cast into hell Yea I say unto you fear him The Psalmist also thus expresses himself My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements But though fear has an influence 't is not the only inducement to walk with God He that is upright knows that love is the great thing which God commands and love hinders any other command from being accounted grievous A man has a great evidence of uprightness when love is predominant in him when he is byassed by love to God to do these things that are pleasing in his eyes and he is overcome with a sense of God's loving-kindness to him and is truly his servant Psal 26. 3. Thy loving-kindness is before my eyes and I have walked in thy truth 5. The upright man holds fast his integrity When Mammon and Satan combine to rob him of this Jewel yet neither fair means nor foul can make him part with it The reproaches of Job's Friends did enter and go deep into him but a reproaching Conscience would have been a thousand times worse Therefore though he ceased to be Job the wealthy Job the greatest of all the men in the Fast yet he remained Job the upright still Job 27. 5 6. Till I die I will not remove my integrity neither the thing it self nor the evidence of it from me My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live The Providences of God may sometimes be dark and cloudy and his Hand very heavy upon his upright ones so that themselves and others may be amazed at those Trials which their Faith and Patience may be put upon Yet true Gold will endure the hottest Furnace and lose nothing of its Weight and Worth However the Lord deals with them the upright have reason to conclude the immutability of his love and that his faithfulness never fails Job 17. 8 9. Vpright men shall be astonied at this and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite The righteous also shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger And if it be ask'd how the upright man comes to be thus tenacious of his sincerity I answer 'T is not only because of the delight and sweetness he finds in reflecting upon it but also and that chiefly because God's right hand upholds him God fixes his heart renews a stable and a constant spirit in him it 's God who keeps holy Inclinations and religious Purposes alive and firm and strong in him This is acknowledged by David Psal 41. 12. As for me thou upheldest me in my integrity and settest me before thy face for ever In the third place it follows What the perfect and upright man is worthy of He is worthy to be marked He is worthy to be beheld First He is worthy to be marked Mark the perfect man saith the Text And marked he should be and that both For conviction and also For imitation 1. The perfect and upright man is to be marked for conviction As the Saints shall judge the World at last so they are a conviction to the World at present The wicked think it strange that believers run not out with them to the same excess of riot and their Tongues speak evil of them 1 Pet. 4. 4. But their Consciences at the same time may fly in their own Faces and tell them plainly that those whom they speak ill of are much wiser and better than themselves An exemplary Conversation is a very convincing thing it stops the mouths of ignorant and evil Speakers 1 Pet. 2. 15. For so is the will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men It fills the faces of such with shame they being convinced that accusations are false when consciences and conversations are good 1 Pet. 3. 16. Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers they may be ashamed who falsly accuse your good conversation in Christ If the World did but mark the perfect man it might prevent that woe from falling upon them which is denounced against them because of offences which they are apt to take at Religion as if it self were but an imaginary thing and all that profess it were Dissemblers And if loose and carnal Professors would but mark them whose exact and circumspect walking does shew them to be sincere and Saints indeed it might startle their Consciences and make them very unquiet because they are so very unlike those who in their manner of living do shew forth the power of godliness their Consciences might call them vain men their faith a dead faith their profession an empty and vain shew Jam. 2. 20. But wilt thou know O vain man that faith without works is dead 2. The perfect man is to be marked for imitation That excellent Company of Faithful ones mentioned Heb. 11. are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cloud of Witnesses Heb. 12. 1. here seems to be an allusion to the cloud in the Wilderness which directed the Children of Israel to the land of Canaan Perfect men are Clouds their dark side their faults and failings if we observe any in them it must be our care to eschew them But their bright side may be of great use for our direction and encouragement When we observe how holy heavenly full of love to God and goodness and diligent in the Lord's work others have been we should shew the same grace and diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end We should by no means be slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Heb 6. 11. 12. Our Lord himself indeed is incomparably the best Pattern Sin never found any place in him 1 Pet. 2. 22. Who did no sin neither was guile sound in his mouth Never in the least faulty either in word or deed Yet perfect and upright men are fair Copies for others to write after Phil. 3. 17 20. Brethren be ye followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example for our conversation is in heaven And Chap 4. 9. He says not only those things which ye have heard but what ye have seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you All would be better if the best were but more imitated Secondly As the perfect and upright man is to be marked so he is worthy to be beheld the Text says Behold the upright The Psalmist beheld the transgressors and was grieved Upright men may be beheld with joy and pleasure though grief may well be raised when by death they are snatched away Now that the Upright man may be beheld to good purpose 1. Behold him in his usefulness Though the perverse and prejudiced World does think the Upright man not fit to live in it yet indeed the world is not worthy of him and is very much beholding to
Cor. 4. 16. 2. The perfect Man is made pertaker of every Grace Moral Philosophers have observed a Concatenation of all moral Virtues that they are inseparable where one is indeed there are all of them There cannot be truly any Vertue in any man where any one Vice is allowed to be predominant 'T is a great truth concerning the Graces of the Spirit that they are all linked together There is no Grace insincerity in that man who ordinarily and presumptuously does what he knows to be evil in God's sight and willingly suffers tho it be but one Iniquity to have the dominion over him The Spirit of God works like himself and all Grace he works where he works any The Stone or Kernel of the Fruit tree has vertually the whole Tree in it and if it be sown in the Ground a Tree with Leaves and Fruit at length grows up from it We read of the seed of God 1 John 3. 9. and this Seed vertually has all Grace in it And this Seed does remain and Grace of every sort as there is occasion in some degree or other is produced into act and exercise In the perfect man's breast plate or if you will in his breast there is Faith and Love and Righteousness It is Hope that is his Helmet It is Humility that is both his Cloathing and Ornament and Zeal is not so much one single Grace as an high degree of all The Spirit of the Lord dwels in the perfect man and where the Spirit is and abides all his Graces are with him This is plainly intimated John 1. 16. Of his fulness we all have received and grace for grace There are several Interpretations of these Words but the truest is this Of Christ's fulness all sincere believers have received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace answerable to every grace that is in Christ himself as the Child receives Limb for Limb from the Parent How truly Rich and Happy is he who has no Grace wanting and what a satisfaction is it to perceive plainly in himself that every Grace is growing 3. The perfect man prises all the promises of the New Covenant and esteems himself highly favoured in being Heir unto them all Hypocritical Professors and Wicked Men may put a value upon some promises as when the Lord promises to bless in the City and in the Field to bless in the fruit of the Body and of the Cattle and of the Ground to bless in the Basket and in the Store Deut. 28. 3 4 5. when he promises length of days and long life and that peace shall be added Prov. 3. 2. Nay one that is ungodly designing to die the death of the Righteous may put a value upon the promises of deliverance from the wrath to come and from eternal condemnation But the perfect man though he sets an estimate upon any Blessing which God has promised and values Temporal Mercies and Salvation from the Vengeance of eternal Fire Yet there are also other kind of promises he gladly embraces as the promise of an heart to know the Lord. Jer. 24. 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God for they shall return to me with their whole heart That promise also of an heart circumcised to love God is much valued and rested on by the perfect man Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou mayst live So is that promise Ezek. 36. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols I will cleanse you There is good reason that the promises of sanctification should be look'd upon as exceeding great and precious for by these the perfect man is made a partaker of the divine nature and escapes the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1. 4. 4. The perfect man hath a respect unto all God's commandments he does not chuse some and pass by others but readily receives every precept Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments He looks upon every Law with an eye to the Authority of the Lawgiver who has a right to rule him and has power to save and destroy John 4. 12. He looks upon the Law delivered on Mount Sinai as in force upon Mount Zion and that by faith the law is established Rom. 3. 31. The Apostle's manner of Expression carries in it a strong motive to Obedience 1 Thess 4. 2. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus Commands are given by his Authority who is Lord of all and Obedience is urged for his sake who himself has obeyed and suffered for us and who is so ready to strengthen us to obey and to make what we do acceptable The perfect man has his eye upon God and Christ and cannot find in his Heart to cast any Command of theirs behind his Back that 's his perpetual wish that 's his daily groan Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes Oh let me not wander from thy Commandments Psal 119. 5 10. Whereas the unsound Professor is not reconciled to every Command nor indeed to any Though his Obedience seem exact in many respects yet offending in one point or other he is guilty of violating the whole law James 2. 10. His partial Obedience to the Commands shews he is not sincere in keeping any one of them If any were kept upon a right ground then every one of the Precepts would be kept upon the same ground 5. The perfect man keeps judgment and does righteousness at all times Psal 106. 3. He sticks to the Lord's testimonies and cleaves to the Lord himself with an unshaken purpose of heart even in times of great Apostacy and falling away He will not leave the Ship of the Church and put to shore when a storm of Persecution arises 't is better to be in the Vessel where Christ is though the Tempest be never so fierce and sore than trust to a sinful compliance with the men of the World The perfect man's goodness is not like the morning Cloud and the early Dew that goes away but his Righteousness is like a River Labitur labetur in omne volubilis aevum It holds on its course and keeps running continually He shews himself a Disciple indeed by still following his Master and abiding in his word John 8. 31. If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed 6. The perfect man wishes and longs for a sinless perfection He really and earnestly desires to be as good as the Law would have him to be every whit as Righteous as the Commandment requires and when through Infirmity he breaks the Law he is troubled When the Apostle says This we wish were
World can witness when he saw occasion he used various Ways and Methods that his great end your Happiness might be attained 2. Be sure to follow his very good Example What kind of Children should the Children of such a Father be there would be a kind of monstrousness in being very grosly unlike to him As to his youngest Son who is a Minister of the Gospel I heartily wish tho it be an hard thing which I wish that a double portion of his Fathers Spirit may be vouchsafed to him 3. Be encouraged by this That your deceased Father has treasured up a stock of Prayers for you and you may expect a gracious return If you give your selves to Prayers God may answer his Supplications after his death in bestowing Temporal Spiritual and Eternal Benefits upon you To others that hear me this day I shall only give two words of Counsel Think much of your later end Let it be your great care that your end may be peace 1. Be all of you wise to consider your later end Death did set out against you as soon as you were born and it makes still nearer and nearer approaches to you every day and hour and moment of your lives Every step you take is a step towards the Grave Every moment of your time which passes away brings you nearer to Eternity God wishes you wise to consider your later end he will be much pleased to see you very earnest with him to make you so he is ready to teach you so to number your days that you may apply your hearts unto wisdom Psal 90. 12. The serious thoughts of death will quicken you in your Duties and break the force of Temptations Think of the time when you must leave the World that eagerness after the World may be abated To how good purpose will you live if with the Apostle you dye daily 1 Cor. 15. 31. 2. Let it be your care that your end may be peace Believe in Jesus the great Peace-maker between God and Man that you may joy in him because by him you have received the atonement Rom. 5. 11. Let your Faith be accompanied with Obedience and Love to the Laws of God Psal 119. 165. Great peace have they that love thy law and nothing shall offend them Value the inestimable Jewel of a good Conscience and take heed of every thing that may defile and wound it When the Apostle had the sentence of death in himself the testimony of his Conscience that by the grace of God he had had his Conversation in the World in simplicity and godly sincerity did fill him with Peace and Joy 2 Cor. 1. 9 12. Never be weary of well-doing that your Lord when he comes may find you so doing 'T is labour best bestowed when you are diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Several Passages concerning Mr. Lawrence out of Two Letters which were sent by Two Ministers Eminent for Learning and Godliness and both of them intimately acquainted with Him The First LETTER concerning Mr. Edward Lawrence MR. Lawrence was admitted into Magdalene Colledge in Cambridge in the Year 1645 and was Studious a Promoter of serious Godliness among the young Scholars and was so noted also for his Parts and Learning that we would have made him a Fellow But when he had taken his Degree of Batchellor of Arts some Years after he took the Degree of Master of Arts he being some ways engaged went into the Countrey and began to preach having been of a good Age when admitted about 18 as I remember and with much Acceptance He took up with Baschurch a Vicaridge of about 60 l. a Year where though if he had sought great things he might have been removed to a greater Place considering the Love and Esteem he had he continued till Bartholomew 1662 and then left his Station and Subsistence though he had a Wife and seven or eight Children and no Estate and oft used to say He lived upon the sixth of Matthew About the Year 79 the Quakers rising thereabout he Disputed with one of their Chief Ring-leaders and shamefully baffled him in the Judgment of the Multitudes of the Hearers and as appears by the Relation of it put out by the Quaker He was dangerously ill and upon his recovery put out his useful Book Of Christ's Power over bodily Diseases which though very good I then told him was below most of his Sermons he usually preached of which I had heard many How he was driven from Whitchurch Mr. H. who was then in those parts will I suppose punctually inform you and for these last four or five and twenty Years his Brethren in the City can give a good account of Him The Second LETTER AFter Mr. Lawrence his remove by the Bartholomew Act from Baschurch where he had been many Years a Faithful Minister of the Gospel of Christ he sojourn'd while with his Wife and Children at a Neighbouring Gentleman's House within the Parish who had a great Respect for him and was very Kind to him and he accounted it a great Mercy that though the Law had silenced him that he must not preach to his beloved Flock yet he had his Abode amongst them and might be many ways useful to them But when the Five Mile Act so called was to be put in Execution in March 66. he went to Tilstock a Village in Whitchurch Parish in the same County to sojourn there and there the Power of the Lord was with him greatly and made him Instrumental of much Good both to the Town and in the Neighbourhood the remembrance whereof is still sweet to many who are yet living As he had opportunity he preach'd to them both in Season and out of Season and which was more his Prudent Pious Conversation was a continual Sermon He had many Children and all with him and no visible Income wherewithal to buy them Bread yet the Lord was graciously pleased to make Provision both for him and them so that they did not want The sixth of Matthew as he was used to say did maintain him During his Abode there he buried a dearly beloved Daughter named Sarah which was a great Grief to him for she was grown up and began to be useful but it Comforted him that she finished Well and God gave him two Sons instead of her which repair'd the loss Another remove he had to Whitchurch Town and while he was there in May 1670 when the severe Act against Conventicles commenc'd in the same Month upon a Sabbath-day in the Afternoon he preach'd in a private House only to four and the Family where they were disturbed by the Minister himself Dr. M. F. in his own Person with others attending him and the Week following Convicted and Fined the Minister 10 l. because Poor the Master of the House 20 l. and two other of the Town 5 l. a piece and one Woman 5 s. Upon each of which Distress was made shortly after with the greatest Rigor They judging themselves wrong'd made their Appeal according to Law and in March following had a Tryal at Salop before Judge Twisden The Pretence against them was That a Daughter of the Family who was sixteen Years of Age but a few Days before coming home from Chester from an Uncle the had there was one present and being none of the Family of her Father made a fifth The Case was argu'd by Council and the Prosecutors made no other account but that the Jury would give their Verdict for the Justices who were the Defendants and lay treble Damages upon the Plantiffs which were intended to be made very great to their utter undoing But it pleased God in whose Hands are the Hearts of all Men without any Motion or Procurement of theirs to incline one of the Jurors to differ in the Verdict from the rest saying He would rather dye than say the Girl was none of her Father's Family This occasioned their stay together all Night and in the Morning being accused of some words spoken by him in their heat of Arguing to one of his Fellow-Jurors he was severely Rebuked and Fined 10 l. and the Cause referred to two Lawyers who never made any Decision of it so that each side sat down with his own Loss and not long after such of their Goods as were taken from them they had again but much demnified 'T was observed That one of the Prosecuting Justices dying during the Prosecution his Houshold-Goods were Proclaimed in the Town to be Sold and were Sold before Chapmen could be found that would buy the Distrained Goods The Informer that told he saw the Persons going into the House did afterwards beg his Bread from Door to Door This Event occasioned the remove of this Excellent Person out of his own Native Countrey where he dwelt among his own People to seek a Habitation elsewhere among Strangers and to London he went where God gave him Favour in the sight of many who sat down under his Ministry and with whom he ended his Days FINIS Lately Printed THe Cure of Distractions in attending upon God In several Sermons from 1 Cor. 7. 35. That we may attend upon the Lord without distraction The Love of the World cured In several Sermons preached upon 1 John 2. 15. Love not the world c. Both by Nathanael Vincent