Howsoever among men an argument from authority is not alwayes sound because all men are lyers farther then truth speaks for them yet some you know have borne such sway with their followers and disciples that their bare word have carried assent {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} such a one said it hath stopt all further oppositions And when God sayth this or that shall not wee beleeve him Psal. 9.10 They that know thy name will trust in thee for thou never failest them that seeke thee Secondly as God hath promised a crowne of life to the patient man so his farther assurance is 't is the Crowne God hath promised to those that love him And hence a two-fold observation First Eternall blessednesse belongs by promise onely to the holy to these onely is the promise made Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Revel. 22.14 Blessed are they that doe his Commandements that they may have right to the Tree of life and may enter in through the Gates into the City See here the gates of Heaven made fast against all the ungodly with Balanm they would dye the death of the Righteons but they will not live the life of the Righteous They would be happy but they will not be holy how unequall are these thoughs how unpossible are these hopes In good duties as one observes they seperate the meanes from the end they thinke to come to Heaven though they move not a foot turn not their faces that way though they live in the generall neglect of all good duties As if a man bound from hence to London should sit downe here and yet think to attaine his journeyes end Againe in evill things they separate the end from the meanes they promise themselves an escape from hell though every step they take tend thither Malâ— esse volunt misers esse nolunt â—mo â—dco sunt mali â—t non sint miseri Aug. Let these reade Deut. 29.19 20. And it come to passe when he bearâ—th the words of this curse that he blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walke in the imaginations of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst the Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smock against that man and all the curses that are written in this Bookâ— shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven Farther See here a necessity of an holy life as wee would bee everlastingly blessed we must live holily for without holinesse none shall see the Lord Hee that would finish his colours in brightnesse must be sure to lay sutable grounds and hee that would finish his life in glory must necessarily begin and end in grace Away with the black colours of sin they are an ill foundation 1 Joh. 3.2 3. Beloved now wee are the sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but wee know that when hee sha11 appeare me shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe even as hee is pure 'T is the Crowne God hath promised to those that love him hence by the by are two Questions First Why is it not rather said 't is the Crowne God hath promised to those that doe beleeve or obey c First because faith workes by love and good duties done out of love are acceptable because they are the gifts of friends Wicked men may abound in outward workes they may pray heare c. all which howsoever materially good and in common acceptation be commanded may yet bee made sinne and indeed too often are because the doing of them doth not necessarily and from within respect either the command or the commanders glory but are only reducible unto him and may in the mean time looke another way so that the goodnesse of those duties is not in the duties themselves but in the right manner of doing them wherein if wee faile the things are no longer good at least to us Secondly wicked men as they cannot beleeve so neither can they love because these things are essentially good in themselves And although wee neither doe them nor can doe them with that strength and perfection the Law requireth yet cannot the doing of them in faith be totally and altogether sinfull because they take Christ into their performance and doe intrinsecally and in the very substance of the work respect God in him Thirdly they who doe what God commands obedientially in saith respect both the commandement and his glory that gives it he that workes not onely out of common conviction but in and with this filiall affection out of love this is hee that through Christ pleaseth God both in his person and all his performances Secondly Why is it not rat her said 't is the Crowne God hath promised to those whom he doth love Because our love is better knowne unto us being within us then Gods love being without us especially in such dayes as these of great calamity wherein we are prone to doubt of and to question the love of God if God be with us why is all this evill fallen on us Now that we love God wee may be sure not conjecturally but certitudinali scientia certainely and infallibly O how I love the Lord saith David Psal. 116. And wee faith the Apostle have received the Spirit of God whereby wee know the things that are given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 And being assured that we love God we may be sure that God loves us Ille prior in amore 1 Joh. 4.20 Howsoever our love to him in respect of his to us bee as the running of a little streame to the flowing of the great Ocean or as the thirst of one to the Fountaine where he drinkes yet for as much as his love to us begets our love to him therefore if we love him we may be sure he loves us Now as touching the second observation He that indureth tentation is blessed and why because he shalt receive a Crowne of life And why shall he receive this because 't is the Crown God hath promised to those that love him But why to the patient man because by his patient suffering hee shewes his love to God more then any Now saith God to Abraham on the point of offering up his onely sonne I know thou lovest mee As the patient shew their love to God by suffering so will the Lord shew his love to him by rewarding The Covenant betweene God and us stands in mutuall stipulations of love Wherefore we having shewed our love to God by patient suffering for his sake it remaines that hee experiment his love to us in rewardfull retributions 'T is just with God saith the Apostle to render to you that are troubled rest and peace c. It sufficeth not then that wee suffer unlesse wee
A THREE-FOLD CORD To unite Soules for ever unto GOD 1. The Mysterie of Godlinesse opened 2. The Imitation of Christ proposed 3. The Crowne of afflicted Saints promised As it was compacted by M. Richard Head M. A. and sometimes Minister of the Gospel in his Labours at Great Torrington in Devon Published now after his Death for publike profit ECCLES. 4.12 A three-fold Cord is not quickly broken LONDON Printed by E. P. for Fr. Coles and are to be sold at his shop in the Old-Bayly at the Signe of the Halfe-Bowle 1647. To the Readers HOnest Readers for I dare bespeak no other This Posthumous Worke of the Reverend Author given to my perusall by his surviving Consort with desire to make it of publike benefit is fit for none so much as for you who are delighted in Honest Things Other Histrionicks Athenian and wanton Readers are taken up with Play-Bookes Newes-Bookes and Scandalous Pamphlets yet would they turne their eyes upon Spirituall and serious Discourses it might prove better worth their labour even to make them better To all therefore that desire to be good or to doe good I shall commend this little Worke as not unbeseeming their view The severall Tractates are not large as perhaps the subjects of them might desire they being of great extent yet a short and sweeâ— representation of them will make none losers who may reade some of them in larger Volumes set out to the full If the Mysterie of Godlinesse the Imitation of Christ the Crowne of afflicted Saints be matters delightfull to you you may passe through this little Garden and crop sweet Flowers growing upon every Root The Subjects doe garnish enough the Labour of the Author and his Labour enlighten's them My prayer is that by this Light your Soules may be guided to obtaine this Mysterie this Christ this Crowne here blazoned Your labour then will not be lost in Reading nor mine in perswading you thereunto The God of Spirits write in your hearts what you reade here in him I am Yours bound to serve you for Jesus sake GEO HUGHES August the 7. 1647. I Have read these three pious and profitable Sermons the first intituled The Saints Inheritance the second The Mysterie of Godlinesse the third The reward of Imitation and doe license them to be printed and published JOHN DOWNAME THE SAINTS INHERITANCE A Sermon Preached in Torrington the second of February 1642. JAMES 1.12 Blessed is the man that endures tentation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crowne of Life which the Lord hath promised to those that love him WEE have here an Argument unto patience and chearefull suffering verse 10. Let the rich man rejoyce when brought low to an ebbe like a River emptied Durus hic Sermo this is a hard saying who can beare it 't is hard for any especially for a great man to endure vexations per se harder yet to endure them with joy True 3 and therefore that the man brought low may not onely endure his pressures but endure them with joy the Apostle encourageth him thereunto propter aliud from or for something else and this no lesse then a Crowne of immortall Glory and so would have him to goe chearefully on assured that his labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord In the words we have first a proposition and then secondly the proofe thereof In the proposition first the subject or person spoken of and secondly the 〈◊〉 or thing a firmed of him First the subject 〈…〉 The 〈…〉 dinariâ— pitch {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} looke a little back and you shall see him vers. 9. Let the brother of low degree rejoyce when exalted and let the â—ch man rejoyce when brought low 'T is then some great man the Text here speakes of some great man in adversitie and yet not simply so but one who being in adversitie is there by tempted and yet which is worse {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} enduâ—eth the remptation neither shrinking from it nor sinking under 〈◊〉 and there lyes the point of Christian braverie and gallantrie By tentation in this place then we are to understand afflictions whether from within by a prick in the flesh and the bufferings of Satan or whether from without by the molestations of malicious and malignant enemies by the revisings and reproaches of the ungodly by unkindnesse of friends and the â—tinesse of such as have beene neere and deare unto 〈…〉 king from us the choyse of our affection 〈…〉 24.16 calls the pleasure of the heart and 〈…〉 fo the eyes or whether the Lord lay his hand upon our bodies in some painefull and pining Sicknesse in a word whatsoever affliction the Lord be pleased to lay upon us suppose it be that wee cannot make lesse by imparting it to others all is to â—rie us Afflictions are but Tryals Dear Deâ—r 8.2 And thou shaft remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these fortie yeares in the Wildernesse to humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine heart whether thon wors◠〈…〉 of any thing within us for hee understands all our thought long before Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the sonâ—es of men But that what is in us may he made 〈…〉 both to our selves 〈…〉 whether it be Pride Impatience or any other whatsoever Rebellions 〈…〉 Faith Hope Love Patience and other the lovelyest Graces of Gods holy and sanctifying Spirit which like the â—tarâ—es in the darkest night are most illustrious in blackest times of trouble and adversitie Thus also would the Lord trie our uprightnesse and sinceritie â—imes of Peace Plâ—nâ—ie and Prosperitie there is rooâ—e for Satans objection against us as against holy jobâ— Doe those and there serve theâ— for nothing 〈◊〉 not thou thus and thus blessed them And it may be that many in those better dayes served God son the blessings of his left hand c. Like little Children who say their Prayers to have their Breakfast But when in times of great afflictions when God is turning his Children our of doores a begging exposing them to eminenâ— dangâ— now to serve the Lord now to adhere unto him chusing rather to have our bodies torne from our soules then our â—es from our Redeemer This demonstrates that we are not base and â—cenarie that though we cannot serve God without wages yoâ— did not serve him for wages but at least primarily for himselfe and the lovelynesse of his Nature Afflictions then are no arguments of Gods displeasure â—ay when blest and sarâ—ctified they are arguments of his love and favour and 〈◊〉 â—ey are when by them God separates what he hates from he person whom he loves I know saith David that out of very faithfulnesse thou hast caused me to be afflicted And againe Blssed is the man whom thou chastisest and â—chest in thy Law Not therefore blessed because afflicted but therefore blessed because by afflictions
suffer in love and if wee love wee shall serve and suffer long as Jacob for Rachel and think all nothing only because we love Love is that lively motive which makes our obedience full 't is that vertue which comprehends all other vertues Gradn eminentia for if we doe and suffer out of love we are at the highest pitch possible attainable Love saith the Apostle fulfils the Law nor can any vertue so long hold out 'T is as strong as death Cant. 8.6 7. Acquaint your selves with Gods transcendent excellencies but above all set your thoughts a working in deepest and humblest meditation of his love to you in Christ God loved us loved us first loved us being enemies yea so loved us as to give his Sonne to us yea as to give him to death for us to an accursed and shamefull death and he asketh nothing of us but this that we beleeve in him and so hee good to our soules If Faith be in the worke Love will break out yea break out into teares of joy to an exrasie Psal. 31.21 Psal. 116.1 I love the Lord because hee hath heard my voyce and may supplications because hee hath inclined his eare unto mee therefore I will call upon him so long as I live Gal. 2.20 The result of all is this Wee must suffer and indure afflictions as out of love so with joy The Argument That which makes for our eternall blessednesse is to be indured with joy But Afflictions makes for out eternall blessednesse erge not that we are to rejoyce in our afflictions but in the act exercise of our patience or rather Christs working them in us and so in the assurarce of Gods love and favour as the penitent not in his sinnes but in his teares for sinne Acts 5.41 And they departed from the presence of the counsell rejaycing that they wene counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name And 2 Cor. 12.10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmâ—ies in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake But be you therefore cheerefull in afflictions they are but for a few dayes and then comes glory Every Bird can sing in a cleare Heaven onely the Nightingale sings in a storme Rom. 5.2 3. By whom wee have accesse by faith into this grace wherein wee stand and rejoyce in the glory of God and not onely so but wee glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience c. If your hearts grow heavie recover your selves with David Psal. 42.5 Why art thou so sad O my soule and why so disquieted within me Trust in God for I shall yet prayse him who is the health of my countenance and my God Soli Deo gloria THE MYSTERIE OF GODLINESSE I TIMOTHIE 3.16 And without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse God was manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the World received up into Glory WHat the Evangelists speake of Christ by way of Historie the Apostle here discovers as a great Mysterie Without all controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse c. Where behold as in a Scale of Gradation first a Mysterie secondly a great Mysterie thirdly a great Mysterie of Godlinesse fourthly a great Mysterie of Godlinesse without all controversie Next the Veyle being as it were rent wee see what that great Mysterie is God made manifest in the flesh So then the Apostle here shewes you first that there is a Mysterie secondly declares what that Mysterie is First a Mysterie This word in its owne language speaks some sacred and secret thing full furnished with matter of knowledge but not clearely understood either because there is something betweene us and it or because it selfe is too hard for us and Mysteries there are many 1 Cor. 13. If faith the Apostle I knew all Mysteries thereby giving us to understand that there are Mysteries of severall sorts some greater some lesser whatsoever others are this is great Secondly a great Mysterie {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} This saith the Apostle speaking of Marriage Eph. 5.32 is a great Mysterie because it shadoweth forth unto us the Union that is betwixt Christ and his Church But Thirdly 't is not onely great but godly a Mysterie of Godlinesse Godlinesse is the scope of it it teaches not onely to beleeve what God promiseth but to obey what God commandeth and godlinesse faith the Apostle is great gaine it hath the promise of this life and the life to come it s therefore a Trade saith one of a good returne which way soever you looke Nay more Fourthly the Mysterie here is not onely great a Mysterie of Godlinesse but all this without controversie There are many great Mysteries in the world but not great without controversie nay not without great Controversies The world you see is full of desperate Disputes about Truth whilest Truth her selfe lyes neglected in the middle like Moses his body when the Devill and the Archangel strove about it dead and buried no man can tell where Religion as one complaines of old is even lost in Questions about Religion wee pull so violently in our unprofitable Disputes that at length breaking the Rope wee sall more asunder yea the one side if not both must at last fall to the ground But what is the Mysterie here so great so godly and both without controversie God made manifest in the flesh So that here is first Height God secondly Depth in the flesh thirdly Breath manifest that is God not onely made man but shewing himselfe a man First Height God Job 6.26 Secondly Depth God in the flesh that is the Godhead not absolutely considered but as personally restrained to the Sonne and to him not simply neither as he is God but as a Person subsisting in the Godhead The Word was made flesh saith S. John that is the second Person {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Word of God who as wee begat words out of our thoughts beget his Sonne out of himselfe as it were by thinking within himselfe an eternall Generation Not the Father nor the holy-Ghost is made man for then there should have beene two Sonnes but the middle person betweene both as to preserve the integritie of the blessed Trinitie so the better to undertake the office of Mediation betweene God and man But yet though Father and holy-Ghost had no communion with the incarnation of the Sonne {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Damascen otherwise then by assent and approbation yet for as much as the Sonne is of the same substance with the Father coeternall coessentiall with him God blessed for ever Amen for as much as the Word and Deitie are both one subject should wee exclude the nature of God from incarnation wee should make the Sonne of God not to be very God Undoubtedly therefore the Nature of God in the Person of the Sonne is incarnate and therefore though incarnation may not be granted to any
are sick of our Mothers Disease wee would â—aine know the Tree of Knowledge is goodly to behold and because we thinke it to be matter of great wit to finde out secrets we venture too sarre and to our oâ—neâ—urt Exâ—d. 20. God is faine to set-â—imits unto his people that they presse not too neere the Mount Secret things belong to God we must heere fall downe in the worship of admiration ever praising him in a mysterious ignorance More especially in this great mystery of Christs Incarnation Who saith Esay that Evangelicall Prophet can declare his generation Credere 〈◊〉 jussuâ— discutere non perâ—aissum Ambrof The Virgin Mary was over-shadowed by the Holy Ghost so that God himselfe hath as it were veiled the truth and therefore we may not must not too earnestly pry into it And yet wee must look into it 't is the mysterie of Christ and therefore must be learned of every Christian so farre as it is revealed Ioh. 17.3 In the Arke of the Covenant the Cherubins had their faces towards the Mercy-seat the type of our Saviour to point out unto us that this is the mysterie the very Angols desire to stoop and looke into 1 Pet 1.12 Unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gâ—spel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent downe from Heaven which things the Angels desire to looks into Wee must therefore make our initiation into the Schoole of Christ by praying to him hearing from him receiving his Sacraments Oh â—hon saith David that hearest prayers to thea shall all flesh come as properly may we say O thou that art manifested in the flesh to thee shall all flesh come Heb. 10.19 20. Having there fore brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iâ—sus by a now and living way which â—e bath consecrated for us through the voile that is to say his Flesh and having an High-Priest over the House of God let us draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water c. Lastly if the incarnation of Christ be so great a mysterâ— then it calls for revererce in all the parts and pleces of our service how precise were the Heathen and to this day are in their preparations unto devotions The Orator could say Caste jubet lex adire sacra how much more ought we c. Whosoever calleth on the Name of the Lord let him dâ—part from iniqulty 2 Tim. 2.19 Thirdly this mysterâ— here is not onely great but godly a mysterie of Godlinesse The Devill had his mysteries for to whom but him did the Heathen of old their sacrifices their greater and lesser Elnsinea to Bacchus to Ceres and the rest 1 Cor. 10.20 But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Devils and not to God Antichrist hath his myâ—teries also the very word mysterium is written in his fore-head there is not the least Ceremony among their many but is very mysticall their Durand hath given the world a book of them and he calls it his Rationale We also among our selves have our mysteries too and never so much as now c. too much of the Serpent too little or nothing of the Doveâ— Religion is made a stalking horse unto policie c. But the mysterie here is a mysterie of godlinesse the Gospel speaketh and preacheth piety reveales Gods wonderful love unto us Velatio deitatis revelatio charitutis Iob. 3.16 God so loved the world that â—e gave his onely begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life This calls us to an holy and godly life as Christ manifested himselfe in our flesh so must we manifest Christ in our loves and conversations Oâ— use not this deare name Iesus not make wanton of his precious blood but in your prayerâ— and intercessions A mysterie not onely signifies as a Ceremony but operates and workes as a Ceremony doth not The mysterâ— of iniquitie began to worke in the Apostles dayes noâ— a mysterie workes as other Agents doe it makes them in whom it workes like it selâ—e wherefore as ours is the mysterie of godlinesse so must â—ee but selves be godly Christ must appeare in us our light must shine c. Tit. 2.11 12 13. For the grace of God that bringâ—th salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ Nay more yet as our mysterâ—e of godlinesse is great so must wee increase in godlinesse every day more and more we are mysticall enough aboundant yea and manifest too in the wayes of flesh and blood O let us be as skilfull as full and as open in the wayes of life and peace Gal. 6.16 And as many as walke according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Fourthly and lastly the mysterie of godlinesse here is not onely great but great without controverâ—ie all that beleeve it doe in admiration acknowledge it But did not Simon Magus oppose it Were there not some who both thought and taught that Christ was not God some that he was not man Were not the Pharisees Sadduces Herod people Elders all against Christ Were not his Apostles when he was gone evill intereated for his sake Was not Peter drunke and Panl a mad man with them Was the Gospel of Christ any more with Leo then with them a fable Are there not some among us as with whom the profession of Christ is reproachfull Un Christana say the Italians when they mean a foole or a blockhend Even so it is with as if not worse saith Salvian of what esteeme is Christ among Christians when the very name is aâ—counted base among many But saith the Apostle We know in whom we have beleeved and what is foolishnesse to the world is the wisdome of God to the perfect the proposition therefore is most true Great is the myâ—teniâ— of godlinesse without all controversie Let us therefore make no controversie about it we have already too many in the world at the best unprofitable I would they were gone out of the world and their authors more wise or gone with them Let us humbly and heartily submit to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then when he which came once in great humility to redeeme us shall come againe he will take as with him and we shall see him as he is 1 Ioh. 2.28 And now little children abide in him that when be shall appeare we may have considence and not be ashdmed before 〈◊〉 at his comming Soli Deo gloria THE REWARD OF IMITATION MATTHEVV 19.28 And Jesus said unto them verily I say
c. Nay farther Wee must not onely {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not only not shrinke from but not sinke under the pressures God is pleased to lay upon us So then the next point is 2. When God is pleased to trie us by afflictions we must not onely suffer them to the end but all the while with strength and courage not onely with constancie but magnanimitie If saith Solomon thy heart faile thee in the day of trouble thy strength is small Wee must stand up under our burthens as the Palme-tree under weights not onely not stooping or declining but springing up the more towards Heaven As in the Deluge the higher the Waters rose the higher still mounted the Arke so the greater our trouble are the higher must wee goe in our thoughts towards God 2 Cor. 4.8 10. Wee are troubled on every side yet not distressed wee are perplexed but not in despaire alwayes bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body Say wee then of our severall pressures as it is Ier. 10.19 Truely this is my griese and I will beare it They who being under affliction doe either shrinke from it or sinke under it are Cowards both alike If at any time either through the greatnesse or the length of any miserie our hearts begin to faint check wee our selves and say as David Psal. 42. Why art thou â—ast downe O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me Trust in God for I shall yet prayse him who is the health of my countenance and my God To this end labour wee for spirituall strength My Grave saith God as to the Apostle so to all in like case 2 Cor. 12.9 shall be sufficient for thee And Philip 4.13 I saith the Apostle am able to doe all things through him that strengthneth me Understand him transcendently strengthned by Christ wee shall be able not onely to doe but to suffer any thing for his sake Labout wee for courage fortitude heavenly-mindednesse so shall nothing be hard unto us Aliquando vincitur quis non quia fortior sed quia cum timidiore congressus Tertull. Wee are sometimes beaten not because weake but because more cowardly and fearefull Well say you here is the Man that suffereth and thus suffereth a Man that both stayeth in his affliction and stands up under it What then Secondly The thing affirmed of him He is blessed And hence shall I commend unto your tenderest Meditations two Instructions First As we would be blessed we must first be tryed by some affliction or other Acts 14.22 Where you see the way to Heaven lyes first through tribulations secondly through many tribulations and this thirdly necessarily it must be so God hath appointed it 1 Thess. 3.3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions for your selves know that wee are appointed therecunto And if wee goe forth by the foot-steps of the flock as it is in one of the Songs of Love wee shall finde all that are now in Heaven to have gone this way Heb. 2.10 For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sonnes unto glory to make the Captaine of their salvation perfect through sufferings And Heb. 13 1â—Wherefore seeing wee also are compassed about with so great a Cloud of Witnesses let us lay aside every weight c. Iamâ—es 5.10 Take my brethren the Prophets who have spoken to us in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience 1 Pet. 5.9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world And this way must all follow after Whosoever saith the Apostle will live godly in Christ note that in Christ that is in opposition to the world must suffer persecution Blessednesse at the first required nothing but obedience active Doe this and live but since the Fall it requireth obedience passive also the way to Heaven is by weeping-crosse Heb. 12.6,8 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom he recerveth if ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sonnes for what sonne is he whom the father chasteneth not Those eight Beatitudes or rather eight parts of Beatitudes which is one and intire in Christs first Sermon upon the Mount if you marke them run most of them in obedience passive wee must goe to Canaan through the Wildernesse amidst Scorpions and by the waters of Marah They then are much deceived who thinke to passe hence à delicits ad delicias from fleshly and worldly pleasures and delights to the joyes of Gods presence deceived they are as they shall one day find when it shall be said unto them amid their torments and too late repenting as unto Dives Remember thou hadst thy pleasure upon earth Art thou yet at ease in Sion c Well thou mâ—yst yet suffer nay thou must there is no scaping in a mist though going forth wind and tide serve thee yet suddenly both may turne against thee 'T is reported of Nero that having a faire Empresse hee used sometimes to take her by the chin saying Here is a faire face but when I list I can cut it off So say thou of all thy sairest externall blessings here is a strong body but God can when he pleaseth turne it into dust here are sweet children but God can when he will take them from me c. Provide for a storme and the rather because now the heavens lowre our bankes are broken downe and the tide is breaking in O let us no longer like little children play with cockle shells upon the shore Art thou under any affliction any distresse any extremity c be not dismayed the worst of the wayes of God are better then the best of the wayes of sinne for these lead to the chambers of death 1 Pet. 1.12 thinke it not strange nay think of it both as right and comsortable for this is your land-marke now may you assure your selves that you are in the way onely looke not back to Egypt againe nor sit still as weary yet a little farther and you are happy Heb. 12.11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of Righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby It followeth Secondly As they who would be blessed must endure tentation so they that endure tentation shall be blessed Rom. 8.17 And if childrens then heires heires of God and joynt-heires with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may bee also glorified together Revel. 2.10 Feare none of those things which thou shalt suffer bee thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee a crowne of life Nay they are already blessed in the comfortable assurance of Gods love and
favour Away then with all Bildads and Zophars who would draw hard conclusions on Gods people in their affliction as if God loved them not Oh let their mouthes be tyed up in silence for ever Blessed saith my Text is the man that indureth tentation and who can curse where â—od hath blessed See here with admiration the goodnesse and graciousnesse of our God who though he might command our obedience both active passive upon the allegeance we owe unto him is yet pleased to suger his precepts with sanctions with propositions promises of reward He blesseth us as the good old father Ephraim and Manasseth with his hands a-crosse How happy are wee to serve so good a Master but how happy shall we be if wee doe him good service Is there any among you who being in troubles is thereby offended whose feet begin to slip whose treadings are almost gone O looke out with Moses to the recompence of reward so shall you hasten home and sweeten your thoughts by the way as you goe the dayes are sharp but then they are short the wayes are soule but not long Heaven is hard at hand and a day is comming will make amends for all your sorrowes and sufferings hold on and the Crowne is yours Afflictions are tryalls and these as wee would be blessed wee must indure yea if wee indure them neither sinking under them nor shrinking from them we shall be blessed Blessed is the man that indureth tentation and why blessed the proose of the proposition followeth for when he is tryed he shall receive a crowne of life c. And here you see the blessednesse of the patient man First defined Secondly assured 1. 'T is defined 'T is a Crowne of life A Crowne speakes State and Dignity whatsoever we are now we shall ere long be Kings and walke in long white Robes You saith Christ that have followed mee in the Regeneration that is in the day of new birth to all the world in the day of Restauration of all things shall sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 But what is a Crowne without life Better saith Salomon be a living Dag then a dead Lion True but the patient man shall have at last not only a crown but a Crowne of Life 2 Tim. 4.8 Honcesorth is laâ—d up for mee a Crownâ— of Righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Indge shall give me at that day and not to me onely bus unto them also that love his appearing So then Howsoever wee have here beatudinem viatoâ—nm such and so much happâ—nesse as belongs to Travellers yet is the fulnesse the heaghe of blessednesse behinde beatitudo patriae wee are now the sonnes of God 1 Joh. 3.2 Neverthelesse it doth not appeare what we shall be but when Christ shall appeare we shold appeare in glory with him Above saith the Apostle are such things as neither eye hath seene ner eare heard nor ever came into the heart of 〈◊〉 to conceive The sum of all is Gods beatificall vision In Heaven is the perfection of all good things fulnesse is the perfection of measure everlastingnesse is the perfection of time infinitenesse the perfection of number immutability the perfection of state immensity the perfection of place immortality the perfection of life and God the perfection of all Psal. 16.11 In thy presence as fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there we pleasures for evermore See here the extreame folly of worldly men who for perishing and vexations vanities are content to part with a Crowne of immortall Glory Worse yet are they who for the pleasures of sâ—e which are but for a season momentanie yeâ— abortive perishing are they bud forfeit eternall blessednesse Wee laugh at little children when they let goe things of worth for trifles rattles a nut an apple but certainly many among us are much more childâ—sh They let goe Heaven and all the riches joyes and happinesse thereof for things that can doe them no good may doe them much hurt and when all is done cannot abide with them See here againe a ground of patience and cheeresull suffering your losses are many and great but if you have not lost Heaveâ— you have lost nothing Maries better part is that which cannot be taken away Your crosses are many and great remember there is a Crowne of life behinde c. Wherefore as the Apostle Colos. 3. take your affections off from things here below and set them on things above looke to the Crowne of life reserved for you Amid all crosses and in the houre of death live in the comforts of this hope and raise your mindes accordingly live like those that doe beleeve and expect an Heaven Heb. 10.34 For yee had compassion of me in my bonds and tooke joyfully the spâ—yling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have in Heaven a better and an induring substance See here a crosse with a Crowne But what assurance wee see blessednesse defined but how is it assured The assurance is two-fold 1. In regard of promise God hath said 2. In regard of those to whom the promise is made They that love him First God hath said Blessed is the man that indureth tentation for he shall receive a crowne of life Hath God said it and shall not he doe it He saith the Apostle is faithfull who hath promised Againe all his promises in Christ are yea and amen If we confesse 1 Ioh. 1.9 God is faithfull to forgive a strange argument one would thinke we should rather feare revenge then expect forgivenesse of sinne from the Justice of God But God is as just in performing the mercy he hath promised as in executing the vengeance he hath threatned See here a sure ground of hope the word and promise of our never-failing God a sure ground I say wherein hope which is our Anchor may strongly fasten to secure our soules in any tempest as to hope without a promise or upon a promile otherwise then it stands is to let our Anchor hang in the water or catch in a wave and so to expect safety So to depend upon the promise of God and so as the promise is made is to settle to stay to save our selves against all stormes Wherefore take the Lord at his word Cast not away your hope saith the Apostle Heb. 10.35 36. And why because there is a promise whereby with patience and doing the will of God we shall bee saâ—e amid all surges here and at last happily arrive on the shores of peace What say some will you have us to stand where no bottome is will you have us to hang in the ayre Oh slow of heart to beleeve doth not the world earth and sea depend on the Word of God as you may see Heb. 11.2 Through faith we understand that the worlds are framed by the Word of God so that things which are seene were not made of things which 〈◊〉 appeare