shall all stand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ there we shall appear all upon a Level stand upon equal ground and receive our final doom from him This therefore should calm our Spirits Why may there not be some differences in Judgment without division in Affection for it is as impossible that all Judgments should be of the same extent as all our faces to be of the same colour and figure Therefore consider what an injury it is to our Profession how doth it obscure the glory of God and lustre of our Religion Thirdly Doth not the publick Enemy rejoyce over us I mean the Papists Do they not warm themselves at the sparks of our Divisions for you know the old Maxim of Divide and Reign Therefore it should compose our spirits and quicken us to labour after Union Vnmortifi'd Lusts are thence whence all Wars Enmities springs in the World The Apostle Paul when he would compose their differences he doth not lay down Rules to decide their Controversies but corrects their secret Passions Pride Self-seeking Revenge c. this being the Seed of all Disturbances in the Church And although these Lusts may not be conspicuous and visible to the eyes of men yet they are certainly the Fuel of our Distempers The sum of all is this Those that have the Spirit of God they cannot but mourn and be sensible of these Divisions I know a great part among us are unconcern'd some rejoyce those that are rather buried in the Affairs of the World and incumbred with much business or those that are steeped in the pleasures of sense are altogether unaffected with these things and stand as Neuters dis-regarding all events But the Saints of God cannot but mourn over them when our Divisions hinder the progress of the Gospel and are serviceable to nothing but to the Kingdom of Darkness Therefore I beseech you let what hath been spoken quicken you in your Prayers to God to pray for the peace of Jerusalem that 's the least effect of our love and desires after Peace and by all endeavours to labour to bring back Peace to us that we may see that Prophesie fulfilled in our time that the Lord shall be one and his Name one amongst us Doctor BATES His Afternoon SERMON Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is wel-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ To whom be glory for ever and ever Amen THe Apostle describes God by the effects of his power and love That brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus The Resurrection of Christ from the dead is one of the most transcendent testimonies of God's love and power towards us 1 Of his Love because as the Anger of God was that which crucified our Saviour so on the contrary it must be his Love that should raise and restore him Christ when he died he looked upon God as an Enemy as a Judge and as those Colours which we see conveyed to us are unanswerable to the Medium through which we see them as if we look through a coloured Gloss we see the object of that colour So the Lord Jesus when he was upon the Cross looked upon God through the black cloud of our sins and through the red cloud of his Father's wrath and so died as a sacrifice to Divine Justice But when he was raised from the Grave that was the restimony of God's love to him and of his love to us for he died as our Surety he was arrested for our debt he was cast into the Grave as into a Prison But by his Resurrection he was redeemed from Prison and Judgment And therefore you shall find when Christ was risen he salutes his Disciples with this Peace be unto you Luk 24.31 There was the dawning of peace at the Incarnation of Christ for then the Angels sung Peace upon Earth but the compleat Sun-shine of peace was at his Resurrection when he had made full and compleat satisfaction to God's Justice for this was a clearing of him before all the World when God rais'd him from the grave And in this respect it was very agreeable for the Apostle to say The God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus 2 It was the effect of Infinite Power You know 't is naturally impossible for a dead body to quicken it self to revive but for the Lord Jesus who had the load of the sins of all the Elect upon him who was as it were secured in the grave by God's Justice and Power for him to rise again This must be an effect of Infinite Power in the great God This raising of Christ sometimes 't is attributed to the Son being God equal with the Father but here 't is attributed to God And therefore when the Scripture would speak with the greatest magnificence of the Power of God it expresses it thus That Power which raised Jesus Christ from the dead When Christ wrought deliverance for the lost world all those who were committed to his charge This could be no less than the work of an Infinite Power And upon this account also it is very proportionable to the design of the Apostle for that Prayer he makes to God is for that which onely can be accomplished by Infinite Love and infinite Power i.e. to make the Christian Hebrews perfect in every good work to do his will I come to a further description He that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus The Title of the Lord Jesus was only given to our Saviour after his Resurrection he was called Lord before and Jesus before but these two Titles were never united till after his Resurrection They came to see the place where the Body of the Lord Jesus lay the reason was this Because the Resurrection of Christ was a solemn Proclamation to the world that Christ was the Son of God 't is true this Title was iven him immediately upon the Conception but it was never compleatly declared to the world till after his Resurrection for before Christ was a Prince in disguise the beams of his Divinity was abated by the vail of his Humanity but then he was declared by power to be the Son of God It follows That great Shepherd of the Sheep For the opening of this 1 We will consider this Title of Christ 2 The person for whom this Title relates First This Title The great Shepheard 'T is a wonderful condescention in Christ that he will take upon him the Title of a Shepheard that which rather expresses Love and Care than Power and Dominion yet he is pleased to assume this Title to express his affection to us For the opening of it wherein he appears to be the great Shepheard I shall lay down these particulars 1 He is great in the Dignity of his Person
Cure so there can be no sweeter peace then when mercy and peace meet together and when Conscience and Peâ—ce kisleth each other The former is the tast of Heaven the latter is the perambulation of Heaven both which the Believer shares in upon his Justification by Faith If Christ had peace who was made our sinâ— needs must the Believer have peace who is made the righteousness of God in him Secondly Sanctifying grace has a peace attending it and this peace differs from the former as the root from the fruit The peace of Justification is a radical peace the root of peace but the peace of Sanctification is the Bud the Blossom of the Tree The former flows from the Bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience the latteâ— from the conformity that is between the Word and Will between the Commands and the Conscience As many as walk according to this Rules grace be unto them and peace Gal. 6.16 So that peace is the frui of sanctifying grace Now as the bloud of the Paschal Lamb which was a token of peace was not to be struck on the Posts of the Egyptians but upon the Posts of the Israelites so neither is the bloud of sprinkling which brings perfect peace to be struck on the posts of the carnal sinner but on the post of the true Believer an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guil no grace no peace that is God's Law How can a sinner have peace in a state of sin when God and Conscience when Word and Conscience when Law and Conscience and all the Attributes of God are against the sinner No peace saith my God to the wicked Pray mark that Chapter it begins with peace and ends in no peace In vers 2. it 's said He shall enter into peace that is the Righteous In the last verse There is no peace to the wicked It 's the state of grace that 's the onely state of peace And thus I pass from the double grace desired grace and peace to the double Fountain discovered God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ But here 's a Question to be answered If Grace and Peace be from God the Father then how is it said to be from Christ and if from Christ how then from God the Father Answ It 's a known rule thar the transient exernal works of God are attributed to all the Three Persons in the Trinity the same Works that are attributed to the Father are also attributed to the Son and the same Works attributed to the Son the same also to the Father so grace and peace are here ascribed both to God the Father and to our Lord Jesus Christ that is they are both from mercy and from merit From mercy on God's part to us from merits on Christ's part for us They are from God the Father because he wills them to us from God the Son because he works them in us They are from God to Christ from Christ to us they are from God the Father originally and from Christ derivatively and to us actually God the Father is the Fountain of all grace and peace Christ as Mediator is the Conduit of all grace and peace Man in union to Christ is the Cistern into which these streams of grace and peace run God wills grace and peace to us and Christ works them in us God gives grace and peace to be applyed to the Creature this is from the love of the Father but the Application of this peace to the Soul is from the merit of Christ the Redeemer Thus you see there 's a double Spring of this double Blessing Time will not serve me further The onely Observation is That all the grace and peace which Believers share in is derived from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ these three things opened will clear this 1. That grace and peace are the Believer's priviledge 2. That the Fountain of this grace and peace is from God the Father 3. That it is not given out from God the Father but through Christ First That grace and peace are the Saints priviledge if grace is then peace is But grace is the priviledge of every Believer and that whether you look upon it as taken from the love and favour of God to us This is the Believers priviledge God can as well forget Christ at his right hand as cease his love and favour to the Soul of a Believer The Believers Title to all their blessings arises out of this never-failing love of God or if you take grace for the fruit of God's love to the Soul still it falls to the Believers priviledge Vocation Justification Adoption Pardon of Sin purging from Sins strength against Sin Holiness Love Faith Obedience Perseverance all these are the priviledges of every Believer nay a man cannot be a Believer without any one of them they are as essential to the being of a Christian as reason to the being of a man Secondly as grace so peace is the Believers priviledge There is peace Eternal peace Supernal peace Internal and peace External There is peace External this is peace with Men There is peace Supernal that is peace with God There is peace Internal that is peace with Conscience All these three are to be had upon Earth and then there 's peace Eternal and that is onely to be had in Heaven The Apostle here doth not exclude the former but chiefly intends the latter Peace with man is a good thing to be 〈◊〉 but peace with God and Conscience is 〈…〉 to be desired Peace with God is the 〈…〉 things both within and without both below and above both in time and Eternity so says Job If he gives peace who then can make trouble Now this peace is the Saints priviledge It is a Legacy left to every Believer by the last Will and Testament of a dying Redeemer Will you see a Copy of his Will then look in John 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the World giveth give I unto you There is it seems a peace in the Worlds power to give and there 's a peace of Christ's bestowing Now Christ would have us here not to mistake the World's peace for his for the difference is very great for first the World's peace is a false peace it is a counterfeit Coyn it has not the currant stamp of Heaven on it but the peace that Christ gives to a Believer is true peace and perfect peace Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee Secondly the Worlds peace is an outward peace It is but skin-deep it wets the mouth cannot wash the heart Prov. 14.13 In laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness The Worlds peace is but the shell of peace their Conscience lowres when their countenance laughs but the Peace that Christ gives is an inward and spiritual peace Psal 4.7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time
must go to God those Ministers that were wont to comfort us are now to be taken from us our Barnabaâ—'s Sons of consolation their mouths are to be stopped though Ordinances are now to be dammed up the houses of God made places of defilement our Teachers are removed into corners our troubles increase and we have none to tell us how long the light of our eys the comfort of our hearts in respect of the outward means are going from us whither shall we go we want bread for our souls we want cordials for our hearts blessed Saviour pity us and since thou wilt not come to us in thy own presence as thy Ambassadors do come to us by thy Spirit do now in heaven as thou didst on earth pray the Father for us do not leave us as so many Orphans without father or mother but send thy Spirit to refresh our souls see how we are hated and reviled and we must suffer these things now Let us have thy spirit 3 If you would have communion with the Spirit of Christ in his comforting work Take heed that you do not lay up your comforts in the creature This is for to seek for the living among the dead those that rejoyce in the creature rejoyce in a thing of nought and you that have an interest in God God will not take it well at your hands to seek it any where else no not in Ordinances though God would have you to seek comfort in Ordinances yet he would not have you to seek comfort from Ordinances 4 Sit down and be much in duty Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches If you look at the beginning of the Psalm you shall find this Psalm was penn'd when David was deprived of the Ordinances of God Many a man complains that he lives uncomfortably no wonder when he little thinks on Christ 5 Be much in the exercise of grace Then they walked in the fear of the Lord when they walked in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 6. Take heed of quenching and grieving the Spirit your Comforter by neglecting his motions or by acting any thing against the mind of the Spirit Do not sin against him as your enlightning Spirit that will hinder him as your Comforter I close with a word of Comfort to the people of God If it be one of the great works of the Spirit of God here is matter of great comfort to those that stick close to Jesus Christ 1. Sure your comforts will be satisfying Comforts sufficient because they are comforts of the Spirits working The Lord Jesus hath promised to make up the want of his bodily presence by sending his Spirit He was now going from them and tells them That he could not stay and this was sad newes to the Disciples who where ready to break their hearts and the best comfort that he could afford them was to tell them That he would send the Comforter If Christ can comfort his people in the absence of himself surely he can comfort them in the want of all other comforts that relate either to soul or body and so in the want of mercies in the want of outward Ordinances he can comfort the soul It is the Spirit of God that can comfort in the use of these and if he will he can do it in the want of them he can comfort us in the wildernesse where no water is when he doth deny the meanes he can cumfort us without where he denies the stream he can make us drink out at the Fountain 7. And Lastly The people of God find hereby that their comforts are abiding Your liberty your friends ah Ordinances and Ministers may be taken from you your Ministers may be banish'd your Ministers may be imprison'd but here is a Comforter that abides for ever And though they may keep your Ministers out of the Pulpit yet they shall not take the Comforter out of your hearts So that when I shall not Preach any more to you I shall Pray the Father that he would send you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Mr. Bull of Newington-Green His Farewel Sermon in the afternoon Acts 20.32 And now Brethren 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 them that are sanctified THe words are part of S. Pauls Farewel-Sermon or discourse to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus one of those famous seven Churches of Asia that we read of in the book of the Revelations It is not to be doubted as Calvin doth Comment upon the place that though the Apostle speaks immediately to the Elders yet he doth comprehenâ— the whole Church in the Speech Our holy Apostle had been a long time with the Church preaching among them taking pains with them both in publick and private as you may see in the 20 verse and declares to them the whole Counsel of God verse 27. and now being called away taken off by divine Providence by the will of his Master the last and best office that he thought he could do for them was to commit them to the care of God and to leave them in his arms and to recommend them to his Grace It would be more then the time would permit to look over the whole Apostles Sermon which is partly Narrative and partly Consolatory Narrative to put them in mind in what manner he had preached to them from verse 17. to verse 27. And it s partly Consolatory from the 27. to the Text wherein the Apostle could hold no longer but his love constrains him and makes him to break forth into this pathetical wish or rather prayer And now Brethren I commend you to his grace As if he had said I am just now going 〈◊〉 you not knowing that I shall see your face any more now I am a dying man as to my conversing with you anâ— more now I am departing this is the best Legacie I can bequeath unto To commend you to God and to his grace And he speaks to persons as standing in the same relation with God and Christ and having the same Father and the same elder Brother As if he should have said you are as dear to me as my own flesh as if you were my brethren by consanguinity and it is my sorrow that I must leave you but as it is my greatest grief to part with you yet I must leave you and this is the comfort that I shall leave you in safe hands I do not leave you to the wide world I do not leave you as Orphans without a Father as Sheep without a Shepherd but I commend you to God and to his grace O happy word Though I must leave you yet I trust God who is able will keep you as God is present every-where
way of Justification before a God of Grace by way of Sanctification But to proceed First for the description of the Person wherein take notice of him 1 By one of his Attributes 2 By one of his special Works whereby he hath manifested that Attribute 1 The Attribute of God is imply'd under those woâ—ds that he is called the God of Peace The gracious God that provides for Reconciliation between himself and sinners that finds out ways and means to win those who are by Nature Children of Wrath to be the Children of God There is no peace but God is Author of Whether natural peace or civil peace or political peace he is pleased to provide for them But there is a transcendent kind of Peace which doth with a peculiarity belong to God's People i. e. Spiritual Peace between God and Sinners and that inward peace that we enioy if our Conscience hath been troubled with terrors of sin wrath c. Peace belongs so to God as none of the Creatures câ—n have any glory of it Psal 4.7 This Peace is God's Peace none can effect or devise it but God and with respect to this he is more especially called the God of Peace because he hath found out a way to make Reconciliation between God and his sinful perishing Creatures 2 Cor. 5.19 Ephes 2.14 c. Col. 1.13 2 There is a special Work of God attributed to him that the Apostle take into consideration i. e. That he brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant wherein we have many words and every word its weight and we shall scarce be able to weigh every one so as to take the ' ull sense and emphasis of them In the words there is 1 Something imply'd 2 Something express'd 1 Something imply'd namely That the Lord Jesus Christ was sometimes in the state of Death and that being in the state of the Dead it was not any ordinary power way or means could ransom him He was in the state and condition of the Dead he was for a while under the power and dominion of Death his Body for the space of three days lay in the Grave and in that sense was under the dominion of Death as all dead men are The great Shepherd of the sheep could not have his own life in some sense no interest he had in God by virtue of his Sonship or any of his Offices could save him from Death though the Son of God and Head of the Church and Christ looked upon it so far from being below him as he thought it necessary for him and it was his glory Joh. 10.11 12. I am the gâ—od Shepherd the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep but he that is an Hireling and not the Shepherd whose own the sheep are not seeth the Wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth c. â—â—elings they have no such spirit or principle in theâ— that they should lay down their lives for the Sheep bâ—â— he so much respected his Father's glory and good of his Flock finding there was no way to bring them to Salvation As he deny'd himself in all other respects for their good so in this respect lays down his life for them And herein the Church of God seems to have a deadly kind of wound to be at a deadly loss Zach. 13.7 I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered But herein lye the wonderful goodness and wisdom of God he is pleased to improve as the life so the death of Christ for the good of his Church Luk. 24.16 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things It was very expedient that seeing the sheep could not otherwise be saved but by the Shepherd's dying that the Shepherd should lay down his life for the sheep and seeing no other way to make Reconciliation to God it was very expedient Christ should dye Therefore 't is to be taken notice of That it doth not misbecome the Head therefore not the Members of the Body they must be content to lay down their lives for their Flock for so did the great Shepherd 2 Something express'd Where take notice First of the Person spoken of Secondly of that which is given us to be taken notice of in particular 1 The Person to be taken notice of is Our Lord Jesus Christ That which we have considerable is First The Title that belongs to him in his Church in this regard called The great Shepherd of his sheep The Shepherd of the sheep yea the great Shepherd of the sheep Whatsoever glory was 〈◊〉 be communicated to any Member of the Church 〈◊〉 was first put into the Head before they were to be made partaker of it Some were to be made inferiour Ranks Ephes 4.11 But it was not fit any should have such glory to be called Shepherds before he had that honour on him Therefore 't is the great Shepherd he that is Shepherd not of a particular Congregation but of the whole Church of God he is the Saviour of all his Body he hath the full number of all the Elect both among the Jews and Gentiles committed to his charge to save 2 What betides this great Shepherd through God's grace towards him that is that he is brought again from the Dead i. e. that he doth attain to a state of Resurrection And here take notice of this by the way for Consolation The great Shepherd of the sheep doth dye but the great Shepherd of the sheep rises again Herein argues God's love that though he would suffer him to dye yet not to see Corruption Psal 16.10 Because he is the great Shepherd therefore he must dye but because he is the Great Shepherd therefore he cannot continue in the state of the Dead Death must not tryumph over the great Shepherd of the sheep no not by any means As it was necessary that he should dye much more that he should rise again We read Revelations the eleventh concerning two Prophets when they had finished their course they dye and their dead bodies are cast into the Streets c. but we read also of their Resurrection There is a two-fold state incident to those 〈◊〉 one estate of Dying another estate of Rising 〈…〉 it is not peculiar to Christ onely but to others with him The great Shepherd of the sheep dyes no wonder if the little Shepherds dye too But the great Shepherd is raised so shall the little ones in their order and in their time 1 Peter 5.6 When the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away Resurrection is that which Christ exemplifies first in his own Person in order to assure all his Members they shall attain to the same state with him and God is as easily able to provide when he sees expedient to raise them from the Dead as to suffer them to dye Christ he brought again by a high hand and in a
wayes to ler loose the Devill on his owne Children Satan had a desire to afflict Job and God gave way to it c. The Church of God is Gods Spouse and there is a great deale of love between the Husband and Wife between Christ and the Church Yet Psal 4.5 this she is so solemnly charged with all God hath made Christ a head to his Church therefore his Church must be Ruled by Christ and t is not for the Church to say The inferiour shepherds would order me thus and thus we must in the mean while say but What doth Christ say in such cases It is not for the Church to go aside by the flocks of his Companions Cant. 1.7 The Companions of Christ pretend to be Shepherds of the sheep as well as he but have not that power Christ had They have their Societies and would have the ordering of them but the Church desires to know where she may hold Communion with Christ that she may not turne aside by the flocks of his companiâ—◠〈◊〉 There is many Disputations amorg inferiour shepherds but this is out of all dispute that Christ is the Great Shepherd of the sheep That great man at Rome never pretended higher than to be the Vicar of Christ and Successor of Peter now we know that the Principal is much more to be regarded than his Vicar therefore if Christ be the Great Shepherd surely the sheep of Christ must hear his voice before all other shepherds specially since Christ hath spoken so signally in the Case My sheep hear my voice and they follow me a stranger will they not follow for they know not the voice of strangers And God having so solemnly commanded Matth. 17.5 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him The Great Shepherd must be heard before all little shepherds The little shepherds have their division Act. 20.29 After my departure shall grivous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away discisples after them True shepherds are alwaies carefull to make Disciples for Christ and to bring all Disciples to Christ All John's work was to make Disciples to put them over to Christ not to make disciples to himself but to make over all his disciples unto Christ If any man will gather he must gather for Christ not himself others would draw men unto any matter or manner of Doctrine Government c. But our eye must be upon Christ and our ear open to his voice and our Hearts awed with his will and mind in Scripture made known to his Church And they love nor Christ as they ought that desire not to hear his voice before any others in the world for he is the Great Shepherd of the sheep 2. Though he be the Great Shepherd of the sheep yet he dye and though he dye yet because he is the Great Shepherd of the sheep he is raised again The great Shepherd Dyes the little Shepherds must not think much of it if they be called to dye We must be contented it be exemplified in us if occasion serve for if God spared not the Great Shepherd What have the little shepherds to plead for themselves they should be spared If the Case fall out while I labour to serve the Church as I can I come to suffer for the Church in the end I doe rejoyce and I will rejoyce And truly we had need to pray for such a spirit as this for if this was in the Great Shepherd of the sheep it will very well become the little shepherds But against the fear of death here 's the comfort The Great Shepherd of the sheep dyes yet is raised from the dead so shall the little ones not one member of the flock death can alwaies triumph over him In this respect Christ will have all his members to be raised in that he got the victory over death for Christ arose as the First fruits and ascended into Heaven as a fore-runner Though we may have deniall as to the advancing of Christs service c. Yet the Resurrection of the dead is that we must take into our thoughts and t is our solid comfort God will one day bring all the sheep together into one fold and David shall be their King and have the Ruling and ordering of them to all Eternity There is a Resurrection to little shepherds when we come to lay down our naturall lives we can look for no other recompence for it but our Resurrection and the thoughts of it must be our Comfort And oh how doth this incourage us to come unto God though sinne be heavie upon us Remember there is a God of peace that takes to himself this name for this very end that sinners may know for their incouragment that Reconciliation is wrought out between God and them through Jesus Christ and if they will but come and take hold of the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Christ hath said they shall have all the blessings and benefits promised in the Covenant of Grace and that the bloud of Christ can procure for them they shall have forgivness of sinnes and salvation of Soul Therefore when we consider Christ hath dyed to have a flock and for saving of the flock and to make himself the God of peace through his bloud this should comfort us It remains we come to consider of the matter of the Prayer this is very full Make you perfect in every good work to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight c. Here we are to observe two things First The matter of the Apostle's desire Secondly The measure of it The matter of his desire is that the Hebrewes may be made perfect in every good work to doe the will of God i. e. that they may be fully and thoroughly regenerate sanctified throughout both in soul and body and that they may be furnished with all graces and inabled for every duty Take notice of every one of the expressions First Make you perfect T is the duty of Christians to perfect every good work to cleanse themselves from all the impurity of flesh and spirit and to perfect Holinesse in the fear of the Lord 2 Cor. 7.1 Secondly In every good work in matters of Piety Righteousnesse Charity Sobriety for within these head most of those things may be comprehended that belong to Christians they will goe a very great way to make a perfect Christian but that Christian cannot be perfect that is not sanctified in every one of these Thirdly To doe his will that you may be ready chearfully willing to do his will on all occasions But how is it possible flesh and bloud should attain to this that they should be perfect to every good work Why saith the Apostle working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ Working in you You see thereby All our works depend on God's
the puddâ—â—â— of this world If you keep your selves from the puddles of the world from the dung of the woâ—â— ye shall have Rivers of joy flowing into your souls I may say to all such as Solomon saith Eccles 11.9 Go thy way it is a familiar speaking to them Go thy way blessed soul eat thy bread with joy though the world feed thee with the bread of adversity and though the world give thee nothing but the water of affliction yet let thy garments be alwayes white though the world cloath thee in mourning and cause thee to prophesie in sackcloth with the Witnesses yet be of good comfort O Lilly-white soul for God now accepteth thy works now drink thy Wine with a merry heart thy labour thy ambitious labour is that whether present or absent thou mayest be accepted of him thou hast the fruits of thy labour the Lord accepts thy works therefore rejoyce in it Here is the happiness to those who keep themselves clean from a defiled and a defiling world 2. This Point gives us an account why the servants of Christ stand so strictly upon their terms with the world even while some call it peevishness others ignorance others wilful stubbornness What is the reason The reason is because they understand in some measure and have had experience in some measure what it is to walk with Christ in white and it hath left such a relish upon their souls that they would not lose it for all the dainty morsels of this world they had rather indeed walk with Christ in white then walk with the world in scarlet therefore they must stand upon their terms Prov. 10.32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable The lips are instruments of Speech not faculties of knowledge Ay but 〈◊〉 is a great deal of commerce and converse beâ—â—â—â— the Speech and the Understanding and a rigâ—â—ous man will speak nothing with his lips but wâ— he understands therefore he is said to understaâ—â— The lips of the righteous know what is acceptaâ—â—â— To whom The lips of the righteous know what is 〈◊〉 ceptable to God for they are acquainted with 〈◊〉 Rule and God hath shewed them his Covenâ—â— he hath shewed them the pattern of his House aâ—â— the way of his Worship now because they aâ—â— pretty well skilled and know what is acceptabâ— to God therefore they will run any hazard undergo any affliction rather then do any thing that will not please God or be hurtful to their own consciences they are afraid of losing their peace and comfort and joy with God therefore they will not let go the wayes of God as Job saith Job 27.6 I 〈◊〉 hold fast my integrity and my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live as if he had said You my friends have reproached me but I am resolved my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live The Heart or Conscience is a busie faculty and hath many offices it records what we do and come as a witness the Conscience is judge of what 〈◊〉 do and accordingly reproves what we do amâ—â— therefore saith Job I 'le take care of this I am more afraid of the report of conscience then of any mâ— whatsoever therefore I will not do any thing 〈◊〉 may cause my conscience to reproach me as 〈◊〉 as I live This is upon the heart of Gods peopâ—â— they are resolved let men reproach and rail agaâ—â— them as much as they will their hearts shall not reproach them 3. In the third place let it be a word of Caution and Admonition to all at this day to take heed of defiling their garments If you defile your garments Christ will pronounce another sentence he will pronounce a sentence against you he hath threatnings for those who defile their garments in the place of rewards for those who keep them clean They who defile their garments shall walk in garments of black in the black of dishonour as Job saith I walk all day mourning without the Sun the Sun of righteousness shall not shine upon them Oh what bitter and sowre things have many tasted for defiling their garments when for favour of men or to please men they have stained their own garments What sad bitter things hath been upon them how hath conscience risen up against them Oh take heed of the After-claps of conscience I may say take heed of the Thunder-claps of conscience for they will come upon you one time or other if you defile your garments As they who to please men defile their garments often fall into their displeasure whose favour they sought so oftentimes such fall into displeasure with themselves or to be sure they shall at last there is many a one lives under the dis-favour of his own conscience many a one that his conscience will not give him a good word or good look whence hath it been they have defiled their garments They who venture to do things displeasing to God shall not long be pleasing to themselves The story speaks of Francis Spira that to pleaâ— men to save an estate he defiled his garmentsâ— and he presently fell into rebuk of himself and lived under the rebuke of his Conscience a long time Job 8.15 speaks of the Hypocrite â— his hope shall be cut off The word signifies to loath so some translate it His hope shall be a loathing to him he shall loath his hope There is a two-fold loathing First a loathing to repentance that is a gracious loathing a loathing our selves for our sins against God And there is a loathing of despair and that is the loathing there meant the Hypocrite shall loath his own hope that is he shall loath it despairingly 'T is an affliction to be loathed by men but 't is a dreadfull judgement to be loathed of our selves despairingly this is the suburbs of hell for this will be the portion of the damned for ever for their vanity for their madnesse 't is next to the Regions of Hell for their worm dyeth not and that is the worm of Conscience Oh therefore take heed Conscience may be silent yea it may flatter for a time but when Conscience is provok'd it will speak yea thunder There is no such thundering-Preacher in the world as Conscience is The Thundering of Mount Sinai is not like the thundering of our Conscience Fourthly and lastly Let it be for Exhortation and incouragement for Christ here makes it an incouragement so let this be an incouragement to keep our garments undefiled the remembrance that we shall walk with him in white in the white of peaceâ— and joy in this world Who would not walk in thâ—â— white Who would not be among those who keep their garments white in the midst of a defiled and defiling world Let me give you but a three-fold Considerâ—aion to stir you up to an exceeding Exactness and Carefulnesse not to defile your garments seeing there is such a reward promised such a Habit of White promised as this
the truths you would hold to God in Prayer and begg of God to hold you that you may keep his truth Put up those Requests to God that David doth Psal 15. Hold up my goings in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not and in the 119. Psalm Be Surety for thy Servant for good hold thou me up and I shall be safe and I will have respect unto thy Statutes continually And thus my Brethren I have done with this Doctrine and this Sermon and as far as I know with my Preaching in this place The day is at hand wherein I and many others of my Breâ—hren shall be though not naturally dead yet civilly dead dead in Law dead as to the work of the Ministry And as I told them of this particular Congregation the last Lords day so I tell you know what I would be willing to speak to you if I lay on my Death-bed and had that exercise of Reason and Memory that I have now look I say what I would say to you if I now lay on my Death-bed the same I shall speak to you now through Gods assistance and first I would and in some measure do give thanks to God the God of the spirits of all flesh that hath called me a poor unworthy Creature not onely to the knowledge but to the preaching of the Gospel of his Son Jesus Christ and that in this place and in this part of the Land and hath pleased in mercy to continue life and liberty to me in my work here almost 26. years Secondly I would be and I hope I am in some measure thankful to God and to his people both of this Town and of the Neighbour-hood for a great deal of love and respect and encouragement that they have given to my Person and Ministry here and particularly I do acknowledge my self to be greatly obliged to my Reverend Brethren the neighbour-Ministers for the much love I have received from them their readines to help me in supplying my place in the time of my sickness or absence and sweet society I have had with them I believe you think it is no easie thing for me to speak or think of parting with such an Auditory and Society the like to which I never look to have on Earth again But seeing for my sins and your sins God will have it so we must submit and lye at his feet that which he hath made crooked who can make straight But before we part give me leave to speak a few words to you something by way of Request and something by way of Advice by way of Request I would speak this First That if any of you have found any benefit by my poor Ministry that if any of you have been inlightened or awakened or strengthened and built up in the truth and incouraged in the wayes of holiness by any thing that God hath put into my mouth to speak to you let God have the prayse and let me have some room in your hearts and prayers however God shall deal with me My second Request is That wherein soever you have seen any failings in me or any failings in my Ministeriall duty that you would please to passe it by and to help me in Prayer to God for the forgiveness of them These are my Requests of you and that which I have to say to you by way of Advice is much the same with what I said to this particular Congregation the last Lords day Take it in these particulars 1. I would advise you and intreat you that we may all of us lay to heart this present Dispensation of God towards us and the Nation in this respect that we may be sensible of it I remember when I was young and my famous Predecessor Mr. Rogers was taken off from his Ministry in this kinde though but for a few weeks these parts were wonderfully sensible of that Providence and laid it to heart and were much in Humiliation and in Prayer and I think I may say they received an answer again within some weeks Now Brethren though he was worth some hundreds of us yet now it is not the laying by of one man but of multititudes fifty in one place and threescore in another and fourscore in another and this not by a single Bishop but by an Act of Parliament which makes the wound the wider and the more uncapable of cure and shall we not be sensible of this Shall so many pretious vessels be laid by as vessels of no pleasure and none take it to heart Shall so many burning lights be quenched together so many wells of the Water of life be stopt up together and this not be laid to heart I beseech you consider and be sensible 2. In the deepest and saddest sence you have of this Providence of God watch over your own spirits that you lay the blame of it no where so much as upon your selves blame none so much for this as your selves Some blame the times and charge it on their iniquiâ—ies others are apt to blame us Ministers and charg it on our nicenesse and singularity Might my Advice take place with this people I would desire that every one of us might lay the blame no where so much as on our selves For certainly we have procured these things to our selves I find our Predecessors the Martyrs when by a Law Religion was changed in the Nation and Idollatry set up they laid the blame not on the Law-makers but on themselves and their own hearts One of them saith All this is come upon us because we did not live the Gospell we were Gospellers in lip but not in life Much more doth it become us whose sufferings are farre lesse to blame our selves more then we blame any others 3. My third Aduice is this and I beseech you take it in love for it is out of love that it is given you if you should perceive at this time a differnce in opinion and practice among us that are the Ministers of the Gospell in this Nation standing and sticking at things that others can digest and doe and others doing things that some of their Brethren cannot come up unto Be not offended thus it hath alwayes been from the beginning it is no new thing Thus it was in King Edwards dayes If there be any of God's Servants that are Learned and Holy and Faithfull that do now for the enjoyment of their Ministry yield a conformity to all that is injoyned I doubt not but many of them are grieved that they cannot have the exercise of their Ministry without this and we who cannot come up to this are grieved that we cannot come up to it the one and the other have griefe enough adde not your censures to this griefe that is already upon them It hath been all along a Mercifull Providence of God that when some of his servants could not satisfy their consciences and come up to the things that have been imposed upon them without injuring their
Consciences yet others have had a greater freedom given them that they could yeild and if not so What would have become of the people of God Therefore in those things acknowledg there may be some providence of God for good to you in it 5. My fourth Advice I shall deliver to you wholly in the words of that Holy man and Martyr of God Master Bradford in his Letter to the City of London saith he Lâ—t us heartily bewail our sins and repent of our evils let us amend the evils of our lives let us every one be diligent in Prayer and attend with reverence on the reading and hearing of Gods Holy word let us reprove the workes of darknesse let us stie from Idolatry and which is the particular I would indeed commend unto you Obey the Magistrate and them that are set over us in the Lord in all things that are not against the Word and when thâ—y command any thing contrary to the Word Let us answer It is meet to obey God rather then men However saith he Resist not the Magistrate nor seek to avenge your selves but commit your cause to God be patient and submit to all that are in Authority over you but resist not rise not against Authority but wait on God till he pleaseth to cause the Light to arise and shine again upon you This is my fourth Advice 4. Now it pleaseth God that hearing oppertunâ—ties at least some of them are taken from some of us from many of us for a time My Advice and Counsell is that the lesse now you hear the more you would read read the word of God much the mote and take all helps for the right understanding of what you read The Book of Annotations is a great help to inlighten you to understand the Scriptures and next to the reading of the Scriptures what spare houres you have I would advise you to bestow your time in teading of the Book of Martyrs a Book that hath formerly been more prized then of late in England Especially read that part of it which containes the History of Queen Maries dayes they will informe you of the great controversies that are between us and the Papists and they will informe you what you shall answer the reading how chearfully they went to Prison and to the stake will embolden you against the feares of sufferings and death and the reading of their Letters will be a great meanes to edifie and build you up this reading of the Scriptures and other good Books is my fifth Advice to you 6. My sixth Advice to you is That seeing God hath taken away your Week-dayes opportunities of hearing the Word here and in other places you would be careful that the World may not devoure Gods Portion I mean that portion of time which some of you have bestowed on hearing these Lectures It was a good Speech of a gracious Woman now with God when Mr. Rogers was silenced Well saith she By the Grace of God The World shall never have those houres that I was wont to spend in hearing heretofore her meaning was she would spend them in her Closet in holy duties It was an excellent Resolution and worthy of our imitation and if I might after 26 yeâ—â—â— labour here in the Ministry now at my parting obtain thus much of you that you that have been pleased to be constant hearers here would lay a Law on your selves that so much time as you formerly spent in coming hither sitting here and in returning home that you will spend that time at home either in praying and reading and meditating in your Closets or else in praying in and with your Families and instructing of them if I might but obtain this of you at my parting I should believe that the Devill and his Kingdom would be loosers by this out parting if you would spend this time weekly in holy exercises reading and praying for your selves and for the Nation and for your Families which you were wont to spend in coming to these Lectures and in attending here and returning home and that is my sixth Advice to you and herefore let me intreat this of you 7. And my seventh Advice and Counsel is this that seeing it pleaseth God to take away from you so many of your publick Instructors that you would every one of you that are heads of Families be so much the more in instructing and teaching your Families Be so much the more in this by how much the lesse is done in publick Read the Word in your Families and catechise your Families and see that they may understand them you have many helps for this as M. Perkins and M. Ball and the Assemblies Catechisme 8. And the last Advice I have to give you is this That you would still continue your Reverence of and â—ove to and care for the observing of the Lords holy Sabbath it is that my Brethren wherein God hath been honoured in this Town and in these Parts I think as much as in most places of the World and I pray do so still and when you have not publick Ordinances and publick helps for the sanctifying of the Lords Day at home in your own Congregations if you can have the Word and Ordinances in any comfortable manner abroad travel for it I say travel for it and when you have them not at home nor abroad be so much the more earnest and fervent and abundant in your Family and secret duties in the sanctification of the Lords Day I have some feares least if time should come to that passe that the Magistrate should connive at the profaning of the Lords day giving way to sports and Recreations on it and Preachers should cry down the strict observation of the Lords day and the like I am afraid we have many youths that in these parts notwithstanding all the Instructions that have been given them would be ready to dance after these Pipes and run into the profaning of the Lords Day therefore you that are governours of Families remember the Charge that God hath given you more expresly concerning this then in any other thing that I know of Thou nor thy Sonne nor thy Daughter nor thy Man-servant nor thy Maid-servant nor thy Cattel nor thy stranger that is within thy gates shalt thou suffer to violate the day of the Lord Therefore know your Authority and do your duty And put on that holy Resolution of Joshua Whatsoever others do I and my House will serve the Lord so say you Whatever others do I and mine will sanctifie the Lords Day and keep it holy So do and the Blessing of God shall be on you all the week long And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all them that are sanctified FINIS Mr Cradecots Farewell Sermon Phil. 4. latter part of vers 9. And heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you
earth at clear day Good Ministers they are called the Light of the world and they are called 3. Stars as in Revel 3.1 And who are meant by the seven Stars Rev. 1 ult they are the Angels that is the Ministers of the seven Churches Now the Stars are said to affect those inferiour bodies 1. By their influence And thus godly and faithful Ministers by the influence of their lips they feed many with the bread of life 2. By their regular motives of their lives they confirm many 3. By the light of both they confirm many one while their employment is to instruct poor souls and so they are like Stars shining in a dark winter night another while they are to converse in their courses Judg. 5.20 Now to enjoy and live under the Ministry of such Stars and yet to walk in darkness and to have fellowship with the works of darknesse to remain unconvinc'd unconverted unhumbled unmortified unfruitful this is woful this is a very lamentable state 4. They are called the Lords Messengers and Embassadours Mal. 2.7 And the Ministers of the Gospel for indeed the Ministers of the New Testament they are no where called Priests they are called Embassadours for Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 Godly faithful Ministers are the Lords Messengers and Embassadours in matters concerning the soul the precious immortal never dying soul of man not in the matterâ— of this life but for the soul Now this is no mean employment to treat with God for the soul 5. They are called the Lords Husbandmen Gods Church is his husbandry 1 Cor. 3.9 And Ministers are Gods Husbandmen naturally we are like a barren wilderness now the Lord sends his Husbandmen to those barren wildernesses to make it a fruitful Paradisâ— Now for Gods Husbandmen to plow fow and 〈◊〉 row and yet no fruit no crop Isa 5.6 When Gods Vineyard brought forth no fruit I will take away all their rainy clouds saith God you shall have clouds but you shall have clouds without rain you shall have Ministers still but such as shall never do your souls any good Well you see the titles given to them in Scripture they are câ—lled the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World and Stars and the Lords Messengers and Embassadours and Husbandmen all which doth import a very great obligation lying on a people who live under such a Minister and who live under and practice every commanded duty 1. Inference 2. Dangerous and fearful is the estate of those who have enjoyed and lived under and have not been wrought upon by such a Ministry And this will appear if we consider 1. How fearful a sentence the Lord Jesus Christ hath given to those that live under but despise and proâ—t not by the Ministry of his faithful servants Mat 10 14 15. And do not think that Christ said this touching the Ministry of the Apostles only certâ—inly the Lord Christ would have it to be understood of the Ministry of all his faithful servants whom he fâ—ndeth to teach his people John 13.20 whomsoever he sends and 16 He that despiseth whomsâ—evâ—◠〈◊〉 send desâ—iseth me Then is the message of the Lords faithful Messengers received aright when people do not only â—eaâ—â—â— but receive it and bring forth fruit as our blested Loâ—d speaks of good hearers Mark 4.20 Those are they that hear and receive the fruits â—own in good ground â—nd thus our blested Lord expounds himself Mat. 11 24. He telleth us there that they of Caperâ—â—um shall be in a worse case than they of Sodom and Gomorrah and why because they repented not at Christs Sermons and Miracles they were not to be seen in their lives notwithstanding Christs Ministry notwithstanding Christs preaching and his thiracles among them they did not amend their hearts and ways Oh how fearful a sentence hath our Lord Jesus Christ denounced against such 2. If a people be not wrought upon by such a Ministry what hope can such a people have that any thing shâ—â— do their souls any good for is not the Ministry of Gods faithful servants the power of God to salvation and the ministration or the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 That is that Ministry whereby the spirit of grace and holiness is infused into the hearts of the Father 's chosen ones in Christ Jesus The Poet speaks of excellent Musicians who by power of their musick made stones to leap into a wall A godly faithful Ministry hath done more it hath taken the stone out of mans heart and hath given them new hearts it hath made all the commandments of God easie to many a poor soul because it loves its Father its Redeemer and â—omforter There is a kind of obedience in a godly faithful Minister and if this will not do nothing will as in Luke 16.31 3. Is not the cause of the non-proficiency of such a people under such a Ministry in themselves Oh men do hinder the fruit of the word of their own souls the powerful operation and working of the word on their own souls the Lord prophecies that sentence on the Jews Matth. 13.14 He layes all the blame on themselves and assigns their own sins and the reason and cause of it as in Verse 13. And thus our blessed Saviour expounds the Parable of the Sower shewing how many that hear the word are never the better for it and be layâ—th the blame on themselves as in Luke 8.14 what then hast thou not profited under the Ministry of the Lords faithful servants Oh lay the blame on thy 〈◊〉 4. Consider hath notâ— the Lord himself a hand in 〈◊〉 proficiency or non-proficiency under such a Ministâ— surely the Lord hath a chief hand in making the Minâ—â—stry of his servants fruitful or not fruitful to them 〈◊〉 enjoy it Now to enjoy and not enjoy is it not a feaâ—ful sign that ye are not of God as Joh. 8.47 Is it not a sign that thou art not of Gods Elect at least of Regeneration But you will say did not the Jews hear Gods word Yes they did with their bodily cars but they heard it not with faith submission and fruitfulnesse and therefore our blessed Saviour tells them they were not of God that is they were at least in 〈◊〉 unregenerate if not in a reprobate condition And so John 10.26 Ye are those Goats saith Christ that must stand at my left hand in that great day And then Unbelievers shall teflect on themselves not on Christ Ministry by the mouths of his servants But if any should say what then will you say thâ—â— all of us are Reprobates that are not wrought on by your Ministry I say not so for that seed which hath been sown on you may do your souls good hereafter though â—t hath done them little or no good as yet But secondly this I may boldly say that if any of you die in your present state unconverted unregenerate you will carrie with you to your grave as fearful marks of reprobation as any we can find
it were but it hath a certain skum why then in the face of some who through grace are free from these miscarriages take heed and beware of being leavened with prejudice against all Ministers because of the vileness and miscarriage of some Sixthly Be earnest with the Lord for a godly faithful Ministry whose labour and pains among the people the Lord useth to blesse The Lord Jesus Christ is the great Patron of all Livings as a Reverend man now in Heaven once said He can present whom he will to a Parish and he can restore whom he will to their people as Acts 12.5.6 7. As he did Peter out of prison by the peoples prayers And thus when Paul was in prison at Rome observe how he writes to Philemon in Ver. 22. of his Epistle And thus when the Author of the Hebrews was restrained from preaching observe what an Exhortation he useth Heb. 13.18.19 Oh pray therefore pray for godly faithful Ministers their pains their labours the Lord useth to blesse among a people as Malachy 2.6 we read that the Lord blessed the labours of Levi so that he was an Instrument in the Lords hand to turn wicked men from their iniquity and Verse 5. Lo it was said of Barnabas that by his Ministry much people were added to the Lord. Acts 11.24 And if we would have godly faithful Ministers as we must pray for them so we must first repent us of our sins Jer 3.14.15 Repent we must of our sins and particularly our contempt of the Ordinances and Worship of God Secondly We must prize the Gospel more then we have done the Gospel loves to come and to stay where it is welcome Of all the seven Churches of Asia â—he Church of Philadelphia was the best that Church used the Word best and that Church enjoyed the Word longest Be earnest with the Lord for godly faithful Ministers whose pains and labours among the people the Lord useth to bless and prosper 7. Be earnest with the Lord that the refining work of a National-Reformation a City a Countrey a Family Reformation a Personal-Reformation may begin at the refining and purging of Ministers None will deny but that there is great need of Reformation there is none of you but will confesse that the seed of leaven had need sometimes to be winnowed out from among us as 2 Chron. 29.48 Hezektab began at the Priests and Levites Hezekiah began his Reformation at them and thus at our first Reformation the Protestants did then affirm that there could never be any good Reformation unlesse they began at the Court of Rome And it is very observable that when the Prophet speaks of the Lord Christs coming as a refining fire and as Fullers soap this also is prophesied of refining the Sons of Levi Malachy 2.2 When he shall purifie the Sons of Levi when he shall purge them as gold and silver As it was in Judah in that good Reign of that good King Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29 34. The Priests were too few there And as it was in Judah then whether it be not so in England now I affirm not but leave you to judge But a Minister soundness in Doctrine and holiness of life and conversation should lay a great obligation on a people duly and conscientiously to practice every command to duty And this may suffice for the second Doctrine Come we now to the third Doctrine deducible to be handled from this Text and that is this That in the due practice of commanded duties Gods people may warrantably and confidently expect much of the gracious presence of the God of peace even in the worst of times These things think on saith the Apostle Ver. 8. These things doe saith the Apostle in the Text and what then the God of peace shall be with you In the due practice of commanded duties Gods people may confidently expect much of the gracious presence of the God of peace in the worst of times Then take counsel fron this Doctrine that you may have the gracious presence of the God of peace with you and if this pulpit were my death-bed I should give such counsel as these following to you First Crown the Prince of peace the Lord Jesus Christ in your hearts and lives I say Crown the Prince of peace the Lord Jesus Christ in your hearts and lives receive him as your Lord and King set a Crown on his head here in your hearts and lives and he will Crown you with peace in this life and set a Crown of glory a Crown of immortality on your heads in the life to come If you have Christ you have all things all heavenly graces all spiritual comforts all temporal blessings if you have Christ God will God can then give you all things that are good for you without Christ you are not and you can do nothing that is acceptable with God Therefore this is my first counsel to you Crown the Prince of peace the Lord Jesus Christ in your hearts and lives Secondly Then maintain a constant and conscientious intimate communion with the God of peace It was good counsel which Eliphas gave to Job Job 22.21 Would you have much of the presence of the God of peace Oh then frequently fall down and lye at thâ— foot-stool of the Lords Throne for grace and for peace and when you do so be not unmindful of us who have often been your mouths to God and Gods mouth to you And to engage and encourage you herein consider First The Lord Jesus Christ hath promised to be with his poor Ministers always even to the end of the world Mat. 28. ult If alwayes not in the Pulpit only no the Lord hath promised to be with his faithfull servants out of the Pulpit as well as in the Pulpit in the Prison sealing the truth as well as in the Pulpit preaching the truth Oh then will you put this in suit by prayer that the Lord Christ will be with his poor Ministers to the end of the world 2. We shall not sail to pray for you 1 Sam. 12.23 Our sequestring from our preaching work from you will give us advantage to lay out more time to fetch sighs from our hearts in praying-praying-work for you and I trust the Lord will give us hearts so to improve our time for you as Samuel said so God forbid we should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you As Peter did to the people with a promise as 1 Pet. 5.10 And not only for you but Secondly Even for such as have treated us somewhat uncivilly and unkindly to say no more of them although the number of them are very inconsiderable but for such I trust we shall not forget in our prayers As Moses fell down on his face for the Children of Israel when they treated him very unkindly and spit in his face I trust we shall not forget Moses's prayer for the people And so when they danced before their Idol Jeremiah wept for those in his time
in sin that he is a stranger to the life of Grace hence ariseth all his spiritual troubles now the Spirit of God comes in and resolves the case comes into the soul by his bright Reflections and fills our souls with comfort Now 〈◊〉 have received not the spirit of the world but the Spâ—â— which is of God 4. The Spirit of God is a comforting Spirit as he openeth the vein of godly sorrow in the soul Truly this is the next way to spiritual comfort when a man can once spiritually mourn for sin Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Godly forrow opens the vein and le ts out the matter that hinders comfort and causeth inward trouble in the soul A gracious man takes a great delight in godly forrow Oh! it s a matter of marvellous comfort to a Child of God when he can kindly mourn for his sins 5. The Spirit of God comforts the soul as he is 〈◊〉 mortifying Spirit Thus he takes away that that is the ground and matter of Believers trouble mortifying that sin that is the cause of his sorrow pride unbelief inordinate love to the world 6. The Spirit of God works comfort in the hearts of his people by setting their own spirit to seek for comfort in Gods own wayes The last thing I did for the Explication of the Doctrine was to add some Propositions and they were 〈◊〉 as these 1. Many a gracious heart that hath fellowship with the Spirit of God in his sanctifying work may feel 〈◊〉 find none in his comforting work The Sun 〈◊〉 operate where it doth not shine A ma◠〈…〉 of salvation when he doth not feel the joyâ—â— of 〈…〉 Isa 51.3 You shall find those that fear the Lord and had the comforts of the Holy Ghost yet walked in darkness 2. Even those gracious souls that have the fellowship of the â—nnforting Spirit to day may want it to morrow This is not daily bread while the Saints are on this side Heaven The Solstice of a Christians comfort doth not last all the day long they are not feasted with this every day they have the night as well as the day there is a night as well as a day in the heart of a gracious soul as it is in natural in the common course of nature the Sun may shine to day but it may be clouded to morrow Thus it was with that holy man Psal 30.7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mount ain 〈◊〉 stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled And God doth this in infinite wisdom to put a difference between Earth and Heaven this valley of tears and that state of glory that so the hearts of Gods people may be kept in a frame of longing after the state of Heaven Godâ—wil have his people be groaning here that his people may groan after that condition when all sorrowing and sighing shall flee away God reserves perfect comfort to be the reward of perfect holiness while our graces are imperfect we most make account that our comfort will be so too Tears will be never wiped from our eyes til sin be quite takeâ— out of our hearts 3. Those that have had this spirituall comfort in their souls they may lose not only the impression of the Spirits comâ—nt but they may feel impressions of Gods anger Heman complaâ—â— that the wrath of God did hang upon him and that the 〈◊〉 of God had cut him off A gracious heart hath real grouâ—â—â—â— of consolation though he hath not present sensible comfort A child of God hath alwayes that that if he did see he could not be without comfort the Promises are his support he hath the first fruits of the Spirit and right to eaâ—â—nal life A child of God shall always have so much to keep upâ— hopes and affiance upon God a child of God in the daâ—est condition though he doth not see enough to make 〈◊〉 rejoyce in God yet he sees enough to make him trust iâ— God though he walk in darkness and see no light yet he trusts in God Job sayes Though the Lord slay him yet be would trust in him David was in great trouble while â—e was in that disquiet expostulation Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me trust in God 5 Those that have inward comforts from the spirit may at the same time have little comfort from Gods outward dispensations It may be dark without when it 's light within while Stephen sees nothing but blood here below he saw Heaven above And Christ tells his Disciples In the world they should have tribulation but in him they should have peace 6 And lastly Though this be one great work of the spirit of God to comfort the hearts of Christs Disciples yet there are some speciall seasons where in the Spirit of God gives out this comfort There are seasons of sadnesse there is a season of heavinesse there is need of it There is a time to weep and a time to laugh and a time to mourn and a time to dance I shewed you some of the Seasons 1 One special Season of the Spirits comforting the renewed soul is presently upon the souls first salvation After the Spirit is become a Spirit of Adoption presently it becomes a Spirit of Consolation after the Spirit hath come into the Soul in the Law it then nextly appears a Spirit in the Gospel 2 Another season when the Spirit gives out this comfort is just before the Lord layes upon his people any great afflictâ—â— on When was it that Christ was transfigured and his face did shinc as the Sun it was immediately before his blood passion Christ was first taken into the Mount before 〈◊〉 was up lifted upon the Crosse When was the 〈◊〉 heard This is my beloved Son in whom I am well 〈◊〉 but just before he was led into the wildecessâ— to be tempted When was Paul lifted up into Heaven it was immediately before Satan was sent to buffer him Thus God gives his people somthing before-hand to support their spirits that they may not faint the Disciples were full of comfort Acts 5.41 and when was this immediately just before they were carried before the Council and whipt up and down like Vagabonds Rogues for Preaching the Gospel 3. Another Season when the Spirit gives out this Comfort is in the time of suffering God comes in the nick of time especially if a man suffer for righteousnesse sake if his suffering be upon the account of Christ he seldome fails to send the Comforter for the relieving of his spirit 1 Pet. 4.13 But rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy Bodily confinement and inward streights are the time of the Souls greatest enlargement John had his Vision iâ— the Isle of Patmos When a child of God is brought to a piece of bread then
God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build them up and to give them an inheritance among them that are sanctified And truly my dearly beloved in the Lord this is my great work now when I am a dying to you as to my publick preaching My Beloved I am very sensible that it is a very sad and solemn thing for a Minister to be rent from a people that he loves as his own soul that he hath laboured among for to bid adieu to these solemn meetings wherein I have preached to you wherein we have mingled our sighs and our tears before the Lord wherein we have rejoyced and sat down together before the Lord at his Table now to think that I must minister with you and for you no more in these Ordinances methinks it is a beart-breaking consideration to think that I am now dying in this Congregation to think that I am now dying whilst I am preaching but this is my comfort under these sad thoughts that I can commit you to God and to the Word of his grace to one that is able to keep you and to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified Like a dying Father I can commend you to the care of such a Friend infinitely able to supply all that I could not do for you It is the comfort of a dying Father when he sees his children weeping round about him that he can commend them to a faithful friend willing to do that for them that he desired to do and a thousand times more I would hope that I have some children that I have begotten to Christ by my Ministry towards whom my bowels yearn but this is my comfort that I can put them into the arms of their and my heavenly Father of their and my blessed Redeemer to be kept by the power of God There are many poor souls that are yet in the gaul of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity and if the Lord hath seen good I would fain have seen of the travel of my soul in their salvation but I can commend them to God who knows them who belong to his Election he can either restore me or can do it by another hand and you that are in any measure grown in grace I would be willing to be helpful to your joy and instrumental to your comfort but I commend you to God who is able to give all grace to you and to keep you steadfast It will be some alleviation of sorrow that though◠must leave you and die to you as to your Ministry 〈◊〉 I hope I may a while go up and down and converse with you to be among you The Lord grant this favour that he may behold your steadfastness 2. This may be your comfort as well as mine the may be the comfort of all those your Congregations that are like to be made Widows by the Metaphorical death of their Guides and Pastors but I leave you in the hands of all grace and of all comfort This is a black day upon Israel when so many faithful Ministers are slain at one blow this is a day of gloominess and darkness in many Congregations for so many Ministers to be beheaded in one day What hath England commanded is it not some high Treason If we look to the cause of it why so many Ministers are as dead in one day as so many children without a Father And if we look upon the cause what hath caused God thus to deal with us we must complain Oh! our unfruitfulness our fearful unthankfulness under the mercies of God! This will be the Emphasis and fling of our grief and this should be the matter of our grief And then if we consider the sad Prognostick what it doth seem to foretell It is a sign that when God layes aside so many faithful Ministers of some scourge and calamity that is coming upon us But you that can lament this judgement you that can lament the sad deprivation of these powerful Ordinances Remember that though your Minister be dead God can raise you up others in their stead and where the way of instruments are wanting he can do it without them and those that are begot in Christ shall be preserved and those that are yet unbrought in who belong to the Election of Grace shall in Gods due time have the effectual work of the Spirit wrought upon their Souls For he is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among them that are sanctified And though I take this solemn leave of you as to this publick Exercise yet if the Lord shall open the door and take off those bands of Death that the Law hath laid upon my Ministry in regard of Conscience who cannot conform for which our publick Ministry is suspended I shall chearfully and willingly return to you in this place But now though your dying Minister in respect to the Exercise of his publick Ministry is leaving of you yet I commit you into a safe hand I commend you to God and to his Grace Amen Mr Pledger 's Farewell Sermon Rev. 2.9 10. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but are the synagogue of Satan Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation ten days be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life IN the former verse you have the superscription and description of this Epistle the superscription by the mouth and hand of John to the Angel of the Church of Sinyrna that is the Ministry of the Gospel or 〈◊〉 Colledge of Presbyters As the whole Tribe of Levi in Malachy is called the Angel of the Lord so here the whole Tribe and office of the Ministry is called the Angel Angel is not a term that signifies a single person but a name of Office Then for the Description These things saith the first and the last which was dead and is alive He is described by his eternity by his suffering and by his reviving I shall not speak of this nor of the verses following the Text. I shall speak of the Inscription or Narration of the Epistle in these two verses wherein you have 1. A Commendation 2. An Admonition a piece of heavenly Counsel 1. You have a Commendation I know thy works c. I like it well the pains thou takest in my service for my servants sake I know how thou hast suffered I take 〈◊〉 well I consider all the reproaches that are vomited out against thee 2. Then you have the Counsel 1. Fear none of these things 2. The Arguments to set it on 1. 'T is the Devil that shall trouble you he is the prime Agent he that never took a good cause Thou hast certainly God for thee if
thou hast the Devil against thee 2. This Devil shall be checked and restrained 1. As to the number of them he shall deal withall The Devil shall cast some of you into prison He aimes at all but he shall come short of many 2. In respect of the kind of the affliction Cast some into prison He aims at our souls to disturb the peace of them to cast us into Hell I but it shall be but into prison 3. For the design of this affliction Not for destruction but to try us It shall not be as wood in the fire to be consumed but as gold in the fire to be tryed 4. For the term of duration it shall not be for ever But for ten dayes for a time for a set time for a short time perhaps thou shalt lose thy life but be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of life Before I go out I shall endeavour to shine in the whole light of this Text in these six or seven Propositions Pro. 1. First Jesus Christ takes notice of all the work and trouble and losses that we endure for him There cannot be a godly word spoken but the Lord hears it takes notice of it not a day of humiliation not a tear not a prayer not a sigh not a cup of cold water but the Lord sets it down Item at such a time thou didst lose such a thing hazard such a concernment Now this knowledge lies in two things 1. It implyes an Approbation 2. A Recompence I know what thou doest what thou sufferest so as to approve it and so as to recompence it Now then if God takes notice of what we do and suffer for his Name then either we must say he hath not good enough or not time enough to bestow that good upon us or not faithfulness enough to perform his promise before we can be moved from his service Pro. 2. Secondly I observe Believers in their poorest condition when they have lost all they are rich I know thy poverty but thou art rich The only wise man is the only rich man so saith the Philosopher but the believer is the rich man so saith the Wisdom of God in the Text. And the riches of a Believer lies in five things 1. In his Interest he hath a God for his portion Faith doth unite and implant into the Lord Jesus Christ so that we are become spiritually rich to the utmost degree of happiness Saith David The lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place I have a goodly beritage All that rich love of God which is stronger then death it self A rich Covenant of grace shines in the Promises as so many Pearls he will not withhold any thing that is good nor suffer any thing that is evil to fall upon us that shall not turn to good How rich are they that are rich 〈◊〉 God 2. Believers must needs be rich in their Relation◠Our communion is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ They that are married to Christ and have an interest in him they must certainly contract very honorable Allies the Brother of Jesus Christ a Member of Christ she that marries a Prince or King is a Queen What title of honour shall we give to one that is espoused to Jesus Christ 3. The Believer is honourable in his possessions to name but two possession of grace possession of peace grace and peace there is your riches so the Lord salutes you in his Word the least drachm of grace is more then all the world And this is the character of one that hungers and thirsts after Christ And then for comforts which are grounded upon grace and the work of grace for the spring of grace is a spring of joy In the world you shall have trouble but in me peace And in the midst of my troubled thoughts saith David thy comforts delight my soul 4. A Believer is rich in regard of his expectation that reversion that blessed hope that is reserved for him A Believer his character is to long and look for the appearance of Christ the Believer is rich in the everlasting Kingdom of glory 5. A Believer is rich in the things of this life he can live above these things he can be content without them contentation is your riches you shall want nothing that is good why then have we not enough and if we have enough why do we not see our riches because God doth not shake down the acorns from the tree of common providence which he does to the herds of the world but feeds us with childrens bread shall we therefore repine Let us see our riches even in the things of this life He that believes on Christ is in such a condition as can know no want He that is not in Christ cannot be rich He that is in Christ cannot be poo◠Judge not of of his condition by what he appears outwardly A believer is worth as much as the promises come to which are his Charter as much as the Kingdom of Heaven comes to which is his reversion Pro. 3. Christ takes notice of all the reproaches and blasphemies of his Adversaries I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not but are of the Synagogue of Satan Christ counts himself reproached when his servants and wayes are reproached The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me A Christian doth quarter Armes with Christ therefore all the reproaches of the black mouths they are especially taken notice of by Jesus Christ There is not a word they can speak but is presently recorded among the Memorandums of Jesus Christ Repent if it be possible the word in thy tongue the thought in thy mind may be forgiven I say if it be possible though a malicious scoffer does seldom return Pro. 4. Whatever the Children of God suffer at any time before the grave they must suffer still I know thy works and tribulation nay yet the wind is not over in the next verse Thou shalt suffer After great expences of blood and treasure still more heavy calamities the water of tribulation doth rise higher and higher till the believer resists unto blood striving against sin you must expect it you must go with your lives in your hands resolving upon the greatest trouble to wade through a deep flood of calamities not one piece of the Cross excepted Pro. 5. Christ usually gives notice to his people in their sufferings he tells us beforehand So Job 16.7 Mat. 24.9 Acts 9.16 There never did befal any great tryal but the Church of God had notice of it Abraham had notice of Sodoms destruction Noah had notice or the Old Worlds destruction Abraham again had notice of the ruine of Egypt So the Anti-Christian trouble must come upon the Church rise higher and higher specially in the last dayes they are set down exactly in the book of the Revelations And the Reasons are 1. That Gods people may not be
twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God When God is pleased to strike twice upon the same string it seems hee hath something more than ordinary mind that you should observe the Tune The Doctrine was That it is the Will of Jesus Christ that his Servants should continue in the world though they meet with nothing but trouble in the world I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world let them stay Lord be thou but their Pilot and then keep them at Sea as long as thou wilt God knows his Saints are very serviceable in their generation They are as it were a pillar of fire unto the rest of the world for guide and light by their doctrine and conversation they instruct the godly and convince the wicked God will have his people stay in the world that his power providence mercy and goodness in their preservation may more clearly be discovered that their afflictions here may work out for them an eternal weight of glory These are the reasons why God will have them stay in the world c. Then 1. Saints carry your selves as becomes such in midst of such a world with that wisdome faithfulness carefulness humility that may bring honour both to your selves and to your profession Walk as Lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation walk closely warily innocently patiently submissively c. all these are necessary while you are to converse here in this wicked world 2. â—â—â—m that truth But that thou shouldest keep them from the evil observe preservation from sin is a greater mercy than exemption from suffering Which 1. Informs us of a truth that carnal men will never beleeve till they come to Hell that that is the height of folly which the men of the world count to be the top of wisdome they think it wisdome to chuse sin rather than suffering 2. This will evidence that the people of God are not such fools as the men of the world think they are but the wisest that will chuse the greatest sufferings rather than the least sin 3. This reproves those that will take more care to have their afflictions removed than sanctified 4. Be more afraid of sinning and less afraid of suffering what afraid of a lash my childe no bee more afraid of a dis-inheritance look on sufferings with Scripture Spectacles Labour for integrity and uprightness of heart that preserves when falling Be watchful over thy thoughts and waies Be a resolved Christian if thou be not thou wilt turn an Apostatizing Christian You must set your faces as thornes resolution is absolutely necessary not only under but before a day of suffering Be resolved for God and be resolved against Sin and that for fear least in a day of suffering thou shouldest halt and founder and so lose the things which thou hast wrought which brings mee to The Tenth Sermon 2 John 8. Look to your selves that wee lose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full Reward IN these words you have a Warning-Peice discharged to an Elect Lady A serious Item to an Elect Lady and her Religious Family to look well to themselves that they lose not the things they had wrought And this is grounded on a double reason 1. From the Damage of such as begin well and hold not out They lose the things they have wrought That were sad that so much should be done and all should be lost at last 2. From the Advantage and benefit if we do go on then we shall receive a full reward The observation was It much concerns all those that have begun well that are looked upon by Ministers and those that are godly as if they were truly godly that have entertained the Truth and the Profession of the Truth to look well to it how they stand to continue to go on to hold out in their holy Profession and Conversation Look to your self you Elect Lady you her Religious Family look to your selves that you lose not the things you have wrought There 's all the reason in the world it should be so The Election of Beleevers ingages us it should be so we are chosen that we should bee so If we do not look well to our selves we may chance to lose all we have wrought It too too often falls out that after a hot fit of Profession there comes a cold fit of Apostasie this cold fit of Apostasie caused by a sharpe winde of Persecution or by a melting thawing Sun of prosperity either by our natural inconstancy and mutability within wee love new changes we love to be changable or else the subtilty of Seducers from without Again there hath been are and will come trying seasons were you never so sincere think not all the work over and done as soon as converted As soon as come out of Egypt there 's a Wilderness and Red-Sea to passe thorough Mideanitish Women Gyants c. to contest with Therefore no wonder hee writes look to your self Then 1. Here see Election shuts not out the use of means You are an Elect Lady yet look to your self 2. You scandalous Papists the Doctrine of Perseverance we Preach is no Mother of sloth and security Though you shall be saved yet look to your selves you shall not perish yet keep in the Ship 3. Orthodoxness of Faith and soundnesse of Profession is not enough to make a good Christian Elect Lady you make profession you are sanctified but you must look to your self 4. It is not enough to have a well ordered Family Oh Lady look to your self as well as to your Family 5. The business of Religion is not the work of one day As long as you have life look to your self 2. For Exhortation Look to your selves take heed of Apostasy Take heed of that which occasions cold fits after a cold fit comes a death fit as after a hot fit usually comes a cold fit Apostasy is the quartern Ague of the Soul if it be not death t is extream dangerous 3. By way of Direction Would you look to your selves Look up to God begg to bee strengthned with all might in the inner man that hee who hath begun a good work would be pleased to finish it To that end Lord give strength while in begging and begging hearts for continuance of that strengthning Ordinance amongst us that it may be never said as it was said of those precious Israelites the Word of the Lord was precious in those daies there was no open Vision Which leads mee to The Eleventh Sermon 1 Sam. 3.1 The Word of the Lord was precious in those dayes there was no open Vision THe Word of the Lord was precious in those daies Was it not alwaies precious Yes but there is a twofold preciousness 1. Of Worth and Excellency 2. Of Want and Scarcity The Word of the Lord had not been so precious to the Israelites in regard of its Worth and Excellency therefore God made it precious to
From the Object the Profession of our Faith And Thirdly From the Act with the Qualificationt Hold fast without wavering First From the Subject concerned Us Let us hold fast whatever others do if they let go Faith and God and 〈◊〉 and Souls and allâ— yet let us hold fast 〈…〉 the Apostle speaks of 〈◊〉 to Believers theâ—â—â—â— a very great Emph sis in the word We or Us as in the 〈◊〉 of Tim. 6.8 saith â—e Having food and rayment let us be content Indeed he might have said Let every man be content but the emphasis lyes upon the us If no body else will be content yet let us for a Christian lyes under more obligations to all manner of vertue hen any other man doth If Nature will not be content with little yet let Grace Let us be content So here let us hold fast our Profession It may be others will let it go I but let us hold it fast let us among whom let us upon whom let us in whom such mighty things have been done by God let us hold fast or else it will be an intolerable upbraid and condemnation to us That it will be both see but two Texts of Scripture The first is in the 11th of Matthew vers 20 21. Then began he that is Christ to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Wo unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in Sackcloth and Ashes but I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the Day of Judgment then for you And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down unto Hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained untill this day But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom at the Day of Judgment then for thee Pray do but mark what an upbraid there is and upon what ground Because mightier works had been done among these then among others Now it seems to be a little excusible that they where these mighty works had not been done did not repent and therefore their punishment shall be the more tolerable But it will be more inexcusable for them among whom less mighty work have been done If they do not comply with the design of God their condition will be far more intolerable They that have been lifted up to Heaven as it were that have as it were seen Christ crucified before their eyes for them to apostatize and turn away from Christ of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy Certainly those very persons that have great and mighty works done among them and upon them too great Convictions and strong Resolutions and yet they shall apostatize oh how will God upbraid these persons Now see that other Text that speaks as dreadful as this Heb. 6.4.5 and 6 verses For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to repentance Seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame It is the greatest disgrace and affront that man can put upon Christ to apostatize from him it is not half so much not to own him for by that they crucifie him again and put him to an open shame it is as if they told all the World that this Christ is not worth the believing in and it were but to throw away their time and happiness to believe in him Well then let us that pretend to such enlightnings and say We have tasted of the Heavenly gift and of the good Word of God and of the first-fruits of Heaven let us hold fast lest we come under this upbraid and this condemnation But more particularly let us hold fast as we are concerned to do if we consider First What we were before Faith Secondly What we are by Faith Thirdly What we shall be at the end of Faith First What we were before Faith What were we Before Christ was Preached and before we believed what were we Why much worse then if we had not been considered in our case and state it is better not to be at all then to be a sinner it were better not to be a people then not to be the people of God Now what were we before Faith Why truly we were not a people so the Scripture tells you They that were not a people are now the people of God so that if we are not the people of God we are as if we were not a people We were What were we before Faith Dark We were the Darkness it self as the Apostle's expression is in Ephes 5.8 saith he Ye were sometimes Darkness The very Light that was in us was Darkness corrupt in our Understandings and Imaginations the Understanding dark We were dead yea under the worst of Deaths dead in sin You saith he that were dead in sins and trespasses hath he quickned How were they dead in sins Did they not live in sin Yes saith he wherein you walkt Why What is their Death To live in sin is to be dead in sin all the while the Prodigal lived in his sin the Father said of him He was dead My Son that was dead is alive We were What were we before Faith Why we were Children of what of Wrath as well as others Now Beloved consider how many abide thus to this day in Darkness Dead in sin and Children of Wrath When you are or pretend to be translated out of this darkness into his marvellous light will not You hold fast You that were dead as well as others and now you live is this your requital to God that you will now let it go Oh! I beseech you have a care of that Secondly let us consider what we are by Faith and that will be another Obligation upon us We were not so bad before Faith but we are better by Faith We were not in so miserable a case before believing but we are in as happy a case when we do believe Why what are we We are alive and Children of Light and Children of God We are alive You hath he quickned saith he or made alive and My Son that was dead is alive Now what is the work of the Living It is to praise God The Living the Living they shall praise thee as I do this day Now if this be the work of the Living then consider if we hold not fast our Faith if we apostatize we are so far from doing the work of the Living that is of praising God that we do all the dishonour we can to God we do the work of dead
men Yea we are twice dead We are Children of the Light Ye were darkness but now are light in the Lord. Now it is very observable what the Apostle speaks concerning the children of darkness and the Children of the light I Thes 5.5 You Believers saith he are all the Children of the light and the children of the day we are not of the night nor of darkness and what followes therefore let not us sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober why for they that sleep sleep in the night and they that be drunk be drunk in the night if any stagger this is the work of the night this is not the work of the day Now every Apostate that wavers he is like a man that is drunk so that he acts clean contrary to the Children of the day Saith he They that are drunk are drunk in the night but saith he Let us watch and â—e sober and let us who are of the day put on the Breast-plate of Faith and for a Helmet the hope of salvation We are by believing the Children of God Gal. 3.26 For ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus now Beloved are we weary of so honourable a Title as being the Children of God why we are the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Will any body part with so great a Title as this why if we are weary of being Gods Children whose can we be none but the Devils and had we rather be the Devils children then Gods there are but these two either you must be the children of God or the Devils children now you are the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus oh therefore let us hold fast the profession of our Faith seeing by Faith we are the children of God Thirdly Let us consider what we shall be at the end of Faith why we shall be saved 1 Pet. 1.4 5 and 9. verses compared He hath begotten us to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fades not away reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last times and in the 9th Verse saith he receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls so that it seems to be weary of believing is to be weary of being saved not to hold fast Faith is not to hold fast salvation for saith he You are saved through Faith and the end of your Faith is the salvation of your Souls Can you be contented to be damned Can you have patience to think of going to Hell Now put all these together and wil you not hold fast you that before faith were but darkness were but dead were but children of wrath who by Faith are made children of light are made alive and the children of God and who at the end of Faith shall receive the salvation of our souls And shall not we hold fast shall we leave this Faith but then secondly A 2d Argument in the Text shall be drawn from the Object and that is twofold there is faith and the profession of this faith that is to be held fâ—â—st and there are Arguments from both first Faith hold fast faith why are we so greatly concerned and so hugely obliged to hold fast Faith I will give you this one Reason for it it is the most holy Faith there are many things may be called Faith that may not be called most holy Faith there are many faiths that are at least called holy Turkish Faith is by them called holy faith the Romish Faith is by them called holy faith I but this is the most holy faith there is an expression that Jude hath to commend faith to us in the 20 verse of his Epistle But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith c. Let other pretenders be as holy as they can they can never rise to the holiness of this this is the most holy faith it is holy in so high a degree as to be beyond compare I but now what is it that may denominate this faith to be the most holy faith why it hath for its Authour the most holy God it is the gift of God and the Work of God if we take it for the Act of Faith and the Doctrine of God if we take it for the Doctrine of Faith There are as the Apostle saith Gods many but we know but one most holy God there are that will be called your holiness in the World but this is the most holy God a God that is glorious in holiness yea whose glory it is to be holy There is nothing stamps glory on any subject like holiness what is the difference between the Angels in Heaven and the Angels in Hell but holiness that is their glory The holy Angels and that is their shame the sinful Angels and what was it that made Canaan a better Land than another was it not the holiness it was the holy Land what was it that made the Temple a better place then another was it not because it was the holy Temple yea it is the glory of all the Attributes of God that they are holy His Justice would look like severity but that it is holy His Power would look like Tyranny were it not holy His Love would look like fondness were it not holy His patience would look like a toleration of sin were it not holy therefore it is said the Lord God glorious in holiness Now this most holy God is the Authour of this Faith and so it is a most holy Faith it being the Work of the most holy God and will you leave and not hold fast this most holy Faith But then besides It may be said to be the most holy faith in this sense too that it is its nature where-ever it comes to make the subject in whom it is most holy Saith the Apostle you hath God chosen to wit by Faith to be a peculiar people a holy Nation Acts 15.9 it is said He hath purifyed their hearts by faith and he will give them an Inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith It may be called the most holy Faith in these two respects First Considering the operation and effects it hath upon the hearts and lives of them in whom it is it makes them a holy People beyond all the people in the World And then upon this account too as to the ultimate effects of it that it admits us into the most holy places You know he Holy of Holies in the Temple was a Type of Heaven and Jefus Christ is said to enter into the Holy of Holies that is into Heaven Now this doth admit us into the most holy place where that most holy God is saith the Apostle having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Josus Alas in them me of old they could go but into the outward Court but now saith he We all have this boldness to