MERCY In Her EXALTATION OR A Soveraigne Antidote against Fear of the Second Death In a Sermon preached at the Funeral of Daniel Taylor Esq in Stephens Colemanstreet London on the twentieth day of April An. 1655. There is no Fear in Love But perfect Love casteth out Fear 1 John 4. 18. His heart is established He shall not be afraid until he see his desire upon his enemies Psalm 112. 8. Certissimè indulgentiam expectare poterit qui aliis indulgere novit Aug. De Tempor Serm. 203. Sine causâ peccata accusant quem pauper excusat Qui foenerat pauperi ipsum sibi judicem praestitit debitorem Chrysologus LONDON Printed by J. Macock for H. Eversden and are to be sold at his Shop at the Signe of the Grey-hound in Paul's Churchyard 1655. To Mris Margaret Taylor the late Wife of Mr Daniel Taylor deceased Mr Edmond Taylor Mr Samuel Taylor his Brethren together with the rest of his Kindred Allies Friends and Acquaintance Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ Friends Christian and Beloved IT was signified unto me by some of you as the desire of many more that what should be preached at the Interment of your dear Friend and mine Mr Daniel Taylor might be commended unto the Press that so the memory of his exemplary and Christian life might live upon the better terms amongst you and be the readier at hand for your Christian service upon all occasions The Sermon I confess rather intimateth and this very sparingly then discourseth the particulars of his worth Upon my entrance hereinto I declared my self under a solemn resolution not much short of a vow not to offend the weakest of the living by commending no not the strongest of the dead especially not in the Pulpit not at such a time when their highest concernments are in hand and they most sacredly engaged to attend them with all their might and strength Only the principal subject of the Sermon Mercy was indeed not the least of his commendations His example herein will bless you if you follow it but will rise up in judgement against you if you turn your backs upon it His other endowments as well moral as intellectual were very excellent both for kind and degree He was Religious not of custome or of course but of conscience nobly disdaining to prostitute his judgement to any circumforaneous or vulgar opinion in matters appertaining unto God simply upon the credit or recommendation of other mens Faith and withal studiously scrupulous and tender of receiving any Notion or Tenent whatsoever into his Belief until he had caused it to pass through the fire of a district examination and enquiry and found that it would not burn Whilst the health and strength of his body was able to bear the weight of exercises of Devotion he maintained a constant and close trade of communion with God and in the time of his last weakness a few weeks before his change amongst other savoury Discourse he bemoaned himself that since the prevailing of his distemper upon him he was deprived of his heart-breaking opportunities with God His heart was up very high in desires after knowledge of the Truth and this in the most profound Questions controverted between men of greatest judgements in these days Books of Divinity that were any thing judiciously or accurately written his delight was at his spare hours Nocturnâ versare manu versare diurnà By night to read and not to spare by day He put no difference between persons either for their concurrence with him or dissent from him in matters of opinion or form of worship But that which commended any person unto him was his own opinion of his integrity and goodness of heart towards God Some to whom his heart stood very close in affection whilst they were yet sound in the Faith touching Infant-Baptism found no change in his respects towards them after their judgements had warp'd the contrary way no not after they had disclaimed all Christian communion with him in a Church way His signal Integrity Justness and Clearness in dealings as well in the administration of the Trust committed unto him as in his private occasions are freely testified by all that had to do with him in either kind with a nemine contradicenâ—e as far as I have heard The Greatness which some call Goodness of his Estate made no breach at all upon the goodness of his disposition in his conversation He observed no distance made between himself and the meanest of his Brethren by his abundance Persons even of lowest degree by the mediation of his affableness and humility found access unto him upon all their occasions and few if any came from him discontented His carriage was composed and grave yet without affectation His Discourse seasonable and savoury without offence His native temper seemed to incline him to much reservedness but by judgement and conscience he reduced that which was less desireable or less useful in this inclination His Habit and Garb every ways comly sutable rather to his profession then estate Whatever savoured of ostentation or vanity he left to be taken up by persons of looser and lighter spirits The full cup which God gave unto him he carried with an even and steady hand without spilling yet freely gave to every man that was a thirst and came in his way to drink His intellectual endowments were given him by the largest measure which God in these days is wont to mete unto men What Ethan or Heman Chalcol or Darda a were in their generation the like or not much unlike was he in his His understanding was large and very comprehensive His apprehension quick and piercing his judgement solid and mature his memory fast and faithful his elocution or speech distinct and clear elegant and fluent enough yet not luxuriant or pedantick He was more then of ordinary abilities to argue the most thorny and abstruse points in Divinity ready of Discerning where the quick of any controversie or matter in debate lay very expert he was in the word of Righteousness able to draw waters of life out of such Wells of salvation from whence many men of good understanding and parts of Learning had not wherewith to draw because of the depth of them He had a singular dexterity to make the rough things of business smooth to turn the insides of matters outward to untie knots and dis-intangle intricacies in all manner of affairs that were brought to him I scarce know any man amongst those he hath left behind him of like felicity with him of giving counsel and advice in cases of difficulty and doubtful consideration In sum as well for parts of Nature as of Grace he was an highly accomplisht man adorned and set forth by God for a pattern as for others so for you more neerly related to him more especially I trust his life though he be dead shall speak unto you whilst yours continues and help to form
former verse as also from the clause immediately following In this love he saith there is no fear i. e. with this love or where this love is there is no fear viz. of condemnation or rejection by God The reason follows by way of Antithesis but perfect love i. e. because love when grown to any good degree of perfection casteth out such fear out of the same heart with it And the reason saith he why love carrieth this opposition in it unto fear as viz. to eject and cast it out of the soul is because fear hath punishment or torment implying that the nature of love goodness and mercy is so rich sweet and God-like that it will endure nothing that is afflicting or tormenting neither in others as far as it is able to relieve them but especially not in its own subject in the same person where it self resideth This for proof of the Doctrine from the Scriptures Proceed we to the further demonstration of it by principles and grounds in Reason First a spirit of mercy acting regularly and bringing forth fruit in due season must needs breed that good blood in the soul which the Doctrine speaks of bless men with a glorious security at least with a rich capacity of being secured against judgement and fear of condemnation because it renders them like unto God and this clearly to their own sense and in their own understandings in such things or respects upon which they are declared and owned by him in the Scriptures as his children But I say unto you saith our Saviour to his Disciples Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you that you may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven For he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and the good and sendeth rain on the just and unjust a It is the manner of the Scripture to call persons the children of those whom they resemble in their Genius or ways Thus they who resemble Abraham in his Faith are termed Abrahams children and so Abrahams Seed Luke 19. 9. Joh. 8. 39. Rom. 9. 8. Gal. 3. 7. c. And those who resemble the Divel in his wicked disposition and practises are termed his children Ioh. 8. 44. Act. 13. 10. 1 Ioh. 3. 10. See more of this notion Ezek. 16. 3. Isai. 57. 3. But those who resemble God in his goodness and mercy unto men are not termed his children upon the bare account of such an imitation but rather because they are partakers of the Divine Nature as Peter speaketh and have been spiritually begotten of him Beloved saith John Let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is BORN OF GOD and knoweth God b And whereas men are said to be the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus c the faith by which they become his children is onely such a Faith which hath the works we speak of works of goodness and mercy always in the womb and heart of it and upon occasion in the hand of it according to the Apostles own explication of himself in such sayings as this For in Christ Jesus i. e. under the Gospel or under the profession of Christ come in the flesh neither circumcision availeth any thing viz. towards justification or salvation nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh or rather which is operative or working i. e which effectually disposeth and inclineth thethe person in whom it resideth to work by love a clearly implying that such a Faith which is not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} very operative for such is the import of the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by love or through love both unto God and men availeth every whitis little either to justification or salvation as circumcision or uncircumcision themselves But this by the way Now then if works of goodness and mercy declare and avouch men and women and this in their own consciences to be not only followers of God in his ways of greatest delight but his children also partakers of his nature they cannot lightly be in bondage under any servile jealousies or fears of being condemned or destroyed by him Men that are evil as our Saviour remindeth us yeâ—know by the instinct and teachings of nature to give good things unto their children c. so far are they from destroying them How then can it enter into the heart or any man that God who is full of love and all goodness yea goodness it self and so acknowledged by all men should abandon his chitdren who are are really and truly though spiritually descended from him and who avouch their Heavenly parentage in the sight of the world by doing the works of their great Father that he I say should abandon such children as these unto perdition unto the vengeance of eternal fire A second reason of the Doctrine is when a mans heart is enlarged in mercy kindness and love to those that stand in need so that doing of good unto such is a thing connatural and pleasing to him comporting with his Genius and disposition he is in an advantagious posture hereby to take impressions of a belief that like gracious and merciful dispositions are to be found in others also according to that of the Apostle charity or love beleeveth all things hopeth all things a i. e. effectually inclineth or disposeth the persons qualified with it to beleeve and hope the best concerning others upon any competent and tolerable grounds for either and where reasons are not pregnant or convincing of the contrary Especially a man by means of such a frame and temper of his own heart and spirit as that we speak of is richly prepared to entertain the report of the kindness and mercy of the goodness and love of God in the Gospel For he that is conscious to himself that he himself is graciously and mercifully inclined can freely pardon those that have injured or offended him can freely minister unto the necessities of those that stand in need must of necessity beleeve that God is above him in all these excellencies more gracious more merciful c. which we know is the tenor and substance of the Gospel or else make himself if not superior yet equal unto God in those things which are his greatest glory in the eyes of his creature Now this the conscience of every man and woman naturally trembles and abhors to do Therefore he that is large-hearted and open handed in mercy kindness and goodness unto men hath space and roomth as it were within him to receive and give entertainment unto that great Salvation which the Gospel brings and offers unto the world together with all the Heavenly retinue of the grace love goodness mercy and bounty of God which accompany it all which being received into the soul by Faith joyn hand in hand to secure him against
evil as hath been said as appears by that which followeth His heart is fixed his heart is established trusting in the Lord meaning that his trusting in God is that which fixeth and establisheth his heart so that it is not it cannot be shaken or tossed up and down within him with those storms and tempests and whirlwinds of fear which are the rending and tearing and tormenting of other mens A feather though it be a very weak and light thing and hath nothing in it self to balast it or wherewith to resist the least puff or whiff of wind yet if it be close and fast knit or bound to a great Rock it pertakes of the stability and firmness of this Rock and can no more be shaken or removed then the Rock it self In like manner a man made of flesh and blood a creature very contemptible in his own strength apt to be shaken and shattered in pieces with sad expectations and fears of what it may suffer from time to time yet being close united unto God and cleaving fast to him in trust and dependance becomes interessed in the security and unmoveableness of God himself This happy posture or condition of soul the Apostle calleth a being strong in the Lord and in the power of his might a meaning that good Christians and true beleevers ought to be as secure as dreadless and fearless of evil notwithstanding their own weakness as if they were themselves invested with the glorious omnipotencie or power of the might of God and had the same means for their preservation and safety in their own hands which now are in his He shall not be afraid saith David further displaying the security or fearless posture of his gracious and compassionate man until he see his desire upon his enemies i. e. until he shall see all those whether persons or things from whence he may be conceived to be in danger of suffering evil so broken scattered and confounded that he shall fully know himself to be out of all danger offuffering from them meaning that he should never be afraid For he that is without fear until he see his enemies utterly destroyed certainly will not be afraid afterwards Now the great and most formidable enemies of the Gracious and Compassionate man as he is a man are Death and Hell or the Grave with their sad and dismal retinue both a parte â—â—te and a parte post before and after Therefore the man now before us Gracious and full of Compassion shall not be afraid i. shall enjoy himself in a blessed tranquillity and security of mind until he shall see his desire on them i. until he shall see both Death and Hell with all their train cast into the Lake of fire Rev. 20. 14. after which he shall apparantly be out of all danger of being hurt by them Why David insisteth upâ—n this qualification full of Compassion in characterizing such a person whose heart should be fixed and established by trusting in the Lord and consequently who should not be afraid c. and why a Person of this character should trust in the Lord and so be established rather then any other man shall be shewed unto you when we come to open the Ground and Reason of the Doctrine In the mean time give me your patience to add a brief passage or two out of the first Epistle of John for your further satisfaction in the truth of the Doctrine We know saith this Apostle in this Epistle c. 3. 14. that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren That he speaks here in a more particular manner of love to the poor Brethren which uttereth it self after the manner of goodness mercy and compassion appears from the sequel of the context and more especially from vers 17. But who so hath this worlds goods and seeth his Brother have need and shutteth up his Bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Now then the Apostle as ye heard speaking thus We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren his meaning is that all they who love the Brethren in the sense specified i. express themselves in a way of kindness and mercy to such of the Brethren who are poor and stand in need of their help know hereby i. may readily or easily know hereby have a pregnant ground on which to be built up in this blessed confidence or assurance that they have passed from Death to Life that the bitterness of the wrath and vengeance which is to come is already passed as to them and that condemnation shall not be their portion The 17 and 18. verses of the 4th chapter of the same Epistle are confederate in Notion and Import with the now-opened passage and give testimony to the same Truth In the former Herein saith John is our love or love with us {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgement because as he is so are we in this world As if he should say this is a signe an argument that our love hath attained some measure or degree of perfection and hath acted its part well when it hath raised us to a boldness or fearlesness of spirit in the day i. against the day of the judgement of the world Or thus the consideration of this great priviledge or fruit of our love when it shall be grown to any strength or perfection is a worthy motive unto us to perfect it or to hasten us to the perfecting of it viz. that by it we shall have boldness or liberty of face {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the day of judgement Now they who at present know they shall have boldness in the day of judgement must needs have even at present a large first fruits of that Harvest It follows because as he is so are we in this world This clause seems to contain a reason or ground of the former assertion and to import that our being found in this world by means of our love perfected like unto God or unto Christ who fils the world with the fruits of his love goodness and mercy is a pregnant reason why we should even at present promise unto our selves boldness in the day of judgement in as much as there is not the least colour for any jealousie or fear that God should condemn those in the day of judgment who have been like unto himself in works of love goodness and mercie works wherein himself most delighteth and this in a place where it is a matter of greatest difficulty and disadvantage for men to resemble him in these viz. this present world where there are so few examples leading or incouragements inducing unto such things yea and very many things greatly discouraging from them The Tenor of the latter of the two verses pointed at is There is no fear in love He speaks of love made perfect as appears both from the
condemnation Whereas men and women of narrow and scant hearts wherein there is stowage and roomth onely for themselves and their own worldly concernments lie under a most sad disadvantage next to an incapacity to embrace the glad tidings of the Gospel in their due compass and extent without which they will hardly reach to the effectual allaying and quelling of their fears of wrath and condemnation for their sins It is a piece of the Prayer which Paul made for the Ephesians that being rooted and grounded in love i. e. being upon pregnant weighty and mature considerations and grounds resolved against all disswasives and temptations to the contrary to persevere in love and in the exercise of it they might by the opportunity and help of such a frame of heart be able to comprehend with all Saints i. e. to conceive and understand with a commensurableness of apprehension and faith as near as may be wherein I pray that all the Saints may be partakers likewise with you what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge c. To know the love of Christ in all the dimensions of it here named to know it I mean as men may and ought to know it though otherwise in the full compass of it it is above the knowledge and belief of men but I say to know it as men may know it is sufficient to rescue their hearts and consciences out of the hand of all fear of judgement or condemnation for sin Now then the Apostle in the passage yet before us clearly supposeth 1. That persons rooted and grounded in love in the sense declared are in a rich and immediate capacity of attaining this knowledge And 2. That no person without this qualification or advantage is in any likelyhood yea or possibility to attain it Where love to God and men with the rest of the gracious retinue which still bear it company as mercy goodness c. have not opened widened and enlarged the heart to a very great extent and compass the breadth and length depth and height of the love of Christ to men cannot by reason of their vast dimensions enter or receive entertainment there This is a second Reason Thirdly there is a principle found in the generality of men to conceive and think that God is like unto themselves in inward principles and dispositions whatsoever these be The truth is that by creation they did in these resemble him and were like unto him and this was their glory being I conceive that Image of God in which they are said to have been created Again true it is that by Regeneration this resemblance is regained and this for the measure or degree of it proportionable to the greater or leser perfection of the work it self of Regeneration Now though wicked men by voluntary sinning and continuing in sin upon such terms grievously obliterate deface and wast this Image or similitude of God in themselves and make themselves more like unto Satan then God yet partly out of the pride partly out of the ignorance of their hearts partly out of a desire to enjoy themselves in the pleasures and contentments of sin without fear of being judged by God for it in the end they are willing to hearken unto Satan when he suggesteth unto them and tempteth them to beleeve that God symbolizeth in the same principles Genius and disposition with them according to that of David Thou thoughtest speaking in the person of God to a wicked man that I am altogether such an one as thy self and consequently that I am not offended with thee will not punish thee for thy wickedness but thou art dreadfully deceived in this for as it follows I will reprove thee and set them thy sins in order before thine eyes a meaning that he would judge and punish him severely for them and this with such a kind of judgement which should be as glass unto him wherein he should as it were see his sins one after another as he had committed them in their native and proper shapes of deformity Now as wicked men are apt to think though very foolishly and falsly that God is of their mind and like unto them so are holy and good men apt to think also and this according to their duty and the truth onely acknowledging their own infirmities and imperfections and consequently their due distance from God Good men cannot but think that God is good that he is holy that he is gracious merciful c. and consequently that he is like unto them or which is the same as to the point in hand they unto him And the more explicit and express these divine impressions or qualities are found in them the richer and fuller their knowledge and assureance must needs be that God is like unto them and they unto him As when men are eminently gracious eminently good eminently merciful c. there is scarce any place left for questioning or doubting whether we be like unto God and so he to us or no Now then when a man shall be rich and reign in this confidence that he is like unto God in righteousness goodness mercy c. how or upon what account can he be afraid that God should condemn or destroy him Though fear in many cases be a very irrational sensless and unruly passion yet to be afraid lest God should send the Divine Nature that is his own into Hell is a kind of fear so broadly irrational and extravagant that it is not incident to one of many thousands Besides sympathize and communion in nature disposition and action when apprehended and beleeved is security in abundance to the inferiour from receiving any prejudice or harm by the power of him that is Superior Upon this ground it was that the wicked person concerning whom we lately heard from David that he thought God to be such an one altogether as himself was confidently secure that God would not hurt judg or punish him which conceit of his as a natural consequent of the said thought David plainly intimates by making God to say in opposition to it as we likewise heard but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eys a meaning that he would punish or destroy him which implies that this wretched man promised unto himself peace and freedom from punishment from the hand of God The Apostle Iohn likewise builds upon the same foundation in reasoning as we lately also heard thus Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgement because as he is so are we in this world b But of these words formerly This for a third Reason Fourthly This impression is strong and clear upon every mans heart conscience and soul that God loveth mercy as he doth all kind of righteousness and goodness otherwise We shall not need I suppose to strengthen the hand of this impression from the Scriptures which