which from the creation of the world to the tymes of the judges in Israel the Apostle by the experience of many beleevers shewes what great things have been brought to pass by saith The scope of this verse and of the Chapter to the 14. verse is to press constancy in adhering to the profession of faith of the Gospel on these Hebrews amids the many tribulations they met with from the experience of these worthies And I know nothing more suitable to Gods present dispensations and our condition then to open the force of the Apostles incouragement in the verse to you which that I may doe In the words consider these two 1. A brief abrigment of the doctrine delivered in the former Chapter Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses 2dly Ane inferrence from it Let us lay aside c. Of the first of these in this Sermon The other to morrow The words in the first language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cloud of Martyrs But here it is not put for such as did witness for Christ only passivly but also actively especially they did testify the great things that can be brought to pass by faith they are called a cloud for their multitude Densum saith Calvin on the place opponitur raro And they compass us about There is ane alusione to the pillar that guided Israel through the wilderness that went before them in the day tyme but this cloud compasseth us about so that wherever we cast our eyes in what ever estait they may be in our view There be some questions staited by interpreters on the words which I pass not being of great weight nor futing the present scope I intend to take only one Observation from the words and handle it in this Sermon Observation That it is a great incouragement to patient running in our Christian course that we are compassed with such a cloud of witnesses as are from Abel in the former Chapter Or more clearly That the examples of the famous worthies under the Old Testament ought to influence our Cheerfulness in wrestling with the cross in our Christian course This Observation is the Apostles scop here and we have the same Argument used by other Apostles to press the same conclusion Iam. 5 10. Take my Brethren the Prophets for ane example of suffering affliction and of patience The Prophets for ane example Let Romans talk of their Camilli their Fabricii their Scipio's Philosophers of their Aristotle Plato or Pithagoras We are to take our copy from the Prophets all of which have been eminent for patient sufferings It is not my purpose to insist in opening what force there may be in example to induce us to patient sufferings I shall briefly say only these things of it First That example is not that which formally oblidges us to patience in-sufferings The obligation refults from the Law of God His precepts though there were no example at all make patience our duty we ought in this case to say with Josua Though all men should forsake the Lord I and my house will cleave to him But they are excellent incouragements to excit and incourage to obedience to the precept Secondly They are incouragements suited well to mans nature who is more led by his eye then his ear What am I better then my Fathers said Elijah Can we look for more priviledges nor the Prophets Minors are ashamed when they cannot endure what men of an higher order indures such reasonings as these suit better with our nature then any precepts whatsoever I cannot here pass what a lait Author Doctor Stilling fleet hath written in a lait Book for the Churches peace that scriptural examples except they be practises consonant to the principles of morall equity or to some positive Law of God have no force to oblidge to imitation although they were Prophets and Apostles This doctrine hath need to be better cautioned then that author does for if it hold true in the latitude He delivers he shall not only depryve the Church of several things constantly practised in it which have no other foundation at all but Apostolick practise such as Imposition of hands in ordination of Ministers the keeping of the first day of the week for the Sabboth But upon his principle Apostolick practise hath no more force to oblidge then Diabolick For if what they doe be consonant to the principles of moral equity or to some prositive Law as their confessing of Christ why may not we doe the like The Apostle thinks so 1 Cor. 10 vers 11. But not purposeing to insist on the force of example since the A postle proposes the example we are to imitat here under the metaphor of a cloud of witnesses I shall that we may the better find out what ground of incouragement we have from it 1. Enquire what these witnesses does depon 2dly How valide their testimony is which the Apostle furnishes ground for in calling them a cloud and such a cloud and a cloud compassing us about For the First What is it that these witnesses does depon that may be for our incouragement And here I shall only pitch upon these things 1. They depon what will be the lot of a Christian in following Christ 2. What is his duty under this lot 3. What are his fittest in couragements First They depon what will be a Christians lot in following Christ They all depon that this will be the crosse see in the preceeding Chapter from Abel who is the first of the witnesses to Samuel who is the last and you shall find all their experiences witnessing to this It is true their crosses were of different natures Abel murthered Noah tossed with a deludge Abraham to sojourne in a strange land and Moses to be hide when new borne for fear of Pharaoh's Murderers some met with the violence of the fyre some with the edge of the sword some tortured yet all met with some kinde of crosse or another But ye may say what incoutagement is there in this part of these witnesses testimonie There is very much init For 1. It takes away the opinion of the singularitie of the crosse 2dly It taks away the reproach of the crosse First It takes away the opinion of the singularity of the crosse The Apostle Peter proposes as ane incouragement to the Christians to whom he wrott Think not strang concerning the fyrie tryal as if some strang thing did befall you It discouraged even Elijah I alone am left and they seek my life But when Abel killed Abraham banished Isaiah sawn asunder c. We are not left alone Secondly It takes away the reproach of it The cross usually carries with it in the esteem of the world ane challenge of guiltiness you are ane Hypocryt said Jobs Friends to him because so corrected But when we see the righteous Abel murthered and faithful Abraham so tryed and Moses the Friend of God Where is there place for this
est amor said blessed Austin nisi quaedam vita duo aliqua copulans vel copulare appetens quod scilicet amat quod amatur This indeed is ane love which cannot be satisfied without enjoying of Christ is thine of this nature or art thou content without him Thirdly love to him darkens and abats love of all other things in the soul This Character usually practick divins give of it Tanto quisque said Bernard à superno amore disjungitur quanto inferius delectatur It sets well in tryall of our love to ask our hearts the question he himself asked Peter Symon sone of Jonas lovest thou me more then these Lastly love to him is alwayes attended with love to his people and interests 1. Epist Joh. 2. The Apostle is large in proveing this If we love him that begetts we love also them that are begotten It is true our love to them ought not to be so fervent as to him but yet it still keeps a proportione to it as the sune in the dyall though it move not so fast as in the firmament yet it keeps a proportione to it it cannot be goeing forward in the firmament and backward or standing still in the dyall Try by these your love and finding it ye may the ore chearfully come to a banquet of love SERMON On Jonah 1 6. So the Ship-master came to him and said what meanest thou O Sleeper THis Prophet prophesied in the dayes of Jeroboam the second wee find him mentioned 2 Kings 14 25. where he is called a Prophet and servant of the Lord and though he prophesied of prosperitie yet with small success in so corrupt a tyme. Wherefore the Lord sends him to Nineve the Chief city of the Assyrian Empyre which he is loath to undertake partly from fear and partlie as some think loath to Carry a Message from the Jews to the Gentills wherefore he resolves to flee by sea to Tarshish The Lord followes him with a storme and when all in the Ship are at prayer to their Gods he is asleep For which in the words read he is reprehended by the Shipmaster what meanest thou o sleeper The words though they be the words of ane heathen yet they contain a deserved reprehension of a prophet of Israell and in them are 2. things 1. A description of the persons reprehending and reprehended and both descryved from their present work and conditione the one is the Shipmaster and the other a sleeper 2dly The reprehension itself what meanest thou or as the word in the first language what to thee A short pathetick speach expressing anger in the reprehender and unreasonablness in the reprehended There is nothing difficult in the words that we need to insist in explicating sleeping however in be taken figurativly in scripture some tymes denoting the carnall security of one in a naturall conditione as Eph. 4. awak thou that sleepest sometyms the quiet repose a beleever hath in God as Psal 3 4. I will lay me downe and sleep yet here it is taken properly yet so as it denotats also untymous security when there was so great a storme and all at prayer that were in the Ship with them There is one Observation I purpose to insist upon but we shall speak a word of ane other ere we come to it Observat 1. That security when dangers are imminent is unreasonable even in the eye of nature For 1. Sudden and unexspected surprises add much to the weight of any danger as in the dayes of Noah Peter makes it a great agravatione of their stroak that they wer eating drinking marying and giveing in mariage and the deludge came a tryall hath no small advantage of us when it finds us asleep David could take Sauls spear from his head in the midst of his Army when he assaults him asleep Nature teaches men to flee to some beeld when clouds gather that threatten rain It s true the Lord would not have his people anxiously vex themselves with thoughts of the crosse before it come sufficient for the day are the sorrows of it If he bring thee to the Wilderness he can also rain Manna In it the promises of God are the promises of a Father and such a Father as in the First Article of our Creed we call a Father Almighty and so let our sorrowes which are threatning us let them be what they will there is sufficient ground of a sweet and quyet repose in God But this maks nothing against the truth of the poynt we doe not onely counteract to the positive Lawes of God but to the very dictats and precepts of nature If tryals that are makeing so lowd a noise shall find us secure and asleep As it is our great mercy to be so long warned before the stroake the axe as it were lying at the root of the tree before it smit So they rightly improve these warnings that does as the Apostle Heb. 11. sayeth Noah did By faith Noah being warned by God and moved with fear prepared ane Arke to save himself and his Family But I come to the observation I purpose to insist on Observat 2d That the worshipers of the true God are sometyms outstriped and may be justly reprehended for their neglect of worship by the worshipers of Idols Thus is Jonah a Prophet of Israel and a Servant of the Lord here by a Heathen Mariner The lyke we find Gen. 20 6. Thus was she reproved this word is very remarkable to our purpose Abimelech said to Sarah behold I have given thy Brother a thousand peices of Silver and then it is added thus was shee reproved Abimelechs upright and liberal dealing reproves Sarahs deceit Sarah is not only outstriped but even deservedly reproved by Abimelech ane Heathen My purpose is not in prosecuting this poynt to compare togither Idolaters in their moral induements or the performing of the duties of the second Table with the worshipers of the true God none that are acquaint with the Histories of their lives or their writings but will easily discerne how far they have outstriped us Here it is no disparagment to Constantine the Great notwithstanding of all his victories recorded by Eusebius to say that Alexander the Great outstriped him in magnanimity and fortitude And if I should insist but upon three of them who among the worshipers of the true God can go beyond them for excellent moral precepts Plato who for his precepts is called divinus and is thought by some to have conversed with Jeremiah in Aegypt which opinion Augustin at length conâ—uts in his book of the City of the God shewing that Plato lived ane hundreth Years after Jeremiah his being in Aegypt and flowrished threescore years before the septuagints translatione or if I should name Seneca whose Epistles containe such excellent precepts for a moral life that some think he exchanged Epistles with Paul at Rome Or Cicero for whose salvation Erasmus does plead as one who had improved nature to the outmost
other things that by accident occasion this As First Many of the contents of the Gospel are altogither supernatural Mahomet his Lawes were suited well to mans corrupt nature so were these which Apolonius Lyanaeus gave to the Heathens But here if we shall either look to the duties or promises of the Gospel they are altogither supernatural 1. The duties are supernatural as beleeve deny thy self take up thy cross despise things present the promises are also of this nature if they were but such as these had under the law such as if any man come not up to the feast of Tabernacles the rain shall not fall upon his land how would this make many run to ordinances who are nothing moved with the promises of being in Christ joy in the Holy Chost and such like Beside Secondly As the contents of the Gospel are supernatural so must they be supernaturally discerned as mere sensitive faculties cannot reach the objects of reason a man cannot with his eyes ane argument so such as are truly rational cannot reach what is purely spiritual without illumination from the Spirit Rom 8 7. The wisdome of the flesh is enemity against God neither can it be subject to the Law of God for it is spiritually dicerned From all these it comes to pass that many are but almost Christians But I goe to the Application Application First Is it so that many are but almost Christians It serves for humiliation to all such as are but almost so I shall not insist in prosecuting this use in reference to such as are so in point of doctrine in regard all of us own such doctrinal principles as lead us up to be altogither Christians but shall follow it in reference to such as are so in point of practice of how many may the Lord complain as he did of Ephraim Hosea 7 8. Ephraim is a cake unturned that is raw on the one side and baken on the other In somethings Christians especially such things as may consist with their interest but in other things denying it especially such things as are most difficult and of most absolut necessity And that this use of humiliation may prove the more pressing we shall offer these things to evidence what manner of humiliation is meet First There is in resting upon the being almost a Christian a secret contempt of God He that cuts and carves upon the lawes of his Soveraigne taking what makes for him and rejecting what he pleases contemnes the authority that enjoyned them To doe something at the command of God and to reject others must flow either from some apparent iniquity in the Law which is a high reflection or a despising of the authority that enjoyned it and both reflect on God Secondly To be in part a Christian and not altogither is a temper God loaths This was the temper of the Church of Laodicea which was neither cold nor hot lukewarme which hath some degrees of heat and some of cold and he threatens he will spew her out of his mouth as one doth a thing his stomache loaths Thirdly This puts a man to serve two masters to be in some things for God and in somethings for his enemie A double minded man sayeth James is unstable in all his wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man that hath a minde and a minde he must be like Israel in Elijahs time halting betwixt two Fourthly one may loss Heaven though he doe much for God for not doeing more there are some things absolutly necessary for salvation if we should be never so righteous in our dealing with men yet he that beleeves not is condemned already because he bath not beleeved in the only begotten Son of God Now how lamentable is it to doe much for Christ and yet come short of Heaven for not doeing more Lastly This to be in part a Christian deprives a man for the present of the sweetest part of Christian Religion the peace and joy promised in the Gospel is attained by performing the most in ward duties of it the neglect of which makes many find godliness a kinde of Labyrinth to them they are continually breaking shells that hath no kirnel in them All these laid togither evidence what matter of humiliation ariseth from this to be almost only a Christian Use second Is it so that many are but almost most Christians then in the next place labour thou to be not only almost but altogither a Christian In this Use I shall 1st Open to you the scope I dryve at into it 2dly Give you some directions for promoving it The scope of it is not First To press you to eshew a manger I hotchpotch Kinde of Religion such as sometimes the Jewes had of old and the Papists have of late I shall suppose our tentations blessed be the Lord shall not carry to so great ane evil as this Neither 2dly Is the scope of this use to condemne that Christian moderation which in lesser truths may be somtimes very profitable for the peace of the Church Neither 3dly Is it to condemne all kinds of zeal in following our greater duties in Christian Religion which ought alwayes to be regulat with wisdom and knowledge Neither Lastly Doe we suppose that a Christian in this life can reach ane absolut perfection in his Christian course without any defect at all At these things this use does not drive But it drives at pressing these things 1 To exhort all while they are eshewing some sins in practice whereby they become in part Christians that they sitt not down contenteldy there while they are practising others no less dangerous While they eshewe for instance scandalous breach of the Sabboth they doe not contendedly practise hypocrisie naked formality Or 2dly While there is the practise of some duties whereby one becomes almost a Christian and not far from the Kingdome of God there be not a voluntary neglect of others possibly more necessary Or 3dly To exhort the eshewing the practice of Christianity at sometimes when there is the quite contrary at another time ebbing and flowing in Christianity as the Sea with the course of the Moon serving times and occasions with our Religion and not keeping ane even pace at these the point dryves and that we may be helped thus to labour to be not only almost but altogither Christians I shall offer these following directions First Christian labour to be very serious in the performance of holy duties be careful to joyne therein attention of minde Ezek 33. vers 32. Singleness of heart Psal 145 18. Intention of affection Rom. 12 11. Holy fear and reverence Heb 12 18 The want of these makes even our Religious duties to be performed but almost as Christians There is not that reverence of God in them that delight that intercourse and communion with God which they that endevour to be altogither Christians doe attain Therefore consider well the nature of God whose service it is His Majesty Mal. 1. v last His
they are gone No certainly but that thou may reason for thy comfort if such a Cedar was blowen over by the wind though I be so I need not despair Thirdly Afflictions are cailed tentations because there is no affliction but it also hath a tentation accompanying it And the Lord does not so try by the affliction it selfe as by the tentation that accompanyes it See Psal 31 22. and the 2d of Jonah throughout And here also I would have thir things considered 1. That in every affliction a beleever hath a double advantadge by looking on his affliction as accompanied with a tentation 1st Hereby he guards against the strongest adversaty he hath in his tryal Some get the victory over the affliction that yet are taken captive by the tentation that accompanied the affliction as all that turne aside to sinful courses to cshew the crosse are Yea 2dly We by this guard against the greatest hazard from affliction The least sin is worse then the greatest crosse And if we guard against the tentation of the affliction we are keeped from the sin that Sathan by the affliction dryves at as in Jobs case he did at that that he should curse God and die 2dly Whatever be the designe of Instruments and secondary causes in our affliction yet it is certain Sathan who uses to take the advantage of our affliction in misrepresenting God to us designs principally that we should be overcome by the tentation of the affliction And a beleever comes bravely through his tryal when he can say as David Ps 18. which Psalme was penned when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his Enemies and from Saul as the title of iâ— bears I was also upright before him and I keeped me from my iniquity The scope and use of this point is to press the people of God to look aright on their afflictions as having tentations accompanying them Ye are all fearing a cloud gathering and are ready to be perplexed with the difficulty ye forecast But be exhorted to look most to the tentations this warning Christ gave his Disciples when he was about to suffer watch and pray that ye enter not into tentation he sayes not into affliction but into tentatione And they are guarding best against the crosse they fear that are most in prayer Lead us not into tentation but deliver us from all evil Observat IV. That a beleever must not only expect tentations from Sarhan but from God God tempted Abraham after these things so Deut 13 3. I marke this point because some if they take up a tryal under the notion of a tentation they think it their duty presently to lay it aside It is true if it lead to sin it is wisdom to do so but if it tend to discovery of sin or grace that is not thy duty I shall not insist on this point only offer three characters how ye may discern betwixt tentations from God and from Sathan First Usually God in his tentation assaults most the outward man some duty that is heavy to the Flesh as to Job David and others whom he tempted and here to Abraham It is true Sathan sometimes assaults the body but then as some archers he seems to look one way and shoots another his attempt is against the Spirit principally curse God and die he barks only at the outward man but his byt is deeper as in Peter he winnowed him that he might deny his master Secondly They may be distinguished by the manner of their procedour usually when God tempts it is to somewhat that nature loaths as here to Abraham to offer his Son his only Son Sathans practick divyns say observes what way the tree bends and shaks it that way suiting his tentations to our inclination Thirdly God alwayes attains his end that he tempts for if discovery of grace or of weakness or corruption or what else Sathan may winnow as he did Peter and yet his faith not fail But that I may come to the last Observation I purpose a litle more largerly to insist upon it is one which I find both Popish and Protestant Interpreters on the place take notice of partly out of Scripture and partly out of some Jewish Doctors Abraham had ten tryals before as To forsake his Country To flee again and again to Aegrpt and Abimelech where his life was in hazard He had controversies with his Friends as with Lot for wells division in his Family Sarah and Hagar and their Children wrangling He was put to wrestle with four Kings for Lot and many such Yet none of these goes under the name of tentation till it come to this the offering up of Isaack then God tempted Abraham not before notwithstanding of all these tryals and so this affoords us a new foundation for that Observation I will insist a litle upon Observat V. That though the Lord often exercise his people with lesser tryals yet be usually reserves some great one for them that may be fully called a tentation or a least after many tryals one may be reserved for us of such a nature It is often Gods way by lesser tryals to firt us for greater I deny not but sometymes he will measure out to some of his people their difficulty by small 's tender plants a flood togither would drown them which being distilled by drops makes them grow and prosper But often with others this is his way by lesser tryals to prepare them for greater Revel 3 10. I will keep thee in the hour of tentation that seems to relat to some signal tryal which by a special designation may goe under the name of a tentation I will not goe to search after reasons of this how it may make for his honour and how his peoples case may sometimes require it should be so Only I shall enquire what should be the ingredients of which a tryal is composed when it may fittly be denominat a tentation and in searching this I shall confine my self to this tryal of Abrahams in which as learned interpreters observe there was a threefold assault on Abraham all at once 1. On his faith 2dly On his obedience 3dly On his love to his nearest relations First In this tentation Abrahams faith was assaulted Abraham had received two promises in reference to Isaack In Isaack shall thy seed be called and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the world be blessed And yet now at one stroak both those promises seems to be plucked up by the root might not Abraham have said what Asaph sayes in Psalm 77. What is become of the promise Abrahams faith hes nothing to leane to but the power of God He knew God was able c. Hebr. 11. vers 19. Secondly His obedience is no less tryed then his faith For 1. He is put upon a thing that was contrary to a part of the law of nature Thou shalt not kill Blood hath a cry especially the nearer the relation be that sheds it as Abels had when