measure of Grace will bear the soule out under a great name as well as under great means For a man Quid tibi prâ—dest nomen ubi res nâ—n invenitur What will the name availe where tâ—e thing is waâ—ting saith Augâ—stâ—ne to have a great name to live and yet to have but a little life is a stroak of stroaks to be high in name and little in worth is a very sad and sore judgement to have a name to be an eminent Christian and yet to be poor in faith in love in wisedome in knowledge c. is the greatest unhappinesse in the world This stroak is upon many in these dayes but that which is saddest of all is this they feele it not they observe it not but now he that is rich in grace hath something within that will beare him out under a great name in the world Againe A great measure of Grace will bear you out under great desires as well as under a great name A man that 's rich in Grace may ask what he pleases he is one much in with God and God will deny him nothing the best of the best is for this man he may have any thing he may have every thing that heaven affordeth is able to improve much and therefore he may ask much and have it 'T was a sweet saying of one O Lord I never come to thee but by thee I never goe from thee without thee Sozonem saith of Apollonius That he never asked any thing of God but he had it And another speaking of Luther saith Hic homo potuit apud Deum quod voluit He could have what he would of God Rich men may long for this and that and have it they have something that will fetch it but poor men may not Oh now who would not labour as for life to be rich in Grace Oh this will bear you out under great means and under great names and under great desires therefore rest not satisfied with a little Grace But then sixthly and lastly Soules rich in Grace are the honour of Christ and the glory of Christianity As 't is the glory of the stock when the Grafts grow and thrive in it even so it is the glory of Christ when those that are ingrafted into him thrive and grow This declares to all the world that Christ keeps a good house and that he doth not feed his Children with trash but with the choisest delicates that he is open-handed and free-hearted 'T is the glory of the father when the Child growes rich under him and the glory of the Master when the Servant growes rich under him and so 't is the glory of Christ when poore soules grow rich under him The name of Christ and the honour of Christ is kept up in this world by souls that are rich in grace they are the persons that make others think well and speak well of Christ You may at your leisure read the first and second Epistles to the Thessalonians and there you shall see what an honour they were to the Lord Jesus and the Gospel who abounded in spirituall riches Such Christians that are like to Pharoah's leane Kine reproach three at once God the Gospel and their Teachers And this Age is full of such Christians 'T is your greatest work in this world to keep up the honour and the glory of the Lord and this you can never you will never doe except you labour to be rich in Grace Let others labour for the meat that perisheth doe you labour for that which endureth to everlasting life When you come to dye and when you come to make up your Accounts 't will never be a grief but a joy unto you that you have made it your greatest businesse and work in this world to be rich in Grace But here you may say What Meanes must we use that we may grow rich in Grace I Answer FIrst Let no discouragements take you off from labouring to be inriched with spirituall riches A soule that would be spiritually rich must be Divinely resolved that come what come can he will hold on in the use of means that he may be rich with the riches of Christ Josh 24. 15. Joshua was resolute in this Point Choose you whom you will serve whether the Lord or those other Gods that your fathers served as for my part I and my house will serve the Lord. Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the straight Gate The Greek Agenizesthe Many men are like Cicero not throughly resolved in themselves whether to follow Pompey oâ— Caesar the riches of this world or the riches of another world such men will still be poore word signifies To strive with all your might with all your strength to strive even to an Agony to strive as they did for the Garlands in the Olympick Games The word here used seemeth to alude to their striving for the Garland where they put out themselves to the utmost So in John 6. 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that which indures to everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the father sealed I have read of one that did not feare what he did nor what he suffered so he might get riches For saith he men doe not aske how good one is or how gracious one is but how rich one is Oh Sirs the day is a coming when God will ask how rich your soules are how rich you are in faith in wisedome in knowledge in fear c. and not how rich you are in money or in Jewels or in Land or in Goods but how rich are you in Grace which should provoke your soules to strive in the face of all discouragements to be rich in Grace What will not the Merchant doe and the Marriner doe for these temporall riches Oh the dangers the hazards the tempests the stormes the deaths that they run through for earthly riches which are never without their sting And shall not Christians labour in the face of all oppositions after spirituall riches It is reported of Nevessan the Lawyer that he should say He that will not venture his body can never be valiant and he that will not venture his soule will never be rich I am sure that man that will not venture and venture hard in the face of all discouragements to be spiritually rich will never be rich he may be good in the maine and may goe to heaven in a storme but he will never be rich in spiritualls that will not venture himselfe to the uttermost for the gaine of spirituall riches Secondly Be fixed under a Christ-exalting and a soule-inriching Ministry Under that mans Ministry that makes it his businesse not a thing by the bye but his businesse his work not to tickle the eare to please the fansie but to inrich the soule to win the soule and to build up the soule 2 Tim. 4. 3. For the time will come when they
Luke 10. 16. He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that despises you despises me This honourable account God hath of all his faithfull servants in this imployment The fifth thing that speaks out this truth is this They serve an honourable Master They serve him that is all ear to hear all hand to punish all power to protect all wisedome to direct all goodnesse to relieve and all mercy to pardon They Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia Aug. He hath all that hath the haver of all serve that God that is Optimum maximum the best and greatest God hath within himselfe all the good of Angels men and universal nature he hath all dignity all glory all riches all treasure all pleasure all delight all joy all beatitudes Mark abstracts doe better expresse God then concretes and adjectives God is being bonity beauty power wisedome justice mercy and love it selfe God is love saith the Apostle in the very abstract God is one infinite perfection in himselfe which is eminently and virtually all perfections 'T is truly said of God that he is Omnia super oâ—nia of the Creatures And Oh then what an honour must it be to those that are imployed under so honourable a Master Sixthly Their very worke and service is honourable Why else did the Apostle cry out Who is sufficient for these things Their maine work is to treat with sinners about eternity c. There is no such Embassage in the world as this is in which they are imployed Ephes 6. 19 20. Pray for me that I may make knowne the Mystery of the Gospel for which I am an Ambassadour in bonds Faithfull Ministers doe represent the person of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords their work is to treat of Peace between God and man or of open Hostility between the Creator and the Creature 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. Seventhly and lastly Their Reward from God is honourable Though the world Crowne them with thornes as it did their Lord and Master before them yet God will Crowne them with honour Dan. 12. 3. They shall shine as the Stars in the Firmament You know Ambassadors have not preferments while they are abroad but when they come home into their owne Countrey then their Princes prefer them and put much honour upon them So will God deale with his Ambassadors 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there God will at last highly reward those very services that men don't regard c. is laid up for me a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto all them also that love his appearing So in Isa 49. 4 5. I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nought and in vaine yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my reward with my God Though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength So in 2 Cor. 2. 15. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved Latimer in one of his Sermons speaking of a Minister who gave this answer why he left off Preaching because he saw he did no good This saith Latimer is a very naughty naughty answer and in them that perish Ministers shall be rewarded according to their faithfulnesse and diligence though some perish It shall be with them as with Vine-dressers you know Vine-dressers are rewarded according to their diligence and faithfulnesse though some Vines never bear nor bring forth fruit at all As Ministers are diligent and faithfull so the reward the Crowne shall be given full at last You know the Barber is as much rewarded for trimming a Black-a-more though all his paines in rubbing him can never make him white as he is for trimming and rubbing of another man that is white and by a little paines is made more white This is many-a-faithfull Ministers grief that he takes a great deale of paines in rubbing and washing as it were to make soules white and clean pure and holy and yet they remaine after all as black as hell but surely their reward shall be never the lesse with God The Nurse looks not for her wages from the Child but from the Parent If Ministers like clouds sweat themselves to death that soules may be brought to life great will be their reward though those soules should perish for ever for whom they have wept sweat and bled God won't deale by faithfull Ministers as Exerxes did by his Steer-man who crowned him in the morning and beheaded him in the evening of the same day No God will set an everlasting Crowne upon their heads who remaine laborious and faithfull to the death The world for all their paines will Crowne them with thornes but God at last will Crowne them with glory he will set a Crowne of pure gold upon their heads for ever And thus you have the Point proved The second thing that I am to doe is to shew you What Honour that is which is justly due to faithfull Ministers Now this I shall shew you in three things there is a threefold honour that is due unto them First Honourable Countenance is due to them that are in so honourable a place and Office as they are in 1 Cor. 14. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Under-rowers to Christ the Master-Pilot helping forward the ship of the Church to the haven of Heaven Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Thess 5. 12 13. And we beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you And to esteeme them very highly in love for their worke sake Or To esteeme them more then exceedingly or more then abundantly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek will bear And so in 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be accounted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and doctrine The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word that is here rendred Labour signifies not simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to labour but to labour with much travel and toyle to labour even to lassitude as he doth that cleaveth wood or that toileth in harvest or that goeth a warfare Preaching is a Our Saviour at little paâ—t â—hirty was â—eckoned by the Jewes to be towards fifty John 8. 57. he had so spent himself in preaching Preaching is a spending painfull work most painfull work and enfeebleth a man exceedingly whence the Prophet cryes out My leannesse my leannesse Isa 24. 16. No paines no labour no work to that of the braine to that of the mind nor none so worthy of praise as those that are most in that labour in that work No mens work is so
Alexander had with the Conquest of halfe the world and the fruition of all the treasures pleasures and glories of Asia So an humble soule is more contented and satisfied with Daniel's pulse and John's Coat then proud Princes are with their glistering Crownes and golden Scepters The fourteenth Property of an humble soule is this It can 14 Property rejoyce in the graces and gracious actings of others as well as in its owne An humble Moses could say when Eldad and Medad Prophecied in the Camp Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon Numb 11. 26-30 them So humble Paul in Acts 26. 29. And Paul said I would to God that not onely thou but also all that hear me this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A little and a gâ—eat way day were both almost and altogether such as I am except these bonds I heartily wish and pray for thine owne sake that not onely in a low but in an eminent degree both thou and all that are here present were as far Christians as I am Onely I The Ancient Church had her Diptyâ—hs or publick tables wherein the peâ—sons most noted for piety were recorded Plato called Aristotle the Intelligent Readerâ— and Aristotle set up an Altar in honour of Plato would not wish them Imprisoned as I am An humble soule is no churle there is no envy in spirituall things one may have as much of spirituals as another and all alike So in 1 Thess 1. 2 3. We give thanks to God alwayes for you all making mention of you in our prayers Remembring without ceasing your worke of faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our father So in the 2 Epistle 1. 2 3 4. Grace be unto you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ We are bound to thanke God alwayes for you brethren as it is meet because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth So that we our selves glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure Ezekiel can commend Daniel his contemporary matching him with Noah Ezek. 14. 14. 2 Pet. 3. c. and Job for his power in prayer And Peter highly praises Pauls Epistles though he had been sharply reproved in one of them Oh! but proud soules will be still a casting disgrace and contempt upon those excellencies in others that they want Caesar Bâ—rgâ— a emulating imitating Julius Caesar used to say Aut Caesar aut nullut But not long after he was slaine in the Kingdome of Navarre in themselves A proud Cardinall in Luthers time said Indeed a reformation is needfull and to be desired but that Luther a rascally Fryer should be the man should doe it is intollerable Pride is like certaine Flies called Cantharides who light especially upon the fairest wheat and the most blown Roses Though Licinius who was joyned with Galerius in the Empire was so ignorant that he could not write his owne name yet as Eusebius reports he called the Liberall Arts a publick poyson This age is full of such Monsters that envy every light that outshines their owne and that throw dirt upon the graces and excellencies of others that themselves may onely shine Pride is notable both at Substraction and at Multiplication A proud heart alwayes prizes himselfe above the Market he reckons his owne pence for pounds and others pounds for pence he looks upon his owne Counters as gold and upon others gold as Counters All Pearles are counterfeit but what he wears The fifteenth Property of an humble soul is He will rather 15 Property Psal 94. 1. Rom. 12. 19. I maytruly say of thehumble soul what Tul ly said of Caesar Nihil obli visci solet nisi injurias that he forgot nothing but injuries bear wrongs then revenge wrongs offered The humble soule knowes that Vengeance is the Lords and that he will repay c The humble soule loves not to take the sword into his owne hand he knowes the day is a coming wherein the Lord will give his Enemies two blowes for one and here he rests An humble soule when wrongs are offered is like a man with a sword in one hand and a salve in the other could wound but will heale Psal 35. 11 12 13 14 15 16. False witnesses did rise up they laid to my charge things that I knew not They rewarded me evill for good to the spoiling of my soule But as for me when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth I humbled my soule with fasting and my prayer returned into my owne Aâ—gustus Caesar in whose time Christ was born bid Catullus the â—aiâ—ing Poet to supper to shew that he had forgiven him bosome I behaved my selfe as though he had been my friend or brother I bowed downe heavily as one that mourneth for his mother c. The Scripture abounds in instances of this nature Dyonisius having not very well used Plato at the Court when he was gone fearing least he should write against him he sent after him to bid him not to write against him Sayes he Tell Dyonisius that I have not so much leisure as to think of him So humble wronged soules are not at leisure to think of the wrongs and injuries that others doe them Mr. Fox that wrote the Book of Martyrs would be sure to doe him a kindnesse that had done him an injury So that it used to be a Proverb If a man would have Mr. Fox doe him a kindnesse let him doe him an injury An humble soule is often in looking over the wrongs and injuries that he ha's done to God and the sweet and tender carraiage of God towards him notwithstanding those wrongs and injuries and this wins him and works him to be more willing and ready to beare wrongs and forgive wrongs then to revenge any offered wrongs The sixteenth Property of an humble soule is this An humble soule though he be of never so rare abilities yet he will not 16 Property Isa 11. 6. disdaine to be taught what he knowes not by the meanest persons A Child shall lead the humble soule in the way that is good he cares not how mean and contemptible the person is if a guide or an instructer to him Apollo an Eloquent man and mighty in the Scripture a Master in Israel yet sits by an Aquilla a Tent-maker and Vide Beza on the words Priscilla his wife to be instructed by them Acts 18. 24 25 26. Sometimes the poorest and the meanest Christian may for counsel and comfort be a God to another as Moses was to Aaron As an humble soule knowes that the Starres have their scituation in Heaven though sometimes he sees them by their reflection in a puddle in the bottome of a well or in a stinking
What and thou my Son Brutus Is this thy kindnesse to thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 friend to him that ha's loved thee and saved thee and owned thee c. Then vers 73. Surely thou art one of them for thy speech bewrayeth thee And vers 74. He began to curse and to sweare I know not the man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Calvin on the Text. In Rom. 6. 19. There are 3 To 's in the expression of the service of sin To uncleannesse To iniquity and Vnto iniquity But in the service of God there are onely two To 's To righteousnesse and Vnto holinesse To note that we were more prone to sin before Conversion then wearetograce and holinesse after conversion The Greek word that 's rendred Curse imports a cursing and a damning of himselfe an imprecation of Gods wrath and a separation from the presence and glory of God if he knew the man Some Writers say That he curst Christ I know not the man saith he Though it were ten thousand times better to bear then to swear and to dye then to lye yet when discouragement faces him he is so amazed and daunted that he tells the most incredible lye that almost could be uttered by the mouth of man For there was scarce any Jew saith Grotius that knew not Christ by sight being famous for those abundance of Miracles that he wrought before their eyes Neither could Peter alledge any cause why he came thither if he had not known Christ But vers 75. He went out and wept bitterly One sweet look of love breaks his heart in pieces he melts under the beamings forth of Divine favour upon him Once he leapt into a Sea of waters to come to Christ and now he leaps into a sea of tears for that he had so shamefully denied Christ Clement notes That Peter so repented that all his life-time after every night when he heard the Cock crow he would fall upon his knees and weep bitterly begging pardon for this dreadfull sin Others say That after his lying cursing and denying Christ he was ever and anon weeping and that his face was furrowed with continuall teares He had no sooner taken in poyson but he vomits it up againe before it got to the vitals He had no sooner handled a Serpent but he turnes it into a rod to scourge his soule with remorse This truth is further confirmed by the speech and carriage of the Disciples Luke 24. 21 ult We trusted say they that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel but now we cannot tell what to say to it Here their hope hangs the wing extreamly Invalidum omne naturâ querulum Seneca Weak spirits are ever quarâ—elling and contending Weak soules find it as hard to wait for God as 't is to bear evill This weaknesse Christ checks vers 25. O fooles and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken c. And John 16. 5. The first newes Christ tells them is of their sufferings and of his leaving of them and upon the thoughts hereof their hearts were so filled with sorrow that they could not so much as say Master whither goest thou vers 6. But now soules strong in grace will hold on in holy and gratious actings in the very face of the greatest discouragements as those in Psal 44. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death yet our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined Such a spirit shin'd in Chrysostome when he bid them tell the enraged Empress Eudoxia Nil nisi peccatum timeo I feare nothing but sin from thy wayes And so the three Children they hold up in the face of all discouragements And so those brave Worthies of whom this world was not worthy Heb. 11. their hearts were carried out exceedingly notwithstanding all discouragements to hold on in wayes of holinesse and in their actings of faith upon God in the face of all dangers and deaths that did attend them When Henry the Eighth had spoken and written bitterly against Luther saith Luther Tell the Henries the Bishops the Turke and the Devil himselfe Doe what they can we are Children of the Kingdome worshipping of the true God whom they and such as they spit upon and crucified And of the same spirit and mettle were many Martyrs Bazill affirmes of the Primitive Saints That they had so much conrage and confidence in their sufferings that many of the Heathens seeing their heroick zeale and constancy turned Christians Twelfthly Weake Saints minde their wages and vailes more then their worke Their wages their vailes is joy peace comfort and assurance c. and their work is waiting on God believing in Children mind moâ—e play-â—ayes then they do working dayâ— oâ— Schoâ—dayes 1 Sam 15. 14. God walking with God acting for God c. Now weak Saints minds are more carried out and taken up about their wages about their vailes then they are about their work as experience doth abundantly evidence Ah Christians if you don't mind your wages more then your work what means the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the Oxen What means those earnest and vehement cryings out and wrestings for joy peace comfort and assurance when the great work of believing of waiting and of walking with God is so much neglected and dis-regarded But now strong Saints are more mindfull of their work then they are of their wages Lord saith a strong Saint doe but uphold me in a way of believing in a way of working in a way of holy walking c. and it shall be enough though I should never have Assurance comfort peace or joy till my dying day If thou wilt carry me forth so as thou mayest have honour though I have no comfort so thou mayest have glory though I have no peace I Rom. 4. 18 19 20. will blesse thee I know sayes such a soule though a life of comfort be most pleasing to me yet a life of believing abstracted from comfort is most honourable to thee and therefore I will be silent before thee Lord doe but help me in my work and take thine owne time to give me my wages to give me comfort joy peace assurance They are none of the best Servants that mind their wages more then their work Nor they are none of the best Christians that mind their comforts and their incomes more then that homage and duty that they owe to God Before I come to the second thing premised give me leave to give you this hint viz. That there is no such way to joy peace and Assurance as this to mind your worke more then your wages Ah! had many mourning complaing Christians done thus their mourning before this had been turn'd into rejoycing and their complainings into singings Christians the high way to comfort is to mind comfort lesse and duty more 't is to mind more what thou shouldest doe then
19 20. there came a multitude of people to eat the Passeover but they were not prepared according to the preparation of the Sanctuary therefore Hezekiah puts up a Prayer for them and the Text saith That the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people lookt upon their uprightnesse and so past over all their other weaknesses He did not cast off Peter for his horrid sins but rather looks upon him with an eye of love and pity Mark 16. 7. But goe your way tell his Disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee there shall ye see him as he said unto you Oh admirable love Oh matchlesse mercy where sin abounds grace do's super-abound This is the glory of Christ that he carries it sweetly towards his people when they carry themselves unworthily towards him Christ looks more upon Peters sorrow then upon his sin upon his tears then upon his Oaths c. The Lord will not cast away weake Saints for their great unbeliefe because there is a little faith in them He will not throw them away for that hypocrifie that 's in them because of that little sincerity that 's in them He will not cast away weak Saints for that Pride that 's in them because of those Rayes of humility that shine in them He will not despise his people for their passions because of those graines of meeknesse that are in them We will not throw away a little gold because of a great deale of drosse that cleaves to it nor a little wheat because mixt with much chaffe and will God will God We will not cast away our Garments because of some spots nor our Books because of som blots nor our Jewels because of some flawes and do we think that the Lord will cast away his dearest ones because of their spots and blots and flawes Surely no God looks more upon the bright side of the Cloud then the dark James 5. 11. Remember the patience of Job 'T is not Remember the murmuring of Job the cursing of Job the complainings of Job the impatience of Job but Remember the patience of Job God looks upon the Pearle and not upon the spot that is in it So in Heb. 11. 30 31. there 's mention made of Rahabs faith love and peaceable behaviour towards the Spies but no mention made of her lye the Lord overlooks her weaknesse and keeps his eye upon her virtues Where God sees but a little grace he doth as it were hide his eyes from those circumstances that might seem to deface the glory of it So in 1 Pet. 3. 6. Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord. Mark there was but one good word in Sarahs speech to Abraham she call'd her Husband Lord the speech otherwise was a speech of unbeliefe yet the holy Ghost speaking of her in reference to that speech conceales all the evill in it and mentions onely the reverent title she gave to her Husband commending her for it He that drew Alexander whilst he had a scar upon his face drew him with his finger upon the scar So when the Lord comes to look upon a poore soule he layes his finger upon the scar upon the infirmity that he may see nothing but grace which is the beauty and the glory of the soule Ah but weak Christians are more apt to look upon their infirmities then on their graces and because their little gold is mixt with a great deale of drosse they are ready to throw away all as drosse Well remember this the Lord Jesus hath as great and as large an interest in the weakest Saints as he hath in the strongest He hath the interest of a Friend and the interest of a Father and the interest of a Head and the interest of a Husband and therefore though Saints be weak yea though they be very weak yet having as great and as large an interest in them as in the strongest Saints he can't but overlook their weaknesse and keep a fixed eye upon their graces A fourth Support is this 4. Support That the Lord will graciously preserve and strengthen those weake graces that are in you Though your graces be as a spark of fire in the midst of an Ocean of corruption yet the Lord will preserve and blow up The tallest Oak was once â—n A corn the deepest Doctor was once in his Horn-book that spark of fire into a flame It was the Priests Office in the time of the Law to keep the fire in the Sanctuary from going out and it is the Office of our Lord Jesus as he is our High Priest our Head our Husband our Mediator for to blow up that heavenly fire that he hath kindled in any of our soules His honour his faithsulnesse and his goodnesse is engaged in it and therefore he cannot but doe it else he would loose much love and many prayers and praises did he not cherish preserve and strengthen his owne work in his owne people The faith of the Disciples was generally weak as I have formerly shew'd you and yet how sweetly doth the Lord Jesus John 16. Acts 2. carry it towards them He was still a breathing out light life and love upon them he was still a turning their water into wine their bitter into sweet and their discouragements into incouragements and all to raise and keep up their spirits His heart was much in this thing therefore sayes he 'T is necessary that I leave you that I may send the Comforter to be a comfort and a guide unto you I will poure out my spirit upon you Isa 60. 22. that a little one may become a thousand and a small one a strong Nation and that the feeble may be as David and the house of David as God as the Angel of the Lord. That 's a sweet Zech. 12. 8. Text Isa 65. 8. Thus saith the Lord as the new wine is found in the Clusters and one saith destroy it not for a blessing is in it so will I doe for my servants sake c. Oh! saith Christ to the father here are a company of weak Saints that have some buddings of grace Oh doe not destroy it father there is a blessing in it though it be but weak The Genuine sence of the similitude I think is this when a Vine being blasted or otherwise decayed is growne so bad and so barren that scarce any good Clusters of Grapes can be discerned on it whereby it may be deemed to have any life or of ever becoming fruitful againe and the Husband-man is about to grub it up or cut it downe to the ground One standing by sees here a cluster and there a little cluster and cryes out O don't grub up the Vine don't cut downe the Vine it ha's a little life and by good Husbandry it may be made fruitfull We may look upon the Lord Jesus Christ as thus pleading with his fathers Justice Father I know thou seest that these soules are dry and barren and that
and a gripe of Goats haire for an Oblation and certainly God hath lost none of his affections to poore soules in the time of the Gospel Cant. 2. 14. Let me heare thy voyce for thy voyce is sweet and thy countenance is lovely The Hebrew word * Eth kolech signifies any sound such as Birds or bruits make their chattering is like lovely Songs in the ear of God their mite is a sweet Oblation Parents that have but some drops of that love and tender affection that is in God to his people yet accept of a very little service from their weak Children and will not God In time of strength God looks for much but in the time of weaknesse God will bear much and overlook much and accept of a little yea of a very very little One writing of the Tree of Knowledge saith That it bears many leaves but little fruit Though weak Saints have a great many leaves and but little fruit little grace yet that little the Lord will kindly accept of Artaxerxes the Persian Monarch was famous for accepting of a little water from the hand of a loving Subject God makes himselfe famous and his Grace glorious by his kind acceptation of the weakest endeavours of his people c. The seventh Support is this The least measure of Grace is as true an earnest and as good 7 Support Though men often loose their earnest yet God will never loose his His earnest is very obliging Phil. 1. 6. and sure a pledge of greater measures of Grace that the soule shall have here and of Glory that the soule shall have hereafter as the greatest measure of Grace is He that hath begun a good worke he will perfect it to the day of Christ Christ is called not onely the Author but also the Finisher of our faith Heb. 12. 2. In Mal. 4. 2 3. Vnto you that fear my name shall the Son of Righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings and he shall goe forth and grow up as The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or way signifies a distinct course from others as the way from one Town differs from the way to another Here in Job 't is taken for a course in piety Calves of the stall And so in Job 17. 9. The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Zech. 12. 8. In that day shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them So in Hos 14. 5 6 7. I will be as the dew to Israel he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his fruits as Lebanon His branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the Olive Tree and his smell as Lebanon They that dwell under his shadow shall return they shall revive as the Corne and grow as the Vine the sent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon The Tree in Alcinous Garden had alwayes blossomes buds and ripe fruits one under another Such a Tree will God make every weak Christian to be The righteous though never so weak shall flourish like the Palme Tree Psal 92. 12 13 14 Now the Palme Tree never looseth his leafe or fruit saith Pliny An old man being asked If he grew in goodnesse answered Yea doubtlesse I believe I doe because the Lord has said They shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From Hagnan Green flourishing or green as the Hebrew hath it In the Island of St. Thomas on the back side of Africa in the midst of it is a hill and over that a continuall Cloud wherewith the whole Island is watered Such a cloud is Christ to weak Saints Though our hearts naturally are like the Isle of Pathmos which is so barren of any good as that nothing will grow but on Earth that is brought from other places yet Christ will make them like a watered Garden and like a Isa 58. 11. Spring of water whose waters faile not The eighth Support is this 8 Support A dying saiâ— once cryed out He is come he is come meaning the Lord with a great reward for a little worke That the least good that is done by the weakest Saint shall not be despised by Christ but highly esteemed and rewarded As you may see in Mat. 19. 27. Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee and what shall we have A great All a great catch indeed as I have formerly shew'd you they left a few old boats and torne Nets and poor houshold-stuffe yet Christ carries it very sweetly and lovingly to them and tells them in vers 28. that they should sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Christ tells them they shall sit as Ambassadors or chief Councellors and Presidents which have the chief seats in the Kingly Assembly yea they shall sit as Kings they are here but obscure Kings but Kings Elected but in that day they shall be Kings Crowned Kings glorified Kings acknowledged then they shall as far out-shine the glory of the Sun as the Sun psal 89. 27. Agrippa having suffered imprisonmeÌ„t for wishing Cajus Emperour the first thing Cajus did when he came to the Empire was to prefer Agrippa to a Kingdome He gave him also a Chain of gold as heavy as the Chaine of Iâ—on that was â—pon him in prison And will not Christ richly â—eward for all our well wishes towards him and for all our gracious actings for him surely he will he ha's a Kings heart as well as a Kings Purse â—eb 6. 10. now outshines a twinkling Star In that day they shal be higher then the Kings of the Earth So in Mat. 10. ult And whosoever shall give to drinke unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise loose his reward for a cup of cold water Water the common Element and cold water which cost them not the charges of fire to warme it for that there is a torrent and a very sea of all pleasures provided for thee to all Eternity God esteems mens deeds by their minds and not their minds by their deeds The least and cheapest courtesie that can be shewed shall be rewarded There is an Emphasis in that deep asseveration Verily I say unto you he shall in no wise loose his reward Mercy is as sure a graine as vanity God is not like to break neither will he forget the least good done by the least Saint The Buttler may forget Joseph and Joseph may forget his fathers house but the Lord will not forget the least good done by the weakest Saint The Duke of Burgundy being a wise and loving man did bountifully reward a poor Gardener for offering of him a Rape root being the best present
this no way to the Crowne like this he will not be long a Babe in grace who lives out that little grace he ha's Fourthly Living up to your light is the readiest and the onely way to fetch up and to recover all that hath been lost by your living below your light By your living below your light God your owne soules and the Gospel have lost much yea and others also have lost much light comfort strength and quicknesse c. that they might have had had you but liv'd up to that little grace you Bernard paraphrasing on that of Solomon A Lâ—lly amongst thorns saith the manners or lines of men as Lillies have their colours and odouâ—â— that which comes from a pure heart and a good Conscience hath he colour of a Lilly if a good name fallow it is more truly a Lil'y when neither cander nor odour of the Lilly is wanting Non enim passibus ad deum sed affectibus currimus had Now there is no way on earth to recover and to fetch up these losses but by living up to that grace you have Ah Christians 't is not your running from Sermon to Sermon not that I speak against frequent hearing of the word nor your crying up this man and that man or this notion or that or this way or that that will recover and fetch up the honour that God hath lost by your living below your graces 't is onely your living up to your graces that will make up all the breaches that have been made upon his honour and the Gospel and upon the comfort and peace of your owne soules and others Well remember this all the honour that God hath from you in this life is from your living up to that light knowledge love feare and faith that he ha's given you There 's nothing that will make up all losses but this therefore I begg of you upon the knees of my soule that you would take this one thing home with you and goe into your Closets and lay your hands upon your hearts and say Well the Lord hath lost much and my owne soule hath lost much and others have lost much by my living below that little Grace I have and therefore I will now make it my businesse by assisting Grace to live up to those measures of Grace that I have received more then yet I have done all my dayes I will by the strength of Christ make it more my duty and my worke to live out what God ha's given in then ever yet I have done that so the Lord and the Gospel may be no further loosers but gainers by me The fifth and last Motive is this The readiest and the surest Job 17. 9. Cant. 6. 10. Prov. 4. 18. Hâ—story reports of a Countrey in Asrica where the peoples industry hath an abundant reward for every bushelâ— of seed they sow they receive 150 mcrease afâ—er Blazaâ—ium Plin l. 18. c. 10. The appâ—ication is easie Prov. 10. 4. Dyonisius gave him his money agaâ—ne fâ—om whom he had taken much after that he heaâ—d he emplâ—yed a little well And will God beworse then a Heâ—then way to get more Grace is to live up to that little Grace you have He that lives up to a little light shall have more light he that lives up to a little knowledge shall have more knowledge he that lives up to a little faith shall have more faith and he that lives up to a little love shall have more love c. There is no such way to attaine to greater measures of grace as for a man to live up to that little grace he hath Verily the maine reason why many are such Babes and shrubs in grace is because they don't live up to their attainments He that won't improve two Talents shall never have the honour to be trusted with five But he that improves a little shall be trusted with much The diligent hand maketh rich He that is active and agile that works as well as wishes that adds endeavours to his desires will quickly be a Cedar in grace Ah Christians you have a God that 's great a God that 's good a God that 's gracious and a God that is rich that loves not to see his Children to be alwayes weaklings and striplings in grace The very Babe by drawing the Breasts gets strength and nourishment O you Babes in grace put out that little strength you have be you still a drawing at the breasts of Christ at the breasts of the Promises and strength will come nourishment will follow c. The third Duty that I would presse upon weake Saints is this Be sure that you alwayes reflect upon your Graces and whatsocver good is in you with Cautions This is a weighty Point and doth bespeak your most serious attention There are six Rules or Cautions that weak Saints should alwayes observe in their looking upon their graces And the first is this Looke upon all your Graces as gifts Of thine owne aith David have we given thee 1 Chr. 29. 14. of Grace as favours given you from above as gifts dropt out of heaven into your hearts as flowers that are given you out of the Garden of Paradise A man should never look upon his grace but he should look upon it as a flower of Paradise as a gift that God hath cast into his bosome from heaven 1. Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another And what hast thou that thou hast not received c. Thou talkest of light of love of fear of faith c. but what are all these but Pearles of glory that are freely given thee by the hand of grace Every good As all light flowes from the Sun and all water from the sea so all good flowes from Heaven and perfect gift comes downe from above The greatest excellencies in us doe as much depend upon God as the light doth upon the Sun When thou lookest upon thy wisedome thou must say Here 's wisedome I but 't is from above Here is some weak love working towards Christ but 't is from above Here 's joy and comfort and peace but these are all the flowers of Paradise they never grew in natures Garden When a soule looks thus upon all those costly Diamonds with which his heart is deckt he keeps low though his graces are high Where this rule is neglected the soule will be endangered of being swell'd and pufft Mr. Fox was used to say That as he got much good by his sins so he got much hurt by his graces When you look upon the stream remember the fountaine when you look upon the flower remember the root when you look upon the stars remember the Sun and when you look upon your graces remember the fountaine of grace else Satan will be too hard for you Satan is so artificiall so subtill and critical that he can make your very graces to serve him against your graces conquering joy by joy sorrow by sorrow
rebellious sinner or rebellious Sabboth-breaker or rebellious Rev 3. 20. 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will dwell in them The words are very significant in the Orâ—ginall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will indwell in their There are two in 's in the Originall as if God could never have enough communion with them drunkard or rebellious curser c. let such rebellious sinners know that Christ hath received Gifts even for the rebellious That the Lord God might dwell amongst them That is that the Lord God might have sweet fellowship and communion with them Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Behold I stand at the doore and knocke I that have Heaven to give and Peace to give and Pardon to give and Grace to give and my Selfe to give I that have tryed gold to inrich you and white rayment to cloath you and eye-salve to anoint you I stand at the doore and knocke if any man will open the doore let him be never so guilty never so filthy never so unworthy c. I will come in and sup with him and he with me Lord at whose doore doest thou stand knocking Is it at the rich mans doore Or at the righteous mans doore Or at the humbled mans doore Or at the weary and heavy laden mans doore Or at the mourners doore Or at the qualified or prepared mans doore No sayes Christ 't is at none of these doores At whose then O blessed Lord At the Luke-warm Laodiceans doore At their doore that are neither hot nor cold that are wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked These sayes Christ are the worst of the worst and yet if any of these wretches these Monsters of mankind will open the doore I will come in and will sup with them and they with me c. I have read a remarkeable story of a great Rebell that had Bodin relates this story raised a mighty party against a Roman Emperour The Emperour upon this being much provok't and stirr'd in spirit made a Proclamation That whosoever brought in the Rebell dead or alive should have a great sum of money The Rebell hearing of this comes and presents himselfe unto the Emperour and demanded of him the sum of money Whereupon the Emperour reasons thus If I should now cut him off the world would say I did it to save my money and so he pardoned him and gave him the great sum of money notwithstanding all his former Rebellion Oh! shall a Heathen Emperour doe thus to a Rebell that was in Armes against him And will not God doe as much for poore rebellious sinners Surely he will What though thou hast been in Armes against God and Mustered Rom. 5. 10. Col. 1. 21. Rom. 6. 13 16 19 20. up all the strength and force thou couldest even all the members of thy body and faculties of thy soule against God and Christ and Holinesse Yet know that the King of Israel is a mercifull King he is a God of Pardons he delights to make his Grace glorious and therefore is very willing to shew mercy to the greatest Rebels to the worst of sinners witnesse Manasses Mary Magdalen the Thief Paul and others The greatnesse of mans sins doe but set off the riches of free grace Sins are debts and God can as easily blot out a debt of many thousands as he can a lesser debt therefore let not the greatest Rebell despaire but believe and he shall find that where sin ha's abounded there Grace shall super-abound c. And thus much for this Observation we shall now proceed to the next words Viz. EPHES. 3. 8. That I should Preach among the Gentiles the Vnsearchable Riches of Christ A Little to open the words That I should Preach That is declare good newes or the glad tidings of salvation that 's brought by Jesus Christ to sinners The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament answers to the Hebrew word Bessorah in the Old Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evaggelisasthi from Evaggâ—lize both signifying Good newes glad tidings or a Joyfull Message That I should Preach among the Gentiles The word that 's here rendred Gentiles is sometimes used generally for all men or all Nations So 't is used in Mat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 25. 32. Mat. 28. 19. Sometimes this Greek word is used more especially for the people of the Jewes so in John 11. 48 50 51 52. Acts 10. 22. And sometimes it is used for the Gentiles distinguished from the Jewes so in Matthew 6. 32. By the Gentiles here you are to understand those poore Phil. 2. 12 13 Heathens that were without God in the world that never had heard of Christ nor those Unsearchable Riches that be in him as you may clearly see by comparing this Text with that Gal. 1. 15 16. But when it pleased God who separated me from my mothers womb and called me by his grace to reveale his Son in me that I might preach among the Heathen Saith he Immediately I consulted not with flesh and blood The first Observation that I shall speak to from these words thus opened is this That the Gifts and Graces that God bestowes upon his people should be improved imployed and Observâ— exercised by his people The Greek word Caris that 's here rendred Grace we shewed you had a three-fold signification in the Scripture Sometimes it denotes the favour of God sometimes the common gifts of the Spirit and sometimes the saving Graces of the Spirit Now sayes Paul that singular favour that God ha's confer'd upon me and all those common gifts and speciall graces with which he ha's inriched me they are all to be imployed and exercised Vnto me is this Grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the Vnsearchable Riches of Christ So that there is nothing more clear then this viz. That the gifts and graces that God bestowes upon his people should be imployed improved and exercised by his people To me is this grace given Not that I should be idle but active not that I should be negligent but diligent not that I should hide my Talents but improve them I shall touch upon a few Scriptures that speak out this truth and then open it to you 2 Tim. 1. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God that is in thee As the fire is increased and preserved by blowing so are our graces Some think that 't is a metaphor taken from Calvin and others a spark kept in ashes which by gentle blowing is stirred up till it take a flame Others say 't is an allusion to the fire in the Temple which was alwayes to be kept burning We get nothing by dead and uselesse habits Talents hid in a napkin gather rust the noblest faculties are imbased when not improved when not
exercised Phil. 2. 12. Worke out your owne salvation with feare and trembling The Greek is Worke till you get the worke through The reason why many mens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Katergazesthâ— hearts tremble and are so full of fears and doubts is because their salvation is not wrought out they doe not make through work in their soules They put not that question home whether they have grace or no an interest in Christ or no. They doe not rise with all their strength against sin nor with all their power to serve the Lord and therefore feares and doubts doe compasse them round about So in 1 Cor. 15. ult Be stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Grace is bettered made more perfect by acting Neglect of our graces is the ground of their decrease and decay Wells are the sweeter for drawing Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. Be stedfast 'T is a Metaphor taken from a foundation on which a thing stands firmly or a seat or chaire wherein one sits fast Vnmoveable signifies one that will not easily move his place or opinion Abounding or Excelling in the worke of the Lord. Knowing that your labour is not in vaine The Greek is Labours unto wearinesse The Apostle would have them labour unto wearinesse For saith he 'T is not in vaine It will turne to a good account it will yield you much of heavenhere and make you high in heaven hereafter There are onely two things that I shall endeavour to doe for the opening of the Point 1 To shew you why persons must improve imploy and exercise the graces and gifts that God hath bestowed upon them And then 2 The End to which they are to exercise those graces and gifts For the first There are these twelve Reasons why gracious soules should exercise and improve their gifts and graces Friends this Point is a Point of as singular use and of as great concernment to you as any that I know the Scripture speaks of and therefore I desire you to lend your most serious and solemne attentions First They must exercise and improve their graces Because the exercise and improvement of their graces is the ready way to be rich in grace Our graces are like Gideoâ—s Army but a handfull in comparisonâ— but our sins are like the Mâ—dianites in numerable as Grathoppers As sin is increased in the soule by the frequent actings of it so grace is nourished and strengthned in the soule by its frequent actings The exercise of grace is alwayes attended with the increase of grace Prov. 10. 4. The diligent hand maketh rich or the nimble hand the hand that 's active and agile that will see nothing lost for looking after that hand maketh rich Ruth 2. How did Boaz follow the businesse himselfe his eyes were in every corner on the servants and on the Reapers yea on the Gleaners too It is recorded of Severus That his care was not to looke what men said of him or how they censured him but to looke One day God will require of men Non quid legerint sed quid egerint nec quid dixerint sed quomedo vixerint what was to be done by him He will rise in judgement against those Professors that look more what this man and the other man saith of them then what is to be done by them The heart of a Christian is to be taken up with what is to be done by him and not with what this man thinks or the other judges of him Pacunius hath an elegant saying I hate saith he the men that are idle in deed and Philosophicall in word God loves saith Luther Curristas not Quaristas The runner not the questioner Grace growes by exercise and decayes by disuse Though both armes grow yet that which a man most useth is the stronger and the bigger so it is both in gifts and graces In Birds their wings which have been used most are sweetest the Application is easie Such men as are contented with so much grace as will bring them to glory The reason say some why Christ corsed the figâ—â—ee tho the time of beaâ—ing fruit was not come was because it made a glorious shew with leaves and promised much â—ut brought foâ—â— nothing with so much grace as will keep hell and their soules asunder will never be rich in grace nor high in comfort or assurance such soules usually goe to heaven in a storme O how weather-beaten are they before they can reach the Heavenlyharbour Secondly They must exercise their gifts and graces Because 't is the maine end of Gods giving gifts and graces to them Grace is given to trade with 't is given to lay out not to lay up Grace is a Candle that must not be put under a bushell but set upon a Candle-stick Grace is a golden treasure that must be improved not hoarded up as men doe their gold Grace is a Talent and 't is given for this very end that it should be imployed and improved for the honour and advantage of him that gave it The slothfull servant in Gods account is an evill servant and accordingly God ha's denoted him and doomed him for his ill husbandry to destruction Mat. 25. 24 -- 31. What a shame is it saith one that faith should not be able Hierom. to doe that which infidelity hath done What not better fruit in the Vineyard in the Garden of God then in the wildernesse What not better fruit grow upon the Tree of Life then upon the root of nature c. And then thirdly Because grace exercised and improved will doe that for us that all other means in the world can never doe for us I shall evidence this truth in some remarkeable instances Suppose the guilt of sin be upon a mans soule even as a heavy mountaine there 's nothing but the exercise of grace now that can remove this guilt The man prayes and yet guilt sticks upon him he heares and yet guilt as a mountaine lyes heavy upon him he mournes he sighes he groanes and yet guilt sticks upon him he runs from Ordinance to Ordinance No Israelite that was bit or stung with the fiery Serpent could be heaâ—ed but by looking up to the brazen Serpent and from ordinary services to extraordinary and yet guilt followes him he runs from man to man Sir was ever any mans case like mine I have prayed thus long I have heard thus long I have mourned thus long c. and yet guilt lyes as a mountaine upon my soule There 's nothing now below the exercise of grace that will remove this 't is onely faith in the Promises of remission that will remove the guilt of sin that lyes so heavy upon the soule 'T is onely faith's application of the righteousnesse of Christ that can take Those spots a christian finds in his owne heart can only by a hand of faith â—e washt out in
c. he may be burnt for all that therefore he must be active and stirring he must run from place to place and call out for helpe and must worke even in the fire and bestirre himselfe as for life in the use of all meanes whereby the fire may be quenched so if Grace be not acted it s not all a mans praying and crying c. that will profit him or better him grace must be exercised or all will be lost prayers lost teares lost time lost strength lost soule lost c. 1 Tim. 4. 7 8. But refuse prophane and old wives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make a faire excuse fables shift them off as the word is sett them by say thou art not at leisure to attend them make a faire excuse as the word notes tell them thou hast business of an eternall concernment to look after and exercise thy selfe rather unto Godliness or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to be taken in a sense wherein little signifies nothing at all but as when it is set in comparison and opposition to some greater matter as here in opposition to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all things Let the Patient take such or such a potion that in its selfe is good yet if it want such or such a particular ingredient it workes not it do's no good 't is so here lay aside thy upper Garments as runners and wrastlers doe to which the Apostle alludes and bestirre thy selfe lustily for says he in the 8 ver Bodily exercise profits little but Godlinesse is profitable unto all things and hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come The Babylonians are said to make 360 severall Commodities of the Palme Tree but what are those hundred Commodities to those thousands that attend holiness that attend the exercise of grace nothing makes a man rich in spiritualls like the frequent and constant actings of grace In the fourth of the Heb. 2. The word did not profit them that heard it because it was not mixt with faith He doth not speake there of unbeleevers but of those that had Grace in the habit but not in the exercise and therefore the word did not turne to their Accounts they heard and were never the better and what was the Ground of it why it was because they did not exercise Faith upon the word the words that fell from the Preachers lips into their ears were a sweete potion but they did not worke kindly because there wanted the Ingredients of faith faith is one of those Glorious Ingredients that must make every Sermon every truth worke for the souls advantage nothing will worke for a beleevers good for his gaine if his graces lie asleepe Sixthly Because it is the end of all the Dignity and Glory that God hath conferr'd upon his people therefore they must exercise and Improve their Grace In the 1 Pet. 2. 9. But ye are a chosen Generation a Royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that ye may shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvelous light Ye are a chosen Generation that is a pickt people the dearely beloved of his soule such as he first chose for his love and then loves for his choice A Royall Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar people The Greeke is A people of purchase such as comprehendeth as it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were all Gods gettings his whole stocke that he makes any reckoning off That ye may shew forth or as 't is in the Greek that ye may hopos tas aretas exaggeilete preach forth that ye may publikely declare the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light that ye may so hould forth the vertues of him that hath conferr'd all this Dignity and Glory upon you as to excite others to Glorifie your father which is in heaven You know the picture of a deare Friend is not to be thrust in a Corner but in God himselfe is wronged by the injury â—hat is done to his Image The contempt is done to the King himselâ— that is done to his Image or Coyn. As Suetâ—nius wriâ—es some Conspicuous place of the house why our Graces are the very Image of Christ they are his picture and therefore to be held forth to open view These Candles must not be put under a bushell but set up in a Candlesticke Jewels are to ware not to hide so are our Graces It was a Capitall Crime in Tiberius dayes to carry the Image of Augustus upon a ring or coin into any fordid place and shall not Christians be more mindfull and carefull that their Graces which are Christs Image be no wayes obscured but that they be kept alwayes sparling and shining Christs glory and thy comfort oh Christian lies much in the sparkling of thy graces Pearles are not to be thrust in mudd walls or hung in swines snoutes but to be hung on the breasts Seventhly Gratious soules must exercise their Grace because the more Grace is exercised and improâ—ed with the more Psal 40. 7 8 Psal 119. 97 â—8 99 100 103 104 111 112. ease and delight will all religious services be performed When grace is improved and exercised gracious services are easily performed As the more naturall strength is exercised and improved with the more ease and pleasure are all bodily services performed so the more grace is acted and improved with the more ease and delight all Christian services are performed Such soules finde wages in their very worke they finde not Rom. 6. 22. onely for keeping but also in keeping of his commands there is Psal 19. 11. great reward all the wayes of the Lord are wayes of pleasantnesse Prov. 3. 17. Pâ—al 65. 11. to them and they finde that all his pathes drop marrow and fatnesse Ah Christians as ever you would have the services of God to be easie and delightfull to your soules looke to the exercise and Improvement of your Graces and then your worke will be a joy Eighthly You must exercise and improve your gifts and graces because the more grace is improved the more God will be Abrahams saith made him rejoyce and obey Heb. 11. Faith is as the spring in the watch that moves the wheeles not a grace stirs till faith sets it on worke Rom. 4. 3. c. honoured In Rom. 4. 19 20 21. And being not weake in faith he considered not his owne body now dead when he was about an hundred yeares old neither the deadnesse of Sarahs womb he staggered not at the promise of God through unbeleefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to performe He gave glory to God But how did he give glory to God was it a dead habit of faith that set the Crowne of honour upon the head of God no it was the lively actings of his faith
Lucani he that lent money to an idle person was to loose it Among the Corinthians the sloathfull were delivered to the Carnifex saith Diphilus Oh! the deadly sins the deadly temptations the deadly judgements that idle and sloathfull Christians are given up to therefore be active be diligent be abundant in the worke of the Lord. Idlenesse is the very Source of sin Standing pooles gather mud and nourish and breed venomous Creatures and so doe the hearts of idle and sloathfull Christians c. Now the second thing that we are to doe for the further opening of this Point is to shew you The speciall Ends that the Gifts and Graces that God ha's bestow'd upon Believers should be exercised and improved to And they are these that follow FIrst They are to be improved and exercised to the honour 1 Cor. 10. 31. of God to the lifting up of God and to the keeping up of his name and glory in the world He that improves not his gifts and graces to this end crosses the grand end of Gods bestowing such royall favours on him Graces and gifts are Talents that God hath given you to trade with and not to hide in a Napkin The idle servant Mat. 25. in Christs account was an evill servant The idle soule in Christs account is an evill soule and accordingly Christ will deale with him Seneca calls sloath The Nurse of beggery the Mother of misery and sloathfull Christians find it so Christians God ha's given you grace that you should give him glory His honour should be dearer to you then your Jewels then your Crownes then your lives I then your very soules Thou livest no longer then thou livest to his praise It is recorded that Epaminondes the Commander in chief of the Thebanes That he did not glory in any thing but this that his father whom he dearly loved and honoured was living when he won three famous Battells against the Lacedemonians Plutarch in his Morals that were then held for their valour to be invincible regarding more the honour and content his father should receive of it then his owne Shall a Heathen thus strive to honour his earthly father And shall not Christians strive more to honour their heavenly father with all the gifts and graces that he ha's confer'd upon them But you will say How should we honour the Lord I answer First By a free and frequent acknowledgement that all your graces flow from the Lord Jesus the fountaine of grace 1 John 16. Of his fullnesse we all receive grace for grace Jam. 1. 17. Every good and perfect gift comes downe from above c. Thou must say O Christian I have nothing but what I 1 Cor. 4. 7. have received I have no light no life no love no ioy no peace but from above The Jewels that hang in my breasts and the Chaines of Pearle that be about my neck and the golden Crowne that is upon my head and all sparkling Diamonds Ezek. 16. 11 12 13 14 15. Psal 45. 8. ult in that Crowne are all from above All those Princely Ornaments by which I am made more beautifull and lovely then others and all those beds of spices and sweet flowers by which I am made more desirable and dilectable is from above Say I am nothing I have nothing of my owne all I am and all I have is from on high We have given thee of 1 Chron. 29. 14. thine owne sayes David So doe thou say Lord the love with which I love thee is thine owne and the faith by which I hang upon thee is thine own and the fear by which I feare Deus nihil coronat nisi dona sua Aug. before thee is thine owne and the joy which I rejoyce before thee with is thine owne and the patience with which I wait upon thee is thine owne c And therefore say as David did upon the receipt of mercy Blessed be thou Lord God of Israel our father for ever and ever Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majesty for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine Thine is the Kingdome O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Now therefore our God we thanke thee and praise thy glorious name Secondly You must honour him By acknowledging the dependancy of your graces upon the fountaine of grace And that your strength to stand lyes not so much in your graces as in their dependancy upon the fountaine of grace as in their conjunction with the God of grace A man by his arme may do much but 't is mainly by reason of its union and conjunction with the head 'T is so between a Christians graces and Christ The stream does not more depend upon the fountaine nor the branch upon the root nor the Moon upon the Sun nor the Child upon the Mother nor the effect upon the cause then our graces doe depend upon the fountaine of grace Ps 138. 3. Phil. 4. 12 13. Now that our very graces doe thus depend upon the fountaine Though our graces be ouâ— best Jewe's yet they are imperfect and as the Moon shines by a borrowed light so doe our graces iâ— it were not for the Sun of righteousness all our graces would give â—o light c. of grace and that our strength to stand lyes not so much in our graces as in Christ is clear by this That the graces of the Saints may and doe most faile them when they have most need of them Mark 4. 40. And he said why are yee so fearfull How is it that you have no faith When the wind was high their faith was low when the storme was great their faith was little So Luke 8. 25. And he said unto them where is your faith Are you now to seek it when you should use it Peter denyed Christ when he had need by faith to have confessed Christ Moses faith fail'd him when it should have been most serviceable to him Nu. 20. 12. And Davids courage fail'd him when it should have been a buckler to him 1 Sam. 21. 13 14. And the Disciples love fail'd them when it should have been most usefull to them John 14. 28. And Job's wisedome and patience fail'd him when they should have been greatest supporters to him By all which 't is most clear that not onely our selves but also our very graces must be supported by the God of grace the fountaine of grace or else they will be to seek when we most need them Though grace is a glorious Creature it is but a creature and therefore must be upheld by its Creator Though grace be a beautifull Child yet 't is but a child that must be upheld by the fathers armes This Christians you
graces Ah! when mens graces shine as Moses his face did when their lives as one speaketh of Joseph's life is a very heaven sparkling with variety of virtues as with so many bright Stars ah how are others stirr'd up to glorifie God and to cry out these are Christians indeed these are an honour to their God a Crowne to their Christ and a credit to their Gospel Oh! if they were all such we would be Christians too 'T is a very great stumbling-block to many poor sinners to see men that make a very great and large profession Those in whom virtue is extinguished are like unto painted and printed papers which ignorant men honour and worship instead of Christ Rawleigh of Christ never to exercise and shew forth the virtues of Christ they professe they know him and yet by the non exercise of his virtues they deny him 'T was one of Matchavils Principles That the appearance of virtue was onely to be sought because the use of it saith he is a trouble but the credit of it a helpe I am afraid that this cursed soule-damning Principle is the best flower that growes in many mens Gardens in these dayes Though there is no virtue but is as a bright stone in a dark night it shines and shewes its clearnesse and beauty 't is as pure gold the brighter for passing through the fire yet how doe most Hypocritis nihil est crudelius impatientius vindicta cupidius There is not a more cruel creature more impatient and vindictive then an hypocrite saith Luther who had the experience of it therefore trust not to the Matchavils of the times covet rather the name of virtue then to be really virtuous Such I believe shall have the hottest and the lowest place in hell Well Christians remember this 't is not a shew of grace but the exercise of grace that will provoke others to glorifie the fountaine of grace That 's a very remarkeable Scripture 1 Thess 2. 2 3 8. compared We give thanks to God alwayes for you making mention of you in our prayers Remembring without ceasing your worke of faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our father For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not onely in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad In this eighth verse you have an elegant Metaphor which signifies that their faith was so lively that with its sound as it were it stirred up other Nations The Greek word Exechetai is to sound as with the sound of a Trumpet to make sound afar off Sayes the Apostle your graces made a noise like a Trumpet Pliny tells of some in the remote parts of India that they have no mouths We have many such Monsters among us that have no mouths to blesse God for the good that shines in others they stirr'd up others to be gracious and active as the Trumpet stirs up men to warre So in 2 Pet. 1. 3 4. Wee are bound to give thanks to God alwayes for you brethren as it is meet because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth So that we our selves glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure Hoc enim Angelicum this is the Character of the Angelicall nature to rejoyce in the graces and gracious actings of others He that acts otherwise holds forth the Image of the Devil and declares himselfe a native of hell Thirdly Consider That the exercise and improvement of graces may be a speciall means to stir up the exercise of grace in others Your improvement of grace may be a speciall means to stir The complaint is ancient in Seneca That comonly men live not ad rationem but ad similitudinem Se◠de vita beati cap. 1. up others to improve their graces also 1 Thess 1. 7. So that we were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia Or as the Greek is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You were Types moulds Patterns of piety to them that were in Christ long before you So in 2 Cor. 9. 2. For I know the forwardnesse of your minde for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia that Achaia was ready a year agoe and your zeale hath provoked very many I knew you were forward and this I beasted of I made it my glory to tell how grace shin'd in your soules And saith he your zeale hath provoked many When they saw how warm and lively and active how open-handed and open-hearted you were to the poor Saints their hearts were stir'd up to acts of charity also Stories speak of some that could not sleep when they thought of the Trophies of other Worthies that Praecepta docent exempla movent Precepts may instruct but examples doe perswade went before them The highest examples are very quickning and provoking That this may stick upon your souls I beseech you bed and board rise and walke with this one Consideration viz. That all the good you provoke others to by Counsell or example shall be put downe to your Account It shall certainly turne to your internall and eternall advantage In the great day Christ will make honorable mention of all the good that thou hast stir'd and provok't others too and will reward thee for it before Angels and men The faith the love the hope the charity the patience c. that thou hast provok't others too shall be put downe to thy account as if thou hadst been the onely actor of them c. As all the sins that men provoke or stirre up others to by their Counsell or example shall be put downe to their Accounts as you may see in David David did but send a Letter concerning the death of Vriah and yet the 2 Sam. 12. 9 charge cometh Thou hast staine Vriah with the sword as whatsoever is done by letter counsell or example to provoke others to sin shall certainly be charged upon mens accounts at last so whatsoever good thou doest stirre up others to that They shall shine as so many Suns in heaven who are much in stirring and provoking of others to the exercise of grace and holinesse Dan. 12. 3. Dan. 6. 1 2. shall be set upon thy score and shall turne to thy eternall account in the day of Christ Oh! who would not then labour with all their might even day and night to stirre up the Grace of the Lord in themselves and others seeing it shall turne to such a Glorious Account in that day wherein Christ shall say to his Father Lo here am I and the children that thou hast given me c. Fourthly Consider this The exercise and Improvement of Grace Contributes very much both to the stopping the mouths of your enemies and to the rendering of you lovely
unstable soules An heart they have exercised with covetous practices cursed children they break all Promises and Covenants with God and man as Sampson did the new Ropes So in Prov. 19. 19. A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment for if thou deliver him yet thou must doe it againe The Hebrew word Tosiph signifies to adde sayes he thou must adde deliverance to deliverance for he will still be a adding sin to sin So the radix Jasaph is used Deut. 29. 19. and in severall other Scriptures Such sinners make God a God of clouts one that will not doe as he sayes Ahab after he was threatned with utter rooting out begat fifty Sons as it were to crosse God and to try it out with him Let God thunder Jer. 9. 3. in his judgements yet he will add sin to sin he will proceed from evill to evill till he comes to the very top of evill viz. to be hardned in sin and to scoffe at holinesse c. The old Italians were wont in time of thunder to shoot Wiâ—nesse Ahab Hamaâ— Jehu Jeroboaâ— the soâ—le in the Gospel and those in Mat. 23. 14 15 16. off their greatest Ordnance and to ring their greatest Bells to drowne the noyse of the Heavens So let God thunder from Heaven yet wicked men will so improve their wicked principles that their consciences may not hear the noyse of the Thunder-claps of Divine displeasure The covetous man will improve his earthly Principles and the ambtious man his ambitious Principles and the voluptuous man his voluptuous principles and the unchast man his unclean principles and the erroneous man his erroneous Principles and the blasphemous man his blasphemous Principles c. Ah Sirs shall wicked men thus improve their wicked Principles to the uttermost against God Christ and Religion and against the prosperity peace joy and happinesse of the Saints And shall not Saints improve their graces to the uttermost for the honour of the Lord the advancement of Religion and the mutuall profit and benefit of each other Seventhly The more high and excellent any man is in grace the more highly he shall be exalted in glory Oh therefore exercise your Grace improve your grace as you would be high in Heaven labour to improve your graces much while you are here on earth for glory will be given out at last according to the exercise and improvement of your grace The more high and improved a mans graces be the more that man will doe for God and the more any man doth for God the more at last shall he receive from God 1 Cor. 15. last Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable Darius before he came to the Kingdom received a Gaâ—ment for a gift of one Sylosâ— and when he became King he rewarded him with the command of his Countrey Sanus c. alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. So Gal. 6. He that sowes sparingly shall reap sparingly but he that sowes liberally shall reap liberally The more any man hath improved his Grace the more that man will be able to bare and suffer for God and the more any man bears and suffers for God the more glory shall that man have at last from God Mat. 5. 11 12. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad or Leap and dance for joy Why so For great is your reward in heaven God is a liberall Pay-master and no small things Chaireâ—e kai agalâ—iasthe Leap skip for joy c. can fall from so great and so gratious a hand as his The more excellent any man is in Grace the more he is the delight of God Psal 16. 3 4. My goodnesse extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Now this is spoken in the person of Christ for the Apostle applies these words to Christ Now saith Christ My goodnesse reaches not to thee oh father Acts 2 25. The sa he delights in all his Children yet somtimes he delights more in one then in another c. but to the Saints and to the excellent in whom is all my delight And doubtlesse they that are his greatest delight on earth shall be possest of the greatest glory in Heaven If fathers give the greatest portions to those Children in whom they delight why should not Christ Is it equity in the one and iniquity in the other Surely no Christ may doe with his owne as he pleases Againe The more any man improves his Grace the clearer sweeter fuller and richer is his injoyments of God here There 's no man in all the world that hath such injoyments of God as that man hath that most improves his Graces 'T is not he that knows most nor him that hears most nor yet he that talkes most but he that exercises Grace most that hath most communion with God that hath the clearest visions of God that hath the sweetest discoveries and manifestations of God Now certainly if they that improve their graces most have most of God here then without controversie they shall have most of God hereafter Doubtlesse a man may as well plead for equall degrees of Grace in this world as for equall degrees of glory in the other world Againe If those who are most gracelesse and wicked shall be most tormented then certainly they that are most gracious shall be most exalted in the day of Christ But the more wicked any man is the more shall he be tormented in the Mat. 23. 14. Luke 12. 47 48. day of vengeance Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shall receive the greater damnation The darkest the lowest the hottest place in hell is provided for you therefore it roundly followes That those that are most gracious shall at last be most glorious And thus much for the Motives that tend to provoke all the precious Children of Zion to make a through improvement of the Gifts and Graces that the Lord ha's bestow'd upon them I shall now come to the resolution of a weighty Question and so conclude this Point which I have been the longer upon by reason of its very great usefullnesse in these dayes wherein men strive to exercise any thing yea every thing but grace and holinesse c. Now the Question is this When may a soule be said to be excellent in Grace or to have highly improved Grace Now to this Question I shall give these following Answers First A soule that 's high and excellent in grace that hath improved his Graces to a considerable height will keepe humble and unspotted under great outward injoyments 'T is said of Daniel that he had an excellent spirit and herein Many are seemingly good till they come to be great and then they prove
about him are very bad Some say that Roses grow the sweeter when they are planted by Garlick Verily Christians that have gloriously improved their Graces are like those Roses they grow sweeter and sweeter holier and holier by wicked men The best Diamonds shine most in the dark and so doe the best Christians shine most in the worst times Sixthly Such turne their principles into practice They turne their speculations into power their notions into spirit their glorious inside into a golden outside Psal 45. 13. Seventhly Such as have made a considerable improvement of their gifts and graces Have hearts as large as their heads Whereas most mens heads have outgrowne their hearts c. Eighthly Such are alwayes most busied about the highest things viz. God Christ Heaven c. Phil. 3. 2 Tim. 4. 8. 2 Cor. 4. ult Rom. 8. 18. Ninthly Such are alwayes a doing or receiving good As Christ went up and downe doing good Mat. 4. 23. Chap. 9. 35. Mark 6. 6. Tenthly and lastly Such will mourne for wicked mens sins as well as their owne O the teares the sighes the groanes Psalm 119. Jer. 9. 1 2. 2 Pet. 2. 7 8 9. that others sins fetch from these mens hearts Pambus in the Ecclesiasticall History wept when he saw a Harlot dressed with much care and cost partly to see one take so much paines to goe to hell and partly because he had not been so carefull to please God as she had been to please a wanton Lover I have at this time onely given you some short hints whereby you may know whether you have made any considerable improvement of that grace the Lord hath given you I doe intend by Divine permission in a convenient time to declare much more of this to the World I shall follow all what ha's been said with my prayers that it may help on your internall and eternall welfare EPHES. 3. 8. The Vnsearchable Riches of Christ NOw the next Observation that we shall begin with is this That the Lord Jesus Christ is very Rich. And the second will be this That the great businesse and worke of the Ministry is to hold forth to the people the Riches of Christ We shall begin with the first Point at this time namely That the Lord Jesus Christ is very rich For the opening of this Point we shall attempt these three things 1 To demonstrate this to be a truth That the Lord Jesus is very rich 2 The Grounds why he is thus held forth in the word to be one full of Vnsearchable Riches 3 To shew you the Excellency of the riches of Christ above all other Riches in the world And then the Use of the Point For the first That the Lord Jesus Christ is very rich First Expresse Scripture speaks out this truth He is rich in goodnesse Rom. 2. 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse that is ready to be imployed for thy internall and To chreston His native goodnesse c. eternall good c. Againe He is rich in wisedome and knowledge Col 2. 3. In whom speaking of Christ are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Christ was content that his riches should be hid from the world therefore doe not thou be As man is an Epitome of the whole world so is Christ of all wisedome and knowledge c. angry that thine is no more knowne to the world What is thy one mite to Christs many millions c. Againe He is rich in grace Ephes 1. 7. By whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace Againe He is rich in glory Ephes 1. 18. That ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints So in Chap. 3. 16. That he would grant unto you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his spirit in the Nec Christus nec coelum patitur hyperbolem Neither Christ nor heaven can be hyperbolized inner man So in Phil. 4. 19. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus The riches of glory are unconceiveable riches Search is made through all the bowells of the earth for something to shadow it by The riches of this glory is fitter to be believed then to be discoursed of as some of the very Heathens have acknowledged But secondly As expresse Scripture speaks out this truth That Christ is very rich so there are eight things more that doe with open mouth speak out Christ to be very rich First You may judge of his riches by the dowry and portion his father hath given him In Psal 2. 7. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession He is the heir of all things all things above and below in heaven and earth are his Heb. 1. 2. God hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heire of all things Christ is the richest Heire in heaven and earth Men cry up this man to be a good match and that and why so but because they are great Heires Ah! but what are all the great Heires of the world to this Heire the Lord Jesus Joseph gave Portions to all his brethren but to Benjamin a Portion five times as good as what he gave the residue So the Lord scatters Portions among the Sons of men he gives brasse to some gold to others temporalls to some spiritualls to others but the greatest portion of all he hath given into the hands of Christ whom he hath made the Heire of all things Rev. 11. 15. And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voyces in heaven saying The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for ever and ever So in Chap. 19. 11 12. And I saw heaven opened and behold a white Horse and he that sat upon him was called faithfull and true and in righteousnesse he doth judge and make war His eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many Crownes Mark that what are Princes single Crownes and the Popes tripple Crowne to Christs many Crownes Certainly he must be very rich that ha's so many Kingdomes and Crownes waite but a while and you shall see these Scriptures made good c. Secondly You may judge of his riches by his Keeping open house for the reliefe and supply of all created creatures both in heaven and in earth Crassus was so rich that he maintain'd a whole Army with his owne Reâ—enues â—ut what is this to what Jesus does c. Psal 145. 16. You look upon those as very rich that keep open house for all commers and goers why such a one is the Lord Jesus Christ he keeps
that God shall put upon you this is your Principle I but tell me Christians will a little grace inable a man to live up to this Principle I judge not You are to stand ready to change your imployment from better to worse if the Lord shall be pleased to order it so You are to be ready to change your Crowne for a Crosse to change that imployment that 's honourable for that that 's mean and low and that which is more profitable for that which is lesse profitable as it were from ruling of a Province to the keeping of a Heard from being a Lord to be a servant from being a servant to great men to be a servant to the meanest servant yea to the poorest Beast Certainly a little grace will never inable a man bravely and sweetly to live up to this Principle Their hearts that are poore in grace are like a wounded hand or arme which being but imperfectly cured can onely move one way and cannot turne to all postures and all naturall uses Weak Christians are very apt to three things To choose their mercies To choose their crosses And To choose their imployments They are often unwilling that God himselfe should choose out their way or their work But now soules that are rich in grace they are at Gods beck and check they are willing that God shall choose their work and their way they are willing to be at his dispose to be high or low to serve or to be served to be something or to be nothing c. Now I beseech you Christians that you would seriously and frequently remember this That there is nothing in all the world that is such an honour to God and a glory to the Gospel as for Christians to live up to their Principles nor nothing such a reproach to God and his wayes as this for men to live below their Principles and to act contrary to their Principles And you will never be able to live up to your Principles nor to live out your Principles except you grow rich in grace therefore labour I say labour as for life to abound in Grace c. Now the fourth Motive is this Consider That soules rich in Grace are a mighty blessing to the Land and place where they live There are no such blessings in the world to Parishes Cities and Nations as those soules are that are rich in Grace Oh they are great blessings to all places where they come they are persons that are fit for the highest and noblest imployments there is not the highest work that is too high for a man that is rich in grace not the hottest work that is too hot for a man rich in grace nor the lowest work below a man rich in Grace Such a man will not say I would doe it but that 't is below my place my blood my parts my education May Christ have honour May others have good if so I will doe it saith the soule that 's rich in Grace What ever comes of it and blesse God for the opportunity In Dan. 6. 3. Then this Daniel was preferred above the Presidents and Princes because an excellent spirit was in him and the King thought to set him over the whole Realme Why was Daniel set upon the Throne but because there was a glorious excellent spirit in him that fitted him for the highest imployment So Joseph was a blessing to his Masters family and the people among whom he liv'd No such blessings to people and places as soules rich in Grace So in Nehem. 7. 2. I Such a one will be Pater patriae Father of his Country gave my Brother Hanani and Hananiah the ruler of the place charge over Jerusalem and why he for he was a faithfull man and feared God above many Oh the wisedome the prudence the zeale the courage the compassion the patience the self-denyall that should be in Magistrates There is a truth in that old Maxime Magistratus virum indicat Magistracy will try a man None fit to rule but such that are rich in Grace What a world of good may a man doe with worldly riches in a Parish in a City in a Nation but that 's nothing to the good that a man may doe that is rich in grace Oh the sins that he may prevent Oh the judgements that he may divert Oh the favours and blessings that he may draw downe upon the heads and hearts of people I presume you forget not what a blessing Moses Joseph Job Nehemiah Mordecai and Daniel proved to the people among whom they liv'd and these were all rich in grace A man rich in wisedome rich in faith rich in goodnesse c. Oh! what a blessing may he prove to ignorant soules to staggering soules to wandring soules to tempted soules to deserted soules c. Look what the Sun is to us that may a soule rich in grace be to others c. Oh friends would you be blessings to your families would you be blessings to the City to the Nation Oh then labour to be rich in Grace and doe not think it enough that you have so much Grace as will keep you from dropping into hell and that will bring you to heaven but labour to be rich in grace and then you will prove indeed a blessing to the place and Nation where you live The Romans when they did perceive any naturall excellency As those that were called among the Romans the Curii and Fabritâ—i c. to be in any persons though they were never so poor and mean they would take them from their dinners of Turnips and Water-cresses to lead the Roman Army 'T is true that naturall and morall indowments will inable men to doe much but grace will inable men to doe ten thousand times more There 's no work too high nor too hard for souls rich in Grace and therefore as you would be choyce instruments in the Lords hand and eminently serviceable in your Generations O labour to be rich in Grace 'T is not he that ha's most wit in his head but he that ha's most grace in his heart that is most fit for Generation-work Fifthly A rich measure of Grace will bear out your soules in severall cases therefore labour to be rich in grace A rich measure of Grace will bear out the soule under The golden nâ—me of Châ—â—stians is but as an Ornament to Swine saith Salvian He means such as content them selves with an empty name great means of Grace When a soule is spiritually rich this will bear him out under great means such a one will be able to look God in the face with joy and comfort he can say 't is true Lord I have had more means then others and lo I am growne richer then others Thou hast taken more paines with me then with others and lo I bring forth more fruit then others my five Talents are become ten But a little grace will not bear men out under much means of Grace Againe A great
hundred for a thousand as sometimes men in hurrying over their Books they slip and make mistakes and so they think there 's nothing got whereas indeed there 's much got and in the close they shall find it so Many a gracious soule many times takes a great deale of graâ—e for a little and a little grace for no grace Look as Hypocrites put downe their Counters for gold their pence for pounds and alwayes prize themselves above the Market So sincere souls doe often put downe their pounds for pence their thousands for hundreds and still prize themselves below the Market c. The fourth Proposition is this That Saints must indeavour to grow rich in every Grace 'T is the duty and the glory of Saints to indeavour to grow rich in every grace So the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 5. to 12. Add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge c. It is the work the duty the glory of a Christian to be still adding one grace to another So in Chap. 3. 18. Grow in Grace that is in every grace but more particularly and specially in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Grow in Grace that is grow in love in faith in humility in meeknesse c. but especially in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour because that was a speciall remedy against the errors of those times c. All the graces that be in you are weak and therefore you had need to strengthen them all Againe You have the seeds of all corruptions in you and is there any way to be rid of every sin but by thriving in every grace Againe You have opportunities as well to thrive in one grace as in another Againe Will not Satan labour might and maine to keep your graces low and poore You never hurt him lesse you never honour Christ lesse you never mind your work lesse then when grace is weak and low This he knowes and therefore labours to keepe your graces downe Againe Are not you liable to severall changes in this world As to be rich and poore exalted and abased now to relieve and anon to be relieved now well and anon sick Whilst Pompey pâ—ospered and Rome flourished Cato stoutly held and defended a Divine providence but when he saw Pompey overthrowne by Caesar his body cast upon the shore without honour of buriall and himselfe exposed to the danger of Caesars Army he changed his opininion denying thaâ— there was a Divine providence but that all things fell out by chance c. now strong and anon weak now in stormes and anon in calmes now tempted and anon delivered now in one condition and anon in another condition now up now downe now forward now backward c. Now pray tell me doth not the severall chaâ—ges and variety of providences that we meet with in this world bespeak us to be rich not in some but in every grace Don't a state of prosperity bespeak a man to be rich in wisedome rich in humility rich in love and rich in compassion that his heart may be kept close to God in that state and that he may doe nothing unworthy of God who ha's done so much for him And now when God shall change the manner of his administrations towards such a man when God shall put out his Candle pull off his Robes and cloath him with raggs and set him with Job upon the dunghill don't this condition bespeak much patience much contentation much self-deniall much faith how else will this man bravely bear up when God shall write such bitter things against him and passe the sentence of death upon his nearest and his dearest comforts If a man be not rich in one grace as well as in another when God shall bring changes upon him and poure him from vessel to vessel his life will be a burden a hell unto him c. Againe Consider this growing rich in every grace renders a Christian most lovely and beautifull in grace As a growth in all the members of the body renders the body most lovely and beautifull the perfect beauty and comelinesse of the body rises from the symmetry and fitnesse of the parts unto one another Rare and excellent beauty ariseth from the comelinesse of all parts if one part be comely and another deformed then there is no perfect beauty Well remember this there 's no such beautifull Christians as those that grow rich in every grace Oh! they are the beauty of Christ the honour of the Gospel and the glory of Christianity And so much for the fourth Proposition viz. That we must labour to be rich in every Grace The fifth Proposition that I shall lay downe is this Saints should labour more particularly and more especially to be rich in Faith Though 't is of concernment to believers to be rich in every grace yet it is of speciall concernment to them to labour to be rich in this particular grace of faith In Jude vers 20. Building up your selves in your most holy faith 'T is not enough to have faith but they must build up themselves and build up one another in their most holy faith There are three things that the Scripture calls precious First The Blood of Christ In 1 Pet. 1. 19. Ye are not redeemed with silver and gold but with the Precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Secondly The Promises are called Precious Promises 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and Precious Promises Thirdly Faith is called Precious Faith Vers 1. Vnto them that have obtained like Precious Faith with us Now though it be of concernment for every Saint to labour to be rich in every grace yet more especially and more particularly to be rich in this Grace of faith and that upon this account that followes First Because that Faith is the soules greatest and choycest fence against her worst enemies In Ephes 6. 16. Above all take the shield of Faith whereby yee may be able to quench all the firey darts of the wicked Above all take the shield of faith Neglect no part of your Armour but above all look to the shield of Faith Look what the shield is to the body that is Faith to a believers soule to secure him against all the fierce and fiery darts of Satan It is reported of Satan that he should say of a learned man * Tu me semper vincis Thou doest alwayes overcome me When I would exalt and promote thee thou keepest thy selfe in humility and when I would throw thee downe thou liftest thy selfe up in Assurance of faith Faith makes the soule invincible it makes the soule victorious it leads captivity captive it binds Satan in chaines it foiles him at every weapon and therefore above all labour to be rich in faith Secondly Growth in faith will advance the growth of all other Graces All other graces thrive in the soule as faith thrives and no otherwise be rich in
promises are over-performed 1 Cor. 2. 9. c. Christ upon his word Doe you believe he will give you a Crowne and will you not trust him for a crust Doe you believe he will give you a Kingdome and doe you doubt whether he will give you a Cottage to rest in Ha's he given you his blood and doe you think that he will deny you any thing that is really for your good Surely he will not he cannot Againe Trust him for power against all the remainders of sin in you Hath Christ freed you from the damnatory power of sin Rom. 8. 1. Rom. 6. 14. Heb. 13. 5. and from the dominion of sin and will not you trust him for deliverance from the remainers of sin Psal 65. 3. Iniquities prevaile against me As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away O excellent faith Againe Trust him to bring you into the Land of rest Doe you think that this Joshua is not able to carry you through all difficulties dangers and deaths Doe you think that he will leave you to dye in the wildernesse who have already had some glimpses of Heavens glory O trust to this Christ for the bringing of your soules into the Promised Land Christ would loose his glory should you fall short of glory c. Againe If Christ be so rich Then don't forsake him don't leave him don't turne your backs upon him Is there Riches of Justification and Riches of Sanctification and Riches of Consolation and Riches of Glorification in Christ Yes why then doe not depart from him doe not You read of no Armes for the back though you doe for the breast Phil. 6. shake hands with him That 's a sad complaint of God in Jer. 2. 12 13. Be astonished O ye heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord For my people have committed two evills They have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and hewed them out Cisternes broken Cisternes that can hold no water Is it madnesse and folly to flye from the fountaine to the streame from the light of the Sun to the light of a candle And is it not greater madnesse and folly to forsake the Creator to run after the creature O say as Peter Whither should we goe thou hast John 6. 68. the words of eternall life To run from Christ is to run from all life peace and joy 't is to run from our strength our shelter our security our safety our Crown our glory Lev. 11. 10. Crabbs that goe backward are reckoned among unclean creatures The application is easie Origen coming to Jerusalem after that he had shamefully turned his back upon Christ and his truth and being exceedingly pressed to preach at last he yields and as he opened the Book he happened to cast his eye upon that place of the Psalmist What hast thou to doe to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest Psa 50. 16 17. instruction and castest my words behind thee Now the remembrance of his owne folly so reflected upon his conscience that it made him close the Book and sit downe and weep Such as forsake a rich a full Christ shall have weeping work enough That is a very dreadfull Scripture Jer. 17. 13. All you that forsake the Lord shall come to be ashamed and they that depart from him shall be written in the dust Can you read this Text backsliding soules and not tremble c. Againe If the Lord Jesus Christ be so rich Oh then all you that have an interest in him labour mightily to clear up your interest and to be more and more confident of your interest in so rich a Jesus My Brethren 't is one thing for a man to have an interest in Christ and another thing to have his interest cleer'd up to him I doe speak it with grief of heart That even among such Christians that I hope to meet in Heaven there 's scarce one of forty nay one of a hundred that is groundedly able to make out his interest in the Lord Jesus Most Christians live between feare and hope between doubting and believing One day they hope that all is well and that all shall be well for ever the next day they are ready to say That they shall one day perish by the hand of such a corruption or else by the hand of such or such a temptation And thus they are up and downe sav'd and lost many times in a day But you will say unto me What Meanes should we use to clear up our interest in Christ I 'le tell you there are six singular Means that you should labour after for the evidencing more and more your interest in Christ And take it from experience you will find that they will contribute very very much for the evidencing your interest in Christ And the Means for the evidencing our interest in Christ First is this Faithfully and constantly fall in with the interest of Christ Holinesse is the interest of Christ the Gospel is the interest of Christ the precious Ordinances are the interest of Christ c. Now the more sincerely and roundly you fall in with the interest of Christ the more abundantly you will be confirmed and perswaded of your interest in Christ Such soules The Primitive Christians did generally fall in with the interest of Christ and they generally had an assurance of their interest in Christ Lam. 1. 16. Phil. 4. 30. Isa 63. 10. Spiritus sanctâ— est res delicaâ—a Psal 77. 2. 1 Thess 5. 19. as fall in with strange interests or with base and carnall interests may justly question whether ever they had any reall interest in Christ Christians did you more sincerely and fully fall in with Christs interest you would lesse question your interest in Christ this would scatter many a cloud Secondly Be kind to the spirit of Christ Doe not grieve him doe not slight him If you should set this spirit a mourning that alone can evidence your interest that alone can seale up your interest in Christ by whom shall your interest in Christ be sealed up O doe not grieve the spirit by acting against light against conscience against ingagements doe not grieve him by casting his cordialls and comforts behind your backs doe not grieve him by slighting and despising his gracious actings in others doe not cast water upon the spirit but wisely attend the hints the Items and motions of the Spirit and he will clear up thy interest in Christ he will make thee say My Beloved is mine and I am his Câ—nt 2. 16 Thirdly Labour more and more after a full and universall conformity to Jesus Christ The more the soule is conformable to Christ the more confident it will be of its interest in Christ 1 John 4. 17. As all good Orators indeavour to be like Demosthenes so all good Christians should indeavour to be like to Jesus Christ for
fire out of his mothers breast murderer of the soules of men Ministers must say as Hector in Homer I will combate with him though his hands were as fire and his strength as iron Let mens hands be as fire and their strength as iron yet Ministers must deale with them and strive to make a conquest on them Exek 2. 3 ult Luther professed That he had rather be accounted any thing then be accused of wicked silence in Christs cause Let me be accounted sayes he proud let me be accounted covetous let me be accounted a murdered yea guilty of all Vices so I be not proved guilty of wicked silence in the cause of Jesus Christ Themistocles being about to speak to the Generall of the Greeks Army against Exerxes he held up his staffe as if he had been about to strike him Strike said Themistocles but yet heare So should Ministers say strike but yet heare raile but yet heare despise but yet heare censure but yet heare oppose but yet heare doe what you will but yet heare Non amat qui non zelat saith Augustine He is no friend to God that is not zealous for him When one desired to know what kind of man Basil was there was saith the History presented to him in a dream a pillar of fire with this Motto Talis est Basilius Basil is such a one and on a light fire for God So every Minister The father payes the Nurse though the child dies The Doctour has his Fee though the patient dyes And the Vine dresser ha's his reward though the Vines wither So will God deal with faithfull Ministers 2 Cor. 2. 15. â—sa 49. 2 3 4. should be all on a fire for God Sixthly They are to Preach Christ Laboriously painfully frequently a Minister must be like the Bee that is still a flying from one Flower to another to suck out Honey for the good of others Should not that dreadfull word make every idle Shepheard tremble Jer. 48. 10. Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently 1 Cor. 15. ult Be yee stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord knowing that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. Oh! the dreadfull woes that are pronounc't in Scripture against idle Shepheards Jer. 23. 1. Ezek. 13. 3. Chap. 34. 2. Zech. 11. 17. Mat. 23. 13 14 15 16 23 25 27. The great Shepheard of our soules the Lord Jesus was still a feeding of his flock and much in provoking others to the same work John 21. Feed my Lambs feed my sheep 2 Tim. 4. Preach the word in season and out of season Christ wept for soules and bled for soules and prayed for soules and shall not Ministers sweat much for soules and work much for the good of soules Doubtlesse they will give up but a sad account to Christ that make any thing serve to fill up the houre that spend two or three houres at the end of a week to fit If a Minister had as many eyes as Argus to watch and as many hands as Brtareus â—o labour he might find imployment enough for them all themselves for Sabbaoth-Exercises Idlenesse is hatefull in any but most abhominable and intolerable in Ministers and sooner or later none shall pay so deare for it as such witnesse the frequent woes that are denounced in Scripture against them Where should a Souldier dye but in the field And where should a Minister dye but in the Pulpit Pompey in a great dearth at Rome having provided store of provisions for his Citizens that were ready to perish and being ready to put to sea he commanded the Pilot to hoise saile and be gone the Pilot told him That the Sea was tempestuous and that the voyage was like to be dangerous It matters not said Pompey hoist up saile 't is not necessary that we should live 't is necessary that they should be preserved The Angels on Jacob's ladder were some ascending others discending none standing oâ— sitting still Ministers must be like them from ruine and famine So should Ministers say 't is not necessary that we should live but 't is necessary that poor soules should live and be happy for ever 't is necessary that they should be acquainted with the things of their peace 't is necessary that they should be delivered from the power of Satan and from wrath to come and therefore 't is necessary that we should be frequent and abundant in the worke of the Lord and not plead stormes or tempests or that a Lyon is in the way It was Vespasian the Emperours speech and may well be applyed to Ministers Oportet imperatorem stantem mori Sueton. An Emperour ought to dye standing A â— Preacher is Qâ—intillian 〈◊〉 oâ— an Orator should be Vir bonus dicendi peritus A well spoken and well deeded person Seventhly As they are to Preach Christ painfully so they are to Preach Christ Exemplarily 1 Pet. 5. 3. Be thou an example to the flock They must Preach Christ as well in life as in doctrine Ministers must not be like the Druggs that Physitians say are hot in the mouth and cold in operation hot in the Pulpit and cold and carelesse in their lives and conversations They must say as Gideon said to his Souldiers Judg. 17. 17. Looke on me and doe likewise Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heaven They are John the Abbot professeth That he had never taught others any thing which he had not first practiced himselfe called Angels and they are called Starres because they should shine in righteousnesse and holinesse What Caesar once said of his wife That it was not enough for her to be without fault but she should be without all suspition of fault may well be applyed to Ministers who of all men in the world should be most free from the very appearances of evil The lives of Ministers oftentimes doe convince more strongly then their words their tongues may perswade but their lives command Talke not of a good life said the Heathen but let thy life Tace lingua loquere vita speake God appointed that both the weights and measures of the Sanctuary should be twice as large as those of the Common-wealth to shew that he expects much more of those that doe waite upon him in the Sanctuary then he doth of others Ministers should be like Muske among linnen which casts a fragrant smell or like that box of Spikenard which being broken open filled the house with its odour Gregory saith of Athanasius That his life was a continuall Sermon and woeing men to Christ Aristotle requires this in an Orator That he be a good man How much more then 1 Sam. 2. 17. should Gods Orators be good and gracious When Eli's Sons were wicked the people abhorred the Offering of the Lord and what is that that renders the things of God
and that which is spoken to all is taken as spoken to none Doctrine is but the drawing of the bow Application is the hitting of the mark How many are wise in generals but vaine in their practical inferences such Preachers are fitter for Rome then England soules may goe sleeping and dreaming to Hell before such Preaching ere such Preachers will awaken them and shew them their danger Oh that therefore the people were so wise as that when sin is reproved judgements threatned mercies promised and Christ freely and fully offered they would apply all to their owne soules This is the misery of many in our dayes they come to Sermons as Beggars come to Banquets carrying nothing but the scraps away with them Tenthly They must Preach the word Acceptably as well as rightly Eccles 12. 10. The Preacher sought to find out Bikkesh ni Pâ—hil from Bakash signifies an eaâ—nest vehement seeking c. acceptable words or words of delight as the Hebrew ha's it and that which was written was upright even words of truth Ministers words should be Divinely delectable and desirable they should Divinely please and Divinely profit they should 'T was a fiâ—e commendation given by Quintiliian of Thucydides Thucydides writes thick and quick close clear he is solid sâ—ccint seâ—tentious and judicious Divinely tickle and Divinely take both ear and heart A Minister should be a weighty speaker he should cloath his Doctrine in such a comely lovely dresse as that he may by it slide insensibly into his hearers hearts Ministers should cloath their matter with decent words The leaves give some beauty to the Tree Good matter in an unseemly language is like a bright Taper in a sluttish Candlestick or like a faire body in unhandsome cloaths or like a gold-ring on a Leprous hand Truth saith one loves to be plaine but not sluttish as she loves not to be clad in gay colours like a wanton strumpet so not in lowsie raggs like a nasty Creature Aarons bels were golden bels Dulce sonantes sounding pleasantly and not as sounding brasse or tinkling Cymbals Holy Eloquence is a gift of the Holy Ghost and may doubtlesse as Acts 18. 24. well as other gifts of the spirit be made prudently usefull to the setting forth of Divine truth and the catching of soules 2 Cor 12. 16. by craft as the Apostle speaks surely where it is it may be made use of as an Aegyptian Jewel to adorne the Tabernacle Lactantius hath well observed That Philosophers Orators Lib. 5. cap. 1. and Poets were therefore very pernicious in that they easily insnared incautious minds with sweetnesse of speech Therefore Basil Bucer were curt and concise full and clear in their discourses his advice is Even in delivering the truth of Christ to sweeten the speech for the winning of them to Christ who will neither heare nor read nor value nor regard the truth except it be pollished and trimmed up in a lovely dresse In the last place and so to adde no more as they must Preach the word acceptably so they must Preach the word Constantly they must not lay downe the Bible to take up the sword as some have done for worldly advantages 1 Cor. 7. 20. 24 Acts 6. 2. they must not leave the word to serve Tables as others have done upon the same account they must not change their black Clokes for scarlet Clokes they must abide and continue in their places and imployments they must neither change their work nor their Master Acts 6. 4. But we will give our selves continually to pray and to the Ministry The Shew-bread stood all the week before the Lord â—o shew that Preaching is not out of season on any day of the word They would not assigne their charge to some Surrogates or Deputies that themselves might live at ease No they were peremptorily resolv'd to hold on to continue in these two choyce duties Prayer and Ministry of the word So in Chap. 26. 22. Having therefore obtained helpe of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying no other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come 1 Tim. 4. 15 16. Meditate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 En toutois isihi Spend thy â—me in them upon these things give thy selfe wholy to them that thy profiting may appear to all or in all things Take heed unto thy selfe and unto thy doctrine Continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy selfe and them that heare thee 2 Tim. 3. 14. But * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mene. Abide keep hy station â—hou wilt be put to 't thou wilt meâ—â— with earthquakes continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Eccles 12. 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs Hosea was four-score years a Prophet to Israel and yet did not convert them yet notwithstanding all discouragements he continued constant and that with abundance of freshnesse and livelinesse Chrysostome compares good Pastours to Fountaines that Châ—ysost in Mat. Hom. 15. ever send â—â—rth waters or Conduites that are alwayes running though no Paile be put under Erasmus saith of Hierom Minima pars noctis dabatur somno minor cibi nulla otio He allowed least time for sleep little for food none for idlenesse It best becomes a Minister to dye Preaching in a Pulpit Now if this be so Then by way of Use let me say That this truth lockes very sowrely and wishly upon all those that Preach any thing rather then Christ The Lord be mercifull to them how have they forgotten the great work about which their heads and hearts should be most exercised to wit the bringing in of soules to Christ and the building up of soules in Christ where doe we find in all the Scripture that Christ his Prophets or Apostles did ever in their Preaching meddle with businesses of State or things of a meer civil concernment My Kingdome is not of this world Who ha's made me a Judge sayes Christ I hope it will not be counted presumption in me if I shall propound a few Rules for such to observe that are willing to Preach Christ to poore soules I will onely propound three And the first is this If you would Preach Christ to the people according to the Rules last mentioned then You must get a Christ within you There 's nothing that makes a man indeed so able to Preach Christ to the people as the getting a Christ within him And 't is very observeable that the great Rabbies and Doctours that want a Christ within they doe but bungle in the work of the Lord in the Preaching of a crucified Jesus and were it not for the help of Austine Chrysostome Ambrose and Tertullian c. what sad dead and
pittifull work would they make Yea for want of a Christ within how little of Christ doe they understand How little of Christ doe they make known notwithstanding all their borrowed helps Paul was a man that had got a Christ within him Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I live is by the faith of the Son of God c. Compare this with Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travell in birth till Christ be formed in you A Christ within makes him travel in birth Odino 2 Cor. 11. 23. ult As Nurses to Princes children are fed with the most delicate fare but not for their owne sakes buâ— for the childrens sake to whom they give Nurse So 't is with many Ministers that want a Christ within â— Tim. 2. â—4 25. The Greek word Translated I travell in birth signifies not onely the travel of the woman at the birth of the Child but also the painfull bearing thereof before the birth The paines of travel breed not a greater desire to see a Man-child borne into the world then Paul's love bred in him till Christ were anew formed in them No man did so much for the winning of soules to Christ as Paul nor no man had so much of a Christ within him as Paul Nothing will naturalize a Ministers heart to his work like a Christ within nothing will make him so wise so painfull so watchfull so carefull to win soules as a Christ within nothing will make him hold out and hold on in the work of the Lord in the face of all oppositions persecutions dangers and deaths as a Christ within Nothing will make a man strive with sinners and weep over sinners and waite upon sinners for their returne as a Christ within Such Ministers that have not a Christ within them will find to comfort and as little successe in their Preaching of Christ Above all gettings get a Christ within or else after all thy Preaching thy selfe will be a cast-away Secondly They that would Preach Christ to the people must Study more Scripture truths Scripture Mysteries then humane Histories They must study Gods Book more then all other Books The truth and antiquity of the Book of God finds no companion either in Age or Authority No Histories are comparable to the Histories of the Scriptures Moses is sound more ancient then all those whom the Grecians make most antient as Homer Hesiod and Jupiter himsâ—lâ— whom the Greeks have seated in the top of their Divinity For 1 Antiquity 2 Rariety 3 Variety 4 Brevity 5 Perspicuity 6 Harmony 7 Verity Gregory calls the Scripture Cor animam Dei The heart and soule of God for in the Scriptures as in a glasse we may see how the heart and soule of God stands towards his poore creatures It was the glory of Apollos that he was mighty in the Scripture Acts 18. 24. John 5. 39. Search the Scripture saith Christ The Greek word signifies to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 search as men search for gold in Mines You must search the Scripture not superficially but narrowly The Scriptures are a great depth wherein the choycest treasures are hid therefore you must digge deep if you will find Col. 3. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you Or as the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the word of Christ indwell in you as an ingrafted word incorporated into your soules Let the word be so concocted and digested by you as that you turne it into a part of your selves You must be familiarly acquainted with the word you must not let it passe by you as a stranger or lodge and sojourne with you as a wafairing man it must continually abide with you and dwell richly in you 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes All Books and helps are not comparable to the Bible for the compleating and perfecting of a man for the work of the Ministry That which a Papist reports of their Sacrament of the Masse That there are as many Mysteries in it as there are drops in the sea dust on the earth Angels in heaven Starres in the skie Attomes in the Sun-beams or sands on the sea-shore Whiles they burned us said Reverend Moulin for reading the Scriptures we burnt with zeale to be reading of them But where is this brave spirit now c. may be truly asserted of the word of God No study to the study of the Scripture for profit and comfort Count Anhalt that Princely Preacher was wont to say That the whole Scriptures were the swadling bands of the child Jesus he being to be found almost in every page in every verse in every line Luther would often say That he had rather that all his Bookes should be burnt then that they should be a means to hinder persons from studying of the Scripture The third and last Rule I shall lay downe is this Such as would Preach Christ aright to the people had need Dwell much upon the vanity of humane doctrines The vanity of which doctrines may be thus discovered First They doe not discover sin in its uglinesse and filthinesse as the Scriptures doe They search but to the skin they reach not to the heart they doe not doe as the Master did in Jonah's ship when they were in a storme Secondly Humane doctrines have no humbling power in These things had need be seriously minded in these dayes wherein â—umane doctrines are so much exalted and admired them They may a little tickle you but they can never humble you they cannot cast downe Satans strong holds they cannot melt nor break the heart of a sinner they cannot make him cry out with the Leaper Vnclean unclean Thirdly Humane doctrines nourish not the noble part the soule of man The Prodigal was like to starve before he returned to his fathers house A man may study much and labour much and lay out much of his time and spirits about humane doctrines and yet after all be like to Pharoah's lean Kine A man that studies humane doctrines doth but feed upon ashes Fourthly Humane doctrines cannot cure a wound in the conscience The diseased woman spent all she had upon Physitians but was not a penny the better The remedy is too weak for the disease Conscience like Prometheus Vulture will still lye gnawing notwithstanding all that such doctrines can doe Fifthly Humane doctrines are so far from inriching the soule that they usually impoverish the soule They weaken the soule they expose the soule to the greatest wants and to the greatest weaknesses they play the Harlot with the soule they impoverish it and bring it to a morsel of bread Who so poore in spirituall experiences and heavenly injoyments as such that sit under the droppings
and minde who was rather willing to beautifie Italy then his owne house That Pilot dyes nobly saith Seneca who perisheth in the storme with the Helme in his hand Such that seek themselves more then the publick good must be served as Aesop did his fellow servant he gave him warme water to drink by which means he vomited up the stollen Figgs Friends 't is not a little grace that will make a man prefer the publick good above his owne particular good but much grace will therefore labour to be rich in grace Fifthly 'T is your Principle That you are to doe the Duties that God requires of you and quietly leave the issues and events of all to the wise dispose of God But pray tell me Will a little Grace inable a man to live up to this Principle To do his duty and to leave issues and events to him to whom they belong Surely no. Eccl. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe doe it with all thy might for there is no worke nor device nor knowledge nor wisedome in the grave whither thou goest Mark he does not say what thy hand finds to doe for that may find a thousand things nor what thy heart finds to doe for that may find ten thousand things but what thy hand finds to doe that is look what work God cuts out to thy hand to doe that doe with all thy might for there is no working in the grave We are to doe much good in a little time we are made here and set to be a doing something that may doe us good a thousand years hence yea that may stand us in stead to eternity our time is short our task is great The Devil knowes that his time is but short and that 's the reason why he is so active and stirring why he doth outwork the Children of light in a quick dispatch of the deeds of darknesse Christians don't deceive your selves 't is not shewes of grace nor little measures of grace that will inable a man to live up to this Principle but great measures of grace will as you may see in the 3 Children We are not carefull to answer thee O King in this matter if it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hands O King But if not be it knowne unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up We know our Duty and that we will keep to what ever the issue and event be So those Worthies Ps 44. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant Here was much of Christ grace within So in Acts 21. when Paul was to goe up to Jerusalem to suffer his friends by many teares and Arguments laboured to disswade him for feare of some sad issue and event that would follow But Paul rich in grace answered What mean ye to weep and breake my heart for I am ready not to be bound onely but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus I must goe up to Jerusalem and I am willing to goe up though I dye for it I here 's a soule that lives up to his Principle I but now soules that are weak in grace as Many of the English have in this been like the Israelites c. we have had large experience of it in our times they are more taken up and busied about the events and issues of things then they are with their owne Duties When they should be a praying a believing a waiting and acting for God they have been a questioning and fearing what the issue and event of this and that and the other thing would be And indeed they have been high and low as secondary causes have wrought which hath made many of their lives a very hell But now those that are rich in grace they say as once he did Let us be of good courage and let us play the men for our people and for the Cities of our God and the Lord doe that which 2 Sam. 10. 10 11 12. seemeth him good Let us doe our duties and let the Lord doe as pleaseth him c. Sixthly 'T is your Principle That men are to be prepared and to stand fast against all suddaine assaults and invasions that may be made upon them Many a valiant person dares fight in a Battell or a Duell who yet will be timerous and fearfull if suddenly surprized in a mid-night Alarum Many precious soules when they have time to consider of the evill of sin the holinesse of God the eye of God the honour of God the glory of the Gospel the joyes of the Saints and the stopping of the mouths of sinners will rather dye then sin they will rather suffer any thing then doe the least thing that may be a reproach to Christ Oh! but when a sudden occasion or temptation is presented why then they often fall as David by chance spied Bathsheba washing her selfe and falls before the temptation he is conquered and carried captive by that sudden occasion But that 's a more comfortable and considerable passage that you have concerning Joseph in Gen. 49. 23 24. The Archers sorely grieved him saith the Text and shot at him and hated him but his Bow abode in strength and the armes of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. Joseph never wanted counsel nor courage when he was at the worst Soules rich in grace usually stand firme under the greatest and suddenest pressures assaults and invasions as you may see in Paul 2 Cor. 1. 9 12. and so the three Children so Daniel and so those Worthies Heb. 11. 35. They would not accept of deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Many sudden assaults and attempts were made upon them their enemies would faine have stormed them and overcome them sometimes by golden offers sometimes by terrible threats but they are invincible nothing stirs them nothing takes them Really friends it must be much grace that will make a man to live up to this Principle and there 's nothing that speaks out more the strength of Grace in a man then his standing against suddaine assaults and invasions that by the Devil and the world are made upon him You may talk of this but without much grace you will never be able to doe it c. Seventhly and lastly 'T is your Principle That your hearts are to be ready for every worke that God shall impose upon you You are not to choose your imployment neither are you to refuse any imployment that God shall put upon you You are alwayes to have an open eare a ready hand an obedient heart and a willing cheerfull soule to fall in with what work or service soever it is