that I may be willing now for the present to suffer for the Cause or the Name of Christ Here are divers Directions Directions to suffer for the Name of Christ First Whensoever you do receive any thing from God when you do receive it then ingage your hearts to offer it up unto God when God calls for it again to lay it out for God And if at any time you find your hearts willing then pray to God and say The Lord continue this in the thoughts of my poor heart for ever whensoever you receive then ingage and keep this ingagement fresh upon your hearts Secondly Train up your selves in leaving and forsaking a worldly interest for the Name of Christ the Gospel calls for this work daily for you know the Parable A certain man made a great feast and invited many and sent his servant at Supper-time to say to them that were bidden Come for all things are now ready And they all with one consent began to make excuse One said I have bought a piece of ground and I must go see it Another said I have bought five yoke of Oxen and I must go prove them Another said I have married a wife and therefore cannot come All these were excuses But we should daily be parting with a worldly interest for the Gospel and Name of God It was a true speech of Mr. Greenham He will never be able to suffer by a Papist that cannot suffer from a Protestant Train up your selves every day daily you must meet with one Temptation or another therefore be daily training your selves up in this work of leaving and forsaking your worldly interest for the Lord Jesus Christ Thirdly Use the World as if you us'd it not for the fashion of this world passeth away He that is glewed to the world will never leave and forsake much of the worldly interest for the name of Jesus Christ the more a mans heart is glewed to the world and the things thereof the more unwilling he will be to part with a worldly interest for Jesus Christ Therefore let him that uses the world be as if he used it not he that marries as if he married not and they that weep as if they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away Witness the Revolutions of these latter times Fourthly Study Christ crucified much Let me say this to you and to my self and I pray consider of it the more frequently and seriously we do think on Christ crucified and what Christ did leave and forsake for us the more willing shall we be to leave and forsake any worldly interest for Jesus Christ I should think thus What shall Christ leave his Heaven for me and shall not I leave my Earth for him What shall Jesus Christ leave the bosome of his Father and that sweet Relation for me and shall not I leave the bosome of my Relation for him What shall Jesus Christ suffer for me a cursed death and shall not I be willing to suffer a blessed death for him The Death of Christ hath blessed our death Christ hath suffered a cursed death for us and our death is made blessed by the death of Christ And shall Christ suffer a cursed death for me and shall not I be willing to suffer a blessed death for him Think much of what Christ left for you and then you will be willing to forsake any worldly interest for him Fifthly Get your hearts filled with the divine sweetnesses of the Ordinances O Lord saith Austin when once thy sweetness came into my Soul how sweet was it to me to want my own sweetnesses Oh! when the sweetnesses of God shall come into our Souls this begets Love and much water cannot quench Love Go therefore and labour to get your hearts filled with Divine sweetnesses Sixthly Whatsoever you do now in a way of service do it because your Father wills it If you do therefore serve God now because your Father wills it then when you come to suffer you will willingly suffer because your Father wills it So that now use your selves to this to serve all your service upon this score because my Father wills it Seventhly Take heed that you do not stand lessning of a sin or of an error and greatning of a suffering What 's the reason that many are so unwilling to suffer The reason on 't is this they lessen the error and the sin in the yeilding and they aggravate and greaten the suffering O saith one Is this a great matter to yeild in such a thing as this 't is an indifferent thing but if I don't yeild I am undone for ever But take heed of this that you do not lessen the sin and aggravate your suffering for you will never be willing to suffer for the name of Christ if this be your way Eighthly If you would be willing to suffer for the Name of Christ then go unto God in prayer and pray unto God for boldness and go to your friends and beg of them to pray for you I remember when Latimer was to suffer he call'd upon his friends Pray friends pray for me for sometimes though I am as bold as a Lyon yet at another time I am so afraid as I could run into a Mouse-hole Therefore say Come O my friends I have a cowardly heart of my own and am unwilling to suffer for the Name of Jesus Christ O friends pray for me and go to God and pray for boldness for you see how it was in the 4th of the Acts they told their own Company what the Priests said to them And now Lord say they Behold their threatnings and what did they pray for Grant that with all boldness we may speak thy word And what was â—he issue in the next verse The room was shaken and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the word of God with boldness God answered their prayer presently Therefore if the Enemies threaten and you are afraid to suffer for the Name of Christ get together and in the midst of all your Petitions put up this to the Throne of Grace O Lord give us boldness Ninthly If you would be willing to suffer for the name of Christ O then read over the sufferings of others and how others have offered up their worldly interests to the name of Christ and by reading their sufferings you will be made willing to suffer as they were Having such a cloud of witnesses saith the Apostle he speaks of suffering-Saints Tenthly Improve all your afflictions to the mortification of your mind and of your will Take this for certain truly the more your own mind and will is alive the more you will be unwilling to suffer for the Name of Christ Well how shall I mortifie my own will Afflictions will help you do it Affliction What 's
Seasonable Truths IN EVIL-TIMES IN Several Sermons lately preached in and about London viz. I. Of Grace growing and increasing II. The first and last in Suffering-work III. The way to obtain a sure and great Reward IV. The Two Witnesses their Testimony V. The uncertainty of the World VI. Mans Wrath against Gods people shall turn to Gods praise VII Comfort to Mourners for the loss of the Solemn Assemblies VIII The evil of Unbelief in departing from God IX A warning to Apostates By William Bridge late Preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth LONDON Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Cross-Keys in Bishops-gate-street neer Leaden-hall 1668. Of Grace growing and increasing SERM. 1. 1 Thess 4. 1. That as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more THe Apostle having exhorted the Thessalonians in the former part of this Epistle to perseverance in grace as you read in the former Chapter vers 8. For now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord and at vers 13. of the same Chapter To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our Father he doth here in this Chapter exhort them to Christian Progression growing and increasing in Grace So in this first Verse of this fourth Chapter In this Exhortation three things are considerable 1. The Matter which he exhorteth them unto in the later end of the verse That they would abound more and more in the work of the Lord. 2. The Manner of his Exhortation and that is with much earnestness We beseech you brethren and exhort you and We exhort you by the Lord Jesus 3. The Reason or Motive that he uses to press this Exhortation That as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God Ye cannot say that ye have not been taught for both I and others have taught you and ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God Now therefore seeing that ye have received this of us see that ye abound more and more That ye abound more and more Beza and others they have the words read thus So that ye excel more and more I will not dispute the Translation There is one great Truth which the words at first view do hold forth unto you and that is this It is the earnest desire of those that are faithful in the work of the Ministry and ought to be the care of all the Saints themselves to abound in the work of the Lord yet more and more We are not onely to have grace but to abound and grow So he exhorts them in vers 10. of the same Chapter But we beseech you brethren that ye increase more and more The Apostle is express in this Exhortation But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And in 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God In the Text it is called ABOVNDING more and more in vers 10. it 's call'd INCREASING more and more by the Apostle Peter it 's call'd GROWING in grace by the Apostle Paul it 's call'd PERFECTING of holiness Now this you will finde if you look into Ephes 4. the end of Christs ascension and the end of all our Ministry of all our preaching and your bearing that ye may abound in the work of the Lord more and more and that ye may be made perfect He that descended in the same alsâ— that ascended up far above all heavens and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Then in vers 15. But speaking the truth in love may grâ—w up into him in all things which is the head even Christ. So that you see this to be our great care that do preach the Word and the endeavour of all those that hear it that ye may abound in the work of the Lord yet more and more that you may increase that ye may grow in grace And this you will finde to be Paul's ONE thing Phil. 3. 13. Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do so you read it forgetting those things that are behinde and reaching forth to those things which are before I press towards the mark c. This one thing I do so you read it but the words I do are not in the Greek but thus This one thing Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this is the one thing forgetting those things that are behinde and reaching forth to those things that are before Our Lord and Saviour Christ he had his one thing necessary and David had his one thing too One thing have I desired and here now Paul he hath his one thing one thing for the Saints and that is this We forget what is past and press on to that which is before labouring to increase and to grow in grace and perfecting holiness in the fear of God And this you shall finde to be the end of all those afflictions which we meet withal from God the Father God the Father is unwilling to afflict his children he would not do it unless it were necessary why the end of his affliction we finde to be this in Joh. 15. 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit And this you shall find to be the end of Christs coming as you read in Joh. 10. 10. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly There lies a poor soul saith Christ dead in trespasses and sins I am not onely come to give life unto that soul spiritual life but that he may have it in more abundance So that it is not onely our duty to have grace but we must abound therein more and more we must grow therein And my Beloved It is not onely the duty of the Saints to do so but they will and they do do this So saith David I will praise thee yet more And if you look Revel 2. you shall finde that this was the commendation of the Church of Thyatira at vers 19. that her works were more at the last then at the first Pray minde it it is a great and a glorious commendation O that it were the commendation of all the Churches now being With some it is contrary their works are more at the first then at the last but saith he concerning the Church of Thyatira I know thy works and thy charity and the last to be more then the first Where there is a truth of grace
in Grace I 'le propound you a Parable suppose three men that are sick and weak one is extream ill and the Physitian comes to his bed-side and he spits in his Physitians face and will take nothing Another man he doth not deal so by the Physitian he lies upon his bed but he cannot stir off his bed he lies upon his bed and he hears the counsel of the Physitian and he takes his advice A third man he is weak indeed but he is able to go abroad and he goes to the Physitians house for his counsel and direction I pray which of all these three men are the most healthy surely you will say the latter is more healthy then the second and the second more then the third Beloved there are these three sorts of people one that when spiritual Physick is brought to them they spit in the Physitians face and they will have none Others they are not so bad but yet notwithstanding they keep their beds as it were and do not go forth for counsel But there is a third sort of sinners that finding their souls ill at ease they can go forth for counsel and go out for admonition and go out for reprehension It may be that all these three conditions have past over some of you you can remember the time when you did kick and fling and spit in the Physicians face as it were and you would none at all afterwards you lay more still but yet sate and did not stir out I but now you are able God be thanked to go out to the Physician or to such and such Saints and to open your condition before them Oh thus it 's with me Oh thus it 's with me come lay on some Admonition or lay on some healing Plaister some Reprehension some Consolation good Sir pitie me and the like Now this argues more health then before Again the more you are able to do the work of the Lord without noise the more doth it argue that you are grown in grace Beloved Jesus Christ was a perfect workman and did the work of the Lord perfectly and he made no noise it is said of him that he did not lift up his voice in the streets Young Christians make a great noise in the work of God one he cries out Oh I am damn'd I am damn'd and another cries out after the same kind Oh I am damn'd I am damn'd and wring their hands in the family and make a great noise when there is a work of God upon their hearts like to your young Scholars when first of all they learn their books they read with a great noise afterwards when they are grown men and read better they read silent and make no noise So now I say Thou man or woman art thou able to do the work of the Lord in a more silent and sweet Gospel-way then heretofore thou didst this argues that thou art more grown then thou wert heretofore And further if you know Christ more you are grown more the Apostle puts them both together Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. But take one more If that you do as much as before and deny your doing more then you did before then you are grown in grace One man doth much and denies himself little another doth much and denies himself much who hath most grace of these two The husband-man will tell you that when the ear of corn is not so ripe it stands bolt-upright but when it 's more ripe then it hangs down its head and looks to the earth and so heretofore it may be you were much in prayer and in duty you wept much and it was well that you were much in duty and humiliation for sin but it may be then you rested upon your duties and denied your self little I but now you are as much but you have seen more of the free grace of God and the love of God in Christ and now you deny your duties more and rest less upon them then you did this is a growth now and where these things are you may conclude that you are grown And I say to every soul here Is there any one that doth finde these things thou art the man or woman that doth grow in grace and doth increase therefore be of good comfort thou art not declin'd thou art not abated thou hast truth of grace thou hast growth of grace Quest. I but whether I have or I have not you will say surely it is my duty to have and what shall I do that I may grow in grace I hope the Lord hath begun savingly upon my heart but what shall I do that I may abound yet more and more and increase in grace I must not be large here give me leave to say some things to you Answ First of all observe what those ways of God are unto which he hath promised increase and Oh let your feet be found standing there he hath promised to those that exercise To him that hath shall be given It is opposed to laying up the talent in a napkin He hath promised increase to those that wait upon him Those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength He hath promised increase to those whose feet stand in the courts of the house of the Lord in Psal 92. 12. The righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree and shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God And so in Psal 84. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will be still praising thee They that dwell in thine house they will be still praising thee Quest. But suppose that a mans feet do not stand in the court of the Lords house suppose a man be not planted in the house of the Lord can he not grow in grace Answ Yes mark what follows in vers 5 6 7. all growth of grace is not instal'd upon one condition Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee He had said before Blessed are those that dwell in thy house but suppose a man be driven out and cannot dwell in Gods house shall he not be blessed and shall he not grow Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee and in whose heart are the ways of them who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well the rain also filleth the pools they go from strength to strength every one of them in Zion appeareth before God They may grow too but then it 's upon these three Conditions 1. The ways of God must be in their hearts In whose heart are the ways of them 2. They must look upon that condition as a valley of Baca a mourning valley vers 6. 3. Thirdly they must be abundant in private duty and exercise digging up of pits and then the rain falls and fills those pits and thus they shall go from strength to strength But the great increase is promised to those whose feet
do stand in the court of the house of the Lord. Again would you know how you may grow in grace Beloved let your eye be stedfast upon the greater and higher matters and objects of the Gospel The Apostle for this end doth lay the great things of the Gospel before the people and prays for them that they may be filled with all the fulness of God But I pray see what an expression he hath in 2 Cor. 9. 8. And God saith he is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things All-sufficiency is a great attribute of God they have it in a kinde That ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work Mark what great things he lays here before them And if you look into chap. 6. of the Epistle to the Hebrews vers 6. you shâ—ll finde that the Apostle gives this plain direction that now I am upon for our growing in grace and perfecting holiness in the fear of God Therefore saith he leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works c. Good people mark Let us go on to perfection how not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works Some there are that are always laying the foundation and all their life they are questioning whether their work were right at the first or no Oh I am afraid I was never truly humbled at the first their whole life is nothing but a laying of the foundation-work why saith the Apostle Let us go on to perfection c. Be not always in this work of laying the foundation if you would go on to perfection And as for my self saith he I go this way to work as you may read in chap. 3. of this Epistle to the Philippians Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth to those things which are before I press towaâ—ds the mark Mark it 's a similitude taken from those that run in a Race saith he I do as those that run in a Race they stretch out their bodies towards the Price so do I and saith he as it is with those that run in a Race they do not go backward for to measure the ground that they have gone over but they forget what is past and press on to that which is before so now do I I forget that which is past not onely so as not to rest upon it but I forget what is past I am not always laying the foundation of the doctrine of repentance from dead works but I press on to that which is before And so would you be perfect and would you grow let your eyes be upon those things that are before Again if you would grow in grace cut off all those superfluities that grow out of your heart and give up your selves wholly to the Word of the Lord in this world If you would have a tree grow you slip off the lesser sprigs that grow out of the sides they will hinder the growth you will say so saith the Apostle Wherefore laying aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness receive with weekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls James 1. 21. But again if you would grow in grace and abound yet more and more observe what gifts or graces God hath given you and labour to improve them Beloved God doth give some gift or special grace to every Christian and that gift or grace is as a Spade or Shovel to dig out more out of the Mines of Christ Every bird hath its bill and by the bill it doth take in its meat whereby it grows and every Christian hath one gift or another whereby he doth excel and with that gift or grace you should now go unto Jesus Christ who is the great Ordinance and fetch out more Observe I say what that gift and grace is and labour to improve it more and more I will say no more in this but if you would grow in grace studie much of the love of Jesus Christ and you shall finde that these two are put together by the Apostle in Ephes 3. For this cause saith he I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jâ—sus Christ c. that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and hight and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God Mark how these go together the more you see the love of Christ the more you will love God and the more you love him the more you will obey him and the more abundant you will be in the work of the Lord. Therefore as ye desire to grow study the free love of God in Jesus Christ and hereby you will be able to grow and to abound yet more and more And that you may do it give me leave to speak here a little by way of encouragement hereunto and so I will winde up all Beloved in the Lord when you hear of Gods blessing any in Scripture he saith Increase and multiply So then the more you do increase in grace the more your gifts and graces multiply the more you do carry up and down with you a testimony of the Lords blessing upon you Besides herein you glorifie God the Father Herein is my Father glorified saith Christ in that ye bring forth much fruit 'T is the glory of the husband-man that the tree bring forth much 't is the glory of God the Father that ye bring forth much that ye abound more and more And the more and greater our opportunities are and means of growth the more are we all encouraged for to grow in grace Let me appeal to you a little have not your opportunities and means for growth been great here Communion of Saints it is a great means for to grow in grace Here you have time here many Saints meet together and in poor Country-towns possibly a poor Christian may travel three or four miles before he can meet with one that may refresh his thoughts here you have the opportunities which you have not in other places Communion of Saints standing in the courts of the house of the Lord is a great means for to grow in grace Preaching of the Gospel and the Word of Gods grace is a special and great means of growth it 's call'd the rain of plenty or the plentiful rain It is a true speech It is the year and not the soyl that doth make the fruit if the rain falls seasonably and the sun shines seasonably then you have fruit Now
Beloved I appeal to you have you not had a fine time of it here have you not had a sweet season of Gospel-preaching amongst you The Lord knows what plentiful rain hath fallen upon you Oh great engagements are upon you all for to grow in grace and if you this people shall not after all your engagements this way and opportunities to grow if you shall not grow in grace Oh how will you appear before God your Father at the great day how how will you give an account of those talents that you have had We read of him that had but one talent he wrapt it up in a napkin but the Parable speaks there werâ— five left and two left but it is not said that he that had the five or the two wrapt them up in a napkin but he that had but the one talent he wrapt it up and you know what became of him but now when those that have five talents shall wrap them up in a napkin Oh what will become of them Beloved you have not had the one talent you have not had the two talents you have had the five talents and if there was such a miserable end of him that wrapt up his one talent O what will become of us that have five talents and wrap them up and do not improve them You know what the Lord Christ said to the Church of Ephesus how he threatned that Church I have somewhat against thee because thou hast lost thy first love remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place God knows whether your first love be not left or no I am sure the Lord hath taken away a burning and a shining light from among you and certainly if you do not grow and thrive under all those opportunities of grace and growth in grace that you have had and still have how soon the Lord may quite remove his Candlestick from you and leave you quite in the dark he onely knows Wherefore Beloved in the Lord you have received much Oh much is expected from you much is expected from you And let me tell you for your encouragement If you do grow in grace and abound in the work of the Lord then shall there be an abundant entrance given unto you into the everlasting inheritance And so I come to that place of Peter which I shall but open before you and so have done for this time and I pray consider it diligently 2 Pet. 1. 5. And besides this giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge But mark how he prefaces before he comes to the words Whereby saith he are given unto us exceeding great and pretious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lusts Now besides this there is something else to be done well what 's that it is such a matter as all diligence is to be given to it Besides this giving all diligence adde to your faith vertue 'T is not 't is not enough that you believe but you must have moral vertue also Adde unto your faith vertue I but suppose we have moral vertue is not that enough No and to your vertue knowledge You must not onely have moral vertues but you must know Jesus Christ But suppose he hath knowledge is not that yet enough No and to your knowledge adde temperance whereby you may be kept from the immoderate use of the things of this world But suppose we have that is not that enough No adde to your temperance patience you shall meet with many afflictions and crosses and therefore you must have patience But suppose we have patience is not that yet enough No and to your patience adde godliness there must be a right worshipping of God in his Service Well but suppose we have godliness and do worship God after a right manner is not that enough No adde to your godliness brotherly kindness you that are Saints are brethren and therefore it is not enough that ye have the worshipping of God in a right way but ye must agree together as brethren adde to your right worship and godliness brotherly kindness But suppose we have that is not that enough no adde charity brotherly kindness may be towards you that are brethren but there must be charity towards all to those that are not of the body Well but suppose we do these things what then Read vers 8. For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. You complain that your hearts are barren and that you lie as barren ground in the Family why if you would not be barren and unfruitful you must grow and adde one grace unto another And if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful Well but suppose a man lack these things read vers 9. But he that lacketh these things is blinde and cannot see afar off he may see some things in Religion that are neer but those things that are afar off he is blinde in them and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins that is by Baptism But suppose we do all this what then Pray see what encouragement there is to this in vers 10. Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure this will be a signe to you of your election And if you do these things you shall never fall Whereas those that are weak and do not grow in grace they stumble at all occasions but if you do these things ye shall never fall and not stumble as those that are weak do And yet further at vers 11. you shall not onely have this benefit for the present but for the future for so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Do you abound in grace and grow in grace and are rich in grace Why look as you abound so there shall be an abundant entrance ministred to you into the everlasting kingdom Wherefore he saith I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things It may be you will tell me you knew these things before but mark vers 12. I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things though ye know them and be established in the present truth Yea at vers 13. I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance And that you may see that it is a matter of great concernment he doth not onely say that he would put them in remembrance as long as he liv'd but he would take some course when he was dead that this exhortation
confessed denyed not but confessed I know there 's an Hebraism in it but there 's more than so And he confessed and denyed not He bare his testimony and did nothing that might revoke that testimony either directly or by consequence And therefore if you would bear your testimony for the truth of Christ take heed that when you have given in your testimony you do nothing that may revoke it either directly or by consequence Thus by way of Rule And secondly by way of Means If you would be Faithful in bearing your testimony in bearing witness to the truths of Christ in opposition to the wayes of Anti-Christ Observe what the root is that a good confession grows upon and labour for to strengthen that Now what is the root that a good confession grows upon but Faith working by Love As for Faith I believed and therefore have I spoken And as for Love Much Water cannot quench Love Faith working by Love is the root that a good Confession grows upon and therefore strengthen that Secondly Labour in the work of Self-denyal and use your self now to deny your self There are two denyals that you read of in the Gospel one commanded and the other forbidden directly contrary one to another Self-denyal and denyal of Christ Self-denyal is commanded If any man will be my Disciple let him deny himself Denying of Christ is forbidden He that denyes me before men him will I deny before my Father which is in Heaven The more you deny your selves the less you will deny Christ And the more you deny Christ the less you deny your selves Will you not deny Christ but witness fully to Christ and the truths and wayes of Christ labour now to be found in the wayes of self-denyal that you may be kept from Christ-denyal Thirdly In the next place Take heed that you be not feared or scared too much with the scare-crowes of the times but go to God for boldness that you may be emboldned with the boldness of the Holy Ghost A timerous fearful Spirit will shrink in witness-bearing if God come not in with boldness You may see how they would have made Nehemiah to have ceased from the work of God even by scaring and fearing of him in Neh. 6. Tobiah and Sanballâ—t they send unto him that they might make him cease from the work of God that was in his hand and they say unto him 'T is reported that thou hast appointed to Preach at Jerusalem saying There is a King in Jerusalem and now shall it be reported to the King according to these words ver 7. here they cry out A Plot a Plot But while they cry out a Plot upon Nehemiah the truth is it was their own Plot. Then I sent unto them at ver 8. saying There are no such things done as thou sayest but thou feignest them of thine own heart They cry A Plot and they made a Plot. Well what was their Plot It was to make him cease from the work of the Lord. And how did they lay the Plot say they at ver 9. For they all made us afraid saying Their hands shall be weakned from the work They all made us afraid v. 13. speaking of false Prophets Therefore was he hired that I should be afraid and do so and sin And saith he ver 14. My God think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works and on the Prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the Prophets that would have put me in fear This was the way to make Nehemiah cease from the work of God that was in his hand to put him in fear to scare him And therefore take heed of the scares of the time but go to God for boldness that you may be emboldned with the boldness of the Holy Ghost And therefore do but read the fourth of the Acts where you find that when the Apostles were threatned they returned unto their own company and fell to Prayer at ver 23. And being let go they went to their own company and there they fall to Prayer And they lift up their voice And what did they pray for the great thing that they prayed for in their Prayer was That God would give them boldness And now Lord say they ver 29. Behold their threatnings and grant unto thy Servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word And what was the Answer ver 3â— And when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all fâ—lled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the Word of God with boldness This was the Petition put up Behold Lord their threatnings now give boldness to thy Servants Presently God answered and they were filled with the boldness of the Holy Ghost and so they bare their testimony And so I say If you would bear your testimony in these dayes of ours Take heed of being scared and feared with the scare-Crowes of the times But rather go to God and beg boldness of him that you may be emboldned with the boldness of the Holy Ghost and thus shall you do this great work which is the work that we have to do in this day of ours And so I have done with the first thing why the Saints and people of God are called witnesses Namely because it is their work in Anti-Christian times to bear witness to the truths and wayes of Christ in opposition to the wayes of Anti-Christ But then secondly What are these Witnesses more expresly in regard of their number and in regard of their quality First in regard of their number They are two And I will give power unto my TWO Witnesses Two is but a Few and yet it is enough to bear witness For out of the mouths of two or three Witnesses shall every word be established Two a Few and yet enough The Note is this Observ Christ will alwayes have enough to beaâ— witness to his Truth in the darkest times When the Gentiles tread underfeet the Holy City yet here are two 't is but a few and indeed Christ's Witnesses they are not very many they are but few In the Old Testament unless the Lord had left us a Remnant a very little Remnant And in the New Testament Nevertheless there are a â— E W Nameâ— in Sardis Christs Witnesses are not very many they are but few Two And yet they are enough Two are enough to bear witness unto a thing they are enough Christ though he have but few to bear witness to his truth he will alwayes have enough to bear witness to his truth in the darkest times in the darkest times of Anti-Christ What then though many fall off and go over unto Anti-christ's Colours Christ will have enough to bear witness In the 24. of Matth. 't is said Many shall be offended And Many shall be deceived And the Love of Many shall grow cold But he that endures to the end he doth not say but They that endure to the end but He. There is an He
why if he had not a design to turn it to his praise The Lord bid Shimei curse David Who was it that bid Shimei curse David God And who was it that sent Joseph into Egypt God sent him The wrath and anger and envy of his Brethren indeed were instruments but God sent him God had a design upon their anger and upon their envy and wrath in Rev. 16. you find that three unclean Spirits that came out of the mouth of the false Prophet and Dragon and the Beast they stir up the Kings of the Earth to battel and they are the Spirits of Devils working miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty They go forth to stir up men to battel but in verse 16. 't is God that gathers them Behold I come as a Thief blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments c. and he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon God had a hand upon their hand God gathered them in Mich. 4. 11. Now also many Nations are gathered against thee that say Let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Zion Let her be defiled her 's anger enough but saith he verse 12. They know not the thoughts of the Lord neither understand they his counsel For he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor He shall gather them in the 11th verse 't is said Now also many Nations are gathered against thee that say let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Zion But they know not the thoughts of the Lord They are gathering together against the people of God and God is gathering to thresh them They gather together God hath a design upon their gathering God gathers them So in Ezek. 38. you have there the story of Gog and Magog that came up against the people of the Lord in a great multitude and they came up to spoil Therefore verse 14. Son of man prophesie and say unto Gog Thus saith the Lord God in that day when my people Israel dwelleth safely shalt thou not know it and thou shalt come from thy place out of the North parts Thou and many people with thee all of them riding upon Horses a great company and a mighty Army and thou shalt come against my people Israel as a cloud to cover the Land it shall be in the latter daies And I will bring thee against my Land Why That the Heathen may know me when I shall be sanctified in thee O Gog before their eyes verse 11. Thou shalt say I will go up to the Land of unwalled Villages I will go to them that are at rest that dwell safely c. to take a spoil and to take a prey But see the Lord hath another design Thou shalt come up against my people Israel as a cloud to cover the Land it shall be in the latter daies and I will bring thee against my Land Why That the Heathen may know me when I shall be sanctified in thee O Gog before their eyes And in verse 23. Thus will I magnifie my self and sanctifie my self and I will be known in the eyes of many Nations and they shall know that I am the Lord. Here 's Gods design God doth let out the wrath and anger of wicked men against his people and he hath this design that his Name may be sanctified So that you have this assurance also the great design of God 3. You have the assurance of Gods Zeal The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall do this The God whom we serve is a zealous God Zeal is angered Love Now there are three things that God doth love especially He loves his Truth he loves his Worship and he loves his People When wicked men do prevail against the People of God They scorn the Truth they defile his Worship they persecute his People I say these three things God loves in the World But now God will not suffer these things that he loves thus to be alwaies trampled on for he is a zealous God and therefore you may build upon it you may be assured of it That either he will restrain the rage of men or he will turn their Wrath and Anger unto his own Praise But then Thirdly Suppose all this What is our Duty that doth flow from hence First of all if that there be such a deal of anger and wrath in the hearts of men against the Saints and people of God wonder not at it be not offended when you see it it was alwaies so from the begining God hath put enmity and the enmity that God hath put between the seeds shall stand Cain began betime and as Luther saith Cain will be killing his Brother Abel to the worlds end It hath alwaies been so and do you think there shall be less anger in the hearts of the men of the world against the people of God now in the latter daies No rather more in Rev. 12. 't is said The Dâ—vil is come down having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time The shorter the Devils time is the more his wrath will be in his Instruments Why now we are fallen in the latter times and therefore his anger must be greateâ— now Anstin thinks that the anger and wrath and persecution of the wicked will be greatest at the last saith he The persecution of the Primitive times was very sharp But afterwards there followed the persecution of the Arrians and that was sharp But the last persecution is the Persecution of Antichrist and that shall be the sharpest And we find in the 11th of the Revelations speaking of the latter daies That the Nations are angry verse 18. And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come That 's well Gods wrath goes with their anger But the Nations were angry speaking of the latter daies There are three or four things that will raise the anger and wrath of Antichrist in the latter daies There is the Prophesying of the Witnesses The Witnesses Prophesie and when they have finished their Prophesie the Beast shall kill them and being slain they shall make merry over the Witnesses that Prophesied verse 10. and rejoyce over them and shall send gifts one to another Why because these two Prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth the Protestants and reformed Churches do torment by tâ—eâ—r prophesie So that there is one thing that doth image them Another thing that doth raise the anger of the Antichristian party â—â— the world in the latter daies is the separation For there shall be the greatest separation that ever was Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues There shall be the greaâ—est separation and that provokes them 3. Another thing that shall provoke the Antichristian party in the latter daies is this That they shall
not touch soft wax and it yields and takes the impression A soft heart yields unto Gods impressions a hard heart yields not but resists and contradicts So doth an unbelieving heart An unbelieving heart is a contradicting resisting an unyielding heart and therefore properly an unbelieving heart is a hard heart 2. As an unbelieving heart is an hard heart so so an unblieving heart is an unclean heart For faith purifies the heart and therefore where the heart is unbelieving the heart is unpurified and so is unclean An unbelieving heart is an unclean heart 3. As an unbelieving heart is an unclean heart so it is a proud heart You know what the Prophet Hab. saith in his second Chapter Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by Faith So then an unbelieving heart also is a proud heart 4. As an unbelieving heart is a proud heart so it is a froward peevish fretful heart Faith and fretting are opposed in Psal 37. Fret not thy self because of evil doers trust in the Lord and do good Commit thy way unto him and trust in him verse 5. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him fret not thy self because of him who prospereth in his way ver 7. Faith and fretting are opposed How did the people of Israel murmur in the Wilderness and why but because of their unbelief Froward and fretful and murmuring An unbelieving heart is a fretting froward heart 5. As it is a fretting and froward heart so an unbelieving heart is a rash foolish heart and will put one upon doing foolish things It 's rash faith makes not haste but unbelief makes haste I said in my haste I am câ—st out of thy sight That 's unbelief I said in my haste all men are Lyars that 's unbelief What a foolish thing it was for David to scrabble on the door and let fall his spittle and fain himself mad It was his unbelief that did it An unbelieving heart is a rash suddain and a foolish heart 6. As it is a rash and a foolish heart so it is a doubting wavering staggering heart It 's said of Abraham that he staggered not through unbelief It seems then that as Drunkenness will make a man stagger and reel too and fro so unbelief will make a man stagger and reel too and fro A doubting wavering unsettel'd staggering heart is an unbelieving heart 7. As it is a doubting staggering heart so it is an undutiful and an unserviceable heart For it is Faith that is the great performer of Duties What is duty but faith Incarnate what are works but faith Incarnate Faith is a friend to prayer and prayer is a friend to faith You may see how they are twisted together and one walks by another In the third Psalm David being in very great distress he believes ver 3. But thou O Lord art a shield for me my glory and the lifter up of mine head Why then he prays ver 4. I cryed unto the Lord with my voice Then he believes ver 5. I laid me down and slept ver 6. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about Then he prayes at the 7 ver Arise O Lord save me O my God He prayes and he believes and he believes he prays Prayer is a friend to saith and faith is a friend to prayer But an unbelieving heart is an undutiful heart an unserviceable heart it is an unpraying heart 8. As an unbelieving heart is an undutiful heart and an uâ—serviceable heart So it is a sad and a discouraged heart Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Hope wait trust in the Lord And that 's the way to take off discouragements But a heart full of unbelief is a heart full of discouragement 9. As it is a sad and disconsolate heart so an unbelieving heart is a dishonouring heart By Faith we honour the power of God the grace of God the All-sufficiency of God He that believeth not makes God a Lyar saith the Apostle That God is not faithful Faith honours the faithfulness of God but he that believeth not makes God a Lyar 'T is a God dishonouring sin 10. And to say no more in it but this As it is a God dishonouring sin so an unbelieving heart is the heart that God will punish with the most severity We may see how the Lord punisht it in his own people when they were in the Wilderness and they sinned through unbelief God kept them out of the Land of Promise and why Heb. 3. 19. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief This was in their first time but now in their last time they were broken off And how came they to be broken off in Christ's time Rom. 11. 20. Well because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standest by faith Because of unbelief they were kept out of Canaan because of unbelief they were broken off in Christ's time So that an unbelieving heart and an unbelieving soul is such an heart and such a soul as God will punish with the most severity He that believeth not is condemned already An unbelieving heart is an evil heart But now in the second place This unbelieving heart or infidelity is the ground of Apostasie for thereby we depart from God Infidelity is the root of Apostasie for as by faith we are united to God do draw near to God and are united to him So by our unbelief we depart from God Faith you know is the uniting grace and so on the contrary by unbelief we depart from God But this will appear if you consider what those things are that make men depart from God They are the good things and the evil things of this life The good things of this life do flatter men from God The evil things of this life scare men from God Now Faith will preserve from both If a man be tempted with the good things of this life Yet if he have Faith he will not depart from God for by Faith we live upon God in the use of the good things And if a man be tempted to depart from God by the evil things of this life yet if he have but Faith he will not depart from God for by Faith we live upon God and live above losses and above crosses so that Faith doth preserve us from both and therefore unbelief is the root and ground of all our Apostasie or declining from God And we know how it was with the three Children what it was that kept them in that evil day there was the Musick on the one hand and the fiery Furnace on the other but between both they were kept and preserved for they believed It was their Faith kept them from departing But further If that Unbelief be a Mother Sin a Parent Sin a breeding Sin the root and cause of other sins Why then Unbelief must