my spirituall condition he would have troubled me with three things as he did Christ by queries First how I knew that I was a child of God And secondly how I could make out my interest in Christ whether it it was fancy or delusion or whether reall Next thirdly he would have Her strēgth against Sathan perswaded me that I laye under the guilt of some sinne that was not pardoned my answer was to the first I knew I was a child of God by his Word Works God made it out to me to the second I answered that God had assured me of an interest in Christ by a promise of the spirit bearing witnesse with abundance of of consolation that I was his spouse thy maker is thine husband c. To the third I answered God pardoned all sinnes in respect of himselfe at once I only did lye under the guilt of some sins but God came in abundantly with a promise that God acquitted me from all And so Satans objection was fully answered and I abundandly delivered Another temptation was about the time of Gods taking away my neare relation which was a sister of mine he took an advantage by the weaknesse of my body oftentimes to trouble me with many thoughts of her death and the manner of it both sleeping and waking and I was in some question about her eternall condition at first I thought it was rather some peece of Nature than any temptation but as soone as I saw it was a temptation I set my selfe to seek God against it And I had this answer from God after a few thoughts in seeking that the Lord would rebuke the devourer for my bodies sake and from this scripture that the God of Satan would bruise Satan under my feet shortly and for my sisters condition and the manner of her death God gave this word Is thy eye evill because mine is good shall I not doe with mine owne what I will aye said my soul if she were his I could be the better perswaded to give her up to God then God told me he lookt not as man lookt but if there were any work of God he would owne his owne work but however he caused me to leave her Her stooping to Gods soveraignty to his prerogative royall who judgeth righteous Iudgement I saw a necessity of frequenting the best meanes once in speciall I saw abundance from God to Her care to honour her Parents in what she might with security to her conscience incourage me in that way my Father and Mother commanded me to goe one way to hear and I was put upon it to goe another way for which they were very fierce and violent the Lord was pleased to put me upon it to inquire what I should doe in this particular and while I was thinking the fifth commandement came into my thoughts honour your Father and Mother c. Then I began to Thinke what honour was due to them being desirous to give them that honour that I was commanded if they commanded with God I was ready and willing to obey them with cherefulnesse but seeing they commanded contrary to God I saw the command of God greater than their command and I went to the word and God met me there in such a way that he gave me incouragement to goe through opposition and difficulty in time to come whatever I should meet withall though they were stripes I was willing to give my back to the smiters rather than to give up my conscience to be racked the opposition of the creature is not much when Gods makes it easy This other experiences I have had of Gods power and goodnesse in a way Her resolutenesse for God where I met with opposition So that its good to be resolute for God though you may lose some favour with the creature yet yee shall be double gayners if you may injoy the favour of God the light of his countenance is better than life The next thing I saw was that there was a faith which was according to sight like that of Thomas He beleeved because he saw and another faith beyond sight which was to beleeve upon the sight of the actings of grace plentifully upon my soule When God withdrew the sence of his love so that I did not injoy the dayly incomes of Gods love I was constrained to live upon the immutability Strong Faith and unchangablenesse of God Notwitwstanding the great mercy and favour of God formerly convayed I was constrained with David to cry out Restore A desertion to me the joy of thy salvation and then I apprehended that Christ was absent at which time I lived solitary and in the Darke I lookt Her carriage in it upon Christ as a husband but yet as a husband going a Journey and hid behind a curtaine so that my soule was as the spouse restlesse in looking out to inquire after him but in time he sent many love letters to me which were these To you that feare my name shall the Sunne of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings Though I did not feare him perfectly and as I ought yet I had some desires to serve him in truth And another was Hee that shall come will come and will not stay yet sometime by reason of his absence I wondred what my temper was and said what is God about to teach me oh that I knew his mind and I would doe it oh that I knew what my present condition were and in time God graciously came in with this scripture and perswaded me with Gal. 2. 20. Paul that the life I now lived was by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himselfe 2 Cor. 13. for me And that his grace was sufficient Her recovery out of her desertion for me and at last I saw him behind the curtaines I saw him but could not injoy him at last I found him whom my soule loved God hath not set me a president in respect of my bodily affliction but he hath caused me not to repine against him if he make me a president to others so I may be serviceable and be made instrumentall for the good of any poore soule my soule is satisfied Her sweet Gospell-spirit in her sad Affliction and I am abundantly willing to submit so God may be glorified and any poore soule edified it is satisfaction enough to me so I may be an instrument in Gods hand for any spirituall good The paths of God are pleasant paths I could wish it were more and more my meat and drink to doe the will of my father I feare more that too much impatience should break forth for an earnest desire for heaven than any thing for I found some deceit in my heart in that particular break out once And I have cause to feare there is more of the fire if the Lord doe not quench it I being once in my owne apprehension and in the sight
Decemb. 2. 1648. I Have perused the precedent Discourse of the Life and Death of a vertuous and godly Christian entitled Faith and Experience and a Pious and profitable Sermon preached at the solemnizing of her Funerall and approve them both very worthy the Printing and Publishing Iohn Downame FAITH EXPERIENCE OR A short Narration of the holy Life and Death of Mary Simpson late of Gregories Parish in the City of NORVVICH Who dyed Anno 1647. In or about the thirtieth yeare of her age after 3 yeares sicknesse and upwards CONTAINING A Confession of her Faith and Relation of her Experience taken from her owne mouth To which is added A Sermon preached at her Funerall upon Rom. 14. 6 7. By John Collings M. A. Phil. 1. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Ver. 21. For to me to live is Christ and to dye is gaine LONDON Printed for Richard Tomlins and are to be sold at his house at the Signe of the Sun and Bible in Pye-corner 1649. To the Glory of her Sex AND Excellency of her AGE The truly Noble and Vertuous Gentlewoman Mrs Philip Hobart daughter to Sir John Hobart Knight and Baronet late of NORFFOLKE Noblest Lady IF it were nothing but the daily Engagement I stand in to that root of which you are a branch and to your selfe as a Member of this Family It were enough I trust to claime a pardon for this Dedication and I might rather seeme to deserve a check for my so long negligence than my present presumption But the sutablenesse of the subject in these sheets is such that I dare be confident you will be pleased not only to patronize but also practise it in what you see it yet leading you further to perfection It holds out unto you a precious Example of one that began so soone to live to God that she is already living with him Lady It is a record of the life and death of one not unknown in her latter dayes unto you one far below you in respect of birth and greatnesse while she was here but infinitely more above you now And of one who I dare say thirsted not so much afrer your greatnesse then as you doe after her grace and glory now What vanities are the excelling things of this life They have a scantnesse in their fulnesse a glut in their enjoyment and a short time to live The greatest riches is in the truest poverty and to be nothing is to be most I am confident Noblest Lady that you have in some measure learned not to call the Proud Blessed nor think that true happinesse consists in worldly greatnesse It were sweet if we could learne to eye the creatures as God eyes them and judge them greatest that are most gracious How the world valued this deceased Saint I know not Sure I am it was done unto her as God useth to do to them whom he delighteth to honour Why should not we look as God looketh and not judge the Peacocke better meat than the Partridge because he hath gayer feathers Read here Noble Lady the love Christ beares to his Lambs and learne from hence what it is to seeke the Lord early How many of Gods precious ones attaine not so much peace in threescore as she had in thirty yeares We use to say more worke is done in two houres in the morning than in the rest of the day She set out early to seek him and she quickly found him whom her soule loved She quickly redeemed her lost time because she had not lost much A young Saint and an old Devill is Satans slander of the way of the Lord which the Wise man saith is strength to the upright Learne hence also Noblest Lady the benefit which you will in time reap from your begun practice of seeking the Lord in secret How often did this removed Saint meet with God when she was alone in the Mount God speaks his mind more freely to us and so we may also do to him when he and we are alone Let those whose God is their pleasure or belly spend the time in painting and dressing which you are better spending in seeking the face of him who will be found of them that seek him You will find your face will shine more than theirs and what but this hath made it already to doe it I cannot but thankfully admire the goodnesse of God which hath already so taken off your Infant-yeares from the Vanities of youth and I trust fully perswaded you of the truth of that which the world cals Heresie That those are most excellent who are most holy The follies of dresses and paints and dances are so far under Religion that they are below a spirit that is but truly Noble And I rejoyce to say it below yours Lady we are not sent hither to eat and drinke and rise up to play we needed not a rationall soule for such sensuall emploiments You will yea I dare say you have found more sweetnesse in an houre spent with God than in many spent in such company as doe no good and such discourses as administer no grace to the hearers Pursue Interests and designes as Noble as your spirit is remember alwayes that it is a designe too base for a divine soule to pursue Creature-Contentments Why should we court the world that is made for our servant and wait upon a vanity that will Weary us to serve it but never satisfie the expectation of them that pursue it Goe on Rarest Jewell to make Religion your businesse and above all be much in seeking God You have the key of Heaven if you have but the gift and grace of praying Let it be your designe now as much to excell the Saints as it hath been hitherto to excell the companions of your age pursue it as your worke to get as much love from Christ as you have honour from the witnesses of your accomplishments Let not your ambition rest in indearing your selfe to creatures but as you are already the crowne of your noble Parents and the honour of those that labour for your soule so still goe on and rest not till you be a jewell set in Christs diademe As you have been a Noble Example to this Family in teaching them it is no dishonour to learne the Principles of Religion by which as I dare say your humilitie hath excelled the most of your Equals if not in age yet in greatnesse who too usually can be content to be ignorant so no body knowes it So you have also discovered more perfection of Knowledge at thirteen than the most can boast of at threescore So now haste on to perfection and labour to excell as gloriously in a strict walking with God Remember Noblest Lady those that walke nearest the Sun have most light and heate Perfect the joy of your Noble surviving Parent And to this end Let me humbly crave that you would continue to
the wayes of his worship seeking to him for strength in every estate and condition what ever he put me into whether spirituall or temporall When Satan saw that I indeavored to be holy and strict he set before me a patterne of perfection by his shewing of me perfection I by the strength of Gods grace had such a sight of imperfection that I was Satans policy lost in my owne apprehension and concluded that there was no grace because there was so much imperfection and then God was pleased for to make me apprehend that Jesus Christ must come and take away the imperfections of our duties the defilement of sinne as well as the guilt which he did by revealing those promises which he caused me to rest upon in that 2 Cor. 5. 21. for 2 Cor. 5. 21. he had made him to be sinne for us who knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Mat. 1. 21. He shall save his Mat. 1. 21. people from their sins which I beleeved should be done for the future though they were not done for the present so that I saw Christ to be of use to clense me Sanctification seene before Justification before I saw him Iustifying my person which was a great refreshment to my Spirit then I began to make use of those weapons that the Apostle speaks of which are not carnall but mighty through God for the pulling downe strong holds c. and the Lord did give me much sweetnesse by communion with himselfe so that I could goe to him more The spirit of Adoption freely then to any creature under heaven and the more communion I had with him the more strength I had against temptation and corruption I found it to be The benefit of frequent prayer the most excellent means under heaven the more frequent the more familiar with God and now I began in some measure to apprehended what a temptation was in a time of temptation which was halfe a deliverance out of it this through the mercy of God in Christ Jesus I found by experience in prayer and about prayer I found first the subtilty of Satans temptations wherein I found him Sathans malice against the worke of prayer to be as great hinderer of that work of prayer as of any other if he cannot keep from it he will afflict and discourage in it and notwithstanding all this I was by Satan put upon it to question my Condition againe but God gave me a word at the same time to stay my Soule upon it was Gods token to know Paul by behold he prayes from which words I saw God took special notice of those that praid and waited upon him and when the Devill saw me bent upon prayer then he put me upon prayer which in time I saw was his work and in time it proved greatly to the Devils disadvantage and much for my incouragement I found by experience that he is like an Ape imitating what ever good God does in the Soule and there is need of much of God to discern his policy in this particular he hath counterfeit grace as well as God hath true grace and he hath evill Ioy as God hath Soule-refreshing reviving and sweet consolation he will have scriptures as well as God only his are to discourage from duties and Gods to incourage all the wayes of Satan are evill and all the Note wayes of God are exceeding good and his paths are very pleasant When Satan saw he could not defile my soule by one temptation he sets upon me by another and with manifold temptations all at once So that he put my Soule into a darke mist by his temptations and I walked sadly for some Dayes together to the wonderment of my friends that were about me I could not expresse my selfe in any thing because my temptations and tumults in my spirit were so high in many things but the Lord at that time did much stay and refresh my spirit with the word Isay 50. 10. whereby Isa 50. 10. I saw that my condition at that time was no other then was incident to Gods owne people and so the Lord carried me on from one condition to another in straights and revealed no more to me for the present then this that my condition was such as was incident to the Saints The next thing I saw was that Iesus More Illumination Christ was the Iustifier of his people and that Iustification was conveyed to the soule in a way of beleeving and then my Soule said oh that I could beleeve on him that Iustifies the ungodly The more understanding I had of God in that way the more I saw of mine owne filthinesse I saw filthinesse in the holy things of God as performed by me so that I found that word of the Apostle good That in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing but to will is by the Rom. 7. grace of God present with me but how to doe good I found not which through the grace of God wrought in my Soule a restlesse desire after a Christ in a way of beleeving that so I might fetch strength from Christ for the subduing of every corruption that I might know whether I were in a state of Iustification this I found that the more Satan tempted me that his temptations were as a weapon put into my hand to fight against himselfe withall through the mighty operation of God his strength was made knowne in my weaknesse Still Faith hard God put into my Soule such a restlesse disposition that I could not be satisfied without Christ so that I said within my selfe give me a Christ or I dy and the disposition to beleeving I found very difficult and hard when God set me upon it a work too hard for me without the power of an Omnipotent God which The way of obtaining it made me the more eagarly to persue it at the hands of him who was able to give it God when his set time was come wrought every disposition in me sutable to the grace that hee was about to convey to my Soule and then I saw nothing in any thing either in heaven or earth that could doe me good but the revealing Iesus Christ to my Soule Duties would not justify no inherent grace was no Iustification in it selfe though a fruit of Iustification yet no cause of it Iesus Christ was the all in all both for Sanctification 2 Cor. 3. last and Iustification and there I saw a way to make use of Christ by way of Iustification I saw more fully then before that all my righteousnesse was imperfect but in Christ it was compleate when the love of God was thus discovered to my Soule then it did constraine me to work out of a higher principle then before I thought with my selfe were there no hell to punish nor Heaven to reward yet there was comfort enough in God and in the
refreshments A Gospell-spirit of his spirit to carry me on in a way of obedience to his gracious and holy Law and Commands and then though I had matter enough within my selfe to condemne my self by reason that grace which in me was weak my flesh being full of all imperfections yet I knew all was made up in Christs perfection I made use of the Law for a rule to walk by not expecting Her opinion of the Law and of those that reject it to fullfill it So that the law must have Dominion over a man for a rule as long as he liveth who so casts the Law of God behind his back surely hath not partaken so far as I can conjecture of the saving grace of God and this I saw that Christ came not to destroy the law but to fullfill it Christ is the end of the law to every one that beleeveth we are not to throw it by as of no use but in what we fall short to make use of him that is of Christ to make it up the more I made use of the Law the more I saw that it was holy just and good For wee should not walke as doe others as men without a rule there is infinite cause that we should look to our Lords Commandement as Christ kept the Commands when hee was upon earth so doubtlesse he would have his people keep them when we have such a blessed Mediator to stand up in the gap if in any thing the Christians engagement to keep the Law law condemns us he steps in and undertakes for us he gave full satisfaction for the condemning power of it but hath left the practical part of it for us to make use of I was troubled with in my self if at any time I thought any thought A watchfull and zealous frame of Spirit or did any deed contrary to the command of God yea how hath my Soule been grieved because other men kept not the law of God I found the actings of God in me and toward me I prayed in another manner then before that Her sense of God when I askt any thing for my selfe or others agreeable to Gods will especially in straights I found a holy boldnesse and confidence that God would answer and he did answer abundantly beyond what I can expresse not because of my request but because Iesus Christ Her experience of Gods hearing her prayer and her right construction and use of it interceded he took my broken and imperfect requests shattered expressions and presented them blamelesse before God not because I prayed but because he delighted to shew mercy and so ingaged and incouraged me to wait upon him in his service My soule can testify I have had as much from God in the way of that ordinance as any I have been filled as full of consolation by God in that ordinance A rare experience as my soule could possibly attaine unto I never wanted any thing for my selfe or others but I went to God for there was none greater in heaven or earth I could resort unto I find him to be a fountaine never drawne dry oh that none would goe to the Cisterne when there is so much in the Fountain To looke at Cisternes The use of Cisternes as they are in themselves they are nothing but they may be made use of to Gods glory when used by God and lookt at through God the Fountaine whatever is done by the creature God doth but by a secondary meanes So that it is in and from the Lord that we have all that we injoy and when God brought me to the bed of affliction then he was pleased to make a report a new of all that he had done for my soule which made my heart to burne within me in love to God and Sweet apprehensions with desire to make known to others how good the Lord was to my soule all his dealings with mee to soule and body I apprehend are in much love so that the place I found experimentally true Rom. 8. 28. Gods gracious Rom. 8. 28. dispensation in fitting me for affliction was exceeding great so that I may say with Job that nothing came upon me but the thing I feared God was pleased to tell mee what he was about to doe and that in a way of answer to prayer I could conclude as confidently that affliction should come as if it had been upon me already and God gave me a strong resolution to abide his pleasure whatever it was And after some time of prayer he gave a promise sutable to the condition he was about to bring upon me the promise was happy is the man whom thou correctest c. And he hath taught me four things necessary Four things sutable to an afflicted condition and sutable to every afflicted condition whatever The first is to eye the hand of God in the affliction for the seeing the hand of God made mee silent in his presence and made me willing to submit to him The second thing was that he shewed me his face and presence which is better than life Thirdly He brought off my will to submit to him as to a father from many speciall places of divine writ Fourthly He made me more than in an ordinary way to Gods gracious dealing with her in relation to Affliction 4 Ends of Affliction apprehended by her drawe nigh to God to know why hee did contend with mee one end was for sin sin hath a being though not a reigning power in me for which cause I have cause to lay low A second end was for exercise of faith and patience and other graces A third end was that I might have liberty to take occasion to make a report to others what God hath done for my soule that by this meanes I might bring some honour to God A fourth end was that I might be set upon that evangelicall worke of setting forth the high prayses of God which work though I could do it to the utmost here yet it s nothing to what shall be in heaven And therefore I desire to blesse God that there is an eternity to praise him in In my affliction God hath verified many places of Scriptures which I see to be experimentally true that I did not see before so that I am constrained to say oft and againe What am I and what is my fathers house that the Lord should bring me hitherto and with David Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou shouldest visit him Another Mercy in judgment thing I have observed in my affliction that God hath wonderfully chayned up Satan in this affliction He was never let loose upon me but twice in all my affliction he came forth often like a lion but in a chaine roaring for his prey but God stopt his mouth that he could get no dominion over me Those two times he was let loose The first time was about
of many beholders at the point of death not expecting to live many dayes I apprehended God sending Her impatience of staying here forth two messengers the one was the grim serjeant Death with a commission from God to arest the body I apprehended that the rest of the body should but set the soule at liberty The other messenger sent from God was the Angell of God with a commission from God to carry the soule to the place of Iust men made perfect so that I was perswaded to bid adue to all creature ingagements onely I was to work while it was called to day the works of God for the night was at hand when I should no more work with the Saints on earth It was such a refreshment to my soule that my time was at hand that I was glad to be uncloathed that I might be cloathed upon So that I could say oh death where is thy sting oh hell where is thy victory I was taken up much 2 or 3 Her care to dye to the Lord. dayes in the work of exhortation of friends that came to visit me then the Lord sent a messenger of his who made a new report again of my Fathers house which was much illustrated to me by an instrument of his I could not but expresse to them who came to visit me what great things were to be injoyed in my fathers house said oh that they might come to me and to the Instrument I said if God had sent him to make a report of these things to my eares I bid him speake on for I was willing to heare what God would speake to me by him I was much conversant in the meditation of these things for twenty four houres or there about but before I was out of heaven in my thoughts I felt a thorue in my flesh Satan buffeting of me arguing thus against Gods proceedings by reason of the dispensation of God changing my bodily condition promising me some continuance in the Land of the living for a season here I found the rebellion of the flesh with the opposition of Satan to quarell against God being unwilling to abide in the flesh notwithstanding God saw it was better for me to be in the body for a time I desire whatever A sweet frame of spirit seem good to God may not seeme grievous to me I had no quiet nor rest in my soul till I saw this distemper my unwillingnes to submit to the wil of God wrought out and for that the Lord made me to seeke him earnestly and he was found in the day of my affliction I said within my self what good would my life doe me if God did not take away the evill of sin my affliction was nothing but my sin was my affliction and the Lord harkned and heard and took away my sin then I found my affliction nothing though greater than formerly yet Affliction easie as easie as ever then the Lord put me upon it to consider why he delaid his coming in that way wherin I apprehended he was about to Come I apprehended these to be the ends First To let me see the evill Her holy interpretation of Gods dealings towards her of my heart what I was in my selfe refractory rebellious another end was that I might see the worke of Gods grace in the hearts of some and be instrumentall to doe some thing for their good if God pleased to incline me for the helping forward of that work of his for I apprehend I shall work no more for the Saints after this life though Iesus Christ worke for the Saints in Heaven as well as when he was on earth yet the Saints work for the Saints only in this life The other end was as I apprehend that I might live to take care for a Child and to engage some honest man to take him which is partly effected Another end I apprehend was that I might take notice of the answer of the prayers of others Againe having been taken up in my thoughts more than ordinary in and about the differences of the times among the Saints in these late yeares in and about some Circumstances about Religion as I apprehend and I Her opinion concerning the differences of the present time was perswaded that the circumstance was nothing in comparison of the substance some said this was the way and some said that was the way some were for a separated Church others for a mixt Church First this I was perswaded that Iesus Christ was the only way to salvation by a worke of grace in the hearts of his people But I apprehending that the society of Gods people was very usefull and that those of the Independent society as they are called did make an improvement of the society of the Saints more than those that were out of that way did for the present It made me to have some inclination to that way and thereupon to apply my selfe to God for his direction in it what to doe then I saw that the Independent society went into their way in and by a covenant which I could not see any ground for whereupon I desired their grounds but found little or no satisfaction Their scriptures were Exod. 19. 6. Ezek. 16. 6 7 8. Jer. 50. 5. Acts 5. 13. Eph. 4. 3. Be Exod. 19. 6. Ezek. 16. 6 7 8. Jer. 50. 5. Acts 5. 13. Epes 4. 3. knit together in love which say they implies a covenant but I could not see by their light but did apprehend that that scripture was directed to the Saints in generall and not to Congregations in particular then they said they prest not their covenant as absolutely Her opinion concerning entring into Church-fellowship by a Covenant necessary but left it as a voluntary act then I began to think whether a voluntary vow were lawfull to be taken in matters of Religion which I find lawfull in scripture as David did vow against his sin and it s put upon record in scripture that if we vow to God we must not deferr to pay it then I began to think that the society of Gods people was vsefull and if it could not be injoyed Note without covenanting its just with God to give us up to covenanting for the hardnesse of our hearts who would not willingly do it without this And I conceive that David could not come up to duty as he would till he came to covenanting but I began to think wheher this covenant so much prest was my duty viz. to joyne in a way of Covenant for the injoyment of the society of the Saints and after seeking of God he gave me this place If thou doest not vow thou doest not Her determination upon it sin and it satisfied me that I might injoy the society with the Saints out of the way and therefore saw no necessity of ingaging my selfe in the way And he also gave me these places to satisfie me further be ye followers
of me as I am of Christ That is in this that I desire to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified and this Scripture this is eternall life to know God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent and this of the Apostle Brethren have fellowship with us for truly we have fellowship with the Father and the Son the Lord Iesus Christ Then I could not but break forth into blessing of God that I have had much fellowship with the sonne the Lord Iesus and as much as God hath seene good for me with the Saints so that I have cause to blesse God and to trust in God who hath given me society with the Saints out of the way as much as in the way so that that which God gives is not in reference to the way but to his owne love I see nothing in the way but what hath been injoyed out of the way and therefore not to be so much lifted up as it hath been and is by some I pray God that while others ingage themselves by covenant to watch over so many soules in a congregation which is a great work they be not to negligent in watching over themselves FINIS THE LIFE DEATH OF A true CHRISTIAN Deciphered in a Sermon Preached upon the 14 Rom. 6 7 Vers At the Buriall of Mary Simpson a Religious young Maid lately living in the City of Norwich BY JOHN COLLINGS Mr of Arts and Preacher of Gods Word to Saviours Parish in the said City 2 Cor. Ch. 5. v. 2. For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven Verse 3. If so that being cloathed we bee not found naked London Printed for Rich. Tomlins 1649. The Life and Death of a true Christian. Rom. 14. ver 7 8. For none of us liveth to himselfe And no man dies to himselfe but whether we live we live unto the Lord or whether we dye we dye unto the Lord Whether therefore we live or dye we are the Lords COncerning the Author of this Epistle none is so ignorant but knowes it is Paul It was written to the beleeving Romans For the subject matter of it it is an Elaborate discourse clearing up the Doctrine of Iustification that 's the subject of the doctrinall part of it in the eleven first chapters the ensuing part of it is more practicall in which the Apostle gives severall precepts to the beleeving Romans whether in publicke Offices or in private relations Instructing them how to carry themselves towards God and each towards another In this Chapter he instructs them how to demeane themselves towards their dissenting weak brethren In those primitive times there were some Christians that were stumbled at the present abrogation of the ceremoniall law and were not so fully as others instructed in the Doctrine of Christian liberty purchased by the comming and suffering of the Lord Iesus Christ Upon this from the too rigid Censoriousnesse of other Christians there grew a division and as I am apt to beleeve a separation in the Church It seemeth the stumble was concerning two points of the ceremoniall law First The eating of meats Vnclean by the law Secondly the other the Observation of such dayes as according to the Iewish law were to be kept holy Those Christians that were well instructed in the Doctrine of the liberty purchased by Jesus Christ from those Iewish ceremonies rightly conceived that First Those beasts which were Vncleane to the Iews were not now Vncleane It was since then that God had given leave to Peter to kill and eate with a command to him to call nothing Common or Vncleane which he had sanctified And I conceive that piece of the Ceremonall law did typifie the Uncleanenesse of the Gentiles till the Partition wall was pulled downe and 2. They knew that under the Gospell Christians were by no morall precept engaged to keep any day holy but the Lords day yet the other Christians not seeing with so cleare a light as they saw durst not doe these things but still persisted in abstaining from some meats and the observation of some holy dayes which needed not had they been but well instructed But as the consciences of these were too scrupulous and Superstitious So the spirits of the other were too rigid and censorious presently upon this to refuse communion with them The Apostle therefore in this Chapter writes to them to mind them how to carry themselves towards their weak brethren First He gives a generall precept To receive them but wisely Not to doubtful disputations and negatively Through the weaknes of their faith v. 2. not to despise them we ought not to despise but brotherly to Receive those that differ not from us in fundamentals though they cannot agree with us in circumstantialls For I conceive that the difference was not here a thing indifferent it was utterly unlawfull and superstitious to keep Jewish holydayes by vertue of an obligation from the Ceremoniall law It was unlawfull for them to account those creatures Common or uncleane which the Lord had Sanctified yet saith the Apostle be tender of them First despise them not Secondly puzzle them not in doubtful disputations Thirdly do not judge or condemne them Fourthly Receive them into your hearts by love and piety and affection toward them Into your Congregations not refusing communion with them Now having given them this generall Lesson of Exhortation he presseth it in the ensuing verses by severall Arguments The first is laid downe v. 3. God hath Received him Received him how he hath loved his soule in Jesus Christ and united him to himself will ye reject whom God receiveth doth God think him worthy of his heart and doe not you think him worthy of yours will God receive him to everlasting communion with himselfe and is he not worthy to be received into the Communion of your Congregations Secondly from the very law of Nature who art thou that condemnest another mans servant he stands or fals to his own master This is spoken to disswade them from censuring or judging why saith the Apostle he is Gods servant not yours who bids you judge him leave him to his owne master and doe not you exercise a rigid unwarrantable Mastery over him Thirdly from the love of God to him Yea he shall be established God that hath shined in with some light of knowledge and faith into him will in his due time saith the Apostle shine with more that though he seemes to be now weak yet he shall be strong though he be a little staggering now for the present yet he shall be setled and established and this is proved from the two strongest Arguments in the world to assure to a true Christian the accomplishing of any promise for the carrying on any work of grace First Gods power v. 4. He is able to make him stand Secondly Gods love he will doe to his utmost for him he shall be established The word is passive to denote
habit will not live from her when she dyes to the world she hath drest her head and then is more lovely in his Eye but by that time the day of judgment comes she wil be wholy and compleatly drest to come out to Dinner and everlasting banquetting in the chambers of love with the King of Glory Lastly When he dyes he is the Lords by neare Relation this is an undoubted consequence of the other but yet a little more Death breaks all Relations but the Relation that is betwixt God the beleeving soule and its knife is not sharp enough to cut this asunder see this but in two instances 1 Josh 2. God sayes Moses my servant is dead Dead yet my servant we cannot say such a one my servant is dead or if we doe say so it is but an improper phrase of speach for if he be dead he is not my servant he does me no worke he takes none of my wages We can say such a one that was my servant is dead but if the person be dead the cord of our Relation is broken Job speaking of death Job 3. sayes There the servant is free from his Master But God sayes Moses my servant is dead though he be dead yet he is my servant And we may say concerning any holy man or woman concerning this remarkable Saint such a one Gods deare Servant is dead Dead yet Gods servant she hath changed her room and work yea and her wages too but not her Master she is but taken to be his chambermaid in glory from being his Kitchin-maid in the world her work was before below staires now it is above Take but one instance more it is Joh. 11. 11. Christ sayes Our friend Lazarus sleeps he sleeps yet he is Our friend O sweet we say when such a one dyes we have lost a deare friend But God loseth not his relation by his Saints death he is our friend then more than ever and so are we his And thus I have gone through the severall branches of the Doctrine And now what a sweet doctrine were here for application if I had any time but I must but hint at things and lay the letters and leave them to God to stampe upon your hearts I will apply it or rather shew you how you may apply it by way of Instruction Reprehension Exhortation and consolation First of all by way of Instruction Use 1 and so it might be very profitable 1. To shew you the infinite love of God to poor dust and ashes That he will be pleased to owne us in life and death to come and dwell in houses made of clay nay not in all the houses of clay neither some he will not bestow the paines to make them cleane and tenantable for himselfe some great famous built houses built of free stoned Nobility Gentry learning and honour adorned with parts and esteem in the world he leaves to be an habitation for Owles and Ostriches and comes and dwels in the poor Cottages of his Elect ones The poore of this world hath God chosen God loves the house well in which he will dwell you only have I knowne above all the Nations of the Earth c. O mercy that God should say to one that it may be hath not a rag to cover him with nor a place where to lay downe his head Here is the soule in which I have chose to dwell to pitch my name there who are we that Our Lord should come to us we have not a room either in head or heart fit for to entertaine him If he will come he must bring his stoole to sit down on and be welcomed with his own meat and yet he will come and be a father an husband a friend and call us his servants his children his spouse yea his members Think O think what honour it is to be allied to the family of Heaven yea incorporated in it It is a big word amongst men when they can say my Cosen of Essex or Norfolk c. to be allied to Earles Dukes c. We think we mightily speak our honour when he can speake it is it not a far greater when we can say My brother of heaven nay my Father my Lord my husband c Such honour have all his Saints Secondly It might instruct us Inst 2 of the happinesse of beleevers both in life and death we are the Lords possession there is no feare of a bad Landlord Are we his purchase his redeemed ones no feare of any slavery then his yoke is easy his burthen is light his service a perfect freedome Is he our Father our Master our Husband our friend we have then one that is able to help us willing to succour us ready to pitty us a kind father a loving husband a carefull master The Lord is our Shepheard what can we want Surely nothing that All-sufficiency can help us to We are the Lords in our life Nor is our portion in this life Whether we live or dye we are the Lords we are yet his friends his servants Jos 1. 2. Joh. 11. 11. We are yet his temple in which he doth more manifest his glory than in our tabernacle while it comes to be dissolved we are yet his purchased possession Eph. 1. 16. Dying loseth us not that friend O happy truly happy and Blessed are they that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours It was a lesson that John was commanded to write do you remember it It was written for your Instruction and comfort Whether ye live or die ye are the Lords Thirdly this may Instruct us Instit 3 that there are but a very few that are true beleevers that in death shall be the Lords No more then those that live to the Lord and dye to the Lord. And ah how few those are 1. What shall become of all prophane wretches all drunkards swearers adulterers all those rabbles of wretches Rev. 20. v. 8. Eph. 5. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 8 10. that in stead of living to the Lord live to the Devill to their base lusts and corruptions and all their study is how to obey the flesh in the lusts of it Ah Lord what will become of these poor wretches when they dye when you shall cry out Animula quo vadis poore soule whither goest thou It was a dreadfull passage I lately heard to have been the dying breath of such an one Now goes my prore soule to pay all its debts 2. What shall become of all those that live to the world and make their gain the End of their life whose whole life sounds nothing else But what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we put on What will you gaine friends when to gaine the world you shall weep over your lost poore soules how will you ransome your selves from the pit And so for any other that make any thing below God the End of their lives And ah where shall we find a man concerning
should be exalted above measure she had a thorn in the flesh given to buffet her God visited her with a long and tedious affliction how she demeaned her selfe in the beginning of it what she met with how she conquered you may take from her owne mouth in the precedent Relation I shall only supply the Chronicle of her dayes where her owne Relation ceased We commonly say Affliction is a spending time it was not a beginning to her but it was a growing time of grace The first time I came to visit her when I was but a stranger to her and to this City I remember her first question was Sir I beseech you tell me how I may glorify God in my affliction I told her either by patient submitting to his hand and quieting our selves in his will acknowledging his righteousnesse c. Or by Speaking to his glory to others c. For the passive part it was a lesson she had so well learned that no discontent could either be read in her carriage or countenance nor a repining word be heard from her lipps And it was no light Affliction for a young and Active body in its strength to have Gods fetters laid upon it and to be kept so close a prisoner as she was so long a time But her God had subdued her spirit to the feet of his owne will The latter and Active part she so practised that her chamber was as a room of paradise none came in there but went away Instructed or Satisfied or quickned or some way or other bettred The greatest part of her work was Angelicall a speaking well of God admiring and exalting his free grace telling what he had done for her soule yet she remembred that while she was in the body she had a duty to doe to others and never did any labour more for God with the soules of others than this pretious one Grace had made her eloquent her birth and breeding was meane but the Lord had given her the tongue of the excellent O the abundance of grace that was powred out into her lipps I appeale to you did not your hearts burne within you when you heard her speak the Excellency of sense spirituall sense I somtimes as my occasions permitted went to visit her and while I thought to speak my eares silenced my tongue and gave her leave to be the preacher for the gain of those in the room and that I my self might learn Righteousnes who ever heard her mentioning her affliction discoursing of any worldly thing O that my tongue were so sanctified she seemed to have lost all sense of Affliction and while she was in the body to have been out of it she would often call upon those yong ones that were babes of grace and came frequently to visit her to labour after more communion with God I remember one thing she would often Vrge and I beseech you to remember it viz. The excellency of the benefit the soule might reape by private prayer She told you for this what was her and if you be not your owne foes may also be your experience To make my discourse short The time of her life grew short and as she grew nearer the Earth so she grew more heavenly in her Hallelujahs making of it then her onely work to Glorify God by admiring his grace and exalting his name I went to visit her the day before the Lord took her to himself I found her bereaved of most of her senses but yet God gave her the liberty of speech which she ceased not to improve to his glory Many of her friends were weeping over her she was discoursing of the Creators Excellency and the Creatures vanity and that in such language that one would have thought she had had the tongue of the Eloquent as well as the Excellent And so incessant was she in that her spirituall worke that she would speake even till she had lost her speech and pawsing a little to recover her selfe renewed her discourse to the admiration of my selfe and those others that heard her she had so far lost her understanding that upon such pawses she ordinarily forgat what she had said and renewing her discourse would either beg the help of the standers by or goe on upon some new but as heavenly discourse to give thee a tast thereof take what I took that day from her own mouth Her words were these I tell you friends if any Christian sit down short of Christ he shall faile what is your duties your righteousnes but a menstruous cloath loathsome to your selves abominable to God Our boasting is excluded we can doe nothing what should we stay in any thing that we cannot doe O set up nothing of your own Let God have all your selves are nothing I will tell you my friends my own experience I have found the creature is nothing God is an Ocean c. Here her speech failed and pawsing till she had recovered her self she was not able to remember what she spake last but went on O the depth the height the length the breadth of Gods eternall decrees of love Of his love in Christ to poore creatures Study that Ocean It may be some of you have known what that Fountaine that Ocean of love is Now whatsoever the soule sets up or esteems besides that is but a shadow a fancy Let a man sit never so long by a shadow when he removeth he cannot carry it away with him If we get the substance that will also carry the shadow with it If you get the Lord Iesus Christ you get both substance and shadow whatever you have without him is but the shadow without the substance follow not after shadowes pursue them not strive after Christ and you shall in time see much of God Sit not still because you see some difficulties in the pursuance of this there is scarce any of you but if you knew where to get 5 or 20 shillings but would rise up early and worke hard to get it O why are not Christians covetous why should not they be ambitious Aas the work is small why wil you sit still But take heed of resting in your performances doe them but rest not in them Do not think of going to publike Ordinances and duties enough Alas what are publike Ordinances and duties if they be not followed on by private prayer and seeking God in secret O seek him in secret so you shall find him and that shall make you love him more But when you have done thus rest not in it for I tell you again if you sit downe any where short of Christ you lose all whatsoever you think you enjoy look higher then your selves than your bare performances c. And if you looke well into them you will see nothing in them but abundance of cause to be ashamed Nothing short of Christ I tell you againe can make you acceptable or amiable to God It hath in it the basenesse of our corrupted flesh What if