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A13850
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A Christian amendment delivered in a sermon on New-yeares day 1631. in St Martines Church in Oxford, and now published: by H. Tozer Mr of Arts and Fellow of Exceter Colledge in Oxford
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Tozer, Henry, 1602-1650.
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1633
(1633)
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STC 24158; ESTC S121019
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18,018
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94
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things as Himselfe there testifies But wee that after a long Jnstitution in a glorious sunne-shine of the Gospell should now bee compleate men fall backe againe to bee Babes in Christ and to Thinke as Children to imploy our Thoughts on Vanities and Folly to thinke with those Psal 49 11. that our houses shall continue for ever and with Haman Esther 6.6 to set on worke our Meditations about expected Honours and Preferments who Thought in his Heart saith the Text to whome would the King delight to doe Honour more then to my selfe Neither doe we only thinke as Children in Christ that is not the worst but sometimes too as men that haue no reference to him as Atheists as men without God when God is not in all our thoughts as the Prophet David speaketh Psal 10.4 Such are our thoughts of malice and murder when with Cain we thinke to cut off righteous Abell and with Jshbibenob to slay David 2 Sam. 21.16 Such are our thoughts of Rebellion when wee Curse the Lords Annoynted in our Thoughts Eccles 10 20. Such are our Thoughts of Adultery and Vncleanesse when wee Thinke on a wanton Harlot to Lust after her Matt. 5. vers 28. Such are our thoughts of deceite and falshood when we imagine in our hearts mischievous plots and devices to circumvent our neighbours Such be our vniust Thoughts of Covetuousnesse and Discontent when with wicked Ahab wee are troubled on our beds how to get Naboths vineyard 1 King 21.4 and Such are our Prophane thoughts against God himselfe when we Thinke Him though in vaine to be such a one as our selues that can bee deceiued Psal 50.21 And these Thoughts of ours although the Divell directly see not for that belongs to God alone yet our owne woefull experience can sufficiently tell vs that hee often fitteth vs with occasions answerable therevnto and we may thence imagine that by obseruing our temper and complexion Hee comes very neere vnto them Matter enough then we haue to be reformed in our thoughts and the necessity is no lesse vrgent But happily a carnall worldly minded man will say I may securely thus Thinke and Meditate because the World perceiueth it not be it so yet God doth which is more but however Darest thou to boast hereof and to say vnto the World that such as these are thy Thoughts and Desires If not then let the Fathers Rule bee thy Remembrancer Quicquid pudet dicere pudeat cogitare If thou blush as doubtlesse thou wilt to make it openly knowne that thy Drifts and Intentions are either Bloody or vnchast or Rebellious or Deceitfull or Coveting or Prophane then forbeare and tremble to Thinke of these things in thy Heart But How saith the well disposed Christian shall I Rectify and Renew my Thoughts being thus perverted Pliny will giue thee a good rule for that Homines aut Mortalitatem aut Jmmortalitatem cogitare debent saith hee men should ever be Thinking either of their Mortality or of their Jmmortality If of the first then Bethinke thy selfe as S. Bernard directeth thee 1. Vnde venis whence thou art derived namely from sinfull Adam erubesce and blush at thy fall 2. Vbi sis where thou art namely in a vale of iniquity ingenmisse and so bewaile thine owne misery 3 Quo vadis whether thou must namely vnto the Graue Contremisce and then Tremble at thy Danger And thus shall thy Thoughts make thee truly Humble in the sight of God But if on the other side thou Thinke and Meditate of thy Immortality of thy Soule which must remaine somewhere for ever then lift vp thy heart in pious Thoughts and Meditations to Him that hath redeemed it to Him that Sanctifies to God that must receiue it Thinke then seriously of thy waies turne speedily vnto His Testimonies as David hath directed thee by his owne example Psal 119.59 For There shalt thou learne to Thinke no more of malice or lust or deceit or coveting or Prophanation but rather to settle thy Meditations on Sobriety towards thy selfe on Loue and Mercy Iustice towards thy Neighbours and on Piety and devotion towards God Thus we must Thinke and Meditate if we will haue right if New thoughts for Turpes Cogitationes vitare non potest qui Honestas non habet if wee Thinke not of Good things wee shall of Bad if God be not in the Heart the Divell will be there Wherefore if thou wilt be happy in the One cast out the other Thinke no more as thou hast done to thriue by Deceiuing Thinke no longer to make thy selfe secure by intrapping ensnaring and circumventing others Imagine not to maintaine thine owne credit by slandring thy Brother In a word Thinke not in thy heart to be Accounted Good much lesse to Bee so by doing Evill But make way for New desires new Affections and then New fruits will quickly follow if once thou kindle this Coale of New Loue within there will come forth a Flame if New Thoughts there will soone follow New words and Actions And 't will be therefore the lesse needfull to adde much concerning These and the Renewing of them for if the Thoughts of the Heart be once set right our Words Actions are seldome out of order Yet wee know that sometimes a coale though quicke in it selfe is vnhappily smoothered before there breake forth a flame a Fountaine now and then blocked vp and so the current is lost good desires many times corrupted before they can proceede so farre as to appeare in our Speeches and Practises for t is the preventing Policy of the Divill if he can but once guesse at an intended Reformation in our Thoughts to vse all his mischievous devices that so hee may stop it from going farther and then t is lost there too It will not therefore bee amisse to shew farther in a word that for the perfecting of this Renovation we must labour to reforme and renew our words and actions as well as our Thoughts and Desires Saint Austine to manifest vnto vs the Abuses that are vsuall in our Speech distinguisheth of a fiue fold Tongue There is saith he Lingua impudica vaniloqua dolosa maledica dissoluta An Immodest or Vnchast Tongue A vaine or foolish Tongue A treacherous or deceitfull Tongue A slaundring or iniurious Tongue and A dissolute or Prophane Tongue The Immodest or vnchast may be called a Fiery Tongue Jam 3.6 for 't is set on fire by the sinfull Lusts and concupiscence that is within or else it may be tearmed an infectious a poysoning Tongue because it oft times stirreth vp vnchast desires in those Which heare it The vaine or foolish is a Perverse Tongue Prov 17.20 which will vtter all its folly notwithstanding any preiudice Whatsoever The crafty or deceitfull is a Lying Tongue Prov 6.17 a flattering Tongue Psal 5.9 a Double Tongue 1 Tim. 3.8 the slaundring or injurious is a Scourging tongue Iob 5.21 a Sharpe tongue Psal 140.3 a tongue whetted like a sword
Psal 64.3 And the Dissolute or Prophane is an vnbridled a Raging tongue Hos 7.16 a tongue that will needs prevaile against God Himselfe Psal 12.4 And all These Tongues too often sounde loud amongst vs. In our Speeches then we haue a Large subiect for a Reformation Passe wee from These vnto our Actions wee shall finde them as differently evill as are our thoughts and words for as there is a lustfull thought and an Immodest tongue so is there an vnchast practise too if the Heart conceiue and the tongue vtter vanity falshood wrong or whatsoever of that sort there will not be wanting a Diligent Hand and a swift foote to put the same in Execution Now to Reforme all this so to become New not only in our thoughts and desires but also in the Expressions of them which are our words deeds Saint Pauls rule before mentioned Ephes 4 may serue as a full Direction Putting away lying saith he speake every man truth vnto his neighbour bee no more angry beyond measure steale no more Let no more corrupt communications proceede from you c. But laying aside whatsoever is hurtfull take in steede thereof that golden chaine which the same Apostle hath made Gal. 5.22 Consisting of the fruits of the spirit as loue meekenesse the rest there mentioned and as the wise man exhorteth his sonne Prov. 6.21 binde it vpon thy Heart tie it about thy necke for when thou goest it shall leade thee when thou sleepest it shall keepe thee when thou awakest it shall talke With thee and make thee acceptable in the sight of God Then shalt thou be renewed wholly and then maiest thou with comfort say vnto thy soule that All things are become new when thou thy selfe art become New in All. And being once thus Rectified knowe that in the last place there must bee studium sanctè progrediendi and therefore resolue as God shall enable thee ever to continue so for as wee must be cleansed become Holy so must wee likewise labour to perfect holinesse as Saint Paul speaketh 2 Cor 7.1 Now finis coronat opus t is the end that brings perfection and t is continuance a well guided perseverance that must reach vnto the end wherefore be New to Day but remaine so to morrow too become New this yeare but let the next yeare finde thee such and then maist thou truly say that thou art become in All things and Alwaies and therefore perfectly new The meanes whereby the same may be effected are in the next place to be considered These meanes are diverse but there are two rules in the Scripture which will direct vs vnto the principall thereof The first is recorded by Solomon Prov. 19.15 An Jdle soule saith hee shall suffer hunger the second is mentioned by Saint Iames c. 1. v. 17. Every good and perfect gift is from aboue The first rule holdeth true as in matters Temporall so likewise Spirituall in Both if a soule be idle it shall suffer hunger it shall alwaies bee in want It may seemingly desire Hunger and thirst after goodnesse but if it Labour not to obtaine the same it shall still be without it Our first meanes then is our owne Endeavour we must Labour and bee diligent in frequenting conscionably the House of God in making right vse of his Word and in Communicating constantly at his table for These meanes will both direct vs vnto and confirme and stay vs Jn our Newnesse of life But withall wee must remember that every good and perfect gift is from Aboue wherefore in the next place wee must betake our selues by earnest prayer vnto God Which is the second meanes and necessarily required to make the former effectuall for t is not said here that wee doe make all things New but that they are Become or made new for vs. The word in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are become noteth as most obserue an act of Creation a Creation saith Aquinas on this Chapter not of Nature but of Grace and that not the first grace of Iustification in our conversion for that is presupposed to be done before but a second of Sanctity in our Conversation which is here meant Both belong vnto God alone for Hee only can Renew the Heart of man both by conversion and sanctification who did first Create make it Hence the Prayer of David was that God would Create in him a New heart to feare him and wee must also Pray and that Earnestly if we will become New men to God that God will be pleased to make his Word and Sacraments powerfull effectuall in vs and perfect our Endeavours to the sanctifying Renewing of the soule Herevnto we might adde a 3d meanes and that is in the course of our liues the choyce of Such company as will desire seeke to become New with vs which indeede is both profitable and necessary for Hee that still associateth himselfe with Blaspheamers with men of a Dissolute Slaundring or foolish Tongue must not thinke to cast off leaue at pleasure his custome of swearing of backebiting of Immodest or Idle talking in vaine doe men hope to bee Sober amongst Drunkards and t is little availeable to pretend Honesty as long as we cast in our Lot and haue one purse with those that are Deceitfull Evill communications saith Saint Paul corrupt good manners and the infection of Dissolute companions perverteth Honest Desires if wee therefore will become New our selues wee must not walke in the way with Those who still desire to remaine in their old sinnes Thus haue wee for Direction seene both the Manner also the Meanes of this Renovation we are now in the fourth and last place to consider the fruits thence arising by way of Encouragement to the more speedy and chearefull performance thereof When Laban would allure Iacob vnto his Service his Argument to encourage him was that hee should not serue him for nothing and therefore demanded of him what according to his owne desire his wages should bee Gen. 29.15 If the World were as ready to perswade true seruice or to recompence the same where they finde it they which labour would happily find lesse cause to obiect the withholding of their Hire then sometimes they doe But let Mortality faile as it ever hath and will doe t is notwithstanding of all most certaine that God is Bountifull and changeth not yet the Divell himselfe who seldome speaketh true never for the loue of Truth even he will let vs know that Iob did not serue God for nothing Iob. 1.9 Never yet was any man the Worse what ever in our slothfull security and carnall delicatenesse we may doe misconceiue I say never any man the worse but many Degrees bettered by the Service of God duly performed To runne over punctually the Fruits thereof were to enlarge this discourse into a second Sermon One may serue for all the rest being indeede as much as all namely that if we become New and Amende our liues as we ought our God is thereby Glorified for so speaketh our Sauiour Mat 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Our good workes our Newnesse in Conversation is that which tendeth vnto the Honour and Glory of God which if rightly considered cannot but be to a truly Christian to a Religious and Filiall Heart the Summe of all Fruits the vtmost the Only end of all Endeavours And surely considering hoW Vnworthy of our selues wee are and how little acceptance our best righteousnesse for its owne deserts might looke to finde at the handes of God it being as the Prophet Jsaiah speaketh but as so many filthy ragges so no way profitable no way acceptable I say considering this t is encouragement enough if any will suffice for vs sinfull Mortalls to become New creatures namely that God will be pleased Thereby to be Honoured Yet if the Weakenesse of Mortality either can or will looke no farther then our selues wee shall There likewise see vnparallel'd Profit Benefits that cannot be equall'd If any man shall aske me what they are I will answere him they are all comprised in This one the Saving of the Soule the drawing of it out as it were from the Bondage of sinne to that Glorious Liberty that Happinesse incomprehensible which Christ hath purchased with his owne Blood If These or any Other Encouragements though none more strong can now perswade and allure vs to Renew our conversations before our God then shall wee most happily offer vp our selues an Acceptable sacrifice a Sanctified Gift vnto God that lookes for it And happy that Man who shall thus dispose of his owne soule for if wee shall Thus become New in all things then shall All things become New to vs Wee shall haue in This life new Mercies new Blessings or rather the old Mercies and Favours of God Renewed to vs And when this life shall bee no more we shall haue New Heavens wherein wee shall with a New company of Saints and Angells sing for ever a New song of reioycing vnto our God in whose service We became New creatures here on earth Thou O Lord who alone seest the hearts of all men knowest that we are all full of corruption and can of our selues doe nothing but sinne be pleased therefore O Father of Mercy to make thy good word powerfull in vs to the casting downe of sinne and the Devices thereof that so wee may thence learne to Renew our Conversations before Thee and by thy Assisting Grace to bring forth the fruits of an Holy life in some Thirty in some Sixty in some an Hundred fold to the Glory of Thy name and the Salvation of our owne soules through Iesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen Glory bee to GOD. Good will towards Men. FINIS