the Souls of the ungodly to win by your lives You should all be Preachers and even Preach as you go up and down in the World as a Candle lighteth which way ever it goeth As we are sent to save sinners as Ambassadors of Christ by publick Proclamation of his Will so are you sent to save them as his Servants and our helpers and must Preach by your lives and familiar exhortations as we must do by authoritative instruction A good life is a good Sermon yea those may be won by your Sermons that will not come to ours or will not obey the Doctrine which they hear Even to women that must keep silence in the Church doth Peter command this way of Preaching I Pet. 3.1 2. That if any of them have Husbands that obey not the Word they may without the Word be won by the conversation of the Wives Thousands can understand the meaning of a good life that cannot understand the meaning of a good Sermon By this way you may Preach to men of all Languages though your tongues had never learnt but one For a holy harmless humble life doth speak in all the Languages of the World to men that have eyes to read it This is the Universal Character and Language in which all sorts may perceive you speak the wondrous works of the Holy Ghost I charge you therefore Christians deprive not God of the honour you owe him nor the Church or Souls of wicked men of this excellent powerful help which you owe them by continuing in your weakness and unsetled minds and spotted lives but grow up to that measure that may be fit for such a work As you durst not silence the Preachers of the Gospel so do not dare to silence your selves from Preaching by your holy exemplary lives And alas do you think that feeble giddy scandalous Professors are like to do any great matters by their Lives Would you wish the poor World to write after such a crooked and bloted Copy Will it win mens hearts to a love of Holiness to talk with a Christian that can scarce speak a word of sense for his Religion or to see a Professor as greedy for a little gain as the veryest worldling that hath no other hope or to hear them rail or lye or slander Or to see them turn up and down like a Weather-cock according as the Wind of temptation sits and to follow every new Opinion that is but put off with a plausible fervency Do you think that men are like to be won by such lives as these 14. Do you consider what great things you must make account to suffer for Christ You must forsake all that you have Luke 14.33 You must not save your lives if he bid you lose them Matth. 16.25 You must suffer with him if you will be glorified with him Rom. 8 17. You may be called to confess Christ before the Kings or Judges of the earth and then if you deny him he will deny you and if you be ashamed of him he will be ashamed of you unless you be brought to a better state Luk. 9.26 Mark 8.38 You may be called to the fiery tryal and to suffer also the spoiling of your goods and in a word the loss of all And do you think that you shall not find use for the strongest Graces then Have you not need to be confirmed rooted Christians that must expect such storms Are Infants meet for such encounters Have you not seen how many that seemed strong have been overthrown in a time of tryal And yet will you stop in a weak estate Perhaps you 'l say We cannot stand by our own strength and therefore Christ may uphold the weakest when the strongest may fall To which I answer It s true but it is Gods common way to work by means and to imitate nature in his works of Grace and therefore he useth to root and strengthen those that he will have to stand and conquer yea and to arm them as well as strengthen them and then to teach them to use their arms Eph. 6.10 11 12 13. Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil For we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the darkness of this World against spiritual wickedness in high places Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand You must look when you are illuminated to endure a great fight of afflictions to be made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions and to be companions of them that are so used and therefore you have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God you may receive the Promise Heb. 10.32 33 36. If you will endure in the time of persecution the Word must take deep rooting in your hearts Matth. 13.5 20 21. and you must be founded on a Rock if you look to stand in time of storms Matth. 7.24 25. In the mean time it is a fearful thing to see in what a wavering condition you seem to stand like a Tree that shakes as if it were even falling or like a cowardly Army that are ready to run before they fight and like cowardly Souldiers you are still looking behind you and a small matter troubleth and perplexeth and staggereth you as if you were ready to repent of your repentings And must God have such servants as these that upon every rumour or word or trouble are wavering and looking back and ready to forsake him 15. Consider also that the same Reasons that moved you at first to be Christians should now move you to be confirmed thriving Christians For they are of force as well for this as for that You would not have mist your part in Christ for all the World if indeed you have the least degree of Grace And if the beginning be good and necessary the increase is neither bad or needless If a little Grace be desireable sure more is more desirable If it was then but a reasonable thing that you should forsake all for Christ and follow him it is sure as reasonable that you should follow him to the end till you reach that blessedness which was the end for which at first you followed him What Christian hast thou found God a hard Master a barren Wilderness to thee or his service an unprofitable thing say so and I dare say thou art a bastard to use the Apostles phrase Heb. 12.8 and not a Christian Some tryal thou hast made of him What evil hast thou found in him or what wrong hath he ever done thee that thou shouldest now begin to make a stand as if thou were in doubt whether it be best to go further If ever Christ were needful he is needful still and if
anguish of our fears and sorrows nor think all our labour ill bestowed for ioy that a Christian is new-born unto Christ. But yet for all the Mothers joy her work and care and sorrow is not at an end as soon as she is delivered Many a foul hand and many a troublesom hour and many a waking night she must have with the child whose bath she so rejoiced in and after that many a year of care and labour to bring it up and provide for it in the World and in her old age when she expecteth from her children the love and honour and thanks and comfort that was due to her as a Mother and for all her labour and care and pains perhaps one child will prove kind and of another she must take it well that he is not very unkind and a third perhaps may break her heart And yet she must still be a Mother to them all And so it befalls us when we have greatly rejoiced at the real or seeming Conversion of now and then one of our hearers our work with them is not at an end nor may we lay aside our care and labour for them We have for some years usually the Nurses work to do and many a troublesom day and night the weakness the uncleanness the peevish childish exceptions the querulous and quarrelsom disposition of our beloved Converts will put us to And after all that when they begin to go on their own legs and think themselves sufficient for themselves without our help many a fall and hurt they may catch and many fallings out may they have with one another to the great trouble of themselves us And when they are grown up to strength of parts and gifts some that seemed sincere may turn Prodigals or Apostates and some fall a quarrelling about the inheritance and make most woful divisions in Christs Family and some perhaps despise us that have thus spent our dayes and strength in Studies and Prayers and fears and cares and labours for their Salvation yea perhaps be ready to spit in our faces and reproach our persons yea and our very Office and Calling it self as the experience of these times of ours seconding the experience of all ages of the Church before us doth alas too evidently and openly testify And yet some will be faithful and constant and thankful to Christ and us And that all might be so for Christs sake and for their own must still be our care and desires and endeavours In these several cases we find blessed Paul with his children in his Epistles sometime rejoycing with them in their stedfastness sometime defending himself and his Ministry against their unkind and childish wranglings as with the Corinthians you may find him sometime he is put but seldom to a severe correction of the obstinate delivering them up to Satan for a warning to the rest sometime he is fain to watch with them as in their sickness when they are infected with some dangerous error or other disease and is brought even to make great question of their lives lest he hath laboured for them in vain and themselves have run in vain and lest they be fallen from Grace and Christ should profit them nothing receiving himself no better requital of all his labours from them that once would have pulled out their eyes for him than to be taken for their enemy because he tells them the truth and the more he loveth them the less to be loved of them as you may read in Gal. 1.6 7. and 3.1 3 4. and 4.11 14 15 16 19 20. and 5.2 4 7. But with the most we find him as one that is yet between hope and fear of them directing and exhorting them to spiritual stedfastness and growth and perseverance to the end and this is the work which we here find him upon with the Colossians in this Text which containeth 1. A supposition of a work the great work already done viz. that They have received Christ Jesus the Lord 2. An inference of further duty and exhortation thereto which in sum is their confirmation and progress The parts of this duty are expressed in several Metaphors The first is taken from a Tree or other plant and is called our Rooting in Christ After the Receiving of Christ there is a further Rootedness in him to be sought The second is taken from a building and is called a being built up in him as a house is upon the Foundation All the work is not done when the chief corner stone and Foundation is laid The third part is taken from those Pillars and stronger parts of the building which are firm upon the Foundation and it s called a being stablished or confirmed in the faith And having made mention of Faith lest they should hearken to innovations and the conceits of men under pretence of Faith he addeth as ye have been taught to shew them what Faith or Religion it is that they must be established in even that which by the Apostles they had been taught And lastly he expresseth the measure that they should aim at and one special way in which their Faith should be exercised abounding therein with thanksgiving The matter is not great whether we take the Relative to refer to Christ and read it with the vulgar Latine abounding in him with thanksgiving Or as the Aethiopick abound with thanksgiving to him Or whether we take it as relating to thanksgiving it self as the Arabick Translator and some Greek Copies have it abounding in thanksgiving or abounding in such thanksgiving Or as the ordinary Greek Copies and the Syriack Translator referring it to Faith abounding in it that is in that Faith with thanksgiving For in the upshot it comes to the same to abound in Christ to abound in Faith in Christ to abound in a believing thanksgiving to Christ And all this is comprehended in one foregoing general of walking in Christ the whole life of a Christian being divided into these two parts Receiving Christ and walking in him Here are these several terms therefore briefly to be opened 1. What is meant by Receiving Christ Jesus the Lord 2. What is meant by walking in him 3. What by being Rooted in him 4. What by being built up in him 5. What by being confirmed or stablished in the Faith 6. What by this directive limitation as ye have been taught 7. What by abounding therein with thanksgiving And for the first you must observe the act and the object The act is Receiving the object is Christ Jesus the Lord To Receive Christ is not only as some Annotators mistake it to Receive his Doctrine though its certain that his Doctrine must be received and that the rest is implyed in this But when the understanding receiveth the Gospel by Assent the Will also Accepteth or Receiveth Christ as he is offered by Consent and both these together are the Receiving of Christ that is the true justifying Faith of Gods Elect. It is not therefore a
and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of Hosts and ye brought that which was torn and the lame and the sick thus ye brought an offering should I accept this of your hand saith the Lord But cursed be the deceiver which hath in his Flock a Male and voweth and Sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my Name is dreadful among the Heathen If you better knew the Majesty of God you would knew that the best is too little for him and trifling is not tollerable in his service When Nadab and Abibu ventured with false fire to his Altar and he smote them dead he silenced Aaron with this reason of his Judgment I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people will I be glorified Lov. 10.1 2 3. That is I will have nothing common offered to me but be served with my own holy peculiar service When the Bethshemites were smitten dead 50070 men of them they found that God would not be dallyed with and cryed out Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God 1 Sam. 6.20 2. Consider also It was an exceeding great price that was payed for your Redemption For you were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your Fathers but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. It was an exceeding great Love that was manifested by God the Father and by Christ in this work of Redemption such as even paseth Angels and men to study it and comprehend it 1 Pet. 1.12 Eph. 3.18 19. And should all this be answered but with trissâ—ng from you Should such a matchless Miracle of Love be answered with no greater 〈◊〉 especially when you were purposely 〈◊〉 from all iniquity that you might be sanctified 〈◊〉 a peculiar people zealous of good works 〈◊〉 14. It being therefore so great a price that you are bought with remember that you are none of your own but must glorify him that bought you in body and spirit 1. Cor. 6.20 3. Consider also that it is not a small but an exceeding glory that is promised you in the Gospel and which you live in hope to possess for ever And therefore it should be an exceeding Love that you should have to it and an exceeding care that you should have of it Make light of Heaven and make light of all Truly it is an unsuitable unreasonable thing to have one low thought or one careless word or one cold Prayer or other performance about such a matter as eternal glory Shall such a thing as Heaven be coldly or carelesly minded and sought after Shall the endless fruition of God in glory be look't at with sleepy heartless wishes I tell you Sirs if you will have such high hopes you must have high and strong endeavours A slow pace becomes not him that travelleth to such a home as this If you are resolved for Heaven behave your selves accordingly A gracious reverent godly frame of spirit producing an acceptable service of God is fit for them that look to receive the Kingdom that cannot be moved Heb. 12.18 The believing thoughts of the end of all our labours must needs convince us that we should be stedfast and unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 O heatken thou sleepy slothful Christian Doth not God call and Conscience call Awake and up be doing man for it is for Heaven Hearken thou negligent lazy Christian Do not God and Conscience call out to thee O man make hast and mend thy pace it is for Heaven Hearken thou cowardly saint hearted Christian Do not God and Conscience call out to thee Arm man and see thou stand thy ground do not give back nor look behind thee but fall on and fight in the strength of Christ for it is for the Crown of endless glory O what a heart hath that man that will not be heartned with such calls as these Methinks the very name of God and Heaven should awaken you and make you stir if there be any stirring power within you Remissness in wordly matters hath an excuse for they are but trifles but flackness in the matters of Salvation is made unexcusable by the greatness of those matters O let the noble greatness of your Hopes appear in the Resolvedness exactness and diligence of your lives 4. Consider also that it is not only low and smaller Mercies that you receive from God but mercies innumerable and inestimable and exceeding great And therefore it is not cold affections and dull endeavours that you should return to God for all these mercies Mercy brought you into the World and Mercy hath nourished you and bred you up and Mercy hath defended and maintained you and plentifully provided for you Your bodies live upon it Your Souls were recovered by it It gave you your being It rescued you from misery It saveth you from sin and Satan and your Selves All that you have at the present you hold by it All that you can hope for for the future must be from it It is most sweet in quality what sweeter to miserable souls than Mercy It is exceeding great in quantity The Mercy of the Lord is in the Heavens and his faithfulness reacheth to the Clouds His Righteousness is like the great Mountains His Iudgments are a great deep Psal. 36.5 6. O how great is his goodness which he hath laid up for them that fear him which he hath for them that trust in him before the sons of men Psal. 31.19 His Mercy is great unto the Heavens and his truth unto the Clouds Psal. 57.10 And O what an insensible heart hath he that doth not understand the voice of all this wondrous mercy Doubtless it speaketh the plainest language in the World commanding great returns from us of Love and praise and obedience to the bountiful bestower of them With David we must say Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me marvellous kindness in a strong City O Love the Lord all ye his Saints for the Lord preserveth all the faithfull Psal. 31.21 23. Teach me thy way O Lord I will walk in thy truth Vnite my heart to fear thy Name I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorify thy name for evermore for great is thy mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my Soul from the lowest Hell Psal. 86.11 12 13. Vnspeakable Mercies must needs be felt in deep impressions and be so savoury with the Gracious soul that methinks it should work us to the highest resolutions Unthankfulness is a crime that Heathens did detest And it is exceeding great unthankfulness if we have not exceeding great love and obedience under such exceeding great and many mercies as we possess 5. Consider that they are exceeding great helps and means that you possess to further your holiness and obedience to God and
grounds of comfort and when they cannot raise their souls to any high and passionate joys they yet walk in a settled peace of soul and in such competent comforts as make their lives to be easie and delightful being well pleased and contented with the happy condition that Christ hath brought them to and thankful that he left them not in those foolish vain pernicious pleasures which were the way to endless sorrows 3. But the seeming Christian seeketh and taketh up his chief contentment in some carnal thing If he be so poor and miserable as to have nothing in possession that can much delight him he will hope for better dayes hereafter and that hope shall be his chief delight or if he have no such hope he will be without delight and shew his love to the world and flesh by mourning for that which he cannot have as others do in rejoycing in what they do possess and he will in such a desperate case of misery be such to the world as the weak Christian is to God who hath a mourning and desiring love when he cannot reach to an enjoying and delighting Love His carnal mind most savoureth the things of the flesh and therefore in them he findeth or seeketh his chief delights Though yet he may have also a delight in his superficiall kind of Religion his hearing and reading praying in his ill-grounded hopes of life eternal But all this is but subordinate to his chiefest earthly pleasure Isai. 58.2 Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my waies as a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinances of their God they ask of me the ordinances of justice they take delight in approaching unto God And yet all this was subjected to a covetous oppressing mind Mat. 13.20 He that received the seed into stony places the same is he that heareth the word and anon with joy receiveth it yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended Whereby it appeareth that his love to the word was subjected to his love to the world Obj. But there are two sorts of people that seem to have no fleshly delights at all and yet are not in the way to salvation viz. the Quakers and Behmenists that live in great austerity and some of the Religious orders of the Papists who afflict their flesh Answ. Some of them undergo their fastings and pennance for a day that they may sin the more quietly all the week after And some of them proudly comfort themselves with the fancies and conceit of being and appearing more excellent in austerity than others And all these take up with a carnal sort of pleasure As proud persons are pleased with their own or others conceits of their beauty or witt or worldly greatness so prouder persons are pleased with their own and others conceits of their holiness And verily they have their reward Mat. 6.2 But those of them that place their chiefest happiness in the love of God and the eternal fruition of him in heaven and seek this sincerely according to their helps and power though they are mislead into some superstitious errors I hope I may number with those that are sincere for all their errors and the ill effects of them XXIV 1. A confirmed Christian doth ordinarily discern the sincerity of his own heart and consequently hath some well grounded assurance of the pardon of his sins and of the favour of God and of his everlasting happiness And therefore no wonder if he live a peaceable and joyfull life For his grace is not so small as to be undiscernable nor is it as a sleepy buried seed or principle but it is almost in continual act And they that have a great degree of grace and also keep it in lively exercise do seldom doubt of it Besides that they blot not their Evidence by so many infirmities and falls They are more in the light and have more acquaintance with themselves and more sense of the abundant love of God and of his exceeding mercies than weak Christians have and therefore must needs have more assurance They have boldness of access to the throne of grace without unreverent contempt Eph. 3.12 2.18 They have more of the spirit of Adoption and therefore more child-like confidence in God and can call him Father with greater freedom and comfort than any others can Rom. 8.15 16. Gal. 4.6 Eph. 1.6 1 Joh. 5.19 20. And we know that we are of God and that the whole world lyeth in wickedness c. 2. But the weak Christian hath so small a degree of grace and so much corruption and his grace is so little in act and his sin so much that he seldom if ever attaineth to any well-grounded assurance till he attain to a greater measure of grace He differeth so little from the seeming Christian that neither himself nor others do certainly discern the difference When he searcheth after the truth of his faith and love and heavenly mindedness he findeth so much unbelief and aversness from God and earthly mindedness that he cannot be certain which of them is predominant and whether the interest of this world or that to come do bear the sway So that he is often in perplexities and fears and more often in a dull uncertainty And if he seem at any time to have assurance it is usually but an ill-grounded perswasion of the truth though it be true which he apprehendeth when he taketh himself to be the child of God yet it is upon unfound reasons that he judgeth so or else upon sound reasons weakly and uncertainly discerned so that there is commonly much of security presumption fancie or mistake in his greatest comforts He is not yet in a condition fit for full assurance till his love and obedience be more full 3. But the seeming Christian cannot possibly in that estate have either certainty or good probability that he is a child of God because it is not true His seeming certainty is meerly self-deceit and his greatest confidence is but presumption because the spirit of Christ is not within him and therefore he is certainly none of his Rom. 8.9 XXV 1. The Assurance of a confirmed Christian doth increase his alacrity and diligence in duty and is alwayes seen in his more obedient holy fruitful life The sense of the love and mercy of God is as the rain upon the tender grass He is never so fruitful so thankful so heavenly as when he hath the greatest certainty that he shall be saved The Love of God is then shed abroad upon his heart by the Holy Ghost which maketh him abound in love to God Rom. 5.1 2 3 4. He is the more stedfast unmoveable and alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord when he is most certain that his labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 2. But the weak Christian is unfit
in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3.4 It is therefore his care and course to give place to wrath when others are angry Rom. 12.18 19. and if it be possible as much as in him lyeth to live peaceably with all men Yea to follow peace when it flyeth from him Heb. 12.14 And not when he is reviled to revile again nor to threaten or revenge himself on them that injure him 1 Pet. 2.21 22 23 24. Reason and Charity hold the reins and passion is kept under Yea it is used holily for God Eph. 4.26 Slow to anger he is in his own cause and watchfull over his anger even in Gods cause Prov. 15.18 and 16.32 Eph. 4.31 Col. 3.8 2. But the weak Christian doth greatly shew his weakness in his unruly passions if he have a temper of body disposed to passion They are oft rising and not easily kept under Yea and too often prevail for such unseemly words as maketh him become a dishonour to his profession Oft he resolveth and promiseth and prayeth for help and yet the next provocation sheweth how little Grace he hath to hold the reins And his passionate Desires and Delights and Love and Sorrows are oft as unruly as his anger to the further weakning of his Soul They are like Ague fits that leave the health impaired 3. And the seeming Christian hath much less power over those Passions which must subserve his carnal minde For Anger it dependeth much upon the temperature of the body and if that incline him not strongly to it his credit or common discretion may suppress it Unless you touch his chiefest carnal interest and then he will not only be angry but cruel malicious and revengefull But his carnal Love and Desire and Delight which are placed upon that pleasure or profit or honour which is his Idol are indeed the reigning passions in him and his grief and fear and anger are but the servants unto these Act. 24.26 27. XXXVII 1. A Christian indeed is one that keepeth a constant Government of his Tongue He knoweth how much duty or sin it will be the instrument of According to his ability and opportunity he useth it to the service and honour of his Creator In speaking of his Excellencies his Works and Word inquiring after the knowledge of him and his will instructing others and pleading for the Truth and wayes of God and rebuking the impiety and inquities of the world as his place and calling doth allow him He bridleth his Tongue from uttering vanity filthiness ribbaldry foolish and uncomely talk and jests from rash and unreverent talk of God and taking of his Name in vain from the venting of undigested and uncertain doctrines which may prove erroneous and perillous to mens souls from speaking imprudently unhandsomly or unseasonably about holy things so as to expose them to contempt and scorn from lying censuring others without a warrantable ground and call from backbiting slandering false accusing railing and reviling malicious envyous injurious speech which tendeth to extinguish the love of the hearers to those he speaketh of from proud and boasting speeches of himself much more from swearing cursing and blasphemous speech and opposition to the Truths and holy wayes of God or opprobrious speeches or derision of his servants And in the Government of his Tongue he alwayes beginneth with his heart that he may understand and love the good which he speaketh of and may hate the evil which his tongue forbeareth and not hypocritically to force his tongue against or without his heart His tongue doth not run before his heart but is ruled by it Eph. 4.15.31.29 and 5.3.4.6 Psal. 37.30 15.2 3. Prov. 16.13 and 10.20 21.23 18.21 15.2.4 Psal. 34.13 Prov. 25.15 23. 28.23 Matth. 12.31 32 34. 2. But the weak Christian though his tongue be sincerely subject to the Laws of God yet frequently miscarryeth and blemisheth his Soul by the words of his lips being much ofter than the confirmed Christian overtaken with words of vanity medling folly imprudence uncharitableness wrath boasting venting uncertain or erroneous opinions c. so that the unruliness of his tongue is the trouble of his heart if not also of the Family and all about him 3. The seeming Christian useth his tongue in the service of his carnal ends and therefore alloweth it so much unjustice uncharitableness falshood and other sins as his carnal interest and designs require But the rest perhaps he may suppress especially if natural sobriety good education and prudence do assist him And his tongue is alwayes better than his heart Pro. 10.32 19.5.9 Ps. 50.20 12.3 144.8 120.2 3. Prov. 21.6.23 XXXVIII 1. The Religious discourse of a confirmed Christian is most about the greatest and most necessary matters heart-Heart-work and heaven-heaven-work are the usual employment of his Tongue and Thoughts unprofitable Controversies and hurtfull wranglings he abhorreth And profitable Controversies he manageth sparingly seasonably charitably peaceably and with caution and sobriety as knowing that the servant of the Lord must not strive and that strife of words perverteth the hearers and hindereth edifying 1 Tim. 6.4 5 6. and 4.7 8. 2 Tim. 2.14 15 16 17 24 25. His ordinary discourse is about the Glorious Excellencies Attributes Relations and works of God and the Mysterie of Redemption the Person Office Covenant and Grace of Christ the renewing illuminating sanctifying works of the Holy Ghost the Mercies of this life and that to come the Duty of Man to God as his Creator Redeemer and Regenerater the corruption and deceitfulness of the Heart the methods of the Tempter the danger of particular Temptations and the means of our escape and of our growth in Grace and how to be profitable to others and especially to the Church And if he be called to open any Truth which others understand not he doth it not proudly to set up himself as the Master of a Sect or to draw Disciples after him nor make divisions about it in the Church but soberly to the edification of the weak And though he be ready to defend the Truth against perverse gainsayers in due season yet doth he not turn his ordinary edifying discourse into Disputes or talk of Controversies nor hath such a proud pugnacious Soul as to assault every one that he thinks erroneous as a man that taketh himself for the great champion of the truth 2. But the weak Christian hath a more unfruitful wandring tongue And his religious discourse is most about his opinions or party or some external thing As which is the best preacher or person or book or if he talk of any text of scripture or doctrine of Religion it is much of the outside of it and his discourse is less feeling lively and experimental yea many a time he hindereth the more edifying savoury discourse of others by such religious discourse as is imprudent impertinent or turneth them away from the heart and life of the matter in hand But
shall be overcome by his own successes and the just shall conquer by patience when they seem most conquered The name and form and image of Religion the carnal hypocrite doth not only bear but favour and himself accept But the Life and serious practice he abhorreth as inconsistent with his worldly interest and ends For these he can find in his heart with Ahab to hate and imprison Micaiah and preferr his four hundred flattering Prophets 1 King 22.6 8 24 27. If Luther will touch the Popes Crown and the Fryers Bellies they will not scruple to Oppose and ruine both him and all such Preachers in the World if they were able John 11.48.50 Acts 5.28 LVI 1. A Christian indeed is one whose Holiness usually maketh him an eyesore to the ungodly world and his charity and peaceableness and moderation maketh him to be censured as not strict enough by the superstitious and dividing sects of Christians For seeing the Church hath suffered between these two sorts of opposers ever since the suffering of Christ himself it cannot be but the solid Christian offend them both because he hath that which both dislike All the ungodly hate him for his holiness which is cross to their interest and way and all the Dividers will censure him for that universal charity and moderation which is against their factious and destroying zeal described Jam. 3. Even Christ himself was not strict enough in superstitious observances for the ceremonious zealous Pharisees He transgressed with his Disciples the tradition of the Elders in neglecting their observances who transgressed the commandment of God by their tradition Matth. 15.2 3. He was not strict enough in their uncharitable observation of the Sabbath day Matth. 12.2 John that was eminent for falling they said had a Devil The Son of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a man gluttonous and a wine bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners But wisdom is justified of her Children Mat. 11.18 19. And the weak Christians Rom. 14.1 2 3. did censure those that durst eat those meats and do those things which they conceived to be unlawful They that erre themselves and make God a Service which he never appointed will censure all as lukewarm or temporizers or wide conscienced men that erre not with them and place not their Religion in such superstitious observances as Touch not taste not handle not c. Col. 2.18 21 22 23. And the raw censorious Christians are offended with the Charitable Christian because he damneth not as many and as readily as they and shutteth not enow out of the number of believers and judgeth not rigorously enough of their wayes In a word he is taken by one sort to be too strict and by the other to be too complyant or indifferent in Religion because he placeth not the Kingdom of God in meats and dayes and such like circumstances but in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.15 16 17. And as Paul withstood Peter to his face for drawing men to make scruple or conscience of things lawful Gal. 2.11 12 13. so is the sound Christian withstood by the superstitious for not making scruple of lawful things 2. And the weak Christian is in the same case so long as he followeth prudent pious charitable guides But if he be taken in the snares of superstition he pleaseth the superstitious party though he displease the World 3. And whereas the solid Christian will not stir an inch from truth and duty to escape either the hatred of the wicked or the bitterest censures of the Sectary or the weak the Hypocrite must needs have one party on his side For if both condemn him and neither applaud him he loseth his peculiar reward Matth. 6.2 5. 23.5 6 7 8. LVII 1. The confirmed Christian doth understand the necessary of a faithful Ministry for the safety of the weak as well as the conversion of the wicked and for the preservation of the interest of Religion upon earth And therefore no personal unworthiness of Ministers nor any calumnies of enemies can make him think or speak dishonourably of that sacred office But he reverenceth it as instituted by Christ and though he loaths the sottishness and wickedness of those that run before they are sent and are utterly insufficient or ungodly and take it up for a Living or Trade only as they would a common work and are Sons of Belial that know not the Lord and cause the offering of the Lard to be abhorred 1 Sam. 2.2 17. Yet no such temptation shall overthrow his reverence to the office which is the Ordinance of Christ much less will he be unthankful to those that are able and faithful in their office and labour instantly for the good of souls as willing to spend and be spent for their Salvation When the World abuseth and derideth and injureth them he is one that honoureth them both for their work and masters sake and the experience which he hath had of the blessing of God on their labours to himself For he knoweth that the smiting of the Shepheards is but the devils ancient way for the scattering of the flock Though he knoweth that if the salt have lost its savour it is good for nothing neither fit for the land nor yet for the dung-hill but men cast it out and it 's trodden under foot he that hath ears to hear let him hear Luk. 14.34 35. Mat. 5.13 14. Yet he also knoweth that he that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward Matth. 10.41 42. And that he that receiveth them receiveth Christ and he that despiseth them that are sent by him despiseth him Luk. 10.16 He therefore readily obeyeth those commands Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as those that must give account 1 Thes. 5.12 13. We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in Love for their work sake and be at peace among your selves 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine 2. But though the weak Christian be of the same mind so far as he is sanctified yet is he much more easily tempted into a wrangling censoriousness against his Teachers though they be never so able and holy men and by seducers may be drawn to oppose them or speak contemptuously of them as the Galathians did of Paul and some of the Corinthians accounting him as their Enemy for telling them the truth when lately they would have pluckt out their eyes to do him good Gal. 4.15 16. 3. But the Hypocrite is most easily engaged against them either when they grate upon the guilt of his bosome sin or open his hypocrisie or plainly cross him in his carnal interest or else when his
for it till it surprize him and therefore when it cometh it findeth him prepared and he gladly entertaineth it as the messenger of his Father to call him to his everlasting home It is not a strange unexpected thing to him to hear he must die He died daily in his daily sufferings and mortified contempt of worldly things and in his daily expectation of his change He wondereth to see men at a dying time surprized with astonishment and terrour who jovially or carelesly neglected it before as if they had never known till then that they must die Or as if a few years time were reason enough for so great a difference For that which he certainly knoweth will be he looketh at as if it were even at hand and his preparation for it is more serious in his health than other mens is on their death-bed He useth more carefully to bethink himself what graces he shall need at a dying time and in what case he shall then wish his soul to be and accordingly he laboureth in his provisions now even as if it were to be tomorrow He verily believeth that it is incomparably better for him to be with Christ than to abide on earth and therefore though Death of it self be an enemy and terrible to nature yet being the only passage into happiness he gladly entertaineth it Though he have not himself any clear and satisfactory apprehensions of the place and state of the happiness of departed souls yet it quieteth him to know that they shall be with Christ and that Christ knoweth all and prepareth and secureth for him that promised Rest Joh. 12.26 2 Cor. 5.1 7 8. Phil. 1.21 23. Luke 23.43 Though he is not free from all the natural fears of death yet his belief and hope of endless happiness doth abate those fears by the joyfull expectation of the gain which followeth See my Book called The last enemy and the last work of a Believer and that of self-denial against the fears of death But especially he loveth and longeth for the coming of Christ to judgement as knowing that then the Marriage-day of the Lamb is come and then the desires and hopes of all Believers shall be satisfied Then shall the Righteous shine as Stars in the Kingdom of their Father and the hand of violence shall not reach them Every enemy then is overcome and all the Redeemers work is consummated and the Kingdom delivered up unto the Father Then shall the ungodly and the unmercifull be confounded and the righteous filled with overlasting joy when their Lord shall throughly plead their cause and justifie them against the accusations of Satan and all the lies of his malicious instruments O blessed glorious joyfull day when Christ shall come with thousands of his Angels to execute vengeance on the ungodly world and to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that now believe 2 Thes. 1.8 9 10 When the patient followers of the Lamb shall behold him in glory whom they have believed in and shall see that they did not pray or hope or wait in vain When Christ himself and his sacred truth shall be justified and glorified in the presence of the world and his enemies mouths for ever stopped When he shall convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Jude 14 15. Where then is the mouth that pleadeth the cause of infidelity and impiety and reproached the serious holiness of Believers and made a jest of the Judgements of the Lord Then what terrours and confusion and shame what fruitless repentings will seize upon that man that set himself against the holy ones of the Lord and knew not the day of his visitation and imbraced the image and form of godliness while he abhorred the power The Joys which will then possess the hearts of the Justified will be such as now no heart can comprehend When Love shall come to be glorified in the highest expression to those that lately were so low when all their doubts and fears and sorrows shall be turned into full contenting sight and all tears shall be wiped away and all reproaches turned into glory and every enemy overcome and sin destroyed and holiness perfected and our vile bodies changed and made like the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3.20 21. Col. 3.3 4. Then will the Love and work of our Redemption be fully understood And then a Saint will be a Saint indeed when with Christ they shall judge the Angels and the world 1 Cor. 6.2 3. and shall hear from Christ Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25.34 Enter ye into the joy of your Lord Mat. 25.21 Then every knee shall bow to Christ and every tongue shall confess that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2.9 10 11. Then sin will fully appear in its malignity and holiness in its luster unto all The proud will then be abased and the mouths of all the wicked stopped when they shall see to their confusion the Glory of that Christ whom they despised and of those holy ones whom they made their scorn In vain will they then knock when the door is shut and cry Lord Lord open unto us Mat. 25.10 11 12. And in vain will they then wish O that we had known the day of our visitation that we might have died the death of the righteous and our latter end might have been as his Numb 23.10 Rom. 3.19 Job 5.16 Psal. 107.42 31.23 13.6 8. The day of Death is to true Believers a day of Happiness and Joy But it is much easier for them to think with joy on the coming of Christ and the day of Judgement because it is a day of fuller joy and soul and body shall be conjoyned in the blessedness and there is nothing in it to be so great a stop to our desires as Death is which naturally is an enemy God hath put a love of life and fear of death into the nature of every sensible creature as necessary for the preservation of themselves and others and the orderly Government of the world But what is there in the blessed day of Judgement which a Justified child of God should be averse to O if he were but sure that this would be the day or week or year of the coming of his Lord how glad would the confirmed Christian be and with what longings would he be looking up to see that most desired sight 2. And the weak Christian is so far of the same mind that he had rather come to God by Death and Judgement than not at all except when temptations make him fear that he shall be condemned He hath fixedly made choice of that Felicity which till then he cannot attain He would not take all the pleasures of this world for his hopes of the happiness of