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sin_n	dead_a	death_n	quicken_v	3,267	5	10.4250	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58958	The Second and last collection of the late London ministers farewel sermons preached by Dr. Seaman, Dr. Bates, Mr. Caryll, [brace] Mr. Brooks, Mr. Venning, and Mr. Mead ; to which is added a farewell sermon preached at Dedham in Essex by Mr. Matthew Newcomen ; as also Mr. Lyes sermon at the conclusion of the last morning-exercise at All-hallows in Lumbard-street, being a summary rehearsal of the whole monthly-lectures.	Seaman, Lazarus, d. 1675.; Bates, William, 1625-1699.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.; Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.; Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699.; Newcomen, Matthew, 1610?-1669.; Lye, Thomas, 1621-1684.	1663 (1663)	Wing S2257; ESTC R41075	195,536	326

From the Object the Profession of our Faith And Thirdly From the Act with the Qualificationt Hold fast without wavering First From the Subject concerned Us Let us hold fast whatever others do if they let go Faith and God and 〈◊〉 and Souls and all● yet let us hold fast 〈…〉 the Apostle speaks of 〈◊〉 to Believers the●●●● a very great Emph sis in the word We or Us as in the 〈◊〉 of Tim. 6.8 saith ●e Having food and rayment let us be content Indeed he might have said Let every man be content but the emphasis lyes upon the us If no body else will be content yet let us for a Christian lyes under more obligations to all manner of vertue hen any other man doth If Nature will not be content with little yet let Grace Let us be content So here let us hold fast our Profession It may be others will let it go I but let us hold it fast let us among whom let us upon whom let us in whom such mighty things have been done by God let us hold fast or else it will be an intolerable upbraid and condemnation to us That it will be both see but two Texts of Scripture The first is in the 11th of Matthew vers 20 21. Then began he that is Christ to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Wo unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in Sackcloth and Ashes but I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the Day of Judgment then for you And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down unto Hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained untill this day But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom at the Day of Judgment then for thee Pray do but mark what an upbraid there is and upon what ground Because mightier works had been done among these then among others Now it seems to be a little excusible that they where these mighty works had not been done did not repent and therefore their punishment shall be the more tolerable But it will be more inexcusable for them among whom less mighty work have been done If they do not comply with the design of God their condition will be far more intolerable They that have been lifted up to Heaven as it were that have as it were seen Christ crucified before their eyes for them to apostatize and turn away from Christ of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy Certainly those very persons that have great and mighty works done among them and upon them too great Convictions and strong Resolutions and yet they shall apostatize oh how will God upbraid these persons Now see that other Text that speaks as dreadful as this Heb. 6.4.5 and 6 verses For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again 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 the 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 Heaven let us hold fast lest we come under this upbraid and this condemnation But more particularly let us hold fast as we are concerned to do if we consider First What we were before Faith Secondly What we are by Faith Thirdly What we shall be at the end of Faith First What we were before Faith What were we Before Christ was Preached and before we believed what were we Why much worse then if we had not been considered in our case and state it is better not to be at all then to be a sinner it were better not to be a people then 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 are 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 Apostle's expression is in Ephes 5.8 saith he Ye were sometimes Darkness The very Light that was in us was Darkness corrupt in our Understandings and Imaginations the Understanding dark We were 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 walkt 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 what 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 his marvellous light will not You hold fast You that were dead as well as others and now you live is this your requital to God that you will now let it go Oh! I beseech you have a care of that Secondly 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 quickned 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 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

Idol Shepherds they knew not 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 untill 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 at the Scribes did And withall I answer Secondly 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 then 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 then our Saviour did Thirdly No mans sin deserves so sharply to be reproved as the sins of Ministers because their sins of all others are the chief sins committed in a land at the Sanctuary prophanesse too too often begins Therefore when Gods people met in their publick fa●●● made 〈◊〉 confession of those 〈◊〉 of the first magnitude by which they had most provoked the Lord they do 〈◊〉 confession chiefly of the sins of these Magistrates and their Ministers Neh. 9.33 34. The Jews there bewailed the sins of their Magistrates and Ministers as the particular cause of their plagues On the sins of the Teachers are the Teachers of sin and therefore no mans sin deserves to be so sharply reproved as the scandalous sins of Ministers Now if you love your souls take heed and beware of a prophane delight in lewd loose dissolute Ministers We find the Lord complaining of the wickednesse of the Prophets and of the Priest and People 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. ver 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 ●s were of their own leven 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 as will poyson you in his Doctrine or in his example Thirdly take heed and beware of sinful idolizing of godly faithful Ministers the Apostle decries this with much zeal ardency and fervency of spirit what is Pauls planting and what is Apollo's watering 1 Cor. 3.5 6. as excellent gifts parts and graces as these men had ye● they look higher so it is your duty to look ab●●● 〈◊〉 parts and above 〈…〉 and graces Paul and Apollo cannot give 〈◊〉 Paul indeed may plant but there is no rooting 〈◊〉 of these plants but by Christ And read ver 7. it is God and he only that can give increase as Elisha's Servant could carry his Masters staffe and lay it on the dead child but the Child could not be raised to life untill Elisha came himself thus g●dly 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 holinesse 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 Fourthly take heed of being leavened with prejudice against the Ministry of the word because of the misdemeanour or miscarriage of the Minister Surely the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments doth not depend on the quality of the Minister It is the word of the Lord that converts not the person of the Dispencer or Speaker A seed that is sown in a good soyl may yea will grow and thrive although perhaps the Sower had a very dirty hand as 2 Cor. 2.3 the Apostle tells the Corinthians that they are saith he the Epistle of Christs Ministry by us the Hand is Christs Ministers are but the Pen. Hence it was that the Ministry of the Scribes and Pharisee● was not to be rejected but to be esteemed so long as they failed not in the substance thereof and hence the Apostle rejoyceth that Christ was preached of the false Apostles Phil. 1.15 16 17 18. though out of envy take heed therefore and beware of a total separation from disserting of and forsaking Church assemblies and yet I conceive it is a very rare thing for unconverted Ministers to convert some For what saith the Lord by the Prophet Zephania Zeph. 3.1 2 3 4. Oh saith the Lord to Jerusalem that bath such Prophets and such Priests woe to such a City to such a Country to such a Parish and what saith Christ himself in Matth. 15.14 Let them alone oft times it falls out so that it made Archbishop Abbot speak in a Lecture of his and professe that his heart did even bleed within him to think of the precious souls of many people who had such Ministers that if they had not been in the Ministry they would not have been fit Hogherds f●r Swine And yet we must remember not to tie the efficacy of the word and Sacraments to the goodnesse or badnesse of a Ministers person Fifthly take heed and beware of being leavened with prejudice against all Ministers because of the vilenesse and monster-like unbeseeming carriage of some Ministers It hath been granted over and over that some Ministers evil licentious carriage and conversations are notorious the Lord knows too many Ministers have Esau's hands with Jacobs voice what then must this redound to the general disgrace of all Ministers Because some professors of the Law live lawlesse must therefore all be censured and condemned for lawlesse livers Because Judas was a Devil and a Son of perdition will you therefore say that all the Disciples of Christ were naught Perhaps you do know some Sir Johns some blind Seers some blind Watchmen who know not Heavens way some blind Droans Or secondly some that carry themselves insolently as Jer. 20.1 2. as Pasher did Or thirdly some that are too too like that evil servant in the Gospel as Luke 12.45 Or perhaps you know fourthly some apostatizing Demusses who embrace this present world and revolt from their principles and profession as 2 Tim. 4.10 Or perhaps yo● know fifthly some aspiring and climbing Deatrephes 〈◊〉 3 John 9. Perhaps you know some such as these as I have instanced what then is there any profession as

shall all stand before the Judgment-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 Spirits Why may there not be some differences in Judgment without division in Affection for it is as impossible that all Judgments 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 Thirdly 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 Vnmortifi'd Lusts are thence whence all Wars 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 corrects 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 unconcern'd 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 and stand as Neuters dis-regarding all events But the Saints of God cannot but mourn over them when our Divisions hinder the progress of the Gospel and 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 Jerusalem 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 shall be one and his Name one amongst us Doctor BATES His 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 wel-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ To whom be glory for ever and ever Amen 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 God's 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 unanswerable to the Medium through which we see them as if we look through a coloured Gloss 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 Father's wrath and so died as a sacrifice to Divine Justice But when he was raised from the Grave that was the restimony of God's 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 Judgment 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 God's Justice for this was a clearing of him before all the World when God rais'd 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 effect of Infinite Power You know 't is naturally impossible for a dead body to quicken it self 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 God's Justice and Power for him to rise again This must be an effect of Infinite Power in the great God This 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 committed to his charge This could be no less than 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 only given to our Saviour after his Resurrection he was called Lord before and Jesus before but these two Titles were never united till after his Resurrection They 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 iven him immediately upon the Conception but it was never compleatly declared to the world till after his Resurrection for before Christ was a Prince in disguise the beams of his Divinity was abated by the vail of his Humanity but then he was declared by power to be the Son of God It follows That great Shepherd of the Sheep For the opening of this 1 We will consider this Title of Christ 2 The person for whom this Title relates First This Title The great Shepheard 'T is a wonderful condescention in Christ that he will take upon him the Title of a Shepheard that which rather expresses Love and Care than Power and Dominion yet he is pleased to assume this Title to express his affection to us For the opening of it wherein he appears to be the great Shepheard I shall lay down these particulars 1 He is great in the Dignity of his Person

a spark in the Sea yet he keeps it alive till it shall break forth into a triumphant flame That life that is encompassed with so many enemies and liable to so many weaknesses the Lord Jesus will bring forth judgment to victory and will make them to be powerful over spiritual and eternal enemies The sum is this The Lord Christ is so perfect a Shepheard so compleat as to all the qualifications of that office that the Prophet David breaks forth into exaltation Psal 23. The Lord is my Shepherd c. and then afterwards expresses all those provisions which are made for him by God as a Shepheard He makes me to lie down in green Pastures he leadeth me beside the still waters So that you see Christ whether for diligence love tenderness for preserving us from danger for securing us to life eternal he is only the great Shepheard he is the God of shepheards as well as the God of sheep and all other shepheards are but inferior to him and must be accountable to him for the souls of his sheep which are more valuable than all the world It follows The great Shepheard of the sheep I shall not spend any time in making any resemblance between the people of God and ths sheep only 1 They are sheep in respect of their Innocency You know of all creatures the sheep are unarmed other creatures either they are armed with strength or skin or swiftness to guard themselves and offend others but the sheep hath neither the strength of the Lion the craft of the Fox swiftness of the Deer and of all creatures is most weak inoffensive and most liable to dangers and injuries Of all persons Gods people are most liable to danger and when out of Christs protection the weakest persons in the world 2 In respect of their Meekness A sheep is an emblem of meekness that 's their temper and therein they imitate Christ who hath propounded himself to be their pattern Learn of me for I am meek and lowly both these qualities are exprest by the Prophet Isa 11. where speaking concerning the times of the Gospel saith The Lamb shall lie down with the Wolf now where the Prophet expresses their safety there he expresses their innocency meekness This is the reason why the Prophet saith For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter because of all Creatures most liable to injuries that which doth least resent them And where ever the Grace of Christ comes it sweetens the most cruel nature and polishes the most rough disposition and makes them to be like Christ meek and lowly 3 In regard of their profitableness for of all Creatures they are most profitable the food as to their flesh the cloth as to their fleece And the people of God however they are exposed to the contempts and injuries of the World they are the most profitable for were it not for them the whole frame of Nature would fall into pieces the Stars would fall like leaves in Autumn and all the Elements would fall into confusion we see it by one Lot who kept showers of fire and brimstone from falling on Sodom till he was got out of it And it is the people of God for whom this frame of Nature is continued and when they are brought into the Fold of Christ the Justice of God will have a solemn triumph over all the World 4 As they are liable to wandring Sheep are wandring Creatures and when strayed not able to reduce themselves And in this respect the people of God are sheep they have a thousand allurements to draw them from the ways of God and if God should not guide them by his eye 't is impossible they should go in the way that leads to Heaven Therefore David saith I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant Psal 119.176 This shall suffice to make the Parallel and Resemblance of the people of God and Sheep The second Argument is this That he hath design'd Christ to be the Shepherd of the Church The great Shepherd of the sheep this is another Argument and Evidence that he is reconciled to us and that he is the God of Peace For when God gave Christ to be our Sacrifice and raised him up to be our Shepherd these are the most clear testimonies of his love For although Christ now sits in Heaven and all the Angels of God worship him yer he doth not disdain to exercise the same care and to express the same love to his people that he did when he was upon Earth All the Offices of Christ express God's love to us for he feeds us as a Prophet dyed for us as a Priest governs and defends us as he is King and all these meet together in this Title feeding of us dying for us defending of us as he was God he loved us as he was Man he dyed for us This doth express the effects of his two Natures in this Title and therefore an admirable Evidence that God is at peace with us It follows Through the Bloud of the Everlasting Covenant The Bloud of Christ is that which cements God and us together For you must remember our original peace with God was broken that peace we have with him now is called Reconciliation it is as a broken bone which well set is stronger than before because Nature conveys most liberal supplies to the weakest part so now being reconciled to God through the Bloud of his Son we stand upon surer terms with him then we did in Innocency The Bloud of Christ speaks better things for us than all our sins speak against us it speaks peace to our souls and that in Heaven purchased by his Death Christ dyed as a Testator and bequeathed to the Church a Legacy of Peace he lives as the Executor of that Covenant and now in Heaven conveys to us that blessing of peace which he bequeath'd in his Death And as our peace was founded in his Bloud so it is conserv'd by his Intercession he appears in the Court of Heaven as out Embassador to make up all those differences which fall out between God and us for you know Amity and Friendship is kept between Foreign States bp 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 Christ's Bloud upon us on God's part The renewed Exercise of Repentance and Application of Christ's Bloud preserves 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 out Ransom

come unto you this day as a dying man for you know when this day is gone I must no more preach among you and I know you are 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 whereever 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 prophanenesse there they are alwaies loose on the Sabboth day pray remember I hope you will remember for God calls upon you and commands you so to do Exod. 20. v. 8. Remember the Sabboth day to keep it holy do not you take so much liberty as some will give you whoever 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 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 preheminency in time this is the first be conscious in keeping the Sabboth day Secondly Take heed and beware of Idolatry this was John's 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 in more danger than Idolatry First there is no sin to which we are in more danger than Idolatry Moses's back was no sooner turned but the people made them a brazen calf and bowed down to it and worshiped it as their God Exod. 32. v. 4. Jehojada was no sooner dead but Ioash returned to Idolatry if we were not prone to this sin what is the reason all the world turns Antichristians so Universally Secondly 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 confesse if you will keep your garments clean undefiled with the mark of the Beast it may be you may come under shrewd temptations yet I intreat you as a dying man as you love your Souls and for God's sake flee from Idolatry notwithstanding your temptations for God hath promised that under all the temptations that happens to you he will support you if you flie and withstand the thing you are tempted to 1 Cor. 10. v. 13. there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to men but God is faithful Will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able to bear but will with the temptation also make way to to escape that you may be able to bear it now see what use the Apostle makes of this promise in the next verse he follows with these words my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry seeing God will uphold us let us withstand any temptations to this end that God may uphold us this is the second Caution Thirdly Take heed of Apostacy of a degenerating backsliding spirit that ye do not fall off from the truth and ground of the wayes of God which ye have known and professed it is true it may be for standing to your principles you may lose the love of man I acknowledge it may be so but hear what God saith If any man fall back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him if thou goest on mans Soul may have no pleasure in thee but if thou fallest back Gods soul wil have no pleasure in thee thou doest by Apostacy declare to all the world that thou hast made trial of the wayes of God and thou doest not find them to be as good as thou thoughtest they were nay not so good as others O take heed of scandalizing the wayes of God here how God complains of those that so do Jer. 2.10 Go unto the Isles of Chittim and behold and send unto Kedar and take diligent heed and see whether there be such a thing hath a Nation changed their God for those which are no Gods but my people hath changed their glory for that which will not profit Hear O Heavens and be astonished at this for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and have hewed to themselves broken cisterns that will hold no water Whatever it is that would lead thee to Apostacy beware and flie it especially evil company of which I shall speak more anon let your love to Christ be augmented and love of your selves abased for unlesse you love Christ very much and your selves very little I cannot hope that you will stand to your principles Fourthly Beware of Covetousnesse it is Christs Caution Luke 2. ver 15. Take heed and beware of Covetousnesse here is a Caution with a double action take heed and beware believe me Brethren it stands upon us so to do for it steals upon us before we be aware of it there is no person will deal more injuriously with a Christian than a covetous man will he will betray his Life if it were in his hands into his Enemies hands for Money as Judas did A covetous man he will injure Christ in his Ordinances he will not come at them for the love he bears to the World will not suffer himstruly quoth he I have lost this or that while I was hearing a Sermon I 'le go no more I must stay at home and look after my businesse I could give you many instances of this but time will not give me leave I shall only touch this one what was it but the Love of this World that kept those who were bid to the Marriage Feast of the Great King of Heaven from coming One had bought a piece of Ground and he must needs see it another had bought Oxen and he must go to prove them a third had Married a Wife and therefore he could not come Of all persons in the world a covetous man cannot nor will not endure to bear the Crosse of Christ Phillippians 3. v. 8. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping that they are the Enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is dest●uction who are these what manner of persons are they why they are such who make their Belly their God whose glory is their shame and who mind earthly things A covetous man he will lie with Ananias and Sarhira he will steal with Achab he will murther with Ahab he will betray with Judas what will he not do to attain his covetous

as Jerem. 13.17 And that we shall not forget Jeremiah weeping for you And I trust likewise that we shall remember Stephen being on his knees for his Persecutours powring out his life and prayer together Acts 7.60 I doubt not but my Reverend Brother and my self shall remember Pauls willingness to spend and to be 〈◊〉 both in prayer and preaching for you all Though the more abundantly he loved the lesse he was beloved 2 Cor. 12.15 3. Maintain and nourish all tenderness in your Conscience all your dayes Oh go not without much lesse against the dictates of conscience rebel not against the light of it beware of stifling and suppressing a warning conscience lest a warning conscience prove a gnawing conscience and prove a tormenting conscience And consider first Remorse of Conscience hath an eye against all sin past Secondly Tenderness of Conscience which hath an eye to all sin to come Take heed then of all calmness of heart Fourthly Take heed of Apostatizing Chrysostome hath a notable saying namely That Ministers have a greater trouble because they never find their work as they leave it as other workmen do Oh in how short a time doth a poor Minister find all his work put out of frame and order Did not Moses find it so Exod. 32.8 Moses had no sooner turn'd his back as it were but the people were turned out of Gods way of worship And did not Paul find it so Gal. 1.6 The Galathians were quickly removed Paul was but lately gone from them and they were quickly apostatized Now this cometh to passe First It is by reason of a crafty subtil deceitful Devil as in the Gospel we read While men slept the Enemy came and sowed tares Mat. 13.25 And who this Enemy is we may see in Christs expounding the Parabl●● ver 39. And Secondly Partly by reason of mens own deceitful hearts as Heb. 3.12 observe it There is an evil heart of unbelief in the best it dwells in the best but it reign● in the wicked And what is that one of these evil hearts of unbelief in apostatizing in departing from the living God Thirdly It is partly by Reason of deceitful workers as the Apostle calls false Apostles It is partly by reason of such Then take heed of apostatizing either from truth of Doctrine purity of worship or practice of Conversation 1. From truth of Doctrine Be not weary of old truths take beed and beware of itching after novel Doctrines take heed and beware of admiring this or that opinion which as new lights drop down from heaven but indeed is but as the smoak of the bottomless pit 2. From purity of Worship also Let not your zeal be cold but kindled against every bracelet of the Scatlet Whore How often doth the Apostle call the people adulterers and adulteresses because they apostatize from the Word and Worship of God 3. In practice and Conversation Prize the Gospel love it and live accordingly to it With constancy look on every motion of thy soul and every action of thy life as a step to life or a step to death as a step towards Heaven or a step to Hell Heb. 10.38 To close this Counsel the Author of the Hebrews bringeth in the Lord protesting against apostatizing If any man draw back from Gospel-principle and Gospel-worship or froth a Gospel-conversation saith the Lord If any man draw back thus my Soul shall have no pleasure in him Tremble then at this thou Apostatizer whoever thou art wherever thou sittest or standest My Son shall have 〈◊〉 pleasure in thee I loath and abominate that person faith the Lord. 5. All of you then study peace and particularly you who do unfeignedly set your hearts and faces towards Heaven study peace and follow after it thou●●● run from you pursue after it You professe you● selves to be them that are truly fearing God an● truly honouring the King and truly loving one another Oh then seek peace You who do unfeignedly set your hearts and fac●● towards Heaven study peace alway and decline all dividing principles and practices among you and that you may not either breed or feed circumstantial differences or substantial divisions consider God 〈◊〉 the God of Peace our Saviour is the Prince of Peace our Comforter is the Comforter of Peace our Calling is the Calling of Peace our Way is the Way of Peace Oh that we may so live in Peace that the God of Love and Peace may dwell with us and that the God of Peace may live with us here that we may live with the God of Peace hereafter Mr. Bull of Newington-Green His Farewell Sermon in the Forenoon John 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 〈◊〉 of these words was this It is the great work for which the Spirit 〈◊〉 Christ is given by Ged to comfort the hearts of 〈◊〉 people You may remember that I have 〈◊〉 ope●●● the truth to you and have shewed you what this spititual 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 dispensations of God towards him whereby he is enabled to go on in chear●inesse 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 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 receive a Cordial and a Puddle is all one to a dead man 3. He works this inward spiritual satisfaction by discovering the truth of this vitall 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 Child of God Whether he be regener a 〈◊〉 born again whether he hath grace in his soul 〈◊〉 grace that will qualifie him for glory and if he was ●●risfied 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 his 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 〈◊〉 have received not the spirit of the world but the Sp●● 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 Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Godly forrow 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 forrow Oh! it s a 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 〈◊〉 mortifying Spirit Thus he takes away that that is the ground and matter of Believers trouble mortifying that sin that is the cause of his sorrow 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 I did for the Explication of the Doctrine was to add some Propositions and they were 〈◊〉 as these 1. Many a gracious heart that hath fellowship with the Spirit of God in his sanctifying work may feel 〈◊〉 find none in his comforting work The Sun 〈◊〉 operate where it doth not shine A ma● 〈…〉 of salvation when he doth not feel the joy●● of 〈…〉 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 ●nnforting 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 in 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 mount ain 〈◊〉 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 a frame of longing after the state of Heaven God●wil 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 most make account that our comfort will be so too Tears will be never wiped from our eyes til sin be quite take● out of our hearts 3. Those that have had this spirituall comfort in their souls they may lose not only the impression of the Spirits com●nt but they may feel impressions of Gods anger Heman compla●● that the wrath of God did hang upon him and that the 〈◊〉 of God had cut him off A gracious heart hath real grou●●●● of consolation though he hath not present sensible comfort A child of God hath alwayes 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 ea●●nal life A child of God shall always have so much to keep up● hopes and affiance upon God a child of God in the da●est condition though he doth not see enough to make 〈◊〉 rejoyce in God yet he sees enough to make him trust i● 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 ●e 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 's light within while Stephen sees nothing but blood here below he saw Heaven above And Christ tells his Disciples In the world they should have tribulation but in him they should have peace 6 And lastly Though this be one great work of the spirit of God to comfort the hearts of Christs Disciples yet there are some speciall seasons where in the Spirit of God gives out this comfort There are seasons of sadnesse there is a season of heavinesse there is need of it There is a time to weep and a time to laugh and a time to mourn and a time to dance I shewed you some of the Seasons 1 One special Season of the Spirits comforting the renewed soul is presently upon the souls first salvation After the Spirit is become a Spirit of Adoption presently it becomes a Spirit of Consolation after the Spirit hath come into the Soul in the Law it then nextly appears a Spirit in the Gospel 2 Another season when the Spirit gives out this comfort is just before the Lord layes upon his people any great afflict●● on When was it that Christ was transfigured and his face did shinc as the Sun it was immediately before his blood passion Christ was first taken into the Mount before 〈◊〉 was up lifted upon the Crosse When was the 〈◊〉 heard This is my beloved Son in whom I am well 〈◊〉 but just before he was led into the wildecess● to be tempted When was Paul lifted up into Heaven it was immediately before Satan was sent to buffer him Thus God gives his people somthing before-hand to support their spirits that they may not faint the Disciples were full of comfort Acts 5.41 and when was this immediately just before they were carried before the Council and whipt up and down like Vagabonds Rogues for Preaching the Gospel 3. Another Season when the Spirit gives out this Comfort is in the time of suffering God comes in the nick of time especially if a man suffer for righteousnesse sake if his suffering be upon the account of Christ he seldome fails to send the Comforter for the relieving of his spirit 1 Pet. 4.13 But rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy Bodily confinement and inward streights are the time of the Souls greatest enlargement John had his Vision i● the Isle of Patmos When a child of God is brought to a piece of bread then