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A49515
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Three sermons preached at Sherborne in Dorsetshire by William Lyford ... being his last sermons ...; Sermons. Selections
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Lyford, William, 1598-1653.
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1654
(1654)
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Wing L3557; ESTC R3029
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24,872
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37
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worketh one way or other if not to life it will be unto death it is sharper then a two-edged sword which cuts on both sides for the hardning or converting of the sinner if a man believe and obey it it is life to him it brings about his good and safetie if not it falleth a working also to augment his naturall blindnesse hardnesse and to binde him guiltie unto judgement it alwaies helpeth or hurteth the hearer Therefore you shall do well to observe what sort of working it hath upon you that so you may be framed to the better by it Observe under which effect of it you lie is it a savour of life or of death to you For your Humiliation and to break the heart to repentance I will give foure Convictions whereby it may appeare to your owne conscience that it is a dead unsavorie unfruitfull thing unto you that you never yet did rellish any thing of life in it 1 The first is Because you take so little delight in it and so little paines about it for 't is the propertie of every blessed man to delight in the law of God to meditate in it to walk in it both day and night Ps 1.1 2. My delight and my counsellonrs Ps 119.24 How doth his soule break out in holy longings and love to the law of God And also to take paines for this bread of life the Queene of the South came from the uttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisdome of Solomon Mat 12.42 Wheresoever the carkasse is thither will the Eagles be gathered together As Eagles by a naturall instinct flie to their food so where Christ is preached believers by the motion of the spirit will resort to him Can yee tast honie and no sweetnesse in it Can yee want bread take no paines for it Take us and all we have for Bread said they to Joseph you labour for meat that perisheth because there 's life in it so would you after the meat that endureth to eternall life if yee did rellish it Joh. 6.27 Labour not for meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life that is labour more for eternall life O what a deale of contriving sweating of unwearied diligence to raise an estate to raise posteritie to enlarge possessions to live And yet how it shall goe with you and how you shall live eternally did did never put you to the trouble of one houre 's serious consideration or paines God is our chiefe good and all our happinesse consists in his love therefore it should be valued and sought above all things The very businesse we have in this world is to glorifie God and to provide for a better life And yet how little doe you set by the meanes of life You will not be at the paines to acquaint your selves or familie with the doctrine of salvationâ— I cannot perswade you to read the Bible and other good books or to learne the grounds of Religion in some Catechisme or to sanctisie the Lord's day in holy exercises of prayer selfe-examination Hearing the word Nay with much coldnesse do you come to the congregation These things are burdensome irksome unsavorie to you you finde no life in this holy course and why Because you are dead soules Let me speake unto you Husbandmen Tradesmen and Labourers consider your waies and your daies spent in toyle and labour up to worke early there 's much to be done in the mornings no time in the evenings the head is heavie unfit for spirituall matters The Sabbath is your day God in mercy provided it for your rest for your soules refreshing also yet that day is too much from your worldly businesse In the morning goe see such a piece of ground or such a parcell of sheep or such a customer then to Church if time be left poore soules what doe you thinke Is this to delight in the word O how little doe you set by heaven If you did but take halfe so much paines and delight for heaven as for the world I should think you did finde some spirituall life in the word I speake to you Careles daughters perhaps once in the day you give us the hearing and stay at home the other part you trifle away the Sabbath-mornings about Children you spend idly as much time as your necessary affaires of house require therefore yee cannot come to Church perhaps in the afternoone yee have some Cloaths to mend or starch This providing for and trimming of the body is your Sabbath-daie's worke as if you were borne to be drudges and poore and so to the grave O what a fearefull spirit of slumber is upon our people Not more ignorant earthly-minded in any parish there is no signe that you rellish the Ministrie of the word as a word of life you taste no such thing in it all your carriage savours of death if you had tasted life in it you would have love to it and thinke nothing too much that you could possibly doe You would have zeale to rouze you and faith like the spring in a watch to set all the wheeles of your soules agoing The zeale of thy house hath even eaten me up Conclusion I conclude with that of Heb. 12.16 Looke diligently least there be any Fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsell of meat sold his Brith-right He rellished good in the morsell of meat none in his Birth-right Esau must have food what with the losse of his Birth-right The Constant call of the Scripture is Strive to enter in at the straight gate Work out your salvation with feare and trembling Walk precisely not as fooles but as wise Conforme your selves not to this present world The judgement of the carnall world is otherwise These rules are too strict and precise if we live by them we were as good goe out of the world O are yee wiser then all the world Shall I make myselfe a laughing-stock to the world Nay but will you be wiser then God 2 Cor. 2 16. THe third Conviction followes whereby it may appeare to your consciences that hetherto the Gospell hath been but a dead and unsavorie thing upon your spirits and that is by the little account of any spirituall good received by all that you heare it hath left dead hearts dead unrenued affections under an outside profession you have not felt the experience of the things taught and heard you doe not understand it feelingly it affects not it alters not the judgement nor affections There is a twofold knowledge of matters in Religion the one is by rule the other is by proofe triall or experience the one is gotten out of the letter of the Scripture only so men have it but by rule the other is learout ofâ—â— the scripture too but it is felt to be the sword of the spirit for the bettering of us As in all trades and sciences there is a knowledge which one getteth by rule and instruction