own duty and fell into that foul sin of denying his Lord and Master Oh therefore remember how you have received and heard and improve your Remembrance of it to preserve you from falling into sin and to recover you when you are fallen When you are tempted to sin say I have been otherwise taught I have not so learned Christ I have been warned against these and these sins As Peter's forgetfulness of Christ's words was the cause of his fall so it was the remembrance of what Christ had spoken that helped to raise him up again when he was fallen And you should endeavour to improve the remembrance of the Words of Christ unto this end 4. A fourth Benefit of this Remembrance how you have received and heard is That it will be a spur to quicken unto Duty and a means to excite and strengthen Grace 2 Tim. 1.6 2 Pet. 1.12 13 14 15. 2 Pet. 3.1 2. In all these places you will find that this Remembrance of what men have received and heard is a means to stir up the gifts and graces of God's Spirit in them When you remember what you have received from God in Ordinances and in the performance of holy Duties it will make you desirous to converse in them and to love them the better the longest day you live You will say It is good to be here you will never be weary of waiting upon God whilst you retain a favoury remembrance of the sweetness power and efficacy you have found and felt in the Word and Ordinances of God And this will be also a means to increase and strengthen Grace in the Soul Grace in the Soul is nourished by the same means by which it is begotten Those Promises that inclined the heart to believe at first will now being remembred and fed upon by Faith raise Faith to higher pitches and degrees Remembring your former experiences of God's helping you when you have been in straits will help you to trust in God in future straits and tryals Labour therefore to remember and to make this use of the remembrance of what and how you have received and heard to quicken you to a more constant attendance on God in Ordinances and to increase and strengthen Grace in your souls 5. The Remembrance how you have received and heard will be of great use and advantage to your souls for it will keep up in your judgments an high estimation of and in your affections a sincere love to those precious Truths and those plain pure powerful dispensations of Ordinances you have partaken of even then when by sickness or any other hand of God upon you you may be deprived of the actual enjoyment of them If God should remove Ministers and Ordinances from you or you from them that you cannot enjoy them as you have done yet the very remembrance of them will be precious when you remember what heart-warmings you have had under them Labour to make this use of the remembrance of old Truths and former Enjoyments to make you esteem and love them 6. A sixth Benefit of remembring how you have received and heard is That it will keep up in you earnest and hungring desires after and stir up in you a mighty Spirit of Prayer for the keeping and restoring when you have lost them those precious Truths and Ordinances wherein you have found so much of God It will cause you to say with the Disciples Lord evermore give us this Bread It will and should cause you to cry to your Father for the Bread of Life to say as the Psalmist Psal 42.1 2. Psal 63.1 2. David remembred what he had seen of the power and glory of God in the Sanctuary and this sets his soul a longing for the restoring again of those blessed opportunities he had been priviledged with O make this use of this Remembrance how you have received and heard to cause you to wrestle with God in Prayer for the continuance and restitution of those comfortable Sabbaths and Sacraments that pure and powerful Preaching Praying and Administration of Ordinances God hath vouchsafed It was this remembring of what and how he had received that made that holy Martyr Bishop Latimer cry out Lord restore the Gospel once again to England And in such or the like cases it should make you and will make you pray that God would restore the Liberty of his Ministers and the Power and Purity of his Ordinances and try you whether you would not through his Grace improve them better than you have done 7. A seventh Benefit of this remembring how you have received and heard is that it will bring into your souls the comfort and sweetness of former Truths and Ordinances It will be as the rouling of a sweet morsel under your tongues You may hereby reap the benefit of former Sermons and Sacraments many years hence Many times Truth is more sweet and makes a more powerful impression on the soul in the meditation and repetition of it than it did at its first delivery And so it may do in you if you be careful in the practice of this duty 8. And lastly The remembring of what and how you have received and heard may and
excellent Copy indeed for us all to write after Learn of me sayes he And what grace what virtue is there that ye may not learn of Christ Never was there such love to God and man like that which wrought in the heart of Jesus Christ Never was there self-denial or humility comparable unto Christs Never any zeal any holiness like Christs O beloved no danger of our being too holy too precise since it 's impossible but that when we have done our best we shall fall far short of out Copy here They that censure Christians now and charge them with over-much strictness and making too much ado in Religion much more that these had they lived in his dayes would have found fault with Jesus Christ But I have no more to say to these here who are enemies to the power and strictness of Christianity onely a word to you my Friends Don't ye think much to bear reproaches for Christ here who hope at last to appear with him in Glory We would be like him in his glorified estate what reason then we should be conform'd to him in humiliation and in an holy conversation But let this serve as touching the coherence In the words themselves you may observe I. A weighty Exhortation Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling Where you have 1. The duty it self Work out your salvation And 2. The manner how it must be done with fear and trembling II. The manner how the Apostle presseth this Exhortation 1. By a sweet compellation My Beloved 2. By a prudent commending of their former course as ye have alwayes obeyed III. Another Argument may be couched in these words not as in my presence onely but now much more in my absence i.e. Though ye have not me present with you yet God is present with you and the eye of the Lord is on you still And this would further evidence your sincerity that what you have done in Religion was not Pharisee-like to be seen of men if you obey and work on not only in my presence And indeed it is a work of necessity and as much need you should follow it close now as ever yea much more in my absence sayes he While I was with you I was most willing and ready to do what in me lay to promote your Salvation but now if you have not so much help from me as when I was amongst you ye had need take the greater pains your selves Children that were but too careless while their Father was with them had need learn to take care when he is gone My Beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Copy hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Brethren But I shall not stay at the compellation which you so frequently meet with As ye have alwayes obeyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some read it O◠with Grotius we may understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 2 Thes 1.8 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 2 Thess 3.14 obeyed the Gospel or obeyed the Word As ye have alwayes obeyed Obeyed what Loquiter de obedientia non erga improrum hominum traditiones sed erga Deum ejusque Evangelium sayes Zanchy He speaks not of obedience to the traditions of sinful ungodly men but of obedience to God and his Gospel Ye have obeyed alwayes i. e. from the time that you first received the Gospel Not but that they had fallen into many particular acts of disobedience even since their conversion but they now no more followed a course of disobedience as they had done before Their desire will and purpose care and study was constantly to obey Note That good beginnings must be seconded and backt with good proceedings and crowned with an answerable conclusion It 's not enough to begin but we must end in the Spirit For this the Church of Thyatira is commended that her last works were more than her first Rev. 2.19 O Christians you that have set forth that have entered into the ways of God go on I beseech you You have had a Name to live and more than a Name I trust Religion has flourished in this Town the Lord grant it may flourish still O may it take such deep root in your hearts that all opposite power let men and devils do their worst may never be able to pluck it up It follows Not in my presence onely i. e. while I am among you calling earnestly upon you to follow your work but now much more in my absence that you have fewer helps and greater hinderances Note also by the way That Christians are not sure they shall always have Gods Ministers at hand When the means of Grace are brought to a place none can say how long the same shall be continued As when the children of Israel were encamped and had pitched their Tents they could not tell how soon the fiery pillar would move and call them forth again Now how does this blame the folly and security of the most who are careless of improving Gods Ministers while they are continued amongst them Indeed this minds your poor Ministers at least that have been yours of their falling short Oh may we not remember our faults this day Oh our want of diligence that we have done no more good while we have had opportunity that it has not been our meat and drink to feed the souls of others so much as it ought to have been Brethren we will not excuse our selves we dare not the Lord is lust in threatning at this day to lay so many of us aside who have laid out our selves no more for him and the good of souls But have you nothing to charge upon your selves who have been our hearers The Lord knows whether in the course of our Ministry we have vented our own fancies or have not declared the will and mind of God to you and whether you have heard and received it as the word of God I hope it has been our desire not to with-hold any thing that was profitable and has it been your care indeed to profit Oh! I must tell you it grieves us at heart to think that we shall leave so many of you in gross ignorance after means of knowledge that we should leave so many of you in prophane courses after many plain reproofs that we should leave so many of you strangers unto Christ who have heard so much of him and have been so oft invited perswaded and pressed to come in to him And howsoever many will think there is no loss of us yet one day you will see what your souls have lost who have enjoyed Gods Ordinances though dispensed by never so weak and contemptible instruments and have not regarded to improve them Here I would have spoken a word to others of you who have got something though not so much as you might have done Let what hath been wanting in your former proficiency be made up as it were in after-humiliation and repentance And if you are conscious to your selves that your unprofitableness
secular emploiments yet not to be spent in idelness they are the harvest-time for our souls And when will ye work and bestir your selves if not in harvest The Lords Day is to be spent in such works as more directly tend to the promoting of our Salvation And the more you should see this work going forward the more would Sabbaths be your delight You would not be for those vain recreations that sinfull liberty you may see others take on God's Holy-Day 10. Sit down and count the cost So you might be prepared to go thorow with your work If you reckon right you will see let Salvation cost what it can it can never cost too much Rom. 8.18 I reckon sayes the Apostle and we need not fear to take his account here that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to follow I would have said a word more to this but have prevented my self in speaking to the third caution Therefore here I conclude my Sermon and Exhortation desiring that the Spirit of Truth may bring these things to your remembrance Beloved could I have thought of any word more profitable and generally useful for you you should have been sure of it It may now be expected I should speak something touching my Deprivation O that the Lord would lead Ministers and People each into their own hearts to find out the cause of this sad dispensation as we read of the Fathers in another sense He causeth us this day to pass under a cloud I know some think and will not spare to say that we wilfully bring this Obscurity on our selves But the Lord the searcher of alâ— hearts knows and will manifest to the world one day whether it was a meet humour or whether indeed it was not Conscience that would not suffer us to comply with the things now imposed The Lord knows we dare not adventure on the checks reproaches smitings of our own hearts and consciences though it follow that our mouths be stopt Beloved I cannot forget the respects you have shewn to me how you chose me at first under great bodily weakness and were willing to procure me assistance I have not wanted outward encouragement among you but above all I have oft thought when I have come to my publick work here unpreparedly enough God knoweth yet I have found the fruit help and benefit of your prayers for me That I must acknowledge those few years I have spent amongst you have been the best to me the most comfortable years I have spent in the Ministry That might I have liberty the Lord knows I would most gladly spend and be spent for you Nothing but death should part us And howsoever we are separated yet I pray we may live in one anothers hearts and that we may more earnestly than ever strive with God in prayer one for another More I would have said but strength and spirits fail and further I would spare you Now how glad should we be if those that shall follow us may do more good amongst you then ever we have or could have done The Lord carry on his own Work and though He quite lay us aside though He should never honour us so far as to make any further use of us yet we could rejoyce to see Gods Work prospering Religion and that not only in a form but in the life and power of it promoted and more and more set up in this place So I commend you to God and to the Word of His Grace who is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are Sanctified SERMON IV. 1 King 18.21 And Elijah came unto all the People and said How long halt ye between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him IT is not a thing indifferent what Religion men are of whether they are for God or Baal That is a pernicious opinion that affirms You may be saved in any Religion Again it 's not enough that we are of the true Religion but we must be true to it And so much we may learn from faithful Elijah both his Doctrine and practice When Israel went a whoring from God he was jealous for the Lord 1 Kin. 19.10 He continued to stand for God His Truth and Worship even when he could not see one more of his mind to be his second So here he durst plead for God when there was none found to take his part Note by the way that in the worst of times in times of most prevailing corruptions yet the Lord is not wont to leave himself without witness It 's further observable Israel had never degenerated more than in Elijah's dayes Yet never had they been priviledged with greater means Many Prophets at this time raised up amongst them see ver 4. of this Chapt. and Elijah among the rest Note Extraordinary means sometimes serve only to heighten and fill up the measure of a Peoples sins See Mat. 23.34 35. And now comes a dreadful Famine The Prophets shut up and the Heavens shut up together Elijah had foretold the drought Chapt. 17.1 And after three years he is sent with good news that rain was coming Chap. 18.1 Ahab seeing Elijah v. 17. when he should have acknowledged his own sin and guilt he wrongfully accuseth God's Prophet Art thou he that troubleth Israel Note It is no new thing for God's Faithful Messengers to be accounted enemies to the State As Elijah said I am not better than my Fathers Are we better than Elijah and other of God's Prophets who have been thus censured Why then should we look for better here Note Again observe Wicked men are very prone to mistake the cause of troubles and calamities See Jer. 44.18 20 21 22. where there is most guilt commonly there is least ingenuity or grace to see and acknowledge it It 's natural unto sinners we have it by kind from our first parents to transfer all blame as much as we can from our selves to others But how deeply soever Ahab is pleased to charge him Elijah is ready to clear himself and the Truth He desires that himself and the prophets of Baal might come to a fair tryal So he doubts not but to prove himself by a miraculous sign to be the Servant and Prophet of the most high God and shew them to be a pack of most wretched Impostors Ahab yeelds to a discussion of this business either out of curiosity expecting some strange discovery or through fear being awed with the present Judgment they lay under not knowing but upon refusal the Prophet might have some other dreadful Message to deliver or in hope and expectance upon his yeelding herein to have the Judgment removed Some such way he is perswaded and enclined to call the prophets of Baal and the Heads of the people together unto Mount Carmel where being assembled Elijah sets upon the people in the words read unto you How long halt ye
Where you have 1. A chiding expostulation How long halt ye Why halt ye How inexcusable is it you should halt in so plain a path be in doubt unresolved where the case is so clear Again that you should continue so long unsetled contracting an ill habit to your selves As an arm or leg put out of joint and not looked to in time hardly ever keeps its right place again 2. A serious Exhortation If the Lord be God follow him What is here added if Baal follow him is spoken by way of concession but indeed forbids the worshipping of Baal til it could be made out that Baal was God How long There is an Emphasis here Thus the Prophet sets an Accent upon their sin of halting Note That long continuance in any sinful course is a great aggravation of sin It is sad at any time to fall into sin but far worse to lie in sin Therefore he says not Why halt ye but more emphatically How long Many such expostulations in Scripture Exod. 16.28 HOW LONG refuse ye to keep my commandments Num. 14.11 HOW LONG will this people provoke me And HOW LONG will it be ere they believe me for all the signs which I have shewed among them Jer. 31.22 HOW LONG wilt thou go about O thou back-sliding Daughter Hos 8.5 HOW LONG will it be ere they attain to innocency How long halt ye The speech is metaphorical to set forth their inconstancy unresolvedness in Religion their dividing betwixt God and Baal As one that halts inclines his body now to one hand and straightway to the other so the Israelites would profess themselves the people of God and seemed in some things to follow his Word when in other things they were quite turned aside to Idolatry They were circumcised and thereby engaged to the service of the true God and yet were drawn over to the Worship of Baal and bowed to that Heathenish Abomination Now but that I like not to strain Metaphors and writhe them besides their proper scope I might hint this note from the phrase of speech here used that they are but lame Services and Sacrifices that men of divided hearts present unto God If the Lord be God follow him Here the Prophet assayes to reason them out of their Idolatry to argue them into the right way the true Worship of God As the Lord reasoneth with them Mal. 1.6 If I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my fear Note by the way That nothing is more reasonable than the true Religion The Lord never enjoined his servants to pluck out their right eyes No we may be his servants on better and more honourable terms I grant indeed some points of Doctrine to be believed are most mysterious yet what duties to be performed that are not plain It must be confessed some Articles of Faith are above the reach of Reason so that we cannot comprehend them e.g. the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the God-head the incarnation of the Son of God c. yet being revealed by God in his Word our belief of them is most reasonable Because it is impossible we should have greater evidence of the truth of any thing in the world than the Testimony of the God of Truth who can neither deceive nor be deceived What better proof can we desire than the Word of God that cannot lye But then as for the Rules of practice laid down in God's Word how sweetly do these comport with right Reason As Reason will demonstrate that there is a God an Eternal Infinite Essence who hath His being of Himself and gives being unto all things else so it will teach us that this God ought to be worshipped should have homage from all his creatures And that he ought to be worshipped according to his own Will and Mind as he himself is pleased to prescribe and appoint rather than according to mens fancies and inventions That the honour which is due to God should not be given to others to idols As Elijah here If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him They that fall off from the true Religion fall from right Reason too They thâ—â— do not act like men that forsake the true God to follow idols as is implied Isa 46.8 Remember this and shew your selves men q. d. One would not think ye were men who would take you for reasonable creatures if ye dare to prefer or compare dumb idols to the living and only true God Now the Doctrine I would speak to from these words you may observe from the first clause here Doct. Halting in Religion is very sad and sinful This point I shall endeavour with the Lord's assistance to explain first then to confirm and last of all to apply First For explication that you may understand what it is to halt in Religion take a few distinctions Thus there is an halting in Principle and again there is halting in practice Again Halting in Principle is two-fold As this evil quality is seated either in the directing or in the commanding-power of the soul There is an halting in the heart or will and in the mind or judgement 1. When the heart is unfixed unstedfast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the double-minded man he that has an heart and an heart is partly for God and partly for Mammon he that is not resolved for God that is not brought to center wholly upon God and that cleaves not to him with full purpose of heart is one that halts in God's sight be his outward course and carriage before men never so fair and smooth The Weathercock may point towards the Sun while the wind is in a right corner or it may seem to be fixed when cross winds are not abroad and yet it is a Weather-cock A false heart an hypocrite may seem to look towards God and Religion for a time may seem well-grounded in Religion who yet will turn aside will turn about when the winds are contrary 2. When the Judgement is not setled when men are wavering in opinion like Reeds shaken with the wind like children tossed to and fro now of one perswasion by and by of another It is sad thus to halt How can the traveller go on chearfully who is uncertain whether he be in the way or no Indeed some are too credulous Prov. 14.15 The simple believeth every word but the prudent man looketh well to his goings The sober wise traveller when he is a little at a stand he deliberates with himself and when others tell him his way lies here or there if he understands the coast of the Countrey that helps him to judge whether they set him right or no. But the simple is ready to believe every one he meets with and hence he is oft turned out of his way I say some are of too easie belief Again some are slow to believe like Nichodemus How can these things be Like Thomas except they may see and understand the
of inward troubles Thus Conscience is gauled Halting in the body you know is very troublesom and painful Great peace have they that love God's Law and walk on evenly with upright hearts in that plain path they shall find his wayes wayes of pleasantness and his paths peace Whereas they that leave the paths of uprightness walk in wayes of darkness Prov. 2.13 where they shall meet with little quiet or comfort Light is sown for the Righteous and gladness for the Upright in heart yea unto the Upright there arises Light in the darkness In midst of outward troubles he hath still much inward joy and peace This is our rejoycing the Testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our conversation in the world This was a comfort to holy Job Job 23.10 11 12. To the Faithful Psal 44.17 18. But halting in ones course uses to bring great inward troubles Daved's fall wounded his conscience and a good while after that he bled inwardly and complained Psa 51. that he went with broken bones What followed Peter's halting in the High-Priest's hall He went out and wept bitterly Others that have forsaken the Truth to avoid Sufferings have thereupon been arrested with those terrors of conscience and haunted with those inward horrors in comparison of which the greatest sufferings from men were light and easie to be born as it was with Francis Spira 3. Halting in Religion exposes and enclines one to fall further and more fouly if not to fall quite away See what followed upon David's halting in the matters of Vriah Alas he was not set sound he went not upright again for many months after It was a great while ere he was fully recovered and cured of it Peter giving a little way to sin and consulting more his outward safety than his inward peace soon halted down and fell into a shameful denial of his Master even with cursing and swearing as if he would that way seem to have been rather trained up in the Devil's School than in the School of Christ O Sirs how sad it is to be halting in Religion to be winding and turning here alas such know not what they may turn to at last As when a man begins to fall down a steep hill he knows not where he shall stop he may fall to the bottom and for any thing he knows be crushed in pieces with his fall Thus some who carried fair sometimes after they began to halt and decline in Religion have proceeded from evil to worse Some have fallen from one Errour to another till at last they have come to be meer Scepticks and Seekers to be any thing and just nothing Others have fallen from a plausible profession first to immoderation in the use of lawful things to a pampering of the flesh and an over-eager pursuit of their outward pleasures and vain recreations and from thence to down-right prophaness visible ungodliness and so at last into plain Atheism Ah Beloved what need to look well to our feet here Halting in Religion is next step to Apostacy falling off from Religion If this halting be not cured it will end in Apostacy will turn 〈◊〉 quite out of the way Heb. 12.13 Now lay all these things together and sure it will appear very evil to halt in Religion 1. If we look at the thing it self it is directly contrary to God 1. To his Nature and Attributes 2. to his Mind and Will 2. If we look to the causes of it 1. It argues great corruption of the judgment 2. A corrupt heart An evil heart of unbelief hypocrisy c. 3. If we look at the effects and consequences both in respect of God of the Godly of sinners and of our selves Use 1. For Instruction Seeing it is so exceeding evil for men to halt in Religion 1. It should teach us to be very cautious how we censure others to halt here without ground We should fear to lay such an heavy charge as this upon those that are innocent How ill the Lord took it from Job's Friends that they were so rash in their censures of him Gal. 2.14 When I saw that they walked not uprightly I said unto Peter before them all c. When Psaw So the matter must be evident And when it is so then let men tax then reprove and spare not The case was plain here before Elijah that the People were drawn off from God and running after Baal This I thought good to note here to prevent the mis-application of the Doctrine To hold Communion in publick Worship which is the Worship of God for substance though there are corruptions in the manner of administration when Christians are careful not to communicate in those corruptions but mourn at groan under them breath after pray for purity in God's Worship I say to joyn in publick worship that hath corruptions in it with these qualifications is unjustly censured as halting betwixt God and Baal While all necessary Fundamental Truth is publickly professed and maintained in a Church is taught and held forth in publick Assemblies and the corruptions there though great yet not such as make the Worship cease to be God's Worship nor of necessity to be swallowed down if one would communicate in publick Worship while any Christian that is watchful over his heart and carriage as all ought ever to be may partake in the one without being active in or approving of the other there God is yet present there He may be spiritually worshipped served acceptably and really enjoyed The Sacrifice of a faithful Israelite an Elkanah was pleasing to God even when Hophni and Phineas were Priests And no doubt it was written for our instruction our Lord Christ who is and ought to be a Christians pattern who could never be charged with the least halt in his course who never trode one step awry who was as zealous for purity in God's Worship as much against corrupt mixtures of mens inventions there as any can pretend to be Nevel was there any in the world of whom that was true The Zeal of thine House hath eaten me up Yet we find He used to attend on the publick Worship in his time notwithstanding the many corruptions brought into it and notwithstanding such formalists and superstitious ones as the Scribes and Pharisees who were ready to magnifie their traditions above the Word of God though such as these did officiate in it Luke 4.16 That He went into their Assemblies not to joyn in any worship they had amongst them but only to bear witness against their corruptions is no where written but rather the contrary i◠held forth in Scripture where he acknowledgeth himself a member of the Church of the Jews and approves of and justifies their Worship as right for the substance that Salvation might be attained therein which he denies to be attainable in any other way of Worship then used among the Gentiles John 4.22 Ye
worship ye know not what saith Christ to the woman of Samaria We know what we worship including himself among the rest that worshipped God aright for Salvation is of the Jews But may this suffice here to prevent a great mistake and mis-judging which many Christians of late have discovered themselves but too forward unto 2. This also lets us see how sad it is to be of the Popish Religion which teacheth halting This is a Religion that teacheth halting wherein it differeth from ours from the true it teacheth nothing but halting Halting in Faith enclining in part to God's written Word and in part to their unwritten Traditions Halting in Obedience betwixt God's Commands and the Decrees and Constitutions of the Pope or their Church Halting in Worship betwixt God and Saints betwixt God the living God and dumb and sensless Images The Apostle Peter was blame-worthy when he halted betwixt the Jews and Gentiles Gal. 2. The Popish Religion allows and teaches Dissimulation and Equivocation before men The Religion of the Samatitans was a strange composition when they feared the Lord and served their own gods such is the Religion of the Papists who add to the Worship of God a multitude of Jewish and Paganish Rites and Ceremonies How intollerable is their confounding of Christ and Moses how abominable their joyning their own works with Christs merits in the business of Justification How dishonourable unto Christ and dangerous undoing to themselves their depending partly on Christ's mediation and partly on the Saints intercession O What a miserable lame Religion Popery is A Wavering Religion A Religion as we may hope that shall not stand long It is sure to fall and to be crusht in pieces with its own weight The Lord keep us and ours that we never come under it Better dye and perish in a Wilderness than return to this spiritual Egypt Vse 2. For Reprehension and Humiliation that so much halting in Religion is to be found amongst us 1. What halting among our common Professors Halting between GOD and Mammon Though you know what Christ sayes Matth. 6.24 You cannot give your hearts both to God and to the World If you would give them to God you must take them off from the world if they are set on the world you do not give them to God Ezek. 33.31 Again I wish there were nothing to be found like halting between God and Baal Some more observant of the Custom of the place than of the Scripture-rule in their Worship Some that worship God partly according to his Word and partly after their own and others fancies besides or against the Word How ill the Lord takes this may be guessed at by that passage Matth. 15.9 In vain do they worship me q. d. they might as well do nothing Halting between God and Belial Modo Ecclesias modo Theatra replentas Some for the place of God's Worship to day and for a Playhouse or the Tavern or Alehouse to morrow One while for the Service of God another while for the satisfying of their lusts Some that have their good moods now and then their Consciences being awakened by a powerful Sermon or some smarting rod by a sharp correction come to them now and you would think they were â—â—lly resolved to break off their sins and turn to God whereas a temptation doth no sooner present it self again but they are drawn away by their own lusts and enticed How many that are turning with the various companies they fall into That can carry fairly and smoothly while in company with such as are of note for Religion and an holy strictness and are as ready to fly out be vain and carry like one of the fools in Israel when they are in place were they may take their liberty in the company of such as are loose and prophane How many that will turn with the times seem very forward in Religion while it is a thing in fashion but cast it off again if once it grows out of credit in the world Like the Samaritans who would pretend kinderd to the Jews but only while they were in a prosperous state 2. Come to the best of us such as are upright in the main O how much halting yet may such be taxed with How great unevenness in the frame of our spirits our hearts sometimes up in holy duties but soon down again our affections sometimes lively but soon flat and dead again Alas What inconstant creatures are we Aliud stantes aliud sedentes One thing in religious services another out of them If we get any warmth into our spirits on the Lords Day how soon that we take cold again when we go into the world How great unevenness in the course of our conversation At one time a little diligent at another time exceeding sloathful in our business One while serious and conscionable in the practise of secret duties another while too ready upon any slighty occasion to neglect and omit them or else to slubber them over One while fruitful in our discourse desirous to do some good to all with whom we converse other while as barren as may be How faint and weak sometimes in our resistance of sin whereas we should go from strength to strength Do we not many times suffer a foiled routed enemy to rally again are we not sometimes worsted by those very lusts which before we had put to flight driven out the field What shall we say that after some conquest of our corruptions we have turned our backs again have yielded unto and been overcome of them How ready to shrink at the apprehension the approach of Sufferings How little have we to say for God his Truth Ministers c. when there may be the least danger in owning God and His Interest here Like these in the Text answered never a word How willing to spare our selves Too ready to venture the favour of God to keep the favour of men or to venture upon His displeasure to avoid mans displeasure Other whiles we seem full of confidence in God and sometimes again as full of fears O what cause have the best to be humbled even such as do not hover or hang in suspence betwixt two contrary wayes such as are set in the right way yet alas we go very weakly lamely here What cause to complain of feeble knees Do we not find a clog of corruption at our foot which is a great hindrance to us in our spiritual course There is flesh as well as spirit and hence as Jacob halted in his wrestling with God so do we halt in our walking with God The Child of God sayes Mr. Perkins is like a lame man that goes the right way but yet halts at every step This should be matter of humiliation and lamentation to us all Use 3. Hence be persawded to take heed of halting in Religion Now my work shall be to give 〈◊〉 some moving considerations to press you to an holy care and watchfulness over your selves here and
saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations Most disingenuous and ingrateful creatures If we cast him off now he would not have dealt so with us If we forsake him he would not have forsaken us With an upright man he will shew himself upright Psal 18.25 This motive the Apostle useth to perswade unto Christian stedfastness and constancy Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised God would be true to us then should not we be true to him 9. Others obstinacy in their false and evil wayes should provoke us to stedfastness in the wayes of God Jer. 2.11 How many rooted in their errors that there is no stirring of them how many wedded to Superstition how many doting upon their old heathenish customs like those Jer. 44.16 17. no taking them off How many hardned in sin so resolved upon the pursuit of their lusts as there is no turning of them And do not all these shame and condemn us if our hearts are not as much fixed upon God if we cleave not as close to Him his Truth and Wayes 10. I add but a word more How should we fear to halt with God lest it provoke the Lord even to depart from us O Sirs do you desire it may go well with the Land whereof you are Inhabitants with the Church of which you are Members would you have it to go well with England then take ye heed of halting in Religion See Josh 22.18 If we turn away from following the Lord to day to morrow he may be wroth with the whole Congregation If such as profess his Name are turning further back from him how may such provoking of his sons and daughters cause the Lord to abhor us will not this make a way to his Anger or rather make the gap wider like a great breach of the Sea never more to be repaired I say halting in Religion may provoke the Lord to depart As we read of the Israelites Psa 78.57 to 62. They turned back and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers they were turned aside like a deceitful bow When God eard this he was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel so that he forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh c. I come now to the Directions I promised with which I conclude And would you halt no more in Religion 1. Get a clear sight and knowledge of your way Labour for a distinct knowledge both in matters of Faith and Practice Thus get your way made plain He that walks in the dark goes he knows not whither and stumbles at he knows not what He that walks in the Light is not in that danger of stumbling We must first know before we can be established in the Truth 2 Pet. 1.12 First prove and then hold fast 1 Thes 5.21 We must know the certainty of those things wherein we have been instructed that they may be most surely believed of us Luke 1.1 4. They that receive the Word with much assurance as the believing Thessalonians did 1 Thess 1.5 there is hope that they will venture all rather than renounce or part with the Truth 2 Tim. 3.14 Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of There must be a learning of the Truth and assurance that it is the Truth if we would continue in the Truth So Col. 1.23 Here 1. Be very clear in thâ— grounds of Religion They that would â—ot be fluctuating in Religion must get their minds well ballasted with the knowledge of the grounds of Religion They that would stand in a storm must see they have a basis of their own a good foundation laid that they do not pin their Faith on others Indeed I know not what should hinder but an ignorant Protestant may soon turn a confident Papist But Catechism Instruction in the Principles of Christianity was one main engine whereby our Reformers battered down Popery The foundation is a principal part of the building so the lowest Principles as it is observed the lowest Principles of Religion in one sense are the highest Principles If you would have the house to stand lay the foundation well an errour in the foundation is destructive to the building 2. Get your minds established in the present Truth It concerns Christians to be very clear in those Truths for which they may be called to suffer And when ye are assured you have the Truth on your side you may go on boldly you need not fear Let the world storm you have a strong City Isa 26.1 2. Be established I say in the present Truth And so be at pains to aquaint your selves with your present duty Be wise concerning the times to know what you ought to do While you know you are in away of duty let others censure reproach or persecute you yet what should hinder but you may go on chearfully O how comfortable a thing it is to know and be assured that if troubles do befal me in the way I take they overtake me in a way of duty This greatly emboldened the Prophet Daniel to pray before his God as he did afore-time Dan. 6.10 Come on 't what wil he is sure it was his duty to pray after that manner While we are in way of duty we may trust God to bear us out Or if we suffer in his service we should yet have no cause to complain of an hard service He that considered Nebuchadrezzar what hazards and hardships he had been put upon in serving His Providence and would not let it go unrewarded Ezek. 29.18 c. much more that he considers his suffering Servants who are exercised with many troubles here that attend their observing his Commands who commit themselves to Him in wel-doing 2. Get your hearts set right This is another general Direction The upright heart will hate every false way But where the heart is not right such a soul is not stedfast with God Psal 78.8 A generation that set not their heart arigth then it follows and whose spirit was not stedfast with God As we would not halt as we desire to walk in a streight and even course our eye must be single 3. Be humbled in the sence of your former sinful warpings They that are pained and afflicted in the sence and remembrance of their former sinful slips and falls will look better to their feet and take more heed to their wayes When the soul hath experienced that it is an evil thing and bitter to forsake the Lord it will fear to turn aside from him again On the other hand where men are not humbled for the irregularity of their former course they will be likely to go on in the same course still Jer. 44.10 They are not humbled even unto this day neither have they feared nor walked in my Law But deep humiliation is a proper means to cure halting We never read that Peter denied Christ after his repentance and humiliation for that sin nay how boldly
is a reduplication of this Votum Apostolicum for so some reade it Gratia inquam adsit omnibus c. In words it is more contracted but in sense more comprehensive than the former verse thus I wâ—sh Peace Love Faith to the Brethren yea Grace all spiritual and heavenly blessings to you and all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity By Grace he meaneth omnimodam Gratiam all sorts of Grace having mentioned already Peace Love and Faith which are excellent graces yet are they not all Grace therefore he adds Grace that he may take his leave of these his beloved Brethren in the same manner as he resolved to come to others Rom. 15.29 In the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ In the Text are two principal parts 1. A Character of a right Christian a Christian indeed as Christ said of Nathaniel Behold an Israelite indeed he is one that loveth our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity For the Apostle wisheth not so great good to all that pretend love to Christ to Hypocrites but to such as love him unfeignedly 2. The subject matter of his wish what it is he desireth for sincere lovers of Christ it is Grace Not outward good things as health long-life riches honour though he excludeth not them nay Peace in the largest sense may include them and Godliness hath the promise of the life that now is and that which is to come But the Apostle willing to give them a brief Epitome of his large heart and good wishes for them doth it in this one word Grace as not knowing any bâ—tâ—er thing for them Doct. 1. Jesus Christ is our Lord. He is Lord of all Aâ—ts 10.36 but especially he is Lord of his Church which is his house Heb. 3.6 1. He built the house it is He that made us not we our selves 2. He hath moreover bought us Acts 20.28 the Church which he hath purchased with his own blood 3. Him hath God the Father exalted to be a Prince c. Acts 5.31 and Phil. 2.9 Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him c. Vse Let all things in the Church be regulated according to the Institutions of our Lord Christ Let Ministers who are Stewards over the House of God be wise and faithful to preach no other Doctrine administer no other Sacraments exercise no other Discipline introduce no other Rites into Divine Worship than what they have good warrant for from the Lord Jesus Christ and can say with the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.23 I received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you 2. Let all that profess hope of Salvation by Jesus Christ receive him for their Lord to rule over them as well as for their Saviour to redeem them Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say Luke 6.46 So we profess in our Creed I believe in Jesus Christ our Lord and so in the close of our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord. So let it appear in our Lives and Gospel-becoming-conversations But this I pass over There are two Doctrines arising from the two several parts of the Text which I am to insist upon And as I am to preach this day not knowing whether I shall ever have the liberty to preach again so I would have you to hear as not sure whether you may ever hear again Doct. 1. It is the character of a right Christian to love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity 2. The Apostle wisheth Grace to all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity as the best thing he could wish them 1. Of the first It is the character of a right Christian to love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Qu. To love Christ in sincerity what is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the letter of the Original is as much to say as in incorruption So reade the Interlin and vulgar Jesus Christ the Incorruptible God So reads the Ethiopick Arab. Amore non vitiato neque culpato that love Christ with a love not faulty nor blame-worthy which agrees best with the sense of Interpreters who render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incorruptly sincerely not feignedly It being the Apostles purpose by this phrase to exclude all rotten Hypocrites from the benefits he wisheth to good Christians Ubi notandum est hoc Apostolicum votum non in sceleratis hypocritis sed in sinceris tantum Christi Discipulis qui viz. Christum incorrupto animo diligunt locum habere Vorstius More particularly To love Christ in sincerity is the act or affection of a gracious heart whereby knowing the excellency and worth of Christ he desires union with him preferreth him communion with him and obedience to his Commandments before all things in the world 1. What it is to love Christ 2. In sincerity 1. Love of Christ implieth knowledge of him of his Worthiness and high Deserts Right Love is no blind affection but ariseth from Light and Understanding of the loveliness of the Object upon which it is placed and to which it is carried forth Cant. 5.10 The Church describing at large the Excellencies of Christ whom her soul loveth concludes ver 16. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 altogether lovely or desirable 2. From knowledge of the worth that is in Christ springeth desire of union and communion with him A man desires to be near his Friend in whom he delighteth loveth his company converseth with him Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight Psal 86.11 Unite my heart David desired to dwell in the House of God for ever because he loved him Psal 23. ult The wise Merchant buyeth gets into his possession the Pearl which he prized Matth. 13.46 3. Hence followeth an high esteem of Christ so as he preferreth him to all other things whatsoever He seeth no beauty excellency comparable to his Cant. 5.10 The chiefest of ten thousand Psal 63.1 My soul thirsteth for thee 4. Lastly The loving soul is most obedient 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth him so as he thinketh nothing too hard to do or suffer nothing too dear to part with for Christs sake Amanti nihil durum 2. What it is to love Christ in sincerity 1. It is to love him with the whole heart according to the utmost extent of that phrase Mat. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul c. Isa 26.8 The desire of our soul is unto thee This is to love without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 To love not in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth 1 John 3.18 Where love is sincere there is idem velle nolle as if two hearts were in one body We love Christ sincerely or with all the heart when his will is ours our will is conformable to his when his Laws are so wrirten in our hearts that we are wholly his to be commanded as men subscribe their Letters to their friends Yours to
modesty by the woful experience of his false heart answers not to the degree of love but only that he loved Christ 4. It is possible that many Christians may hate Christ as much as we doâ— the memory of those Jews that crucified him albeit we be strongly perswaded that if we were called to formal trial we would rather dye than openly deny him or his Gospel Do we from our hearts detest the mention of Annas Caiaphas Judas and that rabble which conspired the death of the Lord of life In like manner did those Jews abhor the memory of Korah Dathan Abiram and the rest of those that rebelled against Moses Do our spirits rise in indignation against them that stoned Stephen persecuted the Apostles forbiding them to Preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved 1 Thes 2.16 With no less displeasure were they moved against the memory of Ahab and Jezebel and those though their own Princes who slew the Lord's Prophets Matt. 23.30 If we had been in the dayes of our Fathers c. The name of Abraham they had in high esteem he being the prime person of their Progenitors with whom God Almighty made that glorious Covenant wherein they had the priviledges of the First-Born The memory of Moses was amongst them very precious with whom God was pleased to talk face to face who received the lively Oracles to give unto them Acts 7.38 To have upbraided the softest spirit in that Rebellious people with treachery or disloyalty against the Messias when he should be revealed would as much have moved his choler as to tell some forward professor amongst us he would betray his Lord were he now on the earth for half the money that Judas did yet these men brake first in their love to Abraham so our Saviour telleth them John 8.39 then in their fidelity to Moses John 5.45 46. and the Prophets Matt. 23.35 No marvel then if they took offence at our Saviours life his carriage and conversation amongst them and afforded him such entertainment as they did Let not then Hypocrisie deceive us by suggesting these or the like suppositions they are the words of Dr. Jackson if we should be urged by the Turk or Jew to deny him we would sooner dy the death he did then do it or were he present in person to exhort us to such duties as his Messengers enjoyn us we should sure be as forward as any man living to do them these or the like imaginations do but foretoken our need of that apology and argue our inclination to use it though alas it cannot stead any in that day of tryal Lord when saw we thee naked or an hungred When in the Pulpit or preaching in our streets deterring us from evil and exhorting us unto good Much more to this purpose see in Dr. Jackson of Justifying Faith That we may not therefore deceive our selves with vain pretences of love let us try the sincerity of it and weigh it in the ballance of the Sanctuary Notes of sincere love to Christ. 1. The first shall be that which you have in Psal 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil Lovers have enemies and friends in common Gen. 12.3 I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee God will be a Friend to Abrahams friends an Enemy to his enemies Who love Christ unfeignedly hate sin which he hateth Rev. 2.6 Sin is evil the greatest of evils The work of the Devil which Christ came into the world purposely to destroy 1 John 3.8 If thou art a friend to sin any way of wickedness If thou love Ignorance superstition If thou love a false oath Zech. 8.17 If thou love flaggons of wine Hos 3.1 If thou delightest in scorning Prov. 1.22 if thou make a mock at sin Prov. 14.9 If thou hate knowledge despise duty scoff and scorn at Holiness which Christ commandeth thou lovest him not If thou regard iniquity in thy own heart if thou allow of it in thy children thy friends if thou plead for sin undertake the patronage and defence of it thou proclamest thy enmity and hostility to Jesus Christ But if thou hate and abhor the way of lying Psal 119.163 If thou hate every evil way Psal 119.128 in thy self first then in others as he that hates a Toad hates it most in his own bosome as saith D. Sibbs if thy hatred of it be universal against the whole kind if thy hatred be rooted irreconcilable so as there is no appeasing of it but by the crucifying and abolishing of thy hated corruptions this is right hatred of sin which argueth thy conversion to be sound and thy self an unfeigned lover of Jesus Christ Note 2. Who love Christ in sincerity love what ever hath relation to him As 1. His House and Worship there performed Saints love Communion with Christ love to be where he is The Lord loveth the gates of Zion his People love the threshold of the Sanctuary Psal 120.14 Thy servants take pleasure in her stones they favour the dust thereof Psal 26.8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy House and the place where thy Honour dwelleth Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said Let us go up to the House of the Lord. Our feet shall stand in thy gates O Jerusalem 2. Saints dearly love the Truth and Word of the Lord. As their voice is sweet to him in prayer Cant. 2.14 So his voice in his Word is sweet to them Psal 119.103 How sweet are thy words unto my tast Yea sweeter then honey to my mouth vers 72. The Law of thy mouth is dearer to me then thousands of Gold and Silver The very reproofs of Christ are precious to them Psal 141.5 Our love to Christ is not right if we be impatient of admonition if we cannot endure reproof for sin but swell against it it is a sign we love sin which cannot consist with unfeigned love to Christ 3. His Messengers are welcom their feet beautiful Rom. 10.14 Because they are the servants of Christ and shew us the way of savation therefore we have them in reputation Phil. 2.29 Because they are over us in the Lord and admonish us therfore we esteem them highly in love for their works sake 1 Thes 5.13 But if we repine stomach or maligne his Embassadors taxing our crimes though in sharpest terms or if we neglect to examine our hearts and consciences at their request or instance it is a sure token our perswasions of Faith and love unto him are but fancies that we are still in the gall of bitterness enemies as cruel to him as these Jews were c. Dr. Jackson 4. His Day the Lords Day Rev. 1.10 is to all sincere lovers of Christ a joyful Day a Day of delight Isa 58.13 On this Day Christ appeared to his Disciples after his Resurrection upon this Day he still appeareth to his People making neer approaches to their souls in his blessed Ordinances teaching them inlightning them comforting their hearts
given because Jesus was not yet glorified Whether we take the holy Ghost there for gifts and spiritual endowments or the Efficacy of the Spirit accompanying those gifts in neither sense was the holy Ghost given so plentiously before as after Christ's Ascention on the day of Pentecost and afterwards Eph. 4.8 When he ascended on high he gave gifts unto men God the Father reserved the â—aâ—â— donative of his Grace for honour of his Sons Ascention unto the last times as the Gospel-times are called whereby so many millions of souls have been converted to Christ So then it being our lot with Capernaum to be lifted up to Heaven in regard of spiritual enjoyments take heed with the same people lest we be cast down to Hell for want of good improvement of so high priviledges Take with us therefore these brief Directions that we may not fail or come short of Grace 1. Be sure thou have an high esteem of Grace for God will not cast his Pearls before Swine carnal people that prize them not We may easily over-value these sublunary things bestow more serious thoughts labour sweat time money on them than they are really worth But we cannot possibly set too high a rate on Grace which we are bidden to covet follow or pursue seek ask knock for strive for 1 Cor. 12. ult Heb. 12.14 2. This estimate we shall not set upon Grace except we be sensible of our want of it We need not seek a thing we have in our hands Most men perish through lack of Grace which they seek not labour not for because they perswade themselves they have it already Be thou poor in spirit destitute blind naked If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God who giveth liberally viz. to them that ask so in sence of want God is not like unto man in this respect Men send gifts and presents where is least need and so for them they that are poor may be poor still Semper eris pauper si c. God giveth Grace where most need is He feedeth the hungry he inviteth the poor Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth Survey the state of thy soul when thou goest to Prayer to the Word Saâ—â—ament As when you go or send to the Market you consider what is wanting that supply may be made When thou goest to God's Ordinances thy Spiritual Market enquire what is lacking and there pour out thy heart to God put up earnest cryes for the work of Grace and Conversion for a new heart God hath promised no less than the holy Spirit to them that ask Luke 11.13 i. e. that ask so as in that parable our Saviour teacheth with fervency and importunity 3. See thou hunger and thirst after Grace keep a continued desire and longing after it for so the Participle implyeth Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that are hungring and thirsting Psal 143.6 My soul thirsteth after thee as the thirsty Land How is that When the Earth is chapt and gapes through long drought it never ceaseth gaping and craving till the Heavens hear the Earth according to Hos 2.21 So let the thirsty soul do Psal 123.2 As the eyes of a servant c. so our eyes wait on the Lord until he have mercy on us 4. Delay not the time take the first opportunity slip not one Market-day to gain so excellent a Commodity Seek the Lord while he may be found call on him while he is nigh When Shops are shut up it is too late to make our Markets Many are afraid of having Grace too soon they are loth to be holy too soon to be sanctified too soon as if Grace were a burden But why not rather fear we lest we should come too late as did the foolish Virgins who dearly rued it as all shall who in this their day will not know the things of their peace 5. If thou wilt have Grace be content to buy it though without money without price in buying you part with one thing for another whereof you have more need so must thou here though heavenly commodities are not to be valued for Silver you know what Simon Peter said to Simon Magus Thy money perish with thee c. yet must thou part with that which it may be thou valuest above Silver i. e. thy lusts Isa 2.20 Idols of Silver costly sins must be parted with of them thou hast no need if thou part not with them they wil ruine thee if thou cast not them away they will cast thee away Sin and Grace reigning sin a way of wickedness is inconsistent with Grace God and Belial the Ark and Dagon will not agree under the same roof The Spirit of God is a holy pure delicate Spirit will be grieved and at last will be gone if that unclean spirit the Devil be entertained by a voluntary resignation of thy heart to the love of any course of sin or impiety If the blessed Spirit of Grace will vouchsafe to be thy guest O prepare him a lodging as Paul writes to Philemon ver 22. of that Epistle Purge thy self from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 6. Diligence in the use of means constant attendance on the Ordinances of Grace is necessary to the obtaining of Grace Frequent daily the Throne of Grace by fervent prayer wait duly at the posts of wisdoms house by attentive hearing the Word make conscience of sanctifying the Lords day be not thou absent from Gods house when he deals his dole of Grace and Blessing to his People use the society of Gracious persons whose communication is savory and their words minister Grace to the hearers and be constant in exercises of Godliness follow Pauls counsel to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.15 Meditate on these things continue in them give thy self much unto them that thy profiting may appear The diligent hand maketh rich when drowsiness clotheth a man with rags which is as true in spiritual as in temporal things 2d Branch of Exhortation If Grace be the best thing in the world let Christians that have Grace already labour for further degrees of it Grow in Grace 2 Pet. 3.18 Grace and sanctification is not perfect at once but hath its several ages and periods of growth We read of the Embrio or the forming the new man in the womb Gal. 4.19 The new-born babe 1 Pet 2.2 little children 1 John 2.13 young men ib. aged Christians ib. and Psal 92.14 shall bring forth more fruit in old age To this purpose are the commands in Scripture to abound more and more 1 Thess 4.1 that your love may abound Phil. 1.9 alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult They are likewise commended who are rich in Grace and fruits of holiness Matt. 15.28 O woman great is thy Faith Matt. 8.10 I have not sound so great Faith no not in Israel So on the contrary dwarfs in Christianity are blame-worthy Matt. 6.30 O ye of little Faith 1 Cor. 3.4 Are ye not yet carnal that is babes in
Matt. 13.12 It is not in spiritual as in corporal things the more you use them the more you wear and waste them but as it is with a fountain the more you draw the more it springs labitur et labetur 6. Beware of whatever may blast and hinder the growth of Grace as 1. Take heed of growing strange neglect not communion with God Gracious walking is walking with God in-disinenter cum Deo ambulavit is said of Enoch 2. Beware of all sin especially pride that blasteth Grace as humility preserveth it God resisteth the proud but giveth Grace to the humble 3. Formality barrenness in duty 4. Worldliness as shining of the Sun puts out fire so hot pursuit of the world causeth cooling and decaying in Grace 5. Ill company society of graceless persons is a great quench-coal to Grace the body is not so apt to catch the plague from persons infected as evil communications and ill conversation of lewd companions is prone to corrupt the mind and manners Who walketh in the Sun shall be tanned though he walk not for that end who is much in the Mill may discern it in his clothes who sits in the Apothecaries shop much will smell of his Ointments So he that converseth with the froward graceless sinner will learn of his wayes and be like him For the worst precepts counsels examples prevail most SERMON VII 1 Sam. 30.6 But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God THe difference betwixt the friendship of God and the friendship of men appears best in a day of adversity for then the latter proves fickle and deceitful but the former durable and lasting A notable instance whereof is represented in this portion of Scripture wherein we have David's friends and followers turning his enemies but God continuing his fast friend in whom he may encourage himself In the words we have these three Generals 1. The person concerned and that is David a Prophet of the Lord and Ruler of his People by the appointment of God David encouraged himself 2. His behaviour he encouraged himself in God comforted and strengthened himself in Jehovah his God 3. The occasion of this behaviour and that was the great distress he was in which is hinted in the beginning of the verse David was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning him He was an Exile already driven from his Country and from his habitation by the rage and jealousie of Saul His City Ziglag was sack'd and burnt by the Amalakites his Wives and Children carried captive and which was worst of all his Friends and Followers spake of stoning him looking on him as the cause of all the misery that had befallen them this was a sore distress he had nothing left now wherein he might comfort himself God only excepted David was greatly distressed but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God Hence we may take notice by the way That God many times suffers his own dear and precious Ones to be greatly distressed David was a man after God's own heart yet David was greatly distressed This might be abundantly strengthened by the condition of the Church and People of God in all Ages And this God doth for these ends amongst many other 1. To take his People off from an arm of flesh from leaning upon humane props that they should not trust in themselves or any other but in God alone 2 Chr. 20.12 We know not what to do but our eyes are upon thee 2. Cor. 1.9 We had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead 2. To prove their Graces to try their Faith and Hope God will see whether we can hold out in a storm whether we can trust him without a pledge in our hands he will see whether we can encourage our selves in Him when we have no outward mercies to lead us to him 3. To magnifie his own Name by their deliverance 'T is the strongest argument we can urge to God in our troubles What wilt thou do for thy great Name The greatness of the distress greatneth the deliverance out of it and this advanceth the glory of the Deliverer But come we to the words which we have pitched upon which hold forth the behaviour of David in his distress he encouraged himself in the Lord his God Whence we may gather these two Doctrines 1. That Believers have an interest in God the Lord his God 2. There 's enough in God to encourage a Believer when greatly distressed David was in great distress sorely beset with troubles his enemies destroying on one hand his followers gathering stones to stone him on the other hand but for all this he encouraged himself in the Lord his God I shall begin with the first of these 1. Believers have an interest in God We have the Saints every-where using this phrase which holds forth their propriety in God Deut. 6.4 The Lord our God is One Lord. Josh 14.8 I wholly followed the Lord my God John 20.28 Thomas answered and said unto him My Lord and my God This interest and propriety in God holds forth these three things 1. A nearness to God 'T is the misery of graceless persons that they are far off from God But now Believers are nigh to God The Psalmist calls this one of Israels priviledges Psal 148.14 He exalteth the horn of his People the praise of all his Saints even of the children of Israel a People near unto him O 't is a priviledge indeed to be a People near to God Ephes 2.13 But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Believers are brought night to God they are even set under his wing of Providence and special Protection 2. A Relation to him Our God implies some very near relation to God he is the Believers Father by Grace 't is the misery of the Wicked that God is not their Father but they are of their father the Devil as our Saviour tells them John 8.44 But every Believer is related to God as a child to his father 2 Cor. 6.18 I will be to you a Father and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty We are not only made night to God but nigh in relation He that can say My God may say also My Father This relation is held out in this interest and propriety 3. A Right to God Whole God is a Believers God and all he hath all he is all he can do This is a vast priviledge My God there 's my right and title to him He is the Believers portion his inheritance his estate made sure to him he may call God his and the Power of God his the Wisdom of God his the Goodness and Mercy of God he may call it all his he hath a right to it Thus you see what is held forth in this Interest Come we now to shew how Believers do obtain this their Interest and Propriety
that preach'd Christ of envy and contention but he was glad however that Christ was preached Phil. 1.18 But above all it might have been expected that our Saviour Christ should have forbidden him that cast out Devils in his Name indeed but wâ—s not of his company he did a good thing indeed but he did it disorderly he followed not him The Apostles indeed would have had it so But Jesus said forbid him not Mark 9.38 39. But if any man will shew me any Scripture-instance of restraining the Ministers of the Gospel I doubt not but to shew him in it an instance of such restraint falling out to the furtheraâ—ce of the Gospel 2. Such ministerial Restraint doth fall out to the furtheraâ—ce of the Doctrine of the Gospel in that it gives the mâ—re occasion to and layes the greater necessity on Christians to reade the Scriptures and other good Books That 's evident Now by this means Professors come to have good Judgement as well as good Affections and knowledge to their former zeal I am loth to speak here lest I should be thought to offend against any of the generation of the Just But I pray God to sanctifie the reading of the Scriptures and other good Books to this end That as Preaching hath made forward Professors and drawn forth affections so reading may make them solid Christians and settle their Judgments in the Truth 3. It ought to open the mouths of private Christians to discourse the things of the Gospel to declare to their neighbours the things of God and instruct and edifie one another in Soul-concernments And if they by this means shall be brought to preach to their neighbours I mean not that they should usurp the Ministerial Function not called thereunto but by Godly Conversation and Communication As David preach'd in the 66. Psal ver 16. Come and hear and I will declare what God hath done for my soul If it shall be thus and that instead of one Ministerial Preacher there shall be many Charitative Preachers in a town then I doubt not but it may fall out to the furtherance of the Gospel And thus I beseech you Christian Friends let it be Declare the great things of the Gospel in the way in which you may do it now if ever But lest I should be thought to preach faction it 's good I think to shew my Authority It is that of the Apostle Heb. 10.25 Not forsaking the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching 4. This Ministerial Restraint may fall out to the furtherance of the Gospel in giving occasion and opportunity to the persons so restrained to furnish themselves better for the work of the Ministry Who knows but that God may take some off from laying out that they may the better lay in lay in stock lay up store make provision and then call them forth again to the Churches greater advantage when they shall return far more richly leaden than before Nay who knows but that some constitutions almost wasted some spirits almost spent do require some cessation and God is pleased to give a nights rest to his labourers that they may hold out the longer and the better in his Service As the husbandman givs a fallow year to his Land not because he would not have Corn but that he may have so much the more So here that it may be to the furtherance of the Gospel They depart for a season that their People may receive them and enjoy them the longer 2. Ministerial Restraint or the suspension of the Ministers of the Gospel from their Ministry doth sometimes fall out and God can make it fall out to the furtherance of the interest of the Gospel and that by such wayes as these 1. In making the Gospel to be valued and more dearly esteemed by Professors who perhaps began to look upon it with too common an eye and to grow secure cold and wanton under it When the meat shall be taken away and the surfet cured and the stomack restored then Oh then welcome any wholsome meat The Word of the Lord will be precious in those dayes And not only in making the Gospel to be more valued by Professors but also desired by others that till then never knew the worth of it If God send a famine of hearing the Word it will make men run to and fro to seek it Amos 8.11 12. nay perhaps make them run that never found their legs before The very want of the means and ordinances of conversion may be a means ordained of God for the converting of some or at least for the preparing of them for Conversion I may add under this head too that it may fall out to the furtherance of the Gospel by making the Ministers of the Gospel more prized Their Restraint may well conduce to this end Virtutem incolumen odimus sublatam ex oculis quaerimus invidi good men grow precious cous by their absence It may be proper for a Minister of the Gospel bidding farewel to an unthankful and unkind People to speak in his Saviours words to Jerusalem Mat. 23.39 Ye shall not see me hence forth till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. And if restraint of Ministers shall bring forth this fruit then certainly it will fall out to the furtherance of the Gospel for if the Messenger be prized the Message will be more likely to be received 2. This Restraint may be to the furtherance of the interest of the Gospel In making former Truths to be remembred repeated digested Alstedius used to say That all Learning consisted in that one word Repete Repeat And truly I had almost said all Religion too Certainly it is wonderfully to the advantage of Religion when Doctrins formerly delivered and received are frequently brought back to mind and memory The business of Professors in England hath been to hear new Truths and fresh Doctrines still but not to make good as far as they have gone This fault it may be God will mend by this means As the beast taken off his meat falls to chewing what he had eaten before Some have rightly observed that they that want their sight have commonly the strongest memories who knows but that God may bring it to pass that your eyes should not see your Teachers on purpose to help your memories in recording old Truths 3. It may fall out to the furtherance of the interest of the Gospel by quickning and stirring up Christians so much the more to private duties The Restraint of Ministers may make many Priests I mean Priests in their own families Methinks it should do thus Christians should labour to make up in their Families what is wanting in Congregations And if it do thus it will be to the furtherance of the Gospel if the loss of one Priest in a Town shall bring forth in every Family one Thus
109.8 Though he had the honour to be one of Christ's Disciples dignified with gifts ordinary and extraordinary yet his Apostacy procured him that dreadful Curse Wo be to that man it had been good for that man he had never been born They that were the constant followers of Christ whom he led out they are his blessed ones 3. Here is the action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he blessed them and in blessing or while he blessed twice mentioned that we should well consider it 4. The circumstances of this Farewel and they are three the Place the Time the Gesture 1. The Place Bethany it was a Village about fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem the Town of Mary and Martha and Lazarus where Christ raised Lazarus John 11.1 8 18. Bethany at the mount of Olives so it is called Mark 11.1 Reverend Beza upon Act. 1. 12. where the Ascension of Christ seemeth to be from Mount Olivet understandeth by Bethany not strictly the Village but the whole tract containing the Mount of Olives and that from the Mount near Bethany Christ ascended You see Christ could make a house of affliction or poverty as Bethany signifieth a place of blessing he is not tied to places but where two or three are gathered in his Name there is he amongst them where true Worshippers are worshipping him in Spirit and Truth there will he come unto them and bless them He preached and pronounced blessing in the Monnt The Disciples John 20.19 were met in a house and had the doors shut for fear of the Jews and Christ came and said Peace be unto you He might at his Ascension have Blessed his Disciples in the Temple or holy City but he led them out to mount Olivet where or nigh to which Bethany stood And why Some say lest being seen new troubles should arise but the main reason is because he would have a select number to be eye witnesses to testifie to the world that he ascended according to Acts 10.40 41. Him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly not to all the People but unto Witnesses chosen before of God even unto us so Beza on Acts 1.12 Historia ipsa The History it self sheweth that Christ would not ascend into Heaven from some place where there were many Inhabitants or other Witnesses of his Ascension but took only his Disciples into some part of the Mount Olivet to be Witnesses of his departure from us in respect of the humane nature till the last day 2. The Time when he blessed them Just at his Ascension he had blessed them before and doth it now solemnly with hands lifted up it was the last thing he did on Earth He was seen of his Apostles forty dayes after his Resurrection and now that they must see him no longer on earth he would shew them not only his hands and his feet as sometimes he did for the strengthening of their Faith but his heart enlarged in love and compassion his bowels yearning towards them he here kisseth them with the kisses of his mouth and his lips drop sweet smelling Myrrhe on them he speaks kindly to them Blesseth them and while he Blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he departed 3. The Gesture used in Blessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He lift up his hands Where observe it is arrogance and great presumption in the Papists to say for the upholding of their Crucifixes and Crossings that its very like that Christ Blessed them with his arms cross as Jacob Blessed Joseph's Sons Gen. 48.17 See Rhem. Testam Where Jacob as is evident from the text laid his right hand on the head of the younger by a Spirit of prophecy fore-telling that he should be the greater and at not all in favour of any their superstitious use of the sign of the Cross whereof Valentinus the Heretick was the first that made any great account as Dr. Fulke relateth out of Irenaeus We have Christ's Blessing in the Text twice mentioned and the gesture not omitted of lifting up his hands but a total silence of the sign of the Cross We may then conclude it is a cursed addition of the Rhemists who presume to father that upon Jacob nay on the Lord Christ which is indeed but a Novel fancy not in any estimation with the Apostles nor the Godly in their time How can they reade and not tremble Rev. 22.18 If any man add God shall add to him the plagues Nor can Christ's using of this gesture warrant humane Inventions in the Worship of God nor the rigorous enforcing of a heap of Gestures Vestments and other unnecessary and ungrounded Ceremonies so as men must not worship at all nor enjoy their properties without them since lifting up of the hands is but a natural gesture of Reverence and Authority neither is there any consequence in arguing from things written to things Apocryphal But as bodily exercise profiteth little so large discourses about it are but little to edification of common hearers Only let me mind you that Jesus Christ was faithful as Moses and his Apostles kept back nothing that was profitable for us Scripture must not cannot be taxed with deficiency And little children keep your selves from Idols O be not tainted with Romish Superstitions when her plagues are so nigh at hand But the Doctrine which I would this day commend to you from these words is this Doct. The Lord Jesus Christ went to Heaven solemnly blessing his Disciples In this Doctrine you have two branches 1. Christ ascended into Heaven 2. Christ blessed his Disciples at his Ascension 1. Jesus Christ went into Heaven 1 Pet. 3.22 There are three Reasons why Christ ascended The first is that he might fulfill the Scriptures In his Ascension he fulfilled Scripture-Types and Scripture-Prophesies Christ was typified in the High-Priest's going into the second Tabernacle alone once every year not without blood Heb. 9.7 24. Christ is entred not into those Holy places made with hands which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the figure of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us It was prophesied of Christ Psal 68.18 Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive The Apostle Eph. 4.8 9. expoundeth this Text accomplished in Christ's Ascension 2. Christ ascended that he might be glorified He had glorified his Father on Earth and finished the work which the Father gave him to do and then went to be glorified with his Father John 17.4 5. He had been manifest in the flesh and then is received up into Glory He descended dwelt among men was a man of sorrows and again ascended and sate down at the Right-hand of the Majesty on high when he had purged our sins by himself Heb. 1.3 As it was impossible he should be held of Death so it was impossible he should be held in a state of Humiliation Ought not Christ to suffer and enter into his Glory Luke 24.26 The Vision of Christ's glorified Body is reserved for Heaven in mercy
one glimpse thereof in the Transfiguration put Peter in a trance Christ ascended to be glorified 3. It was expedient for us that Christ should ascend Obj. O but how can these things be how much better had it been for us to have had Christs bodily presence still on Earth What a deal of good did he by his Life Doctrine Miracles Compassion on the Poor Blind Diseased that cryed for help for themselves children and servants Lord hadst thou been here my brother had not dyed said Martha So may poor desolate souls say Lord hadst thou been on Earth still this evil and that storm had not come upon the Church or particular members of it Expedient Christ go O leave us not Answ In general Saddest providences and most terrible things whereby God answereth his People often carry a great deal of sweetness and comfort in them which we through ignorance and unbelief hardly discern Christians often loose much by poring on present or imminent evils and not looking to the sweet Result and glorious issue thereof We walk too much by sence and too little eye by Faith the things that are not seen Thus the Disciples were loth to hear that Christ must be put to death When he was buryed We trusted say two of them Luke 24.21 it had been he that should have redeemed Israel Their Faith was low not considering that he came to give his Life a Ransome for many Such fools so slow of heart are we to believe Thus when Christ told the Disciples I go my way to him that sent me They asked him not whither goest thou and therefore sorrow filled their hearts John 16.5 6 7. they did not look to the sweet Fruit which they should reap of his Departure they would have found cause of joy had they seriously considered that Christ went to his Father and their Father to his God and their God But particularly You have Christ's Word for it which should silence all objections and questioning thoughts John 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away There were four Expediencies of Christ's Ascension in respect of us 1. It was expedient for us that Christ should ascend that he might in our nature as our Head and Surety take possession of Heaven for us Heb. 6.20 Whither the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus He had purchased the Inheritance and paid the price and he went to have seizen and possession for us John 14.2 I go to prepare a place for you 2. Christ's Ascension was expedient for us that he might intercede for us in Heaven and now appear in the Presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 and that we might have that consolation 1 Joh. 2.2 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And Heb. 7.25 He ever liveth to make intercession We have a constant and skilful faithful Sollicitor in the Court of Heaven pleading our cause Is the Church militant oppressed Jesus the Angel of the Covenant pleadeth How long Lord wilt thou be angry Zech. 1.12 and he is answered with good and comfortable words I am returned with Mercies to Jerusalem as it follows ver 16. The Lord Christ standeth as with a golden Censer having much Incense which he offereth with the Prayers of Saints on the Golden Altar before the Throne the Smoak of which Incense with the Prayers of the Saints ascendeth before God out of the Angels Hand When his People pray on Earth He as their Sollicitor procureth a Grant in Heaven which he sometimes sendeth down by a swift Messenger So he did to Daniel and Cornelius So that now being ascended Believers may triumph Who shall condemn It is Christ that died is risen again is at the Right Hand of God who also maketh intercession for us 3. It was expedient for us that Christ should ascend that he might send the Spirit the Comforter Joh. 16.7 If I go away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him to you The sending of the Spiriâ— to lead Believers into Truth to convince the World to help Believers Infirmities to quicken to comfort to stablish them and to abide with them to the end of the World is the fruit of Christs Ascension 4. Christ's Ascension was expedient to assure us that he hath fully satisfied Justice for the sins of his Elect and left nothing undone of the great Work which he undertook Heb. 9.12 By his own Blood he entred once into the holy Place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us His sitting at the Right Hand of God is an evidence that he hath obtained for us Eternal Redemption In his Ascension he triumphed over all Enemies He had spoiled Principalities spoiled them of their Prey having rescued his Elect spoiled them of their Dominion and Power over his Sheep He had cast out the Prince of this World the Accuser of the Brethren and He made shew of them openly Col. 2.15 Christ having overcome Death and Hell declareth his Conquest in ascending as a Conqueror into Heaven Take the Application in four Particulars briefly 1. Christ is gone to Heaven Be not deceived by false christ's Such shall come Mat. 24.24 O remember he is not here but ascended as he told his Disciples Seek not then a bodily presence in the Sacrament The Heavens must contain him Acts 3.21 The Martyrs who burned at the Stake not for ceremonies c. as some would have it but for denying Transubstantiation or the bodily Presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper however now-a-dayes some bespatter them had a sure Foundation to build on The Scripture makes it plain that Christ's Body is in Heaven 2. Christ is gone into Heaven Christians let your hearts be there Seek those things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Col. 3.1 Why do ye grovel on Earth when Christ your best Friend is in Heaven What on Earth can satisfie or what is to be desired when Christ is gone Well may Believers desire with the Apostle Phil. 1â— 23 to be dissolved and be with Christ which is far better 3. Let us prepare for Christ's Coming from Heaven Phil. 3.20 Behold He cometh quickly in like manner as he ascended but more gloriously attended more manifest every eye shall see him Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find watching Luke 12.37 We are left to trade with talents our Lord will come and reckon with us Mat. 25.19 Be ready for the Son of Man cometh in an hour when ye think not Luke 12.40 O let us watch 4. Lastly Be comforted Christ our Fore-runner is in Heaven He is gone but he went about our business This providence of Christ's departing looketh with a bitter aspect it is doleful to consider Christ is Gone But as Jacob's Spirit revived when he knew Joseph was alive so it is exceeding comfortable for drooping distressed souls to consider Christ hath taken possession of a
glorious House incorruptible Inheritance and a biding Kingdom for us We have an Advocate with the Father our Redeemer liveth and we shall see him All his Enemies shall be made his footstool Christ is glorified his Members however vilified on earth shall be like Him and abide with Him and He will be admired in his Saints He is gone to prepare a place for us and will come again and receive us John 14.3 And thus much briefly for this first branch Christ Ascended The second is Christ blessed his Disciples at his Ascension But may some one say How did Christ bless them I answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To bless is to speak well So Christ alwayes spake well Never man spake like Him Grace was poured in his lips and gracious Words proceeded out of his mouth But it hath a more special Importance 1. To bless is to acknowledge the Blessedness and Perfection of another So the greater is blessed of the less So with the tongue we bless God even the Father and our Souls bless the Lord. 2. To bless is sometimes to pray for a Blessing So Isaac blessed Jacob when he prayed God give thee of the Dew of Heaven Gen. 27.27 And God Almighty bless thee Gen. 28. The 1st and 3d. Thus Jacob blessed Josephs Sons when he prayed The Angel that redeemed me from all evil bless the lads Gen. 48.9 16. 3. To bless is to pronounce a blessing and that either in the way of an ordinary Ministry Thus Aaron and his Sons were to bless the People saying The Lord bless thee and keep thee c. Numb 6.23 So Simeon Levi and Judah Issachar Joseph and Benjamin were appointed to stand upon Gerizzim to bless the People Deut. 27.12 Or else by an extraordinary Spirit of prophesie So Jacob blessed his Sons when he told them what should befal them in the last dayes Gen. 49. And Balaam prophesying the prosperity of Israel is said to have blessed them altogether Numb 24.10 4. To Bless is to make blessed to give as well as speak a blessing So Israel was blessed effectually Numb 22.12 Curse them not for they are blessed Thus there are Blessings spiritual and Blessings temporal Blessings of basket and store c. 5. To bless is to set apart from a common to a holy and spiritual use So Christ blessed the Bread when he set it apart to signifie his Body Mat. 26.26 Now when Christ blessed his Disciples the four last of these acceptions of Blessing may very well be comprized and intended The gesture used in blessing them lifting up his hands may well suit with pronouncing of a Blessing in way of prayer The Gifts and Graces poured on them soon after his Ascension speak the efficacy of his Blessing and that it was not empty words but Spirit and Life And it is evident that at his Ascension he set them apart and gave them a Commission to go and preach the Gospel Other Texts might be cited proving that Christ's Ascending did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speak well to his Disciples as Mark 16.17 18 19. and Acts 1.8 9. But the Text so fully assureth us that Christ lifted up his hands and blessed just at his Parting and Ascension that we need no other Confirmation To come then to the Reasons why Christ Ascended blessing The two main springs whence his Blessing slowed are his Love and his Faithfulness which two were the reasons of his Humiliation and Transactions He loved his Elect and He was faithful to him that appointed him Heb. 3.2 Out of Free-grace and Faithfulness He laid down his Life a Ransome for many He loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood Rev. 1.5 His Father had appointed Him and promised Him to bless and he faithfully performed it He came to bless and went to Heaven blessing There are eight special Reasons or Ends which Christ had in his eye in blessing his Disciples so solemnly when he was leaving Earth to go to his Father 1. He would assure his Disciples that his affection to them was the same now at parting as they had found it from his first choosing them they might have thought it strangeness had he gone and not left a Blessing behind him after all his kindness and compassion And this is one end to which are directed all those gracious and comfortable Expressions recorded in the 12 13 14 15 16th Chapters of John with that pathetical Prayer John 17. shewing him as tender-hearted towards them at last as ever He displayeth his Banner of Love over them in this gracious Valediction going to Heaven Blessing 2. Jesus Christ would have his Disciples and all that should believe in his Name to know that he carried the same Heart to Heaven with him that he had on Earth so that though his bodily presence was removed yet his Love continued and he would be as mindful of them in his Kingdom as ever he had been on Earth And this is another End of his gracious Expressions at and a little before his Ascension He knew how ready they might be through weakness and temptation to question his care and doubt of his Love as the Israelites about Moses Exod. 32. As for this Moses we wot not what is become of him He would not have them think Now Jesus Christ is gone and his Mercy is at an end he hath forgotten to be gracious and so sink in despairing thoughts No He assureth them John 16.26 I say unto you I will pray the Father for you rest satisfied question not but I will remember you and set you as a seal upon my Heart as a seal upon mine Arm I will carry your names engraven on my Brest-plate and make intercession for you and here he would assure them of lasting Love in parting from them with the most notable expression of it He solemnly blessed them 3. Jesus Christ would have his People assured that he is the Messiah the promised Seed in whom all Nations shall be blessed Gen. 18.18 The Apostle mentioneth this Covenant with Abraham Acts 3.25 26. and sheweth that Christ came to bless in pursuit of that Covenant and to fulfil Scripture It was prophesied of Christ Psal 72.17 Men shall be blessed in Him And Blessing was his beginning and conclusion in his Ministry upon Earth the beginning of his first Sermon and the close of his Last 4. He blessed them that he might not leave them overwhelmed with grief nor swallowed up of sorrow at his departure John 14.1 18 27. I will not leave you comfortless let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid He knew the loss of his Presence might strike cold to their hearts The Children of the Bridechamber might mourn alas the Bridegroom is taken away they might cry after so good a Teacher and Master My Father my Father the Horsemen of Israel and Chariots thereof and sorrow most of all that they must see his face on Earth no more Well The Lord God had
they go Gen. 28.12.13 We read Ruth 4.5 At what time the Kinsman must have the inheritance he must have it at the hand of Ruth to allude hereto You can never inherit the Blessing unless you be espoused to Christ Ye shall not see my face said Joseph except your brother be with you So here no seeing the face of God with comfort nor prayer heard nor person accepted nor sin pardoned no souls reconciled no Blessing obtained but through Christ Prayers are but as howlings if they be not put up in the Name of Christ the only Mediator Read Heb. 12.18 c. you shall find the misery of souls without Christ but their happiness being come to the Mediator of the New-Testament Out of Christ we have to do with God from Mount Sinai in thunderings and lightnings in tempest and terrible voices but through Christ from Mount Sion whence better things are spoken than Abels blood spake So Ephes 2.12 c. Without Christ and afar off without God having no hope strangers to the promise But through Christ made nigh reconciled fellow-citizens with the Saints of the household of God the partition-wall broken down he is our peace God is a terrible Judg a consuming Fire to men out of Christ but in him a Gracious Father reconciling this world to himself not imputing iniquities Ephes 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings But how or for whose sake Why in Christ only on his account In him we have redemption the remssion of sin ver 7. God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Ephes 4.32 Jesus Christ is the Light of the world without which darkness horrour and perpetual confusion had been upon all mankind the onely Foundation to stand against Hell gates no other Name given whereby we can be saved The way by which we draw near to God with hope to speed is consecrated through his blood the grand encouragements we have in our addresses to God are Christ's Merit and Mediation Jesus Christ is the only door at which God giveth his dole of Blessings and by which we can enter into the Fathers presence and favour He is the gate of Heaven He is all in all My dear People The time of my departure from you not voluntary but constrained seemeth now at hand possibly I am speaking the words of a dying man and may see your faces no more in this place 't is my comfort I have not kept back any thing that is profitable for you nor shunned to declare to you all the Counsel of God But have to my ability taught you to observe all things whatsoever Christ hath commanded for so runs my Commission Mat. 28.20 And let me tell you I dare not exceed knowing that terrible Commination Deut. 18.20 The Prophet that shall presume to speak a word in my Name which I have not commanded him to speak even that Prophet shall die And Mat. 5.19 Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and teach men so he shall be called the Least in the Kingdom of Heaven The Scripture tels me what things I must teach and exhort And if any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine according to Godliness he is proud knowing nothing but doting c. 1 Tim. 6.1 2. Could I find the things which it is probable are shutting the mouths of many hundreds of learned consciencious Ministers expressed in or by good consequence to be drawn from the Scriptures which I am sure are sufficient to furnish the Man of God throughly to every good work 2 Tim. 3.17 I would not for a World divest my self of the Liberty of my Ministry nor bereave my self my wife and little ones of our Livelihood nay I would willingly practise them and teach you so to to I this day appeal to the most High with the Prophet Jer. 17.16 As for me I have not hastened from being a Pastor to follow thee O Lord thou knowest Most gladly would I have continued preaching Christ Jesus the Lord furthering your Faith and Joy and driving on the great Marriage between Christ and your Souls but sure I am my Lord needeth not my sinning to carry on his Work amongst you neither will I charge him with unfaithfulness nor his Word with deficiency in pretending to mine own faithfulness in the Ministerial Function but I 'le patiently commit my self to Him that judgeth righteously endeavouring to follow his steps who became poor that we might be made rich and suffered greater things for me than I can do for him On Him I desire to be found waiting and keeping his Way who hath the giving of the Opening of the Mouth and is thereby known to be the Lord Ezek. 29.21 He that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth can if he please restore our Liberties and pleasant things if not here am I let him do what is good in his fight The Will of the Lord be done Why should I part with you repining or murmuring at a churlish unkind World whilst it is evident the World hated him before it hated us and my Text tels us that Christ blessed his Disciples at his parting and Ascension Now the Lord Christ who went to Heaven blessing bless you this day with the best of Blessings the sure Mercies of David and lasting Benefits of the everlasting Covenant The Lord Jesus the good Shepherd who gave his Life for the Sheep be your Shepherd and cause showers of Blessings from Heaven on your Souls Bodies Children Families and Estates And God even the Father for Christ's sake grant that you and I who are this day parting with grieved hearts may at last meet with joy having all tears wiped from our eyes and every sad thought taken from our hearts to be ever with the Lord at whose right-hand are pleasures for evermore And God the holy Ghost abide with you and me to guide us into Truth to stablish us in the Truth and comfort our hearts unto the end of the world The Lord be with you all And are we parting Suffer I beseech you this word of Exhortation In the last day that great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cryed If any man thirst let him come to me and drink John 7.37 The Apostle at Troas ready to depart the morrow preached long at his parting with the Elders of the Church of Ephesus who must see his face no more how fervently did he preach and pray Acts 20. Two of Luthers wishes were That he might have seen Christ in the flesh and have heard Paul preach But my Brethren what tongue can express the worth of their Farewel-Sermons Though I be a weak earthen vessel a reed shaken with the wind yet shall not my mouth be open and my heart enlarged when I must preach to you no more And am I leaving you My Beloved and longed-for how gladly would
and peace and plenty Zech. 3.8 9 10. The whole 72 Psalm sets out Christ's Blessings Would you have a Land rid of Idolatry and Heresie Zech. 13.2 After the Promise of Christ as a Fountain open the Lord engageth the names of Idols shall be forgotten and the false Prophet shall pass out of the Land Would you have blessings on a Congregatition Good Teachers and all their abilities and success are from Christ Eccles 12.11 Ephes 4.11.12 He hath a Blessing for the habitation of the Just Prov. 3.33 Riches and Honour are his Prov. 8.18 All fresh Springs are in him He hath plenty of spiritual Blessings being the store-house of his Church where it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell From him flow Acceptance Ephes 1.6 Justification and Pardon Mat. 9.6 1 Cor. 6.11 Sanctification Acts 3.26 Illumination Col. 2.2 All the Treasures of Knowledge are hid in Him and He openeth the eyes of the Blind He is the Author and Finisher of Faith full of Grace by Him we have Adoption of Children Ephes 1.5 These are rich Blessings Moreover through Christ we have interest in the Promises 2 Cor. 1.20 and right to all our Comforts and Priviledges 1 Cor. 3.22 23. All are yours and ye are Christ's Briefly Through Christ you have Everlasting Blessedness Heb. 5.9 Rejoyce then in Christ Jesus O ye Upright ye are the blessed of the Lord who went to Heaven blessing Read over your Charter Priviledges through Christ what is there wanting that heart could wish for your selves your Children this life or a better Yet consider further with me Christ went to Heaven blessing and Acts 1.11 In like manner will he come again How will Christ do you think bless his People at his second Coming What a joyful meeting will there be of the Lamb and his Spouse decked and adorned with Graces how will he welcome his Bride when he cometh again to receive her to abide with him who left her whilest full of spots and wrinkles so kindly he then took a few apart and blessed them but then at his second Coming Gather my Saints together Earth and Sea must give up their dead and never a Saint be lost but raised at the last day Christ blesseth Believers at death receiving their souls making their bodies rest in hope but at His appearing he will bless them with a glorious Resurrection making their vile bodies like his glorious Body Phil. 3.20 Saints bodies shall then be glorious spiritual strong and incorruptible 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. No more hunger and thirst nor cold and weariness no more crying nor saying I am sick nor pain nor death Christ will set them at his Right hand and bless them with a sentence of Absolution Come ye blessed of my Father Well may the afflicted Church on earth tossed with tempests cry Come Lord Jesus come quickly Oh! what a time of refreshing shall that be Act. 3.19 how shall the Saints then sing Halelujah Blessing Honour and Praise be given to the Lamb and to Him that sitteth on the Throne O joyful Day when our Lord Jesus who went to Heaven With his Hands lifted up in Blessing shall come to carry his People blessed triumphantly in Heaven Into the hands of this Lord Jesus I commit you my Dear People SERMON XI Psal 69.6 Let not them that wait on thee O Lord God of hosts be ashamed for my sake let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake O God of Israel The Psalm for the main substance of it is Davids prayer for deliverance from the grievous oppression of his cruel enemies yet it so relates to David that many passages do also respect Christ of whom David was an eminent Type so the 9th verse is applied part of it John 2.17 and the rest of it Rom. 15.3 and so may more passages in it be applied This Petition for deliverance whether you refer it to David or Christ is 1. Propounded in the beginning of the first verse Save me 2. Prosecuted and urged with divers Arguments whereof the first is drawn from the greatness of the calamity under which he lay ver 1 2. Secondly From his long waiting and earnest crying his throat dried his eyes fail ver 3. â— Thirdly From the number and nature of his enemies more than the hairs of his head and they very malicious and injurious hating him causelesly forcing him to unjust restitution Under which also is couched a 4th Argument viz. his own innocency as to the matter wherof he was accused and for which he was hated and persecuted ver 4. Notwithstanding which innocency of his as to the particulars wherewith he was charged by men â—e yet justifies God in permitting these evils to befal him for this I take to be part of the sense of the 5th vers O God thou knowest my foolishness and therefore I cannot justifie my self before thee nor accuse thee of injustice for permitting it to be thus with me Though the words may seem also to look another way viz. to be Davids appeal to God concerning his innocency in those particulars q. d. Thou Lord who knowest my foolishness from whom my sins are not hid knowest my innocency in the things whereof I am accused By the way take this Note Obs When men oppress and pesecute most unjustly yet there is cause to justify God in suffering it to be so God's Justice is executed upon us by their injustice if men falsly accuse us yet God can truly charge us When Job had to deal with men he will maintain his integrity against their accusations chap. 27.4 5 6. but when he hath to deal with God he acknowledgeth his sin will not stand upon his own justification he will not plead but supplicate chap. 9. throughout The Prophet Jeremiah grants the conclusion chap. 12.1 though he defiers to debate with God about the prosperity of the wicked and about God's permitting them to oppress and trample upon his People If any of God's People think they have hard measure from men that they are wrongfully and injuriously handled as to some particular yet let them eye God and confider their carriage towards him and they shall find cause enough to say as Ezra 9.13 Thou hast punished us lesse than our iniquities deserve It may seem hard that the poor Messengers of Christ who desired nothing more but libery to speak to fouls that they might be saved and have daily bread should be deprived of this liberty livelyhood upon such ground as were not necessary to be imposed by others of which themselves cannot submit to without losing the peace of their conscience and credit of their Ministry yet who so innocent that he cannot see reason enough to justifie God alas there is so much unfaithfulness luke-warmness negligence laziness and a thousand other miscarriages to be found in us as may abundantly justifie God in this dispensation though he seem to spit in our faces and to lay us aside as a vessel wherein there
is no pleasure But to come to the Text. It may be considered either with relation to what goes before and to the scope of the Psalm and so it is an argument enforcing the Petition for deliverance drawn from the ill consequence which would follow if God should permit his enemies thus to insult viz. that hereby the Godly would be ashamed and confounded they would stumble and take offence at his sufferings Or it may be considered absolutely and so the Text is a Petition That God would prevent that sad consequence of his sufferings by his seasonable deliverance or some other way In the words thus considered observe first to whom the petition is directed viz. to God described by a double Title the one of Majesty Lord God of Hosts the other of Mercy God of Israel 2. For whom it is made and that is the Godly described by a doudle practice of theirs viz. those that wait on God and those that seek him 3. The matter of the Petition and that is That such might not be ashamed and confounded 4. The motive that induced him to make this Petition or that which gave occasion of it and that is included in those words for my sake or as the Original in me that is because of my grivous sufferings and calamities The words are plain and need no further opening Divers observations would arise from each branch but I shall only name three Observe 1. God's People are waiters on and seekers of God This I pass by 2. The long and grievous afflictions of God's eminent Servants are apt to stumble and confound others even the truly Godly 3. A Gracious soul fears and prays against the evil influence that his sufferings might have upon others The second of these I chiefly aim at in prosecution whereof I shall 1. Shew that it is so 2. What it is that men stumble at in the Saints sufferings 3. Whence it comes to pass 1. That it is so Scripture abundantly bears witness and experience confirms it Did not Job's Friends sadly stumble at his sufferings though not in being a shamed and confounded yet in censuring and condemning him for an hypocrite as appears in their debates with him As David was well nigh gone and had almost slipt at the consideration of his own sufferings and the wicked's prosperity Psal 73.2 13 14. so he declares that others were stumbled upon the same account even his People i. e. the People of God ver 10. But what need we multiply instances when we have one in stead of all viz. the sufferings of Christ himself at which not only others but even his Disciples and Apostles themselves did sadly stumble Peter denies and forswears him others of them stager and question whether he was what he had declared himself the Redeemer of Israel Luke 24.21 all forsake him The Sword awakes against the Shepherd and the Seep are scattered Zech. 13.7 Thus it hath been in all ages of the Church though I deny not that the blood of the Martyrs hath been the Seed of the Church yet that Seed hath not sprung up ordinarily till following ages as for that present age wherein they suffered their falling into troubles did cause others to fall off and depart from them The Cross hath been and will be a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence to many men will shun that way wherein they see others plunged and sticking in the mire Therefore hath the holy Ghost laid in much for the prevention of this mischief This seems to be the scope of Psalm 37. 73. To this purpose are recorded both dreadful threatening against those that should be ashamed of Christ or his Members in their sufferings such as Mark 8.38 and also precious promises to those that should boldly own and openly profess him Mat. 10.32 Luke 12.8 all which intimate that there is a propensity in the best to fall into that sin Hence it is that the Apostle cautions his Thessalonians that none of them should be moved by his afflictions 1 Thess 3.3 Let me only subjoyn this here which I desire you to carry along with you through my whole discourse That all do not stumble in the same kind some are weakned and discouraged and so either fall off or play Nicodemus his patt others having promised themselves a fair gale of prosperity which should waft them over safe speedily to the heavenly shoat when they see others tossed with an Euroclydon conflicting with the winds and waves ready to be swallowed up or dasht in pieces upon the rocks of affliction make a retreat resolving to venture no further upon that tempestuous sea so Demas and others in Pauls time Some again stumble by passing hard censures upon those whom they see too meet with hard measures in the world These and divers other wayes which we shall occasionally touch upon though the Text points cheifly at one way do men stumble at the sufferings of the Godly 2. Let us enquire what it is that men stumble at in reference to the Godlies sufferings and we shall find chiefly three things all which may be fairly implyed in the Text. 1. Sometimes men even the Godly stumble at the persons so afflicted are ready to think hardly of them as Jobs Friends of him because God deals hardly with them How ordinary is it for men to pass harsh censures upon those that fall under heavy afflictions and there 's good reason for there being upon every mans heart an indelible impress of God's vindictive Justice they know the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.32 the Judgement of God and that he is the Judge of the world to inflict punishments on offenders knowing also that this Righteous Judge cannot will not pervert Judgment hence they conclude that those so severely and signally punished must needs be guilty of some grievous enormities or monstrous impiety a clear instance we have in the censure those Barbarians passed upon Paul when they saw the Viper leap and fasten upon his hand Acts 28.3 4. Now this impression of the Divine Justice remaining upon the Godly as being indeed a part of their sanctification they sometimes forgetting that afflictions are the portion of God's People and that they are part of the childs portion are ready to judge those to be none of God's Children who are thus afflicted Nor do men this way only stumble at the persons of the Godly in afflictions but which is more ordinary they are shie of owning them stand at a distance from them forsake them See Psal 69.8 2 Tim. 4.16 This was our Saviours own case Isa 52.14 53.23 All in Asia even Phygellus and Hermogenes turned away from Paul 2 Tim. 1.15 Onesiphorus is almost the only man who was nor ashamed of his Chain verse 16. It is so in any kind of affliction Tempora si fuerint nubila solus eris But one of the saddest kinds of stumbling in this respect is when those that should be Comforters turn Censurers when the Godly
exercised your patience to the full and the time far gone yet give me leave a little more have patience for your dying Minister God knows whether ever or never I shall trouble you thus again the pains is mine I pray God the profit may be yours If the Word of God's Grace be such Security Comfort to a left People Be exhorted 1. To attend upon the Publick Preaching of the Word This is the ordinary and appointed means to get benefit for your souls Those that came to Christ were healed of their several infirmities and maladies Would you have your spiritual maladies healed your natures sanctified corruptions mortified Grace implainted Grace increased strengthned Wait on the Word for this is the standing and appointed means When Joseph and Mary sought for Christ they could not find him in the Company nor amongst their Friends nor in the City but in the Temple Luke 2.43 44 45 46. Think not to find God and Christ in sinful company in your houses nor in your fields nor flocks but in his Ordinances these are his Wine-Cellers and Banqueting-houses wherein he will feast your souls with spiritual dainties and varieties Cant. 2.4 2. Be frequent in reading it labour to understand and believe it The oftner you reade it the more you shall understand it the more you understand it the more you shall believe it and the more you believe it the more comfort and benefit you shall reap by it What advantage will all the excellencies be to us if we do not believe them and how can we believe them unless we understand them and how can we understand them unless we reade it and hear it preached Therefore be constant in reading every day some part of God's Word season your souls with it in the morning let it lock up your thoughts in the evening Here you have a prescribed remedy for every malady a plaister for every sore here is comfort for every sorrow and in all affliction here is counsel in all your straits Deprive not your selves of the benefit for want of reading studying the Word You feed every day your bodies with your daily food feed your souls with this food 3. Treasure up the Word in your hearts Let the Word of Christ saith the Apostle dwell in you richly in all wisdom Col. 3.16 Where there is a Malady there the Remedy must be applied Your Malady is within So many sins so many diseases so many sins so many wounds This will be Physick to cure your diseases A Plaister to heal your wounds Blindness is the disease of the understanding Vanity the disease of the mind Stuborness the disease of the will And the sin of each faculty of the soul and member of the body is the disease and wound of that faculty and member But this Word dwelling powerfully in you enlightens your understandings fils your minds with heavenly mindedness makes your wills obedient heals every faculty and every member though it be in part Physick doth not cure us Cordials do not comfort nor strengthen us unless we drink them Plaisters do not heal us unless we apply them Food doth not nourish us unless we eat and digest it No more will the Word of God be as Physick as a Cordial as a Plaister as Food to purge sin to comfort us to heal us to nourish our Graces unless it dwell within us How can a Souldier defend himself and beat his enemies when he is a naked man without his Weapons you are naked unarmed if the Word dwell not in you Well than Be well acquainted with God's Menaces against sin and his Judgments upon it Be well acquainted with his Promises that you have both in readiness when occasion requires 4. Walk according to it Make it a light to your feet and a lanthorn to your paths Psal 119.105 This is the way of peace And as many as walk according to this Rule peace be upon them and the whole Israel of God Gal. 6.16 It is the way of security read Isa 33.15 16. It is the way of blessedness Not the hearers but doers of the Word shall be blessed in the deed Jam. 1.22 23 24 25. I shall give you three or four instances First In sanctification of the Sabbath God hath given us six dayes to do our work in and hath taken himself but one in seven to be served in and it is a robbing of God not to keep his Day holy The Christian Sabbath is a weekly commemoration of Christ's arising from the dead and accomplishing the great work of our Redemption and in thankfulness for so great a mercy be sure you keep holy be strict in religious Duties publick and private Make conscience of performing duty and make conscience of a right manner of performing duty when others play sport walk abroad sleep or talk at home reade you the Word or good Books pray and sing praises to God Such as are not careful to sanctifie God's Day care not for God nor Religion any day Such as deny him publick Worship will deny private Worship Such as are careless in performing publick Duties are careless in performing private Duties and Cursed be they that do the work of the Lord negligently Mal. 1. ult Secondly Be careful to govern your Families according to the Word It was Joshuahs resolution That he and his house would serve the Lord Chap. 24.15 and David would suffer no wicked man in his house Psal 10â— Be careful to offer to God a morning and an evening Sacrifice reading some portion of God's Word Be careful and constant to instruct your Families your Children and Servants in principles of Religion in the fear of God season them while they are with you that they may be preserved from infection when they are from you Endevour that Husbands be holy that your Wives be holy that Children be holy that Servants be holy that your Families be as little Churches of God The holiness of a Family is the glory the safety the riches of a Family Thirdly Live in subjection to Supream Power and Authority of the Nation We are branded for Rebels Fomenters of divisions labouring to fire the Nation with civil Discord and engage it in another War but our Practice and our Doctrine shall witness the contrary to the world And therefore I charge you before God's holy Angles and God himself the great Judge of the world that ye be subject to the higher Powers Be actively obedient so far as you may keep peace and a good conscience within and when you cannot obey actively obey passively Fear not Josephs Prison nor Jeremiahs Dungeon nor Daniels Lions Den for a good conscience Praying for all in Authority that under them we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in ALL godliness and honesty Labour I beseech you by your quiet and peaceable lives to vindicate the innocency of your Ministers and their Doctrine from those black-mouthed blasphemies and reproaches envie and malice and ignorance hath cast upon them and doubtless
them and defend them from other sufferings and restore them again to their particular Congregations And pray one for another and for the Peace of Jerusalem Live and depend by Faith upon an invisible God in the midst of visible difficulties and dangers deriving supplies of comfort and strength of Grace from him Be frequent in reading the Word and understand it it is your Way your Light your Weapon and your Food When you go from Church do not as too many do lay up their Bibles on shelves in coffers and never look on them more until the next Lord's day It is the VVord of God written in your hearts and dwelling richly in you in all wisdom not the word on your shelves in your coffers that must guide you defend you and feed you You are careful to lay up your temporal food safely and cleanly O cast not this precious food of your souls at your heels as you do the crusts you give your dogs but begin and end the day with reading understanding treasuring up some part of the VVord and live according to it sanctifie God's Sabbaths according to it govern your Families according to it and manage all your negotiations with men according to it And forget not those things I have lately at large pressed you to from that place Col. 2.6 Remember them when you see me not that as you have received Christ so walk in him For hereby you will abundantly adorn your Profession bring credit to the Gospel and honour to Jesus Christ hereby you shall silence and ashame false Accusers rejoyce the hearts of God's People promote your own Peace and Salvation justifie the Doctrine preached to you from all aspersions and be a Crown of Glory and rejoycing to your dying Minister both now and in the Day of Christ Which that you may be directed and enabled to do and be I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace that is able to build you up and give you an Inheritance among them that are sanctified SERMON XV. 2 Pet. 1.15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things alwayes in remembrance THe occasion of these words and of the Epistle is this The Apostle knowing by Revelation as is probable that he was ere long to dye ver 14. Knowing that shortly I must put off this Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me and fearing that many of those to whom he wrote were negligent enough in minding and perfecting the business of their souls Salvation he therefore labours before his departing to put them afresh in remembrance of their duty ver 12 13. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you in remembrance of these things though ye know them c. as if he had said I know indeed that you who are the called of God know these things in part already which I am puting you in mind of but there are some considerable reasons why I would reinforce them again upon you viz. 1. From the nature of the things themselves they are of great concernment even such as relate to your Salvation ver 10.11 2. From the proximity or nearness of his Death ver 14. Knowing that shortly I must put off the Tabernacle of this body q. d. I am a dying man ere long I shall be taken from you and therefore I would leave this last Legacy with you I would leave something with you which you might remember when I am dead and gone in the words of the Text Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my departure to have these things in remembrance In the Original they run after this manner I will endeavour that ye may alwayes have to make a remembrance of these things after my departure Others reade it thus I will therefore endeavour that ye may be able to have these things in remembrance c. Therefore that is Seeing I am given to understand that I must within a few days be taken from amongst you translating the adversative Particle by an illative therefore I shall leave this Epistle amongst you as upon record that may ever put you in mind of these things when I am dead Hence observe Observ 1. That it is not unmeet for Ministers to inculcate and press the same Truths upon their People Our memories are brittle affections are ready to grow dull and we fall into security in an insensible manner which drowneth the force of former Truths Obs 2. It is the property of good Pastors to take care of their Flocks for the future Faithful Ministers should not only take care for their people whilst they are present with them but after they are gone from them they being spiritual Fathers should lay up for their Children When Christ was to leave his Disciples he leaves some Legacies behind him he tells them what they might expect when he was gone from them and how they should behave themselves in a sinful and troublesome world John 16.1 33. When Paul was to leave Ephesus he sends for the Elders and tells them how they should demean themselves amongst the Flock over which God had made them Overseers We see how Paul was not only a good Shepherd himself but he also provides sutable Successors at least to direct encourage and quicken those that were to succeed him to the same diligence and faithfulness among the People as he himself had exprest Acts 20.28 30 31. When Moses was to be absent but forty dayes from the charge that was committed to him he takes care for the People by leaving Aaron and Hur behind him that they might direct and govern them whilst he himself was in the Mount Exod. 24.14 After these examples I have made it my study and shall make it my business at this time to communicate some spiritual Gifts to you And whereas he said This is the third time I am coming to you Rom. 1.11 I fear I may say this is the last time I am coming unto you I cannot say with Paul ver 14. that our Lord Jesus hath shewed me I must shortly put off my Tabernacle though that may be for ought I know but this I may say that providence seems to point out unto me that the time of my departure from you in particular is at hand Gen. 49.1 We reade that Jacob being to dye calls his sons together to give them some good instructions and to tell them of things to come after his death Now Brethren there is a Law extent which lookes upon many of my Brethren as well as my self who were and are taking pains in the Lords Vineyard as civilly dead henceforth we shall not be in a capacity to preach to you in publick many laborious Ministers after this day are likely to be dead even whilst they are alive if not as long as they live And before I proceed I would that you were freed from mistakes Do not think we lay by our publick Work without cause I would
perfect Rule see how they have agreed or disagreed Look your faces daily in the Glass of God's Word and then you shall see how many spots are upon them This very thing would make and keep us humble while we live and shew us the shortness of our own wayes and drive us to Jesus Christ who hath perfect Righteousness The Swan is a proud bird but when she looks at her black feet she mourns The reason why most are so self-conceited of their own goodness is because they look upon themselves in present abstinence from sin or in present good mood and never look back upon former sinâ—â—â— In a word Let your sins be ever before your eyes 4. Beware of earthly-mindedness Let it not be your only care to get the things of this life 1 John 2.15 16. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world VVe are prone by Nature to mind Earth and nothing else But consider that those that are earthly-minded are enemies to the Cross of Christ Phil. 3.18 19. There are many of whom I tell you weeping who are enemies to the Cross of God viz. those who mind earthly things Such persons frustrate Christ of the end of his dying He died to purchase an heavenly treasure for us he arose and went to Heaven that we should imitate him If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things that are above Col. 3.1 Earthly persons undervalue the death of Christ he died to purchase Heaven they care for Earth more than Heaven Again Earthly persons will have a sad end Their end is destruction Phil. 3.19 Seeing such men put away Salvation from them whilst on Earth at last they shall be put away from Salvation Again Things below are neither a suitable nor a satisfying portion Not suitable your souls being spiritual these earthly not satisfying your souls having infinite desires whereas these are finite your souls everlasting these fading 1 John 2.17 The World passeth away When we have got never so much it may leave us we must leave it Again Earthly-mindedness is Idolatry Col. 3.5 And Covetousness which is Idolatry That which men desire love and delight in most even so much as to make it their portion that is their God Now we know that no Idolater shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Be exhorted in the words of Christ John 6.17 Labour not so much or chiefly for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth to everlasting life Luke 10.41 42. Be not with Martha careful about many things so as in the mean time to neglect the one thing needful 5. Be convinced that God is the best portion and make him yours You are never in a safe condition till you can experimentally say Who is there in Heaven but God and who is there on Earth I can desire besides God Psal 73.25 26. Labour to say with the Psalmist Psal 31.14 I said thou art my God And with Thomas My Lord and my God To this end get an interest in Christ receive him by Faith He that hath the Son hath the Father also God promiseth it as a special priviledge to be the God of any person or People I will be their God Jer. 31.33 When God is yours Pardon of sin is yours I will remember your iniquities no more He wil accept and delight in your persons The Upright are his delight He will take pleasure in all your services Cant. 2.14 Let me see thy face and hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely Your Prayers Praises Alms c. shall come up before God as Incense Acts 10.4 Phil. 4.18 He will alwayes be with you in every place in every condition When you are in your own and when in a strange Country when you are in prosperity when in adversity Moreover all the Promises are yours When God is yours the Covenant is yours of which the Promises are so many branches If you be troubled with the sence of sin he can pardon you if assaulted with corruptions he can strengthen you If you be sad he will comfort you if you be sick he will be your Physician if weak he can strengthen you If darkness be upon your steps he can cause the Light to shine upon your paths If you are in wants he can supply you his is the Earth and the Fulness thereof if in Prisons he will visit you and cause you to sing with Paul and Silas He is an omnipresent Good and an omniscient Good a willing and omnipotent and a sure good Men may take away your Friends or you from them but they cannot take away your God your Estates but not your God your liberty but not your God your lives but not your God God will be a satisfying Good whilst you live a comforting and supplying Good when you dye an Everlasting Good after Death Above all things then get a share and interest in this God for he is the best Good none like him and as the Wise Man saith of Wisdom so let me say of God Get God get Christ God is the principal thing therefore get him and withal thy gettings get an Interest in Christ 6. Get your hearts possessed with an awe dread of Gods all-seeing Eye Walk with a constant fear of God upon your souls Prov. 23.17 Be thou in the fear of the Lord all day long whatever you think speak or do consider God stands by and sees and hears all he knows what thou thinkest and actest even in thy bed-chamber This consideration wrought mightily upon Davids spirit which made him express himself in this manner Whither shall I go from thy Presence whither shall I flee from thy Spirit there is not a thought in thy heart nor a word in thy tongue but lo he knows it altogether Psal 139. Per totum Many would be the advantages of such a temper it would keep us from many a sin we run into Prov. 16.6 By the fear of the Lord â—â—en depart from iniquity yea this is prescribed as a Remedy against all sin in general Exod. 20.20 That his fear may be before your eyes that ye sin not The reason why men do commit secret sins is Because they think no eyes sees them When Satan tempts thee saying Thou art alone the door is lockt the windows shut then say Oh but God sees me the darkness and the Light are both alike to him To this end beg of God he would maintain in your soul more of an actual sence of his Presence plead that Promise in which he saith I will put my fear in them that they may not depart frrom me Jer. 32.40 Unless God renew the fence of his Holiness and Omnipresence we shall groâ—â— atheistical and very secure 7. Serve God according to his Mind and Will neither add nor diminish in God's Worship do what he bids us all he bids us and no more Deut. 12.32 What thing soever I command you observe to do it add not to it nor
Blood of Christ that you may grow thereby I commend you to the Word of God's Grace Acts 20.32 5. Make conscience of all your thoughts and words Do not entertain vain and unprofitable meditations especially beware of Ungodly Athiestical Envious Repining Quarelsom Impure thoughts God sees them and is angry at them The Lord knows the thoughts of man when they are vanity Psal 94.11 He will call us to an account for them in the Day of Reckoning he will Judge the secrets of men Rom. 2.17 and then every private and close thing shall be brought to light whether it be good or wether it be evil Eccl. 12. ult Entertain holy and profitable conceptions Carry something every day in your minds that is worth thinking of when you are at leasure and out of imployment Let some Experience Promise Threatning or some Obscure place of Scripture which hath been explained to you or some profitable part of Scripture-Story be treasured up in your minds that so you may not be at a loss how to imploy your thoughts when you have any vacant hours Sin many times enters in by the thoughts beware therefore of and silence sinful conceptions and imaginations lest they produce sinful actions And so make conscience of your words beware of idle frothy wanton expressions for of every such we must give account Let not your communication be such as that it should corrupt the manners of those you converse with David was careful of his words Psal 39.1 I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue I conclude this with that in Ephes 4.31 5.4 Let all Bitterness and Anger Wrath Clamour and Evil-speaking be put away from among you as becometh Saints and Filthyness and Foolish talking and Scurrilous jestings which are not convenient 6. Be and continue to be good in evil times In times of prophaness be you holy by how much others are worse by so much be you the better It 's Noahs commendation that he was upright in his generation Gen. 6.9 now the generation in which he lived was very wicked Lot was pure in an impure Sodom Say as Joshua Chap. 24.15 Chuse you whom you will serve but I and my house will serve the Lord So let us say let others prophane Sabbaths we will sanctifie them let others despise Prayer we will call upon God as long as we live Be not stumbled because you see the way of holiness every where spoken against Fire burns the hotest in winter nights let your zeal for God's Honour appear when others are Luke-warm and Cold. Do not think the worst of holiness because contemned by wicked men they are fools and are not competent judges Who thinks the worse of himself because a fool laughs at him Gold is gold still though thrown into the dirt by a mad-man so Religion is Precious and Honourable still though mad-men throw dirt upon it 7. Let your life be a walking with God Manifest Holiness and Piety in every turn of your lives Be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every turn manifest Holiness in every calling in every condition in prosperity in adversity in every relation when you are single before you change your condition and whilst you are in a married state A Christian may shew much of Piety in all these circumstances Be holy not only at sometimes but alwayes 8. Live the Life of Faith Gal. 2.19 the Life of Faith is an excellent Life it gives God the glory of all his Attributes of his Wisdom Goodness Faithfulness Power c. It 's a comfortable life Believing we have joy unspeakable and full of glory It keeps the soul from sinking under wants and troubles Faith as I may so say holds life and soul together If you live not the life of Faith ye cannot live see how much there is of unbelief so much there is of death yea unbelief is sometimes a promoter of temporal death That which the Apostle saith of worldly sorrow that it worketh death even natural death the same I may say of unbelief that it doth in it self hasten death for whilst infidelity and distrust prevails sadness discontent vexation repining and murmuring and fear prevails and all these are enemies even to the body of a Christian Moreover if we live by sence we shall lose much of our spiritual life your Graces and your Comforts will dye your Love Hope Joy and Delight in God will decay yea all Religion will decrease and grow faint Faith is the life of all Graces and Duties Sence and Reason is many times at its wits ends we know not what to do but Faith is never at a loss But our eyes are towards thee there is Faith in the former expression was the language of Sense Faith realizeth seeming impossibilities and presentiates things afar of Heb. 11.1 Act Faith for every thing wanting for your selves or for the Church Do you want pardon of sin is conscience burdened with the guilt of your corruptions act Faith upon such Promises as these Isa 1.18 Though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow though they be like Crimson they shall be as Wool and in Hos 14.4 Do you want Righteousness to make you amiable in God's Eyes live upon that Promise in Jer. 23.6 He shall be called The Lord our Righteousness and that in 1 Cor. 1.30 Do you want purging Grace would you feign be washt from the filth and pollution of your lusts Plead such a Promise as that in Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle you with clean water that ye may be clean from all your filthiness will I cleanse you Do you desire persevering Grace and are you fearful of falling away urge that place in Jude 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling c. and John 10.28 29. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish my Father is greater than all and none shall pluck them out of my hands Live by Faith for Counsel when you are in the dark and cannot see your way clear Isa 42.16 I will make darkness light before them and crooked things streight For provision when in straits for security and preservation in a time of danger from Isa 33.16 His place of defence shall be the Munition of Rocks Bread shall be given him his Waters shall be sure And so for the Church Live by Faith for the restoring of a faithful Ministry from Jer. 3.15 I will give them Pastors after my own heart which shall feed them with knowledge and understanding For the restoring of an instituted Worship Mal. 1.11 In every place Incense shall be brought and a pure offering Mal. 3.3 I will purifie the sons of Levi and they shall offer to the Lord a pure Offering in righteousness Believe for the returning of God to his Church and People after his seeming departure and forgetting them Isa 49.14 15 16. Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee
have Tribulation but be of good Comfort As you should be humble in Prosperity so quiet and chearful in Adversity Carry an even frame in each state Let your Moderation be known unto all men even in bearing Afflictions Be not overmuch cast down with any trouble Let the Enemy see that you have been with God by the Gladness of your Countenance You 'l discredit Religion by too much drooping Let not others say You serve a hard Master God that knows all things knows what condition is best for you and how to deal with you Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes Though Adversity and the Wicked may intermeddle with your outward comforts and take them away yet let them see you have inward Joyes with which they cannot intermeddle nor take away 13. Esteem and approve Time as a precious Commodity Husband Opportunities for Soul-Advantage When you have spare hours improve them in Reading Meditation and Prayer Redeem Time from sleep your callings and recreations in order to Heaven Men usually work sleep and recreate more than necessity calls for and then cry out they have no time for holy Exercises Oh what would damned spirits give for two or three of those hours which we throw away Oh how would they spend them would they sleep play or work them away Nay how would they Pray Read and Repent more in one hour than we do in many Brethren the time is short your work is much you have God to honour your Relations to watch over your own Evidences to make clear O then redeem precious Time do not throw it away Ephes 5.16 15. Contend earnestly for the Faith Jude 3. Maintain fundamental Truths I do not mean that you should fall a wrangling with every one you meet The Apostle indeed takes notice of some men that place their Religion in fightings of Words in conflicting with the Air in janglings and disputings about things they understand not 1 Tim. 1.5 6. Some place their Religion in being of this and that Opinion and indeed they are meer Opinionists Our meaning is this When the Enemies of the Church labour to root up the necessary and very foundation Truths of Christianity that we should stick to them As Paul he did earnestly contend for the Doctrine of Christ being the Messiah against the Jews He maintained the Doctrine of the Resurrection against the Saduces The Doctrine of Justification by Christ's Righteousness against the Teachers of the Law He doth strongly and vehemently maintain Divine Worship against the idolatrous worship of the Athenians And so should we contend opportunely and wisely with tongues and lives Contend against Justification by Works against Idolatry rather than God's Honour should be given to dumb Idols give your honour to the Dust Consider fundamental yea every Truth hath been confirmed by no less than Miracles preserved in a miraculous way and sealed in the Blood both of Christ and of Martyrs Never then sell the Truth but buy it 16. Get longing Desires after the Enjoyment of God in Heaven Let your hearts be often sending sighs thither Long till you be at home Groan earnestly till mortality be clothed with Immortality 2 Cor. 5.1 2. Say as he When shall I come and appear before God Long till you be in Heaven that so you may have constant Communion with God's Angels and Saints that ye may be wholly freed from sin and made perfect in Holiness Let your Conversation be in Heawhilst you are on Earth To this end get more acquaintance with Heaven Study till you be convinced that it is and what it is Understand what that Happiness is that Saints enjoy there When you have got minds informed and hearts affected with it often muse and meditate of it This heavenly Conversation is very sweet it will comfort us when we are never so sad Well may the soul say Now I am full of sin O but then no sin I am now sold under sin O but then I shall be free Now I dishonour God but then I shall honour him altogether Now I am in continual fear of falling into sin but then I shall be past all danger Now I am in continual sorrow but then all tears shall be wip'd away Now I am kept in bondage through fear of death but then there shall be living and no more Death and so no more fears of it Moreover this would teach us to understand the World When we do experimentally taste Heavens Joyes we shall despise Earths Pleasures when we seriously think of that Friendship and Communion we shall have with Friends in Heaven even God Christ Angels and Saints it will wean us from Friends on Earth and make us more willing to leave them And when we think of Heavens Honour we shall undervalue the honours and scorn the contempt we meet with in this world Get now and then upon the top of Pisgah and solace your selves with a view of the Heavenly Canaan Having now given you an account of those main Duties and Counsels that relate more immediately to God and your souls I shall briefly give you the sum of those Counsels I have to leave you about things that relate more nearly to you and others with whom you converse and have to do The first is this 1. Discharge domestical Duties Study and perform the Duties that every Relation calls for Act as Christian Parents and Christian Masters towards your Children and Servants bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord call on them to reâ—d the Scriptures frequently that even of Children they be acquainted with that which will make them wise to Salvation keep them to a form of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 hold them to the Principles of Religion Catechisms are called A Form of sound words because they keep the Judgment and Affections sound they help to discern betwixt Truth and Error fit and prepare for hearing of the Word preached and for the receiving of the Lord's Supper For want of this we may observe notorious ignorance in grown youth and old men also For want of this how many that are Fathers in years are meer Children in understanding Again pray with and for your Children and Servants and set them to pray by themselves for this end give them time convenient do not so much forward them in your service as to hinder them from serving God your Servants have God to acknowledge honour and serve as well as you they have sins to be pardoned corruptions to be subdued Graces to beg wants to be supplied and souls to be saved as well as you and will you make them throw their souls over-board to secure your goods And so study to carry as Christians in every other Relation Carry as Christian Husbands and Christian Wives are directed and ought to do that the Gospel of Christ be not blamed upon your account And so you that are Children and Servants as you expect your Parents and Masters should discharge their duties towards you so it is expected you should
Candles and then to put them under bushels I do not remember that the like ever was heard or read of in England before that so many Ministers should have the doors shut upon them in a time when the Protestant Religion is professed and countenanced In the former times when Prelacy was Tyrannical though here one and there one had their mouths stopt so that they could not preach in their own places yet they might preach in another Extraordinary Eclipses usually presage some extraordinary Events The Lord alone knows what the the effects of this Great Eclipse will be And the rather this is to be look'd upon as a great affliction if we consider that we cannot tell when or whether or no there shall be a restauration of Pastors to their People How many poor People may cry out as in Psal 74.9 We see not our Prophets neither is there any amongst us that knoweth how long Well do but see Acts 20.37 38. and think how many Pauls are saying to their People this day Ye may see our faces no more and think how many weeping eyes and sad hearts there are Friends weep many times for a short parting when People are deprived of their Ministers they part with their best Friends 8ly Pray for the Faithful Minâ—sters of God both those that stay behind and especially for those that are constrained to depart 1 Thes 5.25 They have prayed for us many a time In every prayer of mine making mention of you all They have shed many a tear and sent up many a sigh They have mourned for your deadness and unteachableness They do now especially need your prayers 1. Pray that God would keep them stedfast They are Leaders of the People Pray they may not cause them to erre They have many temptations to sin they may be in necessities and that is a great temptation 2. That they may have counsel from God Both those that stay in and those that go out may be in the dark as to their own and the Churches affairs Pray therefore that God's Vrim may be with them both Pray that God would discover to both sorts of Ministers wherein they are defective in any thing that might or should be done and wherein either of them have exceeded that knowing their error they may repent 3. For provision Though bread be taken from their mouths pray God would provide some Obadiahs that may feed them though it be with bread and water In Deut. 10.9 we reade that because Levi had no inheritance amongst his brethren therefore the Lord promised to be his inheritance The Lord knows that many of Levi at this day have little or no inheritance amongst their brethren therefore pray that God himself would be their inheritance They are willing to leave House and Land for the sake of Christ and that they may keep a good and quiet conscience O beg that God would not leave them That seeing they are desirous to honour God that of him they may not be slighly esteemed 4. For their return That you may see their faces once more Rom. 1.10 That they may have a prosperous journey to you again if it be the Will of God If God delight in us he can bring his Priests into his Temple again he can bring Ministers to their People and People to their Ministers O beg that God would speed and hasten the time Plead with God the honour of his Name the necessity of his Church and the shortness of the lives of many of his Ministers Many of them are aged and at the most their dayes are like to be few and those that are younger know not how soon a period may be put to their lives O beg that they may not stand all their dayes idle The door is shut and bars are set so that they cannot enter into God's Vineyard as formerly O beg that the Lord would hasten the opening of the doors of the Temple for them and that he would break these bars assunder What the resolution of God is in this particular you and I know not however do you your duty and perform this office of Love to your Ministers and then let both them and you sit still and acquiesce with the same humble resolution that David had 2 Sam. 15.25 26. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me his habitation but if he thus say I have no delight in thee Lo here I am let him do to me as seemeth good to him So if God see it good for you and us he can and will restore us to his House again but if he say he hath no delight in us behold here we are let him do to us as seemeth good in his eyes We do acknowledge we are unworthy to be Priests any longer to him and that God can bring about his own glory though we were all really dead and if God should lay us aside all our life time as vessels in which he hath no pleasure we desire to submit And now Brethren not knowing when or whether or no you may see our faces again in a publick manner I bid you farewel Acts 20.32 Commending you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up And with the words of the Apostle in Heb. 13.18 19 20. Pray for us and the rather that we may be restored to you the sooner And the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ 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 Amen SERMON XVI Zeph. 3.18 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn Assemblies who are of Thee to whom the Reproach of it was a burden THe Prophet Zephaniah supposed by some Mayer ex Gualth cap. 1. v. 1. as the Prophet Isaiah was of a Family of some Note amongst the Jews some Noble were and are called prophesied in those times that bordered upon the Captivity which was Israels second Egypt and in regard that the body of the People were in his time corrupt and sensless he is a Son of Thunder unto them and in that there was in that corrupt body some sound members a few names that had not defiled their garments he is a Son of Consolation to them The body of the People would not believe enough to humble them nor the Faithful amongst them take in so much as to chear them The Prophets of those times found it little less difficult to prop up good men under their dejections than to throw down bad men castled in their own presumptions The most were perswaded that Captivity would never be and the best had much ado to believe it would ever end as appears by Jeremiah's Purchase Jer. 32.6 7 41 42 43 44. The Text is in the Promissory part of this Book The Prophet ascends the Mount of Blessing at the
In keeping Fasts especially making the dayes on which such a sad Calamity befals us Fasting-dayes As this People did Zech. 7.3 compare Jer. 52.12 The Fast of the fifth Month was for the burning of the Temple which with their solemn Assemblies were all consumed and buryed in its Ashes Secondly In abandoning or at least very much abating Joy in many other things continued to us during the continuance of this Cause of Sorrow Nehemiah though a chearful man droops and cannot be chearful as formerly Nehem. 2.1 2. he is heart-struck with the Churches condition and hath little joy in his own preferment a Prince's smile will not chear him whilst God frowns on his People Uriah will not enjoy honest and lawful delight whilst the Ark is hazarded 2 Sam. 11.11 He that denies proffered delights because the Ark is but hazarded how would he have disdained if not abominated such a Proffer if the Ark had been captivated The Wife of Phinehas sets not her heart on the Tydings of a Male-child when the Ark is taken 1 Sam. 4.21 22. There is little Joy in Children when we suspect whether we shall leave them a Gospel or no We may write Ichabod upon the Children born in our houses in a time when God seems to be breaking up house amongst us Oh who can tell what a want the want of Christ's School of Ordinances is to poor Children Thirdly Mentioning not or at least not accounting our own losses that do accompany this for such Calamities seldom come alone comparable to or worthy to be named with this Loss You may see the frame of this Prophets Spirit Psal 137. totum They cannot joy no though in Babylon they were seated in a fruitsoyl by the waters side but there they weep And what is it for it is for Zion no doubt but they had many a doleful thing to remember beside Zion and her concernments much Spoile and Cruelty The Famine that would fill them with many sad thoughts and the Sword and its Executions would mind them of grievous things but it is Zion that makes their heart bleed As this is their chief Joy so this is their chief Sorrow They did not so much miss the Comforts of their native Country as Jerusalem Oh that City of their Solemnities Oh Jerusalem they cannot forget David in his Exile wanted many things besides the Courts of the Lord but he speaks as if he wanted nothing but them nothing as them He breathes not after Sauls court but after God's Court. Some upon the 84th Psalm and the 4th verse do leave out the supplement Even that is in our Translation and reade it as an abrupt and pathetical Exclamation thus Thine Altars O Lord of Hosts q. d. Oh for thine Altars O my God when and where shall I be so happy Thine Altars thine Altars The Birds they have Nests where to lay their Young they have what is agreeable to their nature need and refreshings Oh why have I not where to lay my head Oh why am I kept from my Resting place David in his Exile seeing the Birds come and go to their Nests like a passionate Lover he takes occasion thence to bewaile his sad lot As sometimes Queen Elizabeth did in her Restraints Speed in the Life of Qu. Mary upon the sight of the Milk-maid out of her Prison Windows whose merry singing over her Pail put her into a pensive dump preferring a poor liberty before her Princely Captivity So that the words are an holy piece of Poetry expressing so zealous an Affection to the Ordinances that turned every thing it met with either into Fewel or Bellows Fourthly Lamenting after the Lord during the time of this Sequestration on us for our Delinquencies until the Lord take it off and put us into possession of these dear Liberties and precious Priviledges One of the Daughters of godly Sorrow is vehement desire As in the Creation out of the Waters were formed the winged Fowls 2 Cor. 7.11 And hence comes a sickness of heart until the Mercy desired be obtained No Mercy that is on this side Christ and Grace more panted after This is that which David will seek after Psal 27.4 this is that he thirsts for and longs for that he may see God's Power and Glory as he had seen him in the Sanctuary Psal 63.1 2. Oh that I may but behold those glorious Ordinances If it had not been for hopes of Restitution his heart would have fallen into a deadly swond Psal 27.13 You find the People 1 Sam. 7.2 lamenting after the Lord. We should lye in Tears whilst the Church lyes in its Ruines It is Junius his note upon the Text Pios qui tanto studio conventus sacri constringuntur ut tantisper dum a Deo absunt sint in maerore luctu The Spirit of a good man under such a want should be like that of Mephibosheth in Davids absence 2 Sam. 19.24 Whilst David was driven out he hath no mind of himself nor of any thing he hath And when David is returned he is so full of that that he cares not if he hath nothing else Surely brown bread and Gospel is good fare and a short allowance of Temporals will serve if God will restore and mend our spiritual Pastures Isa 30.20 And thus much of the first Question The second follows which is 2. Quest Why should Church Members be sorrowful for the want of them Answ The Text shall answer this Question that so I may at once more fully explain the Text and confirm the Doctrine and before I give the Reasons that are couched in the Text I shall only premise this That I take it for granted that by Solemn Assemblies are meant all the Appendices of them and takes in the want of the Word Worship Ministry and Ordinances which things do make them sacred and in a peculiar manner solemn Assemblies This premised I come to the first Reason Reas 1. Because they are Solemn Assemblies i. e. Holy Meetings for high and great Ends. The Testification of our duty in our attendance upon and approaches to his Majesty and the Communication of his Grace Mercy and Goodness so that in losing them we are prevented from doing that which is the main end of our being and are interrupted in the enjoying of that which is the means of our present and future well-being But because it is particulars that do affect singularia pungunt I shall a little open this Loss in two particulars First In the want of Assemblies we want the Publick Worship And Secondly We want the things to be enjoyed in Publick Worship and to be received in it 1. In the want of the Solemn Assemblies we want Publick Worship there the People are Psal 102.21 22. gathered together to serve the Lord. The service of God is reckoned among the Jews Priviledges Rom. 9.4 Publick Worship is one of the Jewels in the Jews Cabinet First Publick Worship is that which God loves and that God hath wrought in all
O mourning soul is it nothing that there is no change in the Covenant of Grace though it may be thou thinkest there is a great alteration as to the Means of Grace Thy Teacher is where he was though some of thy Teachers be removed It is he that taught thee by them and he can teach thee without them Thou hast before seen cause to magnifie him because he did All by the Instruments and now thou mayest see cause to omnify him that can be to thee instead of all Instruments Christ Jesus is in Office and in exercise of his Office as Prophet when some Officers may be discharged John 5.17 Christ works if some others may not can you not find all that you have lost in that one Title of Christ The great Shepherd of the Sheep Heb. 13.10 If you should be brought so low as to see no Temple yet may you find a Temple in the Lamb Rev. 21.22 Some think that Promise of God to this mourning People Ezek. 11.16 That he would be to them as a little Sanctuary is not only a Promise of protection but that he would from himself also make some supply of Temple-Ordinances I will be a little Temple to you I will be instead of your City-Walls and your Temple-Priviledges 2. As for future Hopes there is room for an If I shall find favour in his eyes 2 Sam. 15.25 The Prophet Ezekiel dare not conclude against dry bones living Ezek. 37.3 11 12. The Text is a promise of gathering a mourning People If it be asked May we apply such Promises I Answer Yes sure we may with giving God that liberty he hath reserved to himself That he will either give us the very thing or that which is equivolent The Promises are a cōmon stock What Peter saith of Scripture There is no Scripture of private interpretation I may with a little change say of Scripture-Promises they are not of private application Nay if that be true which some upon good grounds affirm That the Church then was typical and the times that passed over her then were typical of that state of the New-Testament Church in its latter age then I say these Promises are as much ours as theirs Act Faith therefore on this Promise if God hath pricked thy heart and fear not to conclude that either God will find us a room in his House on Earth or give us the Mansions that Christ hath prepared for us in Heaven Either we shall be gathered thither where we have enjoyed Ordinances or into Heaven where we shall need none which is best of all O let our scatterings unite us O let us be sowing Goodness and scattering Religion wherever we come compare Acts 8.1 4. with chap. 11.19 And pour out our hearts in those words with which the Jews conclude both in writing and in reading the Lamentations of Jeremiah in Lam. 5.21 wherewith I will conclude this mournful discourse Turn thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned Renew our dayes as of old Amen SERMON XVII Ephes 5.15 16. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise Redeeming the time because the dayes are evil THe Apostle having in the former part of this Chapter given the Ephesians warning to avoid that Looseness Prophaneness and Disorder in their lives and conversations which would exclude them out of the Kingdom of Heaven In this verse he comes by way of inference to direct them what course they should take In which words we have several things well worthy our consideration As 1. The Duty enjoyned and that with a note of earnestness See that ye walk circumspectly q. d. have a care 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Accurate exactte be sure what ever ye do that ye walk exactly And this Duty he amplifies 1. Negatively Not as Fools And 2. Positively But as Wise 2. Here is a special part of the Duty particularized Redeeming the time 3. Here is a reason of the Command or a motive to the performance of the Duty Because the dayes are evil The words thus considered are very pregnant and will without much midwifery bring forth these very many useful and seasonable Observations Doctrine 1. That a truly Christian Conversation is an exact Conversation Doct. 2. That a loose Life is a Fools Life Doct. 3. That he is the wisest Man that lives most exactly Doct. 4. That specially in evil Times we have need of much spiritual Wisdom for the right ordering of our Conversations Doct. 5. That it is a special part of Christian Wisdom to redeem Time Doct. 6. That the worse the Times are wherein we live the more it concerns us to redeem Time and to live exactly and wisely Doct. 7. That to live loosely and lose Time and Opportunities of good when times are evil is the veriest Folly in the world Here are rich Materials for a large Fabrick and I would gladly make the best of them for your advantage but I am confined not self-confined as formerly but by a necessity imposed upon me I say I am confined to such narrow straits of time that though it be a Treasury of such precious Truths as deserves a long and serious view yet I shall be constrained to crowd much in a little room and to give you but an half-fight of these Jewels and so put them up again but this I 'le do I will open the Cabinet and shew them to you as I can and so leave them with you in hopes you will take a more full and considerable view of them afterwards And so I shall begin with the first Doct. 1. That a right Christian Conversation is a circumspect exact Conversation a strict and precise Conversation wherein a man endeavours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go to the top and walk upon the very ridge of his Rule As Paul Phil. 3.12 13 14 15. who laboured not only to see at a distance but to hit the very Mark of Christianity While he was a Jew he was strict and precise in that way he was of the strictest Sect of Religion Acte 26.5 And so when he was converted to Christianity he did not throw off his strictness and preciseness but guided it by the Rule of Christianity and exhorteth the Ephesians and all other Christians in the words of the Text to do the like I should not doubt easily to convince your judgements and understandings of this Truth but because strictness is a thing that is every where spoken against the hardest task will be to perswade your wills and affections to embrace this Truth I shall endeavour both by this ensuing Demonstration 1. Christians have a Rule to live by and this Rule is the Word of God This is that Rule mentioned by the Apostle Gal. 6.16 God hath not left man like brute beasts in a Forest As soon as he made man in the world he gave him a Rule to walk and live by Gen. 2.16 17. And as an Emblem of this spiritual Enclosure he left not our
Name the danger of a loose careless prophane and worldly life let them now speak let their own consciences say if I did not and yet they would not hear they would not obey Oh Sirs how would you be able to look Jesus Christ in the face Nay how would you be able to look me in the face at that day I beseech you think of this seriously before hand before it be too late I profess to you your souls are so dear to me that I would not for a thousand worlds be your accuser before the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ but yet if you will not be advised your blood shall be upon your own heads and I shall be free I shall now conclude this Particular with that one word of the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.11 14. Seeing then that the Heavens and Elements and Earth and all the Works that are therein shall be dissolved what manner of Persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of Christ in peace without spot and blameless 2. The second Word of Advice that I have to leave with you I shall likewise take out of my Text and that is That you would carefully redeem precious Time for God and your own poor souls A common understanding might easily suggest reason enough to follow this Advice Do but consider how little a time we have yet to live in this World how much time we have already spent in vain how sure an account we must give for our time as well as other talents remember that Eternity depends upon this moment we owe God all our time and we cannot lay it out better than for our poor souls Especially consider this grand Argument of the Apostle in the Text that the dayes are evil If it be bad Weather and an unseasonable Harvest and all the Corn upon the ground be like to be spoiled the Husbandman will be sure to raise the price of his good old Corn. Do but use the same Spiritual good husbandry for your souls You may perhaps think that you have many years to live in the world still that is very uncertain Oh but however consider that opportunities of doing and receiving good are few and like to be fewer still and by how much the more rare they are shall they not be the more precious with you God in mercy prevent our fears and jealousies but it is too suspitious that a good Sermon may be rare a good Exhortation or Reproof may be rare a good Minister may be rare an opportunity of Christian Friends praying together may be rare Therefore redeem time while you may lay hold upon every opportunity of good and labour to know in this your day the things that belong to your eternal peace before they be hid from your eyes When Death comes and Judgment comes it will then be too late and therefore in vain to cry out for a little more time for one more good Sermon for liberty of praying once more to God for Grace and Mercy I should have enlarged my Advice in some particulars of strict walking and improving precious time Pray hard set up that great duty of Christianity in your Families Keep Wickedness not only out of your hearts and houses but out of the Town too to the utmost of your power Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy What help you want in publick make up by your holy diligence in private Reade the Scriptures and other good Books much You that have learned your Catechism do not forget it Parents and Masters have a care of your Children and Servants Husbands and Wives watch over one another provoke one another to that which is good Neighbours exhort and admonish one another pray with and for one another and go before one another in an holy Example But I have not time to ennumerate all I have now given you my Advice and I pray God that you may follow it in truth and now I come in the last place to make my last publick Request unto you I bless God I covet no mans Silver nor Gold my Conscience bears me witness that I have not sought yours but you and now at last all that I shall beg of you is your prayers for me and that I hope none of you will deny me I have taken some pains among you I have often prayed for you and by the Grace of God shall never cease praying for you that the Lord would keep you from evil and furnish you with his Grace and afterwards bring you to Glory All the recompence that I ask of you is That you would not forget me at the Throne of Grace but let me have a share in your prayers In many respects I do earnestly and heartily beg your prayers but I must not now mention them all One is this That God would be pleased to pardon my great Unfaithfulness and Unprofitableness among you I beseech you Brethren do not think that I am now complementing with you Something I have done and God forbid that I should not have some ground to hope that God hath blessed my poor Labours to the doing of some good amongst you and perhaps my weak Labours have been acceptable yea and I bless God for that acceptance they have found with you yet truly Sirs God knows and mine own Conscience tells me that I have come much short very much short of that which was my duty to have done which if not pardoned in the Blood of Christ I should never be able to answer before God in the day of my Accounts and therefore I heartily beg your prayers on this behalf Another thing for which I beg your prayers to God for me is That it would please the Lord not to lay me aside as a broken vessel and an unprofitable creature upon the face of the Earth but that yet in what capacity soever the Lord sees good I may do him some service before I go hence and be no more seen I have but a little inch of time to live in this world and my great desire is that while I do live I may be useful for otherwise life will be but a sin or a burden I beseech you pray also that I may be delivered from or strengthened under temptations I am a poor weak creature and cannot stand but by the Grace and Strength of God and I know not what condition the Lord hath allotted for me Only this I have learn'd from the Word of God that they that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 Pray therefore that what sufferings foever the Lord shall at any time call me to I may be enabled by his Grace and Strength so to behave my self under them as that even by suffering I may glorifie his Name and bear witness to the Truth and practise what I have preached and give a good example to others and credit the Gospel and that Profession which I have made thereof My Brethren methinks I have much yet to say and I know not where to break off yet I must come to a conclusion Leave my Work in publick I must and leave you I must or else I must break with God and my own Conscience This is my great grief but yet it is my greatest grief of all that I must leave any unconverted sinners amongst you I profess to you seriously that if I know my own heart I could with chearfulness and joy forsake not only my Living and Livelihood but even my Life also so that I could but see every Drunkard and Swearer and Curser and Sabbath-breaker and Worldling and Prophane person among you converted to a life of Faith and Holiness I dare not not onely for fear of man but chiefly out of conscience I dare not open my lips to utter one word to encourage you to Faction or Schism or any unquietness but with the Apostle I exhort you to follow the things that make for Peace and to wait upon God for the mending of what is amiss But this I must tell you withall that if you do not follow after the things that make for Holiness also you shall never see the Face of God to your comfort Therefore follow after Holiness Follow not that which is evil but that which is good 3 John 11. In the midst of all my other griefs and troubles I shall have no greater joy than to see or hear that any of you walk in the Truth I have preached the Word of Truth to you according to that understanding in the Scriptures which God hath given me I beseech you remember what I have spoken to you in the Name of God and Christ and look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward Let me use the following words of the Apostle to you 2 John 8 9 10 11. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds I must conclude though unwillingly my Farewelwords to you shall be the same with the Apostle's last Farewel to the Elders of Ephesus Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Amen Amen FINIS