these persons Now see that other Text that speaks as dreadful as this Heb. 6.4 5 6. For it is impossible for those who are once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Woâ—d of God and the power of the world to come if they shall fall away to renew them to repentance Seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame It is the greatest disgrace and affront that man can put upon Christ to Apostatize from him it is not half so much not to own him for by that they crucifie him again and put him to an open shame it is as if they told all the world that this Christ is not worth a believing in and it were but to throw away their time and happiness to believe in him Well then let us that pretend to such enlightnings and say we have tasted of the Heavenly gift and of the good Word of God and of the first Fruits of Heavin let us hold fast lest we come under this upbraid and condemnation But more particularly let us hold fast as we are concerned to do if we consider 1. What we were before Faith 2. What we were by Faith 3. What we shall be at the end of Faith 1. What we were before Faith What were we before Christ waâ— preached and before we believed What were we Why much worse than if we had not been considered in our case and state it is better not to be at all than to be a sinner it were better not to be a people than not to be the people of God Now What were we before Faith Why truly we were not a people so the Scripture tells you They that were not a people are now the people of God so that if we were not the people of God we are as if we were not a people We were What were we before Faith Dark We were the darkness it self as the Apostles expression is in Ephes 5.8 saith he Ye were sometimes darkness The very light that was in us was Darkness corrupting our Understandings and Imaginations the Understanding dark We are dead yea under the worst of deaths dead in sin You saith he that were dead in sins and trespasses hath he quickned How were they dead in sins Did they not live in sin Yes saith he wherein you walked Why what is their Death To live in sin is to be dead in sin all the while the Prodigal lived in his sin the Father said of him he was dead My Son that was dead is alive We were What were we before Faith Why we were children of wrath as well as others Now Beloved consider how many abide thus to this day in darkness Dead in sin and Children of wrath When you are or pretend to be translated out of this Darkness into the marvellous light will not you hold fast You that were dead as well as others and now live is this your requital of God that you will not let it go Oh! I beseech you have a care of that 2. Let us consider What we are by Faith and that will be another obligation upon us We were not so bad before Faith but we are better by Faith We were not in so miserable a case before believing but we are in as happy a case when we do believe Why what are we we are alive and Children of Light and Children of God We are alive You hath he quickened saith he or made alive and My Son that was dead is alive Now what is the work of the Living It is to praise God The Living and the Living they shall praise thee as I do this day Now if this be the work of the Living then consider if we hold not fast our Faith if we Apostatize we are so far from doing the work of the Living that is of praising God that we do all the dishonour we can to God we do the work of dead men Yea we are twice dead We are Children of the Light Ye were in darkness but now are light in the Lord. Now it is very observable what the Apostle speaks concerning the children of darkness and the children of the light 2 Thes 5.5 You Believers saith he are all the children of the light and the children of the day we are not of the night nor of darkness but what follows therefore let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober why for they that sleep sleep in the night and they that be drunk be drunk in the night if any stagger that is the work of the night this is not the work of the day Now every Apostate that wavers he is like a man that is drunk so that he acts clean contrary to the children of the day Saith he They that are drunk are drunk in the night but saith he Let us watch and be sober and let us who are of the day put on the Breast-plate of Faith and for a Helmet the hope of Salvation We are by believing the Children of God Gal. 3.26 For we are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus now Beloved are we weary of so honorable a Title as being the children of God why we are the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Will any body part with so great a Title as this why if we are weary of being God's Children whose can we be none but the Devils and had we rather be the Devils Children than Gods there are but these two either you must be Children of God or the Devils children now you are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus oh therefore let us hold fast the profession of our Faith seeing by Faith we are the Children of God 3. Let us consider what we shall be at the end of Faith why we shall be saved 1 Pet. 1.4 5. and 9. verses compared He hath begotten us to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fades not away reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last times and in the ninth verse saith he receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls so that it seems to be weary of believing it is to be weary of being saved not to hold fast Faith is not to hold fast Salvation for saith he you are saved by Faith and the end of your Faith is the Salvation of your souls Can you be contented to be damned can you have patience to think of going to Hell Now put all these together and will you not hold fast you that before Faith were but darkness were but dead were but children of wrath who by Faith are made children of light are made alive and the children of God and who at the end of Faith shall receive the salvation of our Souls And shall not we hold fast shall we leave this Faith
the holy Apostles their lives were traduced they went through evil report as well as good report 2 Cor. 10.2 And thus Athanasius who was traduced for an Adulterer by the Arians and so Luther and Calvin are represented and reported by the Papists as if they had been the vilest Creatures in the World The wicked man cavils at and finds spots at least doth what he can to find spots in the Sun and some who are not so wicked do look for an Evangelical perfection in Ministers and all theirs their Wives and their Children and their Servants and their Company How ready are people grosly and uncharitably to censure a Minister for any yea the least they discern in him or his and is this their Vertue nay is it not their Vice and Corruption 2. It is no breach of the Churches peace no argument of a contentious and unquiet spirit in a Minister to speak vilely of vile Ministers and enemies of the Churches peace Why who are they John Baptist tells us he calls them Vipers a generation of Vipers why were they not Preachers Mat. 3.7 And will you say that John Baptist was a man of a contentious Spirit of an unquiet Spirit And who were they whom our blessed Saviour calls a Generation of Vipers Mat. 12.34 38 39. And who were they whom our Saviour calls a Generation of Vipers and an evil and Adulterous Generation were they not Preachers and it is very observable both John Baptist and our Saviour did call those Preachers thus even in the hearing of them who were their ordinary hearers and do but observe what strange terms of disgrace St. Peter gives them 2 Peter 2.12 to certain Preachers in his time verse 14. what strange terms doth the Apostle give to those Teachers whose pernicious wayes many would follow as in verse 2. of that Chapter But did not the Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses's Chair and did they not preach some good Doctrine insomuch that Jesus Christ bids the people hear them and observe what they said though not what they did as Mat. 23.1 2 3. Therefore may some say It seemeth strange that Christ should thus disgrace the Scribes and Pharisees was not this the way to make their Ministry contemptible First It is very clear and undeniable that there was a Generation of pitiful sorry Teachers as in Mat. 9.36 Why did not the people enjoy the Teaching of the Scribes and Pharisees yes they did but the Scribes and Pharisees were Idol-Shepherds they knew how to feed their Flock and therefore Christ lookt on the people as Sheep scattered abroad for all the Scribes and Pharisees They did not understand that there was heart-murder or heart-adultery until our blessed Saviour instructed them The Scribes and Pharisees they did but strike at the bough only but our Saviour Preached with authority and not as the Scribes did And withal I answer 2. That beyond all peradventure our blessed Saviour saw that although the Scribes and Pharisees did teach some truths yet by their Life and Doctrine they did more mischief than good and therefore the more credit they had among the people the more mischief they were like to do And therefore from hence our blessed Lord and Saviour calls them a Generation of Vipers But I hope you will not count it an argument of the breach of the Churches peace to speak vilely of a vile Ministry It was no more than John Baptist did and than our Saviour did Thirdly No mans sin deserves so sharply to be reproved as the sins of Ministers because his sins of all others are the chief sins committed in a Land at the Sanctuary of prophaneness too too often begins Therefore when Gods people met in their publick Fasts they made solemn Confession of those sins of the first Magnitude by which they had most provoked the Lord they do make Confession chiefly of the sins of their Magistrates and Ministers Neh. 9.33 34. The Jews there bewailed the sins of their Magistrates and Ministers as the particular cause of their plagues Oh the sins of Teachers are the Teachers of sin and therefore no mans sin deserves to be so sharply reproved as the scandalous sins of Min isters Now if you love your souls take heed and beware of a prophane delight in lewd loose dissolute Ministers We sind the Lord complaining of the wickedness of the Prophets and of the Priests and People as Jer. 5 ult the people did take a prophane delight in false Prophets and in polluted Priests and so likewise in the Prophet Micah chap. 2. v. 11. the people although they did oppose the Prophet Micah and other true Prophets yet they did approve of and delight in false Prophets such as were of their own leaven their own way and mould such as would flatter them and promise them wine and strong drink and are there not many such people in the world that had rather hear such a Minister than such as preach close-walking with God and of getting to Heaven under pain of damnation Will you cry up and will you prophanely delight in a Ministry that shall preach peace peace to all prophane rebellious people in short such a one that will poison you in Doctrine or in his example Fourthly Take heed and beware of a sinful Idolizing of godly faithful Ministers the Apostle decries this with much zeal ardency and servency of Spirit what is Paul's planting and what is Apollo's watering 1 Cor. 3.5 6. As excellent gifts parts and graces as these men had yet they look higher so it is your duty to look above mens parts and above mens gifts and graces Paul and Apollo cannot give increase Paul indeed may plant but there is no rooting indeed in these plants but by christ And read v. 7. It is God and he only that can give encrease As Elisha's Servant could carry his Masters staff and lay it on the dead child but the child could not be raised to life until Elisha came himself thus godly faithful Ministers can but lay Gods Message before you but unless the Lord set it to the heart never a dead Soul can be raised from the death of sin to the life of grace and holiness Remember godly and faithful Ministers although they have the Lords Sword yet they have not the Lord Christs arm and alas what can the Lord Christs Sword do without his Arm. Fifthly Take heed of being leavened with prejudice against the Ministry of the Word because of the misdemeanours or miscarriage of the Minister Surely the efficacy of the Word and Sacrament doth not depend on the quality of the Minister It is the Word of the Lord that converts not the person of the Dispenser or Speaker A seed that is fown in a good soyl may yea will grow and thrive although perhaps the Sower had a very dirty hand 2 Cor. 3.2 3. The Apostle tells the Corinthians that they are saith he The Epittle of Christs Ministry by us the hand is Christs Ministers are but
and by our lively trust through the Covenant of Grace on our part let there be such a unity between Christ and us that all the powers of Hell may not be able to separate us from thee speak peace to our hearts still our consciences say I have received a sacrifice for you I shall befriend you I will be just and faithful to forgive your sins my Law is sully fulfilled by another though broken by you my Justice is fully satisfied by another though provoked by you my wrath is ceased by the means of another though incensed by you Oh Lord what a cordial would this be canst not thou amongst this great multitude of people espy some that through the Spirit of thy Son would worship thee in thine own way speak peace to every such soul Is there any soul before thee O Lord to whom thou hast given the grace of desire O lord give them grace according to their desire and thou which didst regard us when we were running from thee do not reject us now we are drawing near thee And thou which bidst us believe by the command of thy Word help us to believe by the operation of thy Spirit draw us that we may be able to follow thee thy loving kindness is better than life Some do say Who will shew us any good But Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and thou wilt glad our hearts more than in the time when Corn or wine or Oil increaseth Let it be fair above head when it is dirty below let us see one contrary in another let us confute an eye of sense with an eye of faith and when we come to see nothing here that can gratifie our senses let us have something to quiet our souls We would fain be at war with sin that we may be at peace with thee though we cannot return as much as we have received yet help us to return as much as we can give us repentance unto life epentance from dead works a mourning fat greater for the remembrance of sin than we have pleasure in the committing of sin those secret distempers in our souls that no eye sees but thine let us cry out Wretched men that we are who should deliver us from this body of sin And as the fear of condemnation doth decrease so set the fear of transgression increase And because O Lord thou hast not made us to bleed with thy greatness O Lord make us to blush with thy goodness let us as truely desire that Heaven would enter into us into a way of holiness here as we desire to enter into Heaven in the way of happiness hereafter Let us see that our kindness to sin is cruelty to our Saviour let net that live quietly one minuite with us that would not let Christ live let us see there is nothing small by which the great God is offended and an immortal soul is damned We are to be in the world but for a while to take a turn or two and be gone Oh that we might make it the business of our life to get into Christ though it be the scorn of men and burdensome to nature yet this is that which will bring us peace at last Let us be what we profess our selves to be let us love Christ and evangelically keep his commandements let us live by faith let us keep thy Commandements let us be above the world in the world above the love of life and above the fear of death let not the smiles of the world allure us nor the frowns thereof affright us from thee but in all these things let us be more than conquerers through Jesus Christ Let us love him much whom we cannot love too much Help us to be above the power of Hell let us ever say My soul it is good for me to draw nigh to God Let us be willing rather to be faved with a few than go to Hell in a crowd let us live as if Eternity were long and life but short let us thrive in holiness and be brought neerer to thy self by every dispensation let us in this our day know the things that concern our peace before they be hid from our eyes and know the time of our visitation and though God suffer long he will strike at last O Lord bow the heavens and come down among us at this time and be with the unworthiest of thy servants and give unto him a door of utterance and to thin great people a door of entrance and let them be all taught of God and let them truly find that the great God is teaching to the heart when that a weak worm is speaking to the ear let all the work be done by theo and let all he praise redound unto thee and let him that is with us be greater than he that is in the world behold us in the Son of thy love smell aswee savor of rest on these our poor prayers speak peace to our consciences rebuke the tempter tread him under our feet shortly raise us up to newness of life let us remember when that which is perfect is rome that which is imperfect shall be done away Hear us and help us through our dear Redeemer let us live for him here and with him hereafter and all for his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory to whom with thee and thy Sprit be Glory and Honour now an for ever Amen Mr. Cradocott's Prayer at St. Sepulchres MOst glorious and most gracious Lord God who art God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hast put thine own Name and stamp upon this Day wilt thou be pleased to appear now and prepare and dispose our unprepared and indisposed souls for holy Observation of this thine holy day Will the Lord vouchsafe us the incomes of his spirit and influences of his Grace whereby we may be inabled to offer up spiritual Sacrifice which may be acceptable to Jesus Christ Lord thou requirest praying hearts but thou hast not commanded us to use Prayer-books and if thou wilt give us the Spirit of Prayer we shall not need them Lord give us praying hearts at this time let us find by experience that the Sabbath is a day of Souls opportunity that thine Ordinances are full of marrow that thou hast not said unto thy Children the seed of Jacob seek my face in vain VVe acknowledge we are unworthy to lift up our eyes to heaven we have cause enough to cry out God be merciful to us sinners undeserving ill-deserving men and women we acknowledge our natures are blots of all wickednesses we are by nature enemies to thy Majesty heirs of death children of darkness slaves to sin captives to lust dead to sins and trespasses how are our understandings darkned and our hearts-hardened what are our hearts but a store house of malicious thoughts a brothel house of adultery a palace of pride we are by nature
it is to be ashamed to sigh over our sins and groan over our iniquities I how few out of tenderness do mouru for sin but as if it were indifferent to us whether we have our sins purdoned or the grace that we beg to be granted and if we do beg to be pardoned where are the souls that desire to be purged If thou shouldst let us have our wills Oh then we should think thou wert a good God whereas it is thy great Love that thou dost deny us our wills we poor wretche we are up and down as the things of this world do come into us and go from us if God give us great things then we think our selves in Paradise and if God take from us then we fall out with God himself Oh! how ill do we take it at thy hands if thou dost not give us what we would or take from us what we would The doctrine of self-denial is a meer riddle to us we would fain spend the strength of our youth in following the lust of the eye and gratifie our sensual affections and when we come to die it may be we would have a Lord have mercy upon us in our mouths and think it strange if God should not give us what we ask O Lord convince us now that we may be willing to be crucified to the world and to die to sin Lord we may flatter with our selves but our hearts do but abuse us while we think there is such contentment in the enjoying of this world what is this when we come to die Alas if we were not besotted content is sooner gained by self-denial than by pleasing our selves Can we think we shall be at ease till we come to God Is it like to be well with us while our wayes are contrary to the wayes of God are not thy waies the waies of peace Oh! how can we be at rest when our waies are contrary to thine Oh! un-lust us we had better part from our idols here that that they should part us from God hereafter Lord if there were no other hell this is damnation to be a sinne for this is the nature of sin to separate us from God Oh help us to account the reproaches of Christ better than the honors of the Cross of Christ better than the Crown of the world O shew us the sinfulness of sin and the emptiness of the world that we may take thy Counsel and mind thy Glory and be ruled by thy Will Oh how happy would it be with us if our souls were brought into such a frame We are Lord as yet great strangers to the life of God Oh! let us know what it is to live with thee and to thee and with thee that we may say For us to live in Christ and to die is gain and that we may say Whom have we in Heaven but thee O Lord We depend upon thee let thy goodness be seen do not put us off with the means of grace but give us grace it self And seeing thou art pleased to make use of such a poor thing as the preaching of the Gospel is and seeing this is the means to bring our souls to eternal life Oh let it be so to us that we may repent from sin and believe in the righteousness of the Gospel Oh Lord thou knowest all our frailties and all our necessities find out them that are dead in sins and quicken them find out the hard hearts and soften them find out the proud hearts and humble them find out the formalists and bring them to the power of godliness and pour in wine and oyl into the wounds of the wounded in spirit and let the administration of the Gospel be in the demonstration of the Spirit that as the truth is delivered to us we may be delivered to the truth that while we touch the hem of thy garment Vertue may come out from thee Thou hast said that mercy pleaseth thee we are sure it will pleasure us Oh let us not loose our time but do thou teach us to profit and supply our wants for the sake of our dear Lord to whom with Thee and thy Spirit be given more Glory from now unto eternity Nr. G. N. his Prayer TO thee O Lord Jesus we commend our selves To thee who judgeth rightly thy poor Servant resigneth and commiteth this Congregation The Lord pardon unto me wherein I have been wanting unto them The Lord pardon unto them wherein they have been wanting in the hearing of thy Word that we may not part with sin in our hearts Unto thee who judgest uprightly I commend them The Bishop of Souls take care of them Preserve them from the love of the World teach them to wait on thee and to receive from thee whatevor any one or Family may stand in need of Provide them a Pastor according unto thine own will only in the mean time give us that Anointing shall lead us out of our own wells and waies that we may walk in the waies of Christ Jesus The Lord Jesus say now amongst them I am your Shepheard you shall not want Say to them as thou didst to thy Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled you beleeve in the Father beleeve also in me So far as we are able we put thy Name upon them we name the Name of the Lord Jesus over them The Lord Jesus bless them teach them to follow Holiness Peace and a Heavenly Conversation The Lord make them usefull to each other The Lord Jesus be a blessing to them and me and all ours The God of Peace and Consolation fill them with blessings according as thou seest every one stand in need of To thee O Lord we commend then do thou receive them that under thy counsel they may be preserved blameless until the day Jesus where we may all meet crowned with Glory Amen FINIS Mr. GEORGE THORNE of Weymouth HIS FAREWEL-SERMON PSAL. 37.34 Wait on the Lord and keep his Way NOt knowing whether ever I shal speak to you more from this place being willing to leave a word in season I shall recommend to you what in answer to prayer I have recived of the Lord for the directing me in my course in this gloomy dark day being well assured that as many of us as work by this rule and fall by this compass how ever we may be scatered by the tewpestuous storms we meet with here in the Sea of this World shall shortly arrive at and meet in our desired Port the Haven of Eternal Rest and Happiness What therefore the Lord hath said to me and that with a strong hand that say I unto you in the Name of the Lord Wait on the Lord and keep his VVay The scope of this Psalm is to direct the People of God and to encourage them to keep on in the course of Godliness at such times as when the Wicked prosper flourish and grow great and the godly are afflicted trouble persecuted and oppressed And there are two
profess themselves Sons of the same God Members of the same Christ Temples of the same Spirit should be at deadly jarrs one with another It is strange and unnatural that Lillies should prove Thorns to one another that those who are Saints in pretence should be Devils in practice to one another that Gods Diamonds should cut one another this is very strange yet thus it is But now especially it is most sad when Religion which should restrain and bridle our passions is made fuel and incentives of them How farre distant is it from the counsel of the Apostle Rom. 14.10 where he speaks concerning their lesser differences one values one day above another another esteems every day alike what 's His counsel he speaks as a person that was fill'd with bowels and compassion Oh saith he let not him that doth not esteem the day judge him that doth For we shall all stand before the judgement-seat of Christ there we shall appear all upon a level stand upon equal ground and receive our final doom from him This therefore should calm our Spirit Why may there not be some differences in judgement without division in affection for it is as impossible that all judgements should be of the same extent as all our faces to be of the same colour and figure Therefore consider what an injury it is to our Profession how doth it obscure the glory of God and lustre of our Religion 3. Doth not the publick enemy rejoyce over us I mean the Papists do they not warm themselves at the sparks of our Divisions For you know the old Maxim of Divide and Reign therefore it should compose our spirits and quicken us to labour after union Vnmortified lusts are thence whence all Wars and Enmities springs in the World The Apostle Paul when he would compose their differences he doth not lay down Rules to decide their controversies but to correct their secret passions pride self-seeking revenge c. This being the seed of all disturbances in the Church And although these Lusts may not be conspicuous and visible to the eyes of men yet they are certainly the fuel of our distempers The sum of all is this those that have the Spirit of God they cannot but mourn and be sensible of these divisions I know a great part among us are unconcerned some rejoyce those that are rather buried in the affairs of the World and incumbred with much business or those that are steeped in the pleasures of sense are altogether unaffected with these things stand as Newters disregarding all events But the Saints of God cannot but mourn over them when our divisions hinder the progress of the Gospel are serviceable to nothing but to the Kingdom of darkness Therefore I beseech you let what hath been spoken quicken you in your prayers to God to pray for the peace of Jecusalem that 's the least effect of our love and desires after peace and by all endeavours to labour to bring back peace to us that we may see that prophesie fulfilled in our time that the Lord should be one and his Name one amongst us Dr. Bates's Afternoon Sermon Heb. 13.20.21 Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever THe Apostle describes God by the effects of his power and love That brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus The Resurrection of Christ from the dead is one of the most transcendent testimonies of Gods love and power towards us 1. Of his Love because as the Anger of God was that which crucified our Saviour so on the contrary it must be his Love that should raise and restore him Christ when he died he looked upon God as an Enemy as a Judge and as those colours which we see conveyed to us are answerable to the Medium through which we see them as if we look through a coloured glass we see the object of that colour So the Lord Jesus when he was upon the Cross looked upon God through the black-cloud of our sins and through the red cloud of his Fathers wrath and so dyed as a Sacrifice to Divine Justice But when he was raised from the Grave that was the testimony of Gods love to him and of his love to us for he died as our Surety he was arrested for our Debt he was cast into the Grave as into a Prison But by his Resurrection he was redeemed from Prison and Judgement And therefore you shall find when Christ was risen he salutes his Disciples with this Peace be unto you Luk. 24.31 There was the dawning of peace at the Incarnation of Christ for then the Angels sung Peace upon earth but the compleat Sun-shine of peace was at his Resurrection when he had made full and compleat satisfaction to Gods Justice for this was a clearing of him before all the World when God raised him from the Grave And in this respect it was very agreeable for the Apostle to say The God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus 2. It was the eflect of Infinite power You know it is naturally impossible for a dead body to quicken himself to revive but for the Lord Jesus who had the load of the sins of all the Elect upon him who was as it were secured in the Grave by Gods Justice and Power for him to rise again This must be an effect of Insinite Power in the Great God Thus raising of Christ sometimes 't is attributed to the Son being God equal with the Father But here 't is attributed to God and therefore when the Scripture would speak with the greatest magnificence of the Power of God it expresses it thus That power which raised Jesus Christ from the dead When Christ wrought deliverance for the lost world all those who were commited to his charge This could be no less then the work of an infinite Power And upon this account also it is very proportionable to the design of the Apostle for that prayer he makes to God is for that which onely can be accomplished by Infinite Love and Infinite Power i.e. to make the Christian Hebrews perfect in every good work to do his will I come to a further description He that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus the Title of the Lord Jesus was onely given to our Saviour after his Resurrection he was called Lord before and Jesus before but these two Titles were ever united till after his Resurrection hey came to see the place where the body of the Lord Jesus lay the reason was this because the Resurrection of Christ was a solemn Proclamation to the World that Christ was the Son of God 'T is true this Title was given him immediately upon his
to make up all those differences which fall out between God and us for you know Amity and Friendship is kept between Forraign States by their Residents and Agents that are kept in their several Courts so we have an Agent in the Court of Heaven the Lord Jesus Christ that was raised from the dead And as a Believer falls into sin which is a breach of Peace between God and us so that Peace is made up by the exercise of repentance on our part and by sprinkling of Christs bloud upon us on Gods part The renewed exercise of Repentance and application of Christs bloud preseryes that peace that is between God and Believers And to sum up the force of the Argument when we had fallen from God and it did not consist with the Majesty of God to make peace with us without satisfaction then was he pleased to pay our Ransom out of his own Treasury and Redeem us by the bloud of his Sonne So that all his Attributes might shine forth in their Lustre and glory in our Salvation and that upon sure terms we might be able to challenge an Interest in his Favour and Love It follows Through the bloud of the Everlasting Covenant It is called an Everlasting Covenant in two respects 1. In opposition to the Old Covenant which was made with Adam in Innocency but that Covenant which secures to us the reward of that Life Eternal did not secure to us the Condition that was perfect Obedience and in reference to this Old Covenant sometimes the Gospel is called a New Covenant sometimes a Better Covenant because it supplies all weaknesse in the first Covenant not as if the Law of God was weak and faulty in respect of its self for the Law is Holy Just and Good but weak in respect of us for it is impossible that that Covenant by the breach of which Sin and Death came in to us should reconcile us to God and appease his anger and therefore God contrived another Covenant for us a Covenant in the Gospel that was made with us in Christ and this is called an Everlasting Covenant because it remains for ever the tenor of it shall not be changed for the Frst Covenant is onely abrogated and made null while frustrated as to the intent it was first given 2. It 's called an Everlasting Covenant as it brings to those that are parties in it an everlasting Glory so the Lord Jesus his blood is called an Everlasting Redemption for it ransoms the souls of men from that Eternal Death to which they were liable and gives them a Title to Everlasting Life for this Covenant which now God hath made with us it not onely secures the Reward but the Conditions to which the Reward is made for God saith I will plant my fear in your hearts that you shall not depart from me I have now gone over the Title and that in order to the Prayer which follows Make you perfect to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight the general sum of it is this That God of Peace who is reconciled to us in his Son as he is the Father of mercies to us so he is the Fountain of Holiness to us and in this respect we can onely expect from him the treasures of Grace as he is the God of Peace for God as he is our Judge dispences to Sinners nothing but revenge there is nothing to be expected but the curse of his Law the Execution of that sentence of death from him For although the World despise holiness as a base and contemptible thing they had rather be ungracious than inglorious in the eyes of men and upon this account they are afraid to be Holy lest they should be the publick scorn and contempt of the place wherein they live although holiness is of so low a price in the world yet in Heaven next to God Christ and the Spirit Holiness is the most rich Jewel that God can bestow upon us and therefore we must first look upon him as the God of Peace before we can beg any grace from him And this is the Reason why the Apostle represents God by these Titles that he might encourage the Hebrews to believe God would grant this request When Christ dyed for us it was not his design only to quiet our consciences but to quicken our souls not onely to free us from Damnation but from the Domination of sin And therefore you shall find these two are joyned together Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The death of Christ as there was a value in it to purchase Gods favour so there was a vertue in it to restore to us Gods Image And the account of his dying for us is it that we must expect the least degree of Grace and Holiness from God And this is the reason why the Apostle prefaces this Now the God of Peace c. I know you expect I should say something as to my non-conformity I shall onely say thus much It is neither fancy faction nor humour that makes me not to comply but meerly for fear of offending God And if after the best means used for my illumination as prayer to God discourse study I am not able to be satisfied concerning the lawfulness of what is required if it be my unhappiness to be in error surely men wil have no reason to be angry with me in this world and I hope God will pardon me in the next Mr. Watson 's Forenoon Sermon Aug. 17. 1662. John 13.34 A New Commandment give I unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you VVE are this day called to a Love-feast and nothing can be more suitable than to treat of Christian Love Jesus Christ hath given us a great evidence of his Love to us he bled Love at every vein therefore we are to imitate him and as becometh Christians to Love one another 'T is a general complaint how true I know not That this is the great Grace that is defective among Christians Although they pretend much Love to Christ yet they have little Love one to another I have in former Sermons discoursed concerning Faith how that by Faith we must receive Christ in the Sacrament and now I shall speak something of Love Love is needful at a feast it is requisite when we sit down at our own Table I remember it is said of Augustin He would not suffer any to feast at his Table that came in a Spirit of Rancor and sate down in passion Sure I am they are not fit to be Guests at Christs Table that come not in a Spirit of Meekness and Love It is true we are to eat the Passover with bitter herbs but they must be the bitter Herbs of Repentance not the bitter Herbs of Malice Wrath and Fury we must come here with bitter Tears not with bitter
as the Word of Truth The Word was written after the Church but as it is the Word of God it 's before it This therefore will break the snare if you be set upon by the specious name of the Church look that the Church hath warrant from Scripture-Institution and then submit to Church-Institution A second Rule I observe men would set up to betray poor souls from the faith once delivered to them is Ancient Custom our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain When they would hold forth that which the Scripture is short in they will send us to such and such customs of so many hundred years standing It is to be bewailed that the date the standing of false Doctrines and false Worships is so ancient for though at first they were but Innovations yet to succeeding Generations they become old And 't is a very great truth That what is the most ancient is the most true and therefore there lies a great snare in this Therefore when Antiquity is pretended if you find not their hoary heads in the way of Righteousness there is little reason for you to reverence them or comply with them no more than there was reason so suddenly to be taken with the Gibeonites mouldy bread and clouted shoes When matters of Antiquity are pretended say as Ignatius Jesus Christus est mea Antiquitas Jesus Christ is my Antiquity so say Truth is my Antiquity for though an opinion hath been practised a thousand years yet men may have the Word of Truth in their hearts that is ancienter than all A third Rule that men would set up is The general course of the World or Place the generality of those where they live This was that the Popish Party did often mention to the witnesses of Jesus Christ What! will you be wiser than others Can't you do as others do must you be singular And this is a taking Rule for to make you conformable to those things possibly the Word of God will not warrant if you bring not this custom to the Word of God 'T is not what the most do but what we may do 't is not what the practice of all in general is but what ought to be the singular care and strict holiness of Christians in particular that the Word of God will allow Christians are not to be conformable to the present World Rom. 12.1 The Word will tell you It is no more safe to follow a multitude to do evil than it will be sweet to be in Hell with a great company The Word will let you know the secrets of the Lord are with a very few and those them that fear him as for the whole world it lies in wickedness The Word will tell you The wayes of Jesus Christ and the profession of Jesus Christ is commonly called a Sect it is every where spoken against and men hate it every where Therefore set up a Rule in your hearts in your houses in your meditations in your practise Rule 2. Be very well rooted and established in the faith that hath been delivered to you I observe one of the great reasons why Christians so easily let go the profession they have made is because they were never well built upon it nor established in it There are many Christians that through their own itching ears heaping up Teachers to themselves have never been rooted or established in the truth the Lord pitty them and keep them this day Many Christians that have attended to establishing means yet never seriously considered nor laid things to their heart but are like those the Apostle speaks of Heb. 5.12 that had need to learn the first Oracles of God How many among us profess with the highest but have little ground for their faith onely with the Jews the Traditions of the Elders the custom of the place Education and because such a party of men say so because no body denies it because Ministers commonly preached it but to have any solid and serious ground they are yet to seek 'T is not with the things of God as with other Arts as Logick Rhetorick Astronomy in these Arts the principal is presupposed to be proved no man goes about to prove there is Reason that there is Number that there are Heavenly Bodies because sense and experience shews it But 't is quite otherwise in the things of God for you are not onely to run away with the notion that there is a God that this God is one and that these are his Words and his Works but you are to know this by experience because the knowledge of these things comes by infusion by faith by a belief that God is For by faith we believe the Worlds were made by the Word of God Hebr. 11.3 It is that therefore I would press you to that you would labour for an established Spirit Do not onely hear the things of God but see them the first will but blinde you or at best leave you at great uncertainties the last will settle you What was the reason of the holy Apostles zeal when they were under the greatest threatnings of the High Priests and were forbid to speak in the name of Christ and to speak of Justification by faith and the Resurrection of Christ from the dead and forgiveness of sins by him things that are further remote from sense and reason the Apostle will tell you Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard Hence it is that poor silly women that in respect of their Imbecillity and Infirmity of Sex the terrours of the fire and faggot might have been such to have brought them to Apostacy yet they confounded the great Doctors and Rabbies when they were brought before them they were able to burn though they could not dispute they beheld things that were invisible It 's an excellent thing not to take up the Word upon notion upon opinion but to have an established heart through Grace I shall direct you in two words 1. Get the Lord by Prayer to teach you every truth what Jesus Christ teaches once is everlastingly taught no word is abiding but what the Lord Jesus teaches himself Look as it is with Satan when he comes to seduce men from the truth he will present such a fine notion without and commonly he darts in some dazling light within so that you never knew a Heretick take up a false opinion but it was with a marvellous deal of sweetness and comfort so when the Lord Christ teacheth by his Spirit he comes with that light that sweetness savour and relish of truth as will be impossible for you to let it go Hence when Christ would confute the Pharisees who had the witness of his Father in his work he saith Joh. 5.37 Ye have neither heard his â—oice at any time nor seen his shape It 's an excellent thing to see the shape and hear the voice of God 2. Be well rooted upon Christ or else you will never be established in any â—ruth of Christ
of himself and it is not amiss for a Minister when he is to depart from a people to say something in vindication of himself there are enough that will when his back is turned lay falshoods scandals to his charge which they never durst do to his face Samuel knew this and therefore provided for it in 1 Sam. 12.1 And Samuel said unto them all Behold I have hearkened to your voice and have made you a King now behold the King walks in and out before you I am old and of gray-hairs and must now leave you I have walked before you from a child to this day and now witness against me before the Lord whose Oxe have I taken or whose Ass have I kept whom have I done wrong to or whom have I hurt and of whose hand have I received a bribe to blind mine eyes therewith He stood here upon the justification of his life and carriage towards them that he had not been a self-seeking or oppressing man unto them And thus did Paul vindicate himself to the Ephesians give me leave to divide Pauls vindication into four or five parts First He tells them that he had constantly preached amongst them notwithstanding all the afflictions which encountred him v. 19. Serving the Lord with all humility of mind with many tears and temptations which befell me through the lying in wait of the Jews Secondly He vindicates himself by telling them the matter of his preaching v. 20. I have taught you publickly and from house to house you know I may fitly apply this to my self for I have not only taught you publickly but in many of your houses also But Thirdly He vindicates himself by telling them the matter of his preaching and I bless God it hath been my method ever since I preached among you v. 21. Testifying to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ and this is my rejoycing now I may preach no more that I have spent my time in declaring unto you the Fundamentals and grounds of salvation and not in frivolous Ceremonies Fourthly He vindicates himself by declaring the impartiality of his preaching v. 27. I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God Oh my Brethren though I cannot say I have declared all the counsel of God yet this through grace I can say that I have not shunned to declare any of it Fifthly Paul doth clear his Doctrine and withal himself by telling them he had preached freely v. 32. and 33. I have coveted no mans silver or gold or apparel Yea ye your selves know that these hands have ministred to my necessities and to those that were with me I bless the Lord I can with a good conscience safely say I have coveted neither your silver nor gold neither am I a penny the richer for what I have received of you it was not a desire of any thing of yours that made me first accept of this place yet this shall I say for your honour that you have richly and liberally bestowed your favours upon me But as there is something in his own vindication So Secondly There is something by way of Exhortation to them v. 18. Take heed therefore unto your selves c. Paul before he leaves them hath something from God to say to them from whence I note this That the Ministers of God before they quite leave have something to say to them for God It was thus with the holy men of old Jacob when he was dying called all his Sons before him and to every one he gave counsel and blessing David when he was upon leaving the World and he knew he should not live long he called all Israel unto him and saith thus unto them Chron. 28.8 9. Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the Congregation of the Lord and in the andience of our God keep and seek for all the Commandements of the Lord your God that you may possess this good Land and leave it for an inheritable to your Children after you for ever And thou Solomon my Son know the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts If thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will east thee off for ever Thus you see it hath been the custom of holy men of old when they were leaving the World to say something to their people so now here I am come unto you this day as aâ—dving man for you know when this day is gone I must no more preach among you and I know you are here come to see what I shall leave you for your Legacy which that I may do take these twenty things as counsel and advice from a dying man and O that they may remain with you when I am dead First I shall give you ten by way of Caution and secondly ten by way of Counsel My Cautions are First Beloved I beseech you as you tender the welfare of your souls take heed of breaking the Sabbath day of prophaning the Lords day It hath been observable that where ever Religion hath flourished among any people there they have ever been careful and conscientious of the Sabbath day And on the contrary side where Religion is gone to decay and people grown to prophaneness there they are always loose on the Sabbath day Pray remember I hope you will remember for God calls upon you and commands you so to do Exod. 20. ver 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Do not you take so much liberty as some will give you Whosoever you are that refuse thus to do I will leave this assertion upon you Thou wretched man hath God given thee six dayes and reserved but one for himself and wilt thou rob him of that too What if he had given thee but one and kept six for himself would you be so vile as not to keep them How much more then when God hath given thee so much preheminence in time This is the first be conscious in keeping the Sabbath day Secondly Take heed and beware of Idolatry this was Johns Caution to his beloved Children 1 Epist 5. v. 21. Little Children keep your selves from Idols There is no sin to which nor no sin by which we are more in danger than Idolatry 1. There is no sin to which we are in more danger than Idolatry Moses back was no sooner turned but the people made them a brazen Calf and bowed down to it and worshipped it as their brazen God Exod. 32. v. 4. Jehojada was no sooner dead but Joash returned to Idolatry If we were not prone this to sin what is the reason all the World turns Antichristians so universally 2. As there is no sin to which we are in more danger so there is no sin by which we are in more danger than Idolatry I do
we may live with the God of Peace hereafter Mr. Bull of Newington-Green his Farewel Sermon in the Forenoon Joh. 14.16 And I will send the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever THe Observation that I commended to you out of these words was this It is the great work for which the Spirit of Christ is given by God to comfort the hearts of his people You may remember that I have formerly opened the truth to you and have shewed you what this spiritual comfort is that the Spirit of Christ works in the hearts of his Disciples I gave it you in this Description It is that inward spiritual satisfaction that the heart of a gracious person finds in and through Jesus Christ in all the various dispensationâ— of God towards him whereby he is enabled to go on in chearfulness in the way that God would have him whether it be by a way of doing or of suffering And herein I shewed 1. The nature of the spiritual satisfaction 2. The Author of it It is God by his Spirit 3. The Object of it God through Jesus Christ 4. The proper subject of this inward spiritual comfort the people of God 5. And lastly The effects of the spiritual comfort it is to strengthen the heart both to do and to suffer I came the last time to shew you how the Spirit of God doth this 1. He doth it as an enlightning Spirit By shewing where comfort is to be had by opening the eyes of the understanding as he did Hagars bodily eyes to see the Well of Water 2. He doth it as a quickning Spirit bringing the Soul into that capacity to take in the comfort for what comfort can a dead man receiver a Cordial and Puddle is all one to a dead man 3. He works this inward spiritual satisfaction by discovering the truth of his vital Principle in the Soul for a man may have a principle of grace and spiritual life in him and not know it that though he has the spiritual comfort yet it is all one as if he had it not Now this is the great Question that is debated in the heart of a childe of God Whether he be regenerated and born again Whether he hath grace in his soul that grace that will qualifie him for glory and if he was satisfied as to this he would not be a moment without comfort But he is afraid that he is dead in sin that he is a stranger to the life of grace hence ariseth all the Spiritual troubles Now the Spirit of God comes in and resolves the case comes into the soul by his bright reflections and fills our souls with comfort Now we have received not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God 4. The Spirit of God is a comforting Spirit as he openeth the vein of godly sorrow in the soul Truly this is the next way to spiritual comfort when a man can once spiritually mourn for sin Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Godly sorrow opens the vein and le ts out the matter that hinders comfort and causeth inward trouble in the soul A gracious man takes a great delight in godly sorrow Oh! it 's matter of marvellous comfort to a Child of God when he can kindly mourn for his sins 5. The Spirit of God comforts the soul as he is a mortyfying Spirit Thus he takes away that that is the ground and matter of Believers trouble mortifying that sin that is the cause of his sorrows pride unbelief inordinate love to the World 6. The Spirit of God works comfort in the hearts of his people by setting their own spirit to seek for comfort in Gods own wayes The last thing that I did for the explication of the Doctrine was to add some Propositions and they are such as these 1. Many a gracious heart that hath fellowship with the spirit of God in his sanctifying work may feel and find none in his comforting work The Sun may operate where it doth not shine A man may be in a state of Salvation when it doth not feel the joyes of Salvation Isa 51.3 You shall find those that fear the Lord and had the comforts of the Holy Ghost yet walked in darkness 2. Even those gracious souls that have the fellowship of the comforting spirit to day may want it to morrow This is not daily bread while the Saints are on this side Heaven The Solstice of a Christians comfort doth not last all the day long they are not feasted with this every day they have the night as well as the day there is a night as well as a day in the heart of a gracious soul as it is natural in the common course of nature the Sun may shine to day but it may be clouded to morrow Thus it was with that holy man Psal 30.7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled And God doth this in infinite wisdom to put a difference between Earth and Heaven this valley of tears and that state of Glory that so the hearts of Gods people may be kept in frame of longing after the state of Heaven God will have his people be groaning here that his people may groan after that condition when all sorrowing and sighing shall flee away God reserves perfect comfort to be the reward of perfect holiness while our graces are imperfect we must make account that our comfort will be so too Tears will be never wiped from our eyes till sin be quite taken out of our hearts 3. Those that have had this spiritual comfort in their Souls they may lose not only the impression of the Spirits comfort but they may feel the impression of Gods anger Haman complains That the wrath of God did bang upon him and that the terrors of God had out him off A gracious heart hath real grounds of Consolation though he hath not present sensible comforts A child of God hath always that that if he did see he could not be without comfort the Promises are his support he hath the first fruits of the Spirit and right to eternal life A Child of God shall always have so much to keep up his hopes and affiance upon God A Child of God in the darkest condition though he doth not see enough to make him rejoyce in God yet he sees enough to make him trust in God though he walk in darkness and see no light yet he trusts in God Job sayes Though the Lord slay him yet be would trust in him David was in great trouble while he was in that disquiet expostulation Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me trust in God 5. Those that have inward comforts from the Spirit may at the same time have little comfort from Gods outward dispensations It may be dark without when it is light within
have no more to say but only this Thy will be done It was the saying of a good Woman in her Sickness when askt whether she was willing to live or die answer'd I am willing to do whether God pleaseth But said one if God should refer it to you which would you chuse Truly said she if God should refer it to me I should e'n refer it to him again Here 's the picture of Christs patience drawn here in this Text where as you see he refers to his Fathers pleasure Not my will but thine be done Paraphrastically thus If thou wilt have me suffer a while lay load on me and spare not If I must be spit on thus shamefully and buffetted thus basely and that by my own Creatures whom I could send to Hell with a word speaking if I must climb to the Ladder and be hung up in Gibbets as a Spectacle of sadness to my Friends and Object of laughter to my enemies If it be so that my Honour must lie in the dust and my Bloud lie in thè dust and my Sacred Body go to bed with Worms if it must be thus let it be thus and no otherwise than just thus in a word if he that never stole any thing unless it were mens sins from them must now be numbered with Transgressors and hang'd with Thieves if the Redemption of the World be so costly that I cannot hug a poor soul to Heaven with me at a cheaper Rate I am content to come up to Gods terms and to buy the life of the Nation though it be with my own death Thus much is meant in this Expression Thy will be done From which Branch we may shake this Fruit into your Lap. Dostr A gracious soul will endeavour the crossing his own will when he sees that it crosses Gods Or thus A true Christian dare not at least ought not to gratifie his own Humour when it stands in opposition or cometh in competition with Gods Honour In the improvement of which I shall 1. Premise some Presidents of it 2 Annex some Reasons to it 3. Infer some Use from it The first President I shall pitch upon is Abraham Gen. 22 2. Here God calls Abraham out to very hot service even to lay the Sacrificing Knife to the throat of his dear Child Come saith God Take thy Son thy only Son Isaac whom thou lovest and offer him up for a Burnt-offering Alas how many considerations might have stept up into Abrahams head at this time to have made him refuse obedience to a Command so grievous and ungrateful to flesh and bloud Alas Lord Isaac is my Son the onely staffe of my old Age And if my Son die it will be enough to bring my gray Hairs with sorrow to the Grave Nay more Isaac is my only Son I have none else to keep up my Family and to preserve my Name in everlasting Remembrance and if he die all the hopes I have of a Flourishing Posterity dies with him Nay more Iâ—aac is the Son of Promise In his seed all Nations are to be blessed Christ the Mâ—ssiah is to come of his Liâ—e Sions Deliverer is to spring out of his Race and if he die the World for ought I know must want a Saviour and Israel his Redâ—â—mâ—r Besides if Isaac must be saâ—â—ificed is there none to lay bloudy hands upon him but my self Must an indulgent Father be his own Childs Executioner Must I that gave him life be the cruel Instrument of taking it way Thus Abraham might have Expostulated the Case with God But no no instead of Replying he falls to Obeying Gen. 22. ver 3. without either disputing the Justice of Gods Precept or distrusting the truth of his promise for he considered That God was able to raise him up again from the dead Heb. 11.19 See here an eminent piece of Self-denial his sin must go his Son must go any thing yea every thing must go when God calls for it It was Abrahams will and wish too that Isaac should live but Abraham would not own his will when he saw it did not own Gods and what lost he by it Take this Christian as an Axiome and put it as an Article into thy Creed That there 's never any loss in obeying God let the command be never so dangerous costly or difficult the way to keep Isaac is to give up Isaac and the way to enjoy thy will is to deny thy will The promise is clear Mat. 19.29 A second President you have in David 2 Sam. 15.26 who in that great Cross his chasing from the Crown thus expressed himself Behold here I am let the Lord do with me as seemeth good in his sight As if he had said If the Lord please to change the Nature of my unnatural Son Absalon who seeks to Usurp the Crown and Ravish the Kingdom from me and to settle and re-establish me on the Throne again If God please thus to honour me it shall content me but if he use his Negative Vote and deny me that mercy saying I have no pleasure in thee I will be content still Let him do saith David what seemeth good in his sight Not what seems good in my sight but in his His will shall be my will and his pleasure my delight See what another self-denying Saint here is that God and he should have but one will betwixt them both If God would favour him he would be for it and if God would afflict him he would not be against it Which disposition mindeth me of that passion which I have read of Socrates when a Tyrant threatned him with death I am willing to dye Socrates Nay then replyed the Tyrant you shall live against your will No said Socrates what ever you do with me it shall not be against but with my will O friends I question whether some of you who pretend to Grace may not go to School to thiâ— Heathen who had no other Pilot but Nature to steer him Could not the Tyrant by altering the mans condition make him to alter his Countenance and is your condition up and down as your comforts or discomforts ebb or flow did natural Qualifications make him quietly submit to Fortune and shall not Theological considerations make him acquiesce in a Providence Did the Spring-head of meer Reason rise so high as Contentation and shall not Religion like the waters of the Sanctuary rise as high O Christians lye down at the foot of Gods Mercy saying Thy will be done 1. Otherwise you will grieve God 2. And you will gratifie the Devil 3. And lastly you will no way advantage your selves Reas 1. First I say you will grieve God * This expression is not to be taken properly but Theologically See Heb. 3.10 Wherefore I was grieved with that Generation saith God What Generation was that which God was thus grieved with Look but into Exod. 16.8 and you 'l finde it was a murmuring Generation a dissatisfied and discontented Generation It 's a
Martyrs 7. And lastly the Remish religion is a self-contradicting religion One of their Canons saith a man in some cases may take the Sacrament at the hand of an Heretick another Canon saith he may not A learned and judicious Writer observes above an hundred Contradictions in their Religion Therefore again I press the words of my Text Wherefore my beloved nay let me say my dearly beloved flee from Idolaâ—ry To shut up all let me exhort you to these two or three things First Hold fast the Doctrine of the true Orthodex Protestant Religion the very filings of this gold is precious Keep all the Articles of the Christian Faith if you let one fundamental article of your Faith go you hazard your Salvation When Samson pulled down but on Pillar immediately the whole Fabrick tumbled so if you destroy one Pillar if you let go one Fundamental of Truth you endanger all Secondly Hold forth the profession of the Protestant Religion I say do not only hold fast the Doctrine of the Protestant Religion but hold forth the Profession of the Protestant Religion Be not ashamed to wear Christs Colours Christians remember this one thing those Persons that are ashamed of Christ are a very shame unto Christ The Religion I exhort you to flee from is a novelty that which I press you to stand to is a verity it is consonant to Scripture it is built on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and hath been sealed to by the blood of many Saints and Martyrs Thirdly and lastly do not only hold fast and hold forth but also adorn the Protestant Religion this is holy Pauls Exhortation to Titus Tit. 2.10 Adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour Adorn Religion with a holy Conversation There is nothing hardens Papists so much as the loosness of Protestants Therefore adorn your holy Religion with a holy Conversation Do as Christ did tread in his steps make your Saviour your Pattern Let me assure you I can hardly think they do truly beleeve in Christ that do not really conform unto Christ The Primitive Christians Sanctity did much-what propogate Christianity And this is that beseech you carry home with you Hold fast and hold forth the Protestant Religion and adorn it with a Holy and Bible-Conversation and when you do not hear me Preaching to you yet let me beseech you hear this good Word speaking in you Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry Consider what hath been said and the Lord make it advantagious to all your Souls The Prayers of several of these Divines Mr. Calamy's Prayer at Aldermanbury OH most Holy thou ever blessed Lord God thou fillest Heaven and Earth with thy Presence We pray thee fill all our hearts with the Presence of thy Grace and let it appear that thou art in the midst of us with that powerfull assistance of thy Spirit that we may receive a token of thy love from thee at this time It is a singular favour that the doores of thy Sanctuary are open to us and that yet we may meet together in thy Name we pray the continue it to us and sanctifie it to us that every Sabbath may add to our stature in Jesus Christ We confess we have forfeited all our mercies wee have heard much of God and Christ and Heaven with our ears but there is little of God Christ and Heaven in our hearts We confess many of us by hearing Sermons are grown Sermon-proof VVe know how to scoff and mock at Sermons but we know not how to live Sermons It is a miracle of free grace thou hast not taken the Gospel from us ere this time but thou art a merciful God and though we cannot please thee yet Mercy pleaseth thee and we have no argument to bring along with us to beg thy favours but thy Mercy in Jesus Christ We pray thee that thou wilt glorifie thy Soveraignty in being gracious to us and pardon our many and great transgressions Thou makest use of the malice of men for thy Glory Thou killest Goliah with his own Sword O help us to put our trust in thee thou that canst kill and cure by killing Blesse these Nations of England Scotland and Ireland and find out yet a way to save us Pour down thy blessings upon the head and heart of our Sovereign Charles by thy Grace King of Great Britiain thou hast done great things for him let him do Great things for thee Bless him in his Royal Consort in his Royal Relations in his Council Bless the Magistrates and Ministers of this Realm Lord forgive us for we live as if we had been delivered to work wickedness we cannot sin at so cheap a rate as others do we pray thee humble us under our great and grievous sins give us repentance unto Salvation and a lively Faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ Quicken our graces forgive our sins make alive our Souls let us be such as thou wouldst have us to be make us Christians not only by an outward Profession but an inward Conversation that we may live in Heaven while we are on Earth and come to Heaven when we shall leave the Earth To that purpose bless thy Word unto us at this time and give us all grace to make conscience of what we hear and how we hear and all for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be all Glory and Honour Amen Mr. Nalton's Prayer at Foster-lane ETernal most Mighty and most glorious Lord God thou art God alone and besides thee there is no Saviour or helper our strength stands in thy Name who hast made both Heaven and Earth of our selves we are able to do nothing that is pleasing in thy sight we can pollute thy Name but we cannot honour thy Name we can run away from thee but we cannot run unto thee unless thou dost powerfully draw us by the holy spirit We can grieve thy spirit but we cannot grieve for grieving of thy spirit Oh let thy strength be manifested in our weakness look upon us with the favour thou bearest to thy children Enter not into judgment with thy servants for we cannot answer thee one of a thousand not one thought of a thousand thoughts not one word of a thousand words most of our actions have been reproveable and the best of our services have been unprofitable our omissions commissions and presumptions have been multiplyed intolerably Oh! how often have we take 〈◊〉 Name in vain while we have been confessing our sins how often haâ—â— we run from confessing our sins to the committing of sins and from committing sins to the confessing sin again as if we had but mocked thy sacred Majesty Though we know thy Favour is better than life we have parted with it upon easie terms Oh the pride and stubbornnesse that is in our hearts All the mercies thou hast bestowed upon us have not melted us into tears for our unkindnesse and all those blows that have fallen upon our backs have
of wrath will fall upon us O Lord how many ways hast thou used to reclaim us what Arts hath thy blessed Spirit used how many times hast thou approached to our souls and shewed us something of thy glory and the glory of heaven and the terrours of hâ—ll the one to allure us and the other to scare us But Oh! how many times have we grieved thy blessed Spirit who came to seal us and despised thy Son who came from heaven to earth and liv'd a sorrowful life and died a shameful death how often hath he offered us grace and glory if we would how to his Scepter but we have preferred a base lust before that excellency that he hath purchased us Oh how often hast thou condescended so far as to intreat us to be reconciled how easie hast thou been to forgive and how hard have we been to be forgiven VVe confess thou mighâ—est pass an eternal Doom upon us for we are sensible of the dishonour that we have brought upon thy Name Do thou at this time strike upon all these rocks that are in thy presence at this time give us hearts of flesh let our repentance pâ—eprare us for corversion let there be such a through conviction that thy grace and Mercy may be admirable in our eyes VVe intreat thee hear us pardon all our iniquities let us be monuments of thy grace and favour speak peace to our Consciences convey those clear evis dences of thâ—â—â—ve unto us that may inable us to scatter all our fâ—aâ—s that we may rejoice in God and have hope of glory Let the image of thy Son be engraven on all our hearts and let our souls be made subject to him while we are in the world preserve us from the evil of it If thou givest us out ward happiness give us withat inward holiness and if we do suffer help us with patience to bear all knowing we are in our journey and our passage to a better life and let our whole time be spent in a serious Preparation to appear before thy Tribunal and let us consider the unchangableness of that state hereafter Remember thy whole Church make the Name of Christ glorious in the world shed abroâ—d thy light and thy truth heavour back-slidings and love us freely Let thine Ordâ—nances continue among us and let thy blessing descend upon our sovereign Lord the King of England Scot and France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Incline his heart to thy Law make him an instrument of publick good protect his person and give him prosperous affairs Bless his Royal Consort his Relations his privy Counsel let them promote solid Piety and real Godliness Bless the Minister of thy Word and Sacraments Let their labours be precious in thy sight and remember all afflicted ones revive thy Mourners and let thy grace answer all their fears Let thy presence be in the midst of us and help us to hear as our last and let us be raised nearer heaven and make thy word powerful and effectual to all our souls and let thy word subdue our lusts and aâ—l we beg for the sake of Jesus Christ in whose Name and words we sum up our imperfect Prayers Our Father which art in Heaven c. Dr. Jacomb's Prayer at Martins Ludgate BLessed God thou art a God blessed for ever thou givest Mercy to all returning and repenting sinners thou art worthy to be praised by all that draw nigh unto thee Thou hast vouchsafed to us one Sabbath more Oh that we might all of us be in the spirit upon the Lords day that whatever we do we may do it in the strength of God that we may offer spiritual Sacrifices to God this day through our Mediator the Lord Jesus It is a very great condescention that thou shouldst suffer such as we are to come unto thee O Lord we are unclean we are unclean from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot we are overspread with the leprosie of sin all the faculties of our souls are defiled our understandings are darkened our wills are corrupted we have affections but they are carnal we have hearts but they are impure we have consciences but they are seared and as our inward man so our lives are unholy as the fountain is so is the stream besides that our general guilt that we brought into the world we are guilty of innumerable actual transgressions against thy holy Law We think O Lord there are no greater sinners in the world than we our sins are attended with many aggravations We have finned against Prayers against vows and promises we have had as much light shining before us as any in the world have had great is our unbelief Oh that we could lay these things to our hearts We do refuse to come to Christ we go about to establish a righteousness of our own and neglect the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ how are our hearts glewed to the present things of this world Oh! what do we do for thy glory How unreformed are we under all the ways of God that he hath taken to make us a holy people Give us a sight of our sins O Lord we confess sometimes we do make a formal confession but we do not find our hearts melted for sin as they should Oh take away from every one of us this heart of stone give a heart of flesh give us tender hearts make us sensible of all our departing from thee Oh let us look upon him whom we have pierced let us mourn that the Water of penitential sorrow may flow from us we are strangers to our selves we do not see what a hell there is in our nature Oh! how should we put our mouths in the dust and loath our selves if so be there might be hope O Lord convince us of sin give us such a sight of sin as may make us flie to thee give us such a sight of our own guilt that maâ—â— prepare us for the Grace of Godâ— now we are sâ—ung with the fiery Serpents help us to come to Jesus Christ our brazen Serpent give us the holy Spirit to bring us out of the state of nature to let that God that made us Creatures make us new Creatures O Lord we are thine own work but we are dead in trespasses and sins give us grace and speak a word to them that are dead put out thine Almighty Power and draw some sinner to Christ this day and those that have any breathings after thee Oh! thou that gavest them that desire carry on thine own work in them where thou hast begun a good work carry it on let sin as the house of Saul grow weaker and weaker and grace as the house of David grow stronger and stronger Oh! increase our faith O Lord at this time we do not onely stand in need of grace but of a great measure of grace Oh! help us by faith to relie upon God that thou mayest help us at last Bless